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Dunkin' Donuts Takes Down Signs After Community Uproar

By Amy Zimmer | June 15, 2012 7:03am
The Dunkin' Donuts on Lexington Avenue, between East 84th and 85th streets, had much less signage on Thursday, June 14, 2012, than just a week before.
The Dunkin' Donuts on Lexington Avenue, between East 84th and 85th streets, had much less signage on Thursday, June 14, 2012, than just a week before.
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DNAinfo/Amy Zimmer

YORKVILLE — Residents thought the supersized servings of signs, banners and flags outside a new Lexington Avenue Dunkin' Donuts was "tasteless." 

Now, they're declaring a sweet victory.

The chain took down the signs a week after DNAinfo.com New York reported on the java joint controversy.

Members of the East 86th Street Association claimed the glut of signs at the Dunkin' Donuts at 1250 Lexington Avenue were illegal — which, they said, is a problem with stores across the neighborhood.

They paid the shop a visit to voice their concerns and called the Department of Buildings, which regulates storefronts' signage.

"[The manager] said, 'How come I'm singled out when the liquor store and Subway are illegal?'" Elaine Walsh, the association's president, recalled. "We told him we're trying to get a lot of other signs to come down."

This Dunkin' Donuts, located between East 84th and 85th streets, was a special case in terms of its "garishness," she noted.

"This one just floored everyone right away," Walsh said. "And we got on it. We're very happy with the result. That doesn't always happen."

For instance, it took her organization nearly a decade before an illegal Duane Reade sign on East 86th Street was taken down.

"We're hoping we can make an impact on other sites," Walsh, who has called for more enforcement on illegal signage, added.

A Department of Buildings spokeswoman told DNAinfo.com New York last week the agency would look into whether the signs were in compliance. It remained unclear what action, if any, DOB has taken. The agency did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Dunkin' Donuts' corporate office did not respond to inquiries, and the co-owner of the store's franchise said they were not authorized to talk with the press. But one worker said the shop took the signs down after it received complaints from residents.

Local blogger Andrew Fine, the first to report on the signs and on their removal, was relieved when the "extra-glazed" signage was taken down.

"The signs were certainly an eyesore," Fine, a real estate broker, told DNAinfo.com New York. "It goes to show that when community members stand up and have their voices heard, good things happen."

Fine has now set up a meeting with the East 86th Association and members from the local Community Board 8 to discuss the signage issue further.

"It is nice to see new businesses sprouting in the area. They are certainly welcome," Fine said. "It is appreciated when they work within community standards."