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Quilt store gets OK for display Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Marge Wall says she lost up to $10,000 worth of business when Jacksonville city officials enforced the town's sign ordinance and made her remove the quilts from outside her downtown business. Wall received a variance from the City Council Tuesday night, and the quilts were back on view Wednesday. By MELISSA MARTIN JACKSONVILLE - Marge Wall has been displaying quilts outside her shop for the past 15 years. The colorful pioneer patterns, such as the double wedding ring or the lone star, are a tradition tourists expect when they meander down the boardwalks in this National Historic Landmark town. "We have people walk by and say, 'Hey, this looks like Amish country,'" said Debbie Carruthers, Wall's daughter. In June, city officials told Country Quilts to take the fabric back inside - city laws prohibit merchants from displaying signs or merchandise outdoors. "I took down my quilts and it has cost me $10,000 in sales," said Wall, who lives where she works in a house on the corner of California Street and Jacksonville Highway. "I think my quilts are lovely," Wall said. "They aren't signs; they are works of art." But on Wednesday, Wall proudly hung her quilts again, including one with an eagle pattern created for the town's Americana Jubilee celebration in June. The Jacksonville City Council Tuesday voted 5-1 to grant a variance so Wall could hang her quilts outside again. "If Michelangelo were to set up business here and placed the David statue outside, he would be breaking our sign ordinance," said council member Dean Paddison. "We're trying to help businesses succeed in this town - we don't want to see another empty store front." Council member Doris Crofoot was the only "no" vote - not because she has a grudge against quilts, but because she didn't want to open a can of worms. "You're not supposed to put anything out front, not merchandise or signs or anything, according to our code," Crofoot said. "I feel this will set a precedent - it's not a wise thing to do." If Wall had simply washed her quilts and hung them outside on the line to dry, things would be different, Carruthers said. The previous resident of 110 N. Fifth used to hang laundry for all of Jacksonville to see. But because she's a merchant, Wall's reason for hanging laundry is to attract customers. And she's not the only one. About 30 businesses in Jacksonville violate the same ordinances daily. Restaurants trying to accommodate summer crowds put tables and chairs on sidewalks and antique shops routinely display their wares on their front porches. "The city has operated on a complaint basis only," said city administrator Paul Wyntergreen. "We don't go out on the streets looking for violators." Wall should get credit for being one of the few violators to follow proper procedures, said Jerry Mathern, City Council member. She took her case to the Historic Architecture and Review Committee (HARC) and then to the City Council. "Marge has come forth and is trying to do this legally," Mathern said. "I think we should grant relief of standards so she can hang her quilts." But with boundaries - only up to six quilts at a time, added council member Bill Leep. "I was down in Jefferson, Texas, recently and saw quilts hanging about the town, and it was quite pleasant." Carruthers agreed. "These quilt patterns have been around since the beginning of time," she said. "My mother is not trying to put up anything ugly. She's promoting beauty." Reach reporter Melissa Martin at 776-4497, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.