Richmond Municipal Code Ch. 7.32 Newspaper Racks

It is unlawful for any person to display, exhibit, offer for sale or sell any newspaper on any street, sidewalk or other public place within the city, except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

No newspaper shall be displayed, exhibited, offered for sale or sold in, on or upon any street, sidewalk or other public place within the city except from newspaper racks constructed and installed in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.32.030 of this chapter; provided, however, that this chapter shall not apply to sales of newspapers made by vendors who are present at the time of such sale.

As used in this chapter, the words "newspaper racks" mean racks or holders for the exhibition, display and sale of newspapers without any vendor being present at the time of sale, which are constructed and installed in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) Newspaper racks shall be fabricated completely of metal and shall contain no sign or lettering other than the names of the newspapers sold therefrom and a suitable marking for coin receptacles.

(2) Each newspaper rack shall consist in a single four-inch standard pipe stanchion on which are mounted not more than six holders arranged in two vertical columns, each of said holders shall be large enough to display a newspaper the pages of which are folded once in half horizontally, and shall be placed on one side of said stanchion in such a manner that newspapers are displayed therefrom in a vertical plane parallel to the adjacent curb line and facing away from said curb.

(3) The center stanchion of each newspaper rack shall be securely anchored in concrete and the center of said stanchion shall be placed in a sidewalk area not less than 12 inches nor more than 20 inches from the curb line, and not less than ten feet from the nearest property line of any intersecting street.

(4) The height of any rack shall not exceed five feet six inches above the grade of the sidewalk in which same is anchored, and the overall width of any newspaper rack shall not exceed 40 inches. Additional vertical supports or guards may be attached to the sides of the holders.

No newspaper rack shall be installed or maintained on any street, sidewalk or public place within the city without a permit therefor specifying the exact location of such rack having been first issued by the director of public works, which permit may at any time be revoked by the director of public works. The director of public works may refuse to grant a permit to install a rack in any location which in his discretion he considers would interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic or cause congestion upon any street, sidewalk or public place within the city.

(Source: Ord. No. 1353.)