Garage and yard sales that become permanent sights in Henryetta are going to come to an end.
Council members put a series of restrictions in place Tuesday night that will govern overnight display and storage of merchandise if located in areas designated as commercial but are within 300 feet of a residential district.
“We see so many pop up garage sales that become permanent that it is hard to police,” said mayor Jennifer Clason. She pointed out the city has an ordinance allowing only two yard sales to be conducted each year by a person and a permit to hold the sale has to be obtained from the city. “Some people are doing it all the time.”
Clason said the town, “looks tacky,” when a person drives by and there, “is garage sale stuff sitting there 24/7.”
The new ordinance calls for erection of a screening wall or fence separating the sale area from a residential district. It also prohibits placing merchandise outside unless the items are kept within the building setback line, does not spread into parking areas and cannot be within 300 feet from an abutting residential district.
“This will prevent non-stop garage sales and will restrict how people sell things in commercial areas,” she added.
That new ordinance became effective immediately.