NFL Clean Zone Confusion Cleared Up. Sort Of.

DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) - The NFL along with city of Dallas code enforcement officials have been scouring the downtown area looking for non-compliance with what is known as a "Clean Zone" ordinance.

It means that official sponsors of  Super Bowl XLV, like beer companies and such, are protected in these zones for signage.  The problem?  "The city didn't tell us what to do until well after the fact," says Bob Allen, owner of West End Pub.  "There are areas of our place that fall under the clean zone rules and other areas that don't.  I finally got official notification today on all of that."  Allen was incorrectly told to take signage down that didn't need to go anywhere because it was within a "Certificate of Occupancy" area.

Pete Zotos, owner of St. Pete's Dancing Marlin also was a little surprised and was also told to take some signs down.  Reason?  The NFL Experience at the Dallas Convention Center.  That event forces owners all over downtown to take outside signage out for the most part.  ""I never got anything from the city on what I could do.  They took our signage down yesterday.  We want to be compliant  but were left out of the loop, says Zotos.

The odd part of the whole ordeal is that Fort Worth has a very small clean zone...basically Sundance Square and the Omni Hotel, according to Allen.  "Our clean zone is five times as big as theirs and the official beer sponsor (Coors Light) is doing everything in Fort Worth."

Bottom line?  Dallas restaurant and bar owners appeared to be left in the dark and have a bunch of wasted signage.  Code enforcement folks also apparently tore down some signs that did not have Super Bowl logos, etc....something they were not supposed to do.  So confusion reigns on this one.  Just the NFL once again flexing its muscle on the little guys trying to prosper in an area close to a Super Bowl event.   The surrounding stadium area?  I get it.    Most of downtown Dallas?  That is a little much.