Asselin v. Town of Conway

Full Case Name
Michael Asselin, d/b/a Mario's Restaurant, & a. v. Town of Conway; Town of Conway v. Cardiff & Company
Description

The Court affirmed the trial court's findings that the Town's ordinance, which banned internally illuminated signs, is consistent with the requirements of the State Constitution and is a reasonable exercise of the Town's police power. The Court also affirmed the trial court decisions in favor of the Town's denial of the permit for an internally illuminated sign to plaintiff Asselin and granting an injunction requested by the Town enforcing the sign illumination ordinance against plaintiff Cardiff & Company's internally illuminated signs.

Date
07-02-1993
Court
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Jurisdiction
New Hampshire
Plaintiffs
Incident Location
Carroll County, NH
Disputed Act

The defendant, the Zoning Board of adjustment (ZBA) of the Town of Conway, denied a permit application for an internally lit sign to plaintiff Asselin because it was in violation of the town's ordinance which banned signs “illuminated from within." The trial court found the sign illumination provision valid and upheld the ZBA’s decision. In this consolidated case, another plaintiff, Cardiff & Company (Cardiff), also objected to the town's ordinance and was enjoined by the town from using his internally illuminated sign. The trial court issued a temporary injunction enforcing the ordinance’s regulation of Cardiff’s sign.

Holding
The Court affirmed the trial court's decision that the Town's ordinance, which banned internally illuminated signs, is consistent with the requirements of the State Constitution and is a reasonable exercise of the Town's police power. The Court also affirmed the trial court's finding that the Town had not exceeded its authority under the State zoning enabling act "by relying exclusively on the promotion of aesthetic values for its exercise of zoning power." The Court affirmed the injunction issued by the trial court enforcing the sign illumination ordinance against one of the plaintiff's signs.