(DEWEY BEACH, Del.)- A long standing legal battle in Dewey beach, concerning what a business can and cannot display on its store front, has finally come to an end.
Jason Fruchtman, the owner of Jeremiah's Beach Party, filed the suit against the town of Dewey back in 2010. Town officials amended the building code a couple of years prior to halt seasonal merchandise displays on commercial buildings.
The amendment says things such as displays can't cover more than 30% of the outside of a building on Route 1, or displays can't be higher than the first floor of the store.
Fruchtmans' argument was that the ordinance was just too vague. He also felt he was being unfairly targeted because of concerns voiced by other store owners.
A federal judge in Philadelphia originally ruled against Fruchtman in July of 2014. We now know an appeals court has dismissed the case all together.
The town has made some changes to that ordinance that landed them in court. The height limit of 12 feet on displays will be maintained. But the town will no longer regulate how displays are attached to buildings or try to limit them to one side of a street.
Mayor Diane Hanson says she wants to meet with business owners to insure everyone is on the same page with the new law.