By David Lazenby
Editor
TRUSSVILLE — City officials are awaiting a ruling from Municipal Judge Carl Chamblee regarding whether a restaurant’s shrink-wrapped van violates the city’s sign ordinance, according to Trussville City Councilor Jef Freeman.
The council recently discussed the van frequently parked outside of Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking during a workshop held by officials on Sept. 7. After that debate on the matter, Council President Brian Plant asked City Clerk Lynn Porter to email to each of the council members and the mayor the city’s ordinance regarding signs in the city.
Jo Jo Qiong, a manager at the restaurant, said she believes city officials have unfairly targeted the business on Gadsden Highway, citing the number of other businesses that use vehicles shrink wrapped with their company logo.
Freeman, who led the conversation about whether Mr. Chen’s is in violation of the city ordinance said this is not the case.
“They have pushed the ordinance in every known way possible,” said Freeman, who added the conversation about Mr. Chen’s began when the restaurant had a portable sign on a trailer that was replaced with flags on the street when city officials told restaurant officials the portable sign was a violation of the city code.
David Arnett, the Superintendent of Engineering Inspections, declined to comment on the issue on Monday, referring questions to Mayor Buddy Choat.
Qiong said she can see from her restaurant businesses across the highway that have portable signs on their businesses.
Freeman agreed that Mr. Chen’s is not the only one in violation of the city’s sign ordinance. The councilor added he thinks the sign ordinance is good for keeping Trussville from looking cluttered.
90 Comments
Ronald Hagood Jr.
#WWHD? What would Hoover Do?
Ashley L. Hill
Well I’m sure Mr. Chen’s is enjoying the free advertisement you’re giving them by running this story again with their pic!!
Valerie Kalman Sawyer
Leave them alone….don’t think anyone ever said anything about Miceli’s wrapped vehicle in the Winn Dixie lot.
Patrick Jonathan
Stop worrying about Mr. Chen’s delivery van and fix the ten thousand pot holes all over the city. Or perhaps a turning lane on Hwy 11? Y’all worry about this crap when there are actual issues to be dealt with.
Jenny Murphy
Then buy them a huge sign like fast food places. For the love it is on a vehicle. smh
Jan Hudson
I seriously would NEVER open a business in Trussville.
Beth Stewart- Gilbert
I truly think there are other more important issues. As a small business owner the sign ordinances in Trussville have always killed the trussville businesses. It’s tough to make a living when you cannot advertise Your TRUSSVILLE business. My opinion. If businesses do good then the city benefits….
Paulette Johnson
I think this issue is ridiculous. We have better issues to deal with.
Casi Carden Selph
Why don’t we worry about the AWFUL traffic on Highway 11 in the morning and afternoon!! And why us parents have to leave 45 minutes to an hour early to have our kiddos at school on time, when we now have 3 Elementary schools instead of picking on these shop/restaurant owners!!!
Diana Katrina Ingram
If it were a Mercedes van they wouldn’t complain.
Scott Landers
I would venture to guess if Mr Chen’s has to advertise like that you probably don’t want to go there. If it’s worth going to you’ll hear about it. If they provide a good service you’ll hear about it. So for the rest of the small business owners in Trussville, if you suck nobody will hear about you.
Diana Katrina Ingram
The same pot holes I dodged at 16 are still there and I am now almost 38
Sigrid Peters Corn
This!
Miranda Mason
This is why everyone laughs at trussville
Robert Aldridge
Another one that comes to mind Metro Truck Rental.
Dennis Gray
Sweet Jesus. A judge? Really?
Leave Mr. Chen alone. His ‘Kung Pao Kitten’ is delicious!
Carol Miller
They are very nice folks with great service, good food and fantastic lunch specials. They are hurting no one with their van parked in a space near the road. Considering how hard it is to turn left into that center coming from Trussville, they are lucky to have any business. That would be a good place to start.
Jan Hudson
So true!!!
Leah Scharf Miller
They must be doing enough ‘business’ to cover rent for 2 spots in that strip.
Amanda Plain
Preaching!
Justin Williamson
Just want to point out that the popcorn chicken at Yard Birds is delicious
Meg Piersol Prince
Is this all Trussville has to worry about? What about the nightmare traffic in the mornings and evenings?
Jan Hudson
❤️❤️❤️🙌🏼
Jan Hudson
There are tons of empty buildings already! They are gonna keep on giving this business grief and there will be one more added. I’d pack up and move my place elsewhere.
Tina Weems Nicholas
Mr. Chen’s in Homewood is great. I am guessing the Trussville location is good as well.
Deborah Coleman
An who cares an what does it matter.. Smh
Ricky Farmer
Trussville trying to be another Hoover, you are not move on.
Mitch Black
Mr. Chen is smart enough to get around the ordinance. Close the loophole.
Sharon Blackwood Wilbourn
Our company name is on our truck. Looks like a billboard too
Dennis Sherrod
Hey Trussville. Afterward, be sure you DO NOT place anymore of your city’s temporary plastic signs, banners, yard signs, etc advertising all your functions, parades, parties, games, festivals, etc. all over the city and on the right of ways. Let’s be fair. You can’t cite and forbid others from doing the very same thing you are doing year round.
Barbara Knight Fields
Mr Chen’s is Good!
Jordan Wilbanks
Hopefully the judge will read these comments and drop this stupid issue.
Zack Velasquez
Yea i think its an alright place to eat. Have had better chinese but that is probably the best in trussville
Daniel Cooper
Another example of useless governing.
Wesley Fitzpatrick
Why is this such an issue?
Brock Bowens
Trussville needs to address all the break-ins at the Sports Complex instead of worrying about signs.
Kelli Penque
I come here to read all of the “Trussville is trying to be the next ______” and not one of these people went to Trussville or live(d) there
Jimmy Goeb
Petty
Nicole Nicholas
How do you know who lives or has lived in Trussville?
Benjamin Clark
I’ve got a lot of opinions on Trussville, I bought a vaccum from a lady that lived in Trussville once and the drive through town was terrible!
Kelli Penque
Benjamin Clark they’re the next (insert town here)!!!!!
Kelli Penque
It’s really simple, you click on their Facebook profile and you look to see if they went to school at Hewitt or live in Trussville. Most of you are Clay/Pinson anyway or living in Roebuck saying it’s the new Roebuck. Great humor to my weekend
Benjamin Clark
Kelli Penque and they’re trying so hard to be (insert town here, but in all honesty everybody wants to be mountain Brook)
Kelli Penque
No one will ever be Buckhead so we can all shut up 😂
Benjamin Clark
Kelli Penque I don’t know… Bessemer is coming on up! Lol I make myself laugh
John Talley
Just so yall know, downtown Oneonta is thriving and always looking for new, exciting businesses to come in and no such restrictions and lower tax rate to boot.
Kelli Penque
Just kidding I’m Buckhead I save David Yurman jewelry on my Facebook (hair flip drinks coffee out of vegan mug counts calories in ice cube eats half of ice cube)
Benjamin Clark
Kelli Penque shoot, all I have saved are front loading washer/dryer sets
Peggy Harper
Really? Seriously?
Frieda Lincoln
There has been a van in Winn Dixie parking lot for years. Green with advertising for an Italian restaurant on it. If they have been left alone, I don’t understand why this restaurant is being targeted. I see trucks everywhere in Trussville with shrink wrap ads all over them.
Kelli Penque
Benjamin Clark I love you
Peg Lowery Rickles
As a business owner for 30 plus years, I feel Trussville should be more supportive of small businesses trying to advertise. A delivery van does not equate as a sign.
Anna Driskell
Agreed!
Brett Stanley
Ouch Kelli Penque, that makes me want to comment on these articles more rather than just SMH 😁
Kelli Penque
Brett Stanley Trussville is the New Black could be a TV series on Netflix
Mary Ellen Kubo
Love the eggplant dish; huge servings! Very good
service; authentic; have eaten here several times!
Chuck Browning
Yea and Clay wants to be like Trussville, what Trussville is trying to do is NOT end up like center point
Chuck Browning
So true and what they don’t understand is we are trying not to become the next Center Point. CP used to be the Trussville of the 70s & 80s but CP did not incorporate this could not create ordinances that would keep it from it becoming what it is today. CP finally did it but it was way to late, Clay was on the same path as CP and the jury is still out if they did it quick enough.
Keith Walker
Preach on.beth…i got your back …dont piss off the trussville gods…
Keith Walker
Go talk to halls motorsports…they will give you a earful
April Speanburg
Leave the damn van alone. Trussville had far more important things to worry about.
Beau Michael Krenz
Thomas C. H. Chen…best advertising ever! Just tick the city officials off and everyone else will come flooding in! Well done…well done!
Ricky Farmer
No, Trussville trying to come into Clay
Penny Jones
Leave Mr. Chens alone!!!!
Dennis Sherrod
And they wonder why people and businesses are tired and moving away from Trussville. Keep picking on the small businesses and see how many Pawn and Title places you can get too. You notice that none of their gripes and photos have been of Jim and Nick’s vehicles, Home Depot, Don’s Carpets, the plumbing, electric companies, and their very own vehicles with shrink wraps and advertising. They better go up to Walmart and Sam’s Club and try to run those large Walmart tractor trailer trucks out because they have their name on them too. Almost all hours of the day and night there is one parked at either or both of those places.
Angelo Denison Roberson
Trussvillie has become a cesspool of crime, drugs and even prostitution. Spend some time eliminating the crime rather than covering it up. Leave Mr Chen’s alone until you fix important problems……..
Pat Bentley
Jim n Nicks has a catering van that’s has their name on it and a trailer with writing parked by Homedepot what is the nigh deal
Many companies have wraps on their vehicles. Several real estate agents have magnet signs on their vehicles
Eric J Brightwell
Sorry I don’t care how you look at it it’s a van with their company logo on it and I believe there is so much more in Trussville that the city council should be doing than worrying about this one business over and over its still a van if you ban them are you going to ban Trussville police cars for advertising? Trussville gas? Trussville inpections? The shoe company over by the old Kmart they have multiple trucks sitting there this is ridiculous more important things to be concerned about
Khalia Kennedy
Mr. Chen’s is great! Every good business has advertisement!!
Josh Kloepfer
Make it TVL Chen’s and you’ll be fine.
Staci Goodwin
Its good to know that Trussville is focusing on the shit that doesn’t matter!!!
Joe Don
I guess the judge has got a handle on all the violent crime if he has time to deal with trivial sign on side of truck laws. It must mean trussville is either the safest place to live or judicial priorities are just after revenue at expense of local business
Joe Don
This has to mean that all municipal vehicles will have to have logos and lettering removed to comply, to set an example of the hard diligent work city council is doing
Thomas C. H. Chen
i actually just saw this after you mention me ticking me off Trusville city… dude do u live in Trussville? you pay taxes there? you know what their sign laws are? also i have no stake in this place, my cousins actually runs the place now after differences in how to run the place…. the van was placed after i as the equal partner sold out my part in the business… also what the heck do you know about running ur own business Beau??? you self employed u have ppl working for u? Trusville is one of the hardest place for small business cause they dont want u to do well… start a business there then get back to me on how much red tape u get!!!
Joe Don
Spot on
Beau Michael Krenz
Thomas C. H. Chen I’m with you man! I wasn’t AT ALL against it…I used to sell signs for a company called Signtronix, so…yes I do know the codes and the crazy politics that goes behind their decisions. All #love bro!
Adam Boyd
So the city officials gotta go…..they need to focus, FOCUS their efforts on SHIT that matters not this BS stuff. Get with the times it’s 2017
Wendy Lyster
Ok so what about the green Micelli van sitting in Winn Dixie parking lot and has been for several years!!!
Jamie Snyder Mentel
Mr Chens is the bomb
Jan Coons
True.
Bob Cantu
This is a great Chinese restaurant. The food is very good and the staff are super people. This uncontrolled growth is the problem here. People are correct to be concerned about the traffic and the added burden on public services. Be concerned with that at your next workshop.
Jan Hudson
So true!!! I’m getting out of Trussville ASAP! It’s not going to be long our property values are going to plummet and they are worried about a freaking van with the name of the business on it.
Bradley Clark
Tina Weems Nicholas
Yes it is good!
Amy Richardson Langner
So sorry to disagree~ but the last two times I have eaten there it was terrible~ the first time as MR CHENS….I just thought it was me ~ and let it go. The second time I went for lunch …..it was uneatable… I sent it back~ Just GROSS~ The waitress came back and said she tasted it..(MY FOOD) ~ and it was a little over cooked….Sesame chicken. Egg Rolls weren’t good~ Yucked out~ My opinion~ Sorry because I support Trussville ~
Kitty Taylor
Hey small businesses-keep your Chen up, it’s just a van.
Catherine Denise Clements
What Kitty said.
Don Baker
Wrong. Clay is Clay. No way to be like anybody but us!
Butch Largin
Not hurting a thing. Ugh..
Joan Edmonson Ellison
I think we have more problems than this.
John Van De Veer
It appears that the ordinance is being enforced in an arbitrary and capricious manner.