Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
DILLIGAF, the controversial Lake George clothing shop at 325 Canada Street, requested variances to allow 36-square-foot signs on the shop facing Canada and Amherst Streets.
The Zoning Board voted unanimously at its March 5 meeting to approve the variance for the side facing Canada Street but not the Amherst Street facing side.
The application was next to go in front of the village’s planning board Wednesday, March 19, after press time.
DILLIGAF owner Bill Massry said in his application that the variance would harmonize the building’s appearance, as adjacent tenant Kicking Country Restaurant and DILLIGAF would have similar size signs.
Kicking Country previously applied for and received a variance to allow its sign to be 36 square feet.
“I see the argument for the one on Canada Street, but I don’t see how that applies to the one on the side street,” commented zoning board member Bob LeBar.
Board member Jeff Blau said, “Aesthetically, it’s going to match, but as far as the side sign, I think it’s a little too much.”
The Chronicle asked DILLIGAF owner Mr. Massry what he thought of the zoning board’s decision. He said “no comment.”
ligaf, Lake George
Village Mayor Ray Perry told The Chronicle he thinks the zoning board made the right call. “They just mirrored the same size as the Kicking Country sign,” he said. “They allowed the one on Canada Street to be the same size as the neighboring business, which went through the same process earlier because their graphics and the amount of letters made it more appealing [if the sign were bigger]. It kind of balanced out the redesign of the front of the building.”
DILLIGAF’s acronym stands for “does it look like I give a f***.” It has drawn attention for years for its profane merchandise.
Mayor Perry said he struck a compromise with Mr. Massry late last summer, getting him to put censor stickers over swear words on shirts visible in the store’s public facing outer windows.
“As an adult you’re going to know what that says, but as a child, if there’s a censor sticker you might not recognize a swear word as easy,” Mayor Perry says. “That’s baby steps to a compromise.”
“I think we’re gaining ground,” he added optimistically.
“Inside, I don’t care what his shirts say, but the ones that are facing the street where children can see it — the pre-school won’t walk by there,” he continued.
“They cross the street and don’t walk in front of the store, because they don’t want the kids to see it. I used that as an example with him, and he’s willing to discuss.”
Commenting on the DILLIGAF store in general, Mayor Perry said, “I don’t agree with everything their shirts say, but I also respect the First Amendment. We did come to a compromise where he’s censoring the shirts.
“Bill has been very friendly to me over the years. Back when I owned the hardware store in town, he was a customer, and we would talk. He compromised with me on that. He censored the swear words with stickers on the shirts themselves that he puts in the windows. So we’re going to hopefully see how it goes.”
“He said he would do it as long as I’m mayor,” Mr. Perry said with a laugh.
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