Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Lower Macungie says 'no sale' to new billboard style


From The Morning Call

June 10, 2007

Township bans signs that change more than once every 3 minutes.

By Randy Kraft Of The Morning Call
In Lower Macungie, the future may be over for electronic billboards with rapidly changing messages.The same goes for signs, screens and displays with ''sudden bursts of light or sound,'' animation, flashing, images or flowing words.Despite objections from a representative of the outdoor advertising industry that included a warning of a possible legal challenge, township supervisors voted 2-0 on Thursday to amend their zoning ordinance to ban signs with images that change more than once every three minutes.The new law won't change the operation of one electronic billboard already flashing in Lower Macungie or a second one that has received approval, zoning officer James Lancsek said.The zoning amendment states that such signs are ''injurious to the township's public health, safety and welfare.''The legislation was recommended by the township Planning Commission, which is concerned such rapidly changing signs create unsafe distractions for motorists. Lancsek suggested the commission make that recommendation to supervisors.''To my knowledge, Lower Macungie is the first municipality to address this in an ordinance in Lehigh County,'' said Olev Taremae, chief planner for the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which reviews and comments on such proposed ordinances. The Valley commission had no comment about Lower Macungie's zoning change, saying ''it is a matter of local concern.''Taremae said some people have concerns about whether such signs create additional distractions for motorists as well as the impact of their lights on neighbors at night.''But in our two counties, we really haven't seen a lot of ordinance-type reaction to it,'' Taremae said.Such signs have been prohibited in Bethlehem Township since 1997, Township Manager Jon Hammer said.Lamar Advertising already has a frequently changing electronic billboard in Lower Macungie, along Hamilton Boulevard between Charcoal Drive-In and Interstate 78. Lancsek said it was installed months ago and will not be affected by the new law.Mary Crocker, a real estate representative from Adams Outdoor Advertising, objected to the zoning change during a public hearing before the vote.She said electronic signs are the newest technology used throughout the country and warned the new law would invite a challenge from her industry.Crocker said no safety studies show such signs are hazardous. She unsuccessfully encouraged supervisors to take a harder look at the issue before voting and speak with outdoor advertising companies.She said three minutes is ''extremely long and defeats the purpose of having a sign that changes,'' adding the industry standard is signs that change every 10 seconds. She said the state Department of Transportation allows signs to change every five seconds.After the meeting, Crocker said even if a sign changes only once every three minutes to avoid being a distraction, someone still will be driving by when the image shifts.Her company already has a township permit to convert an existing billboard along Hamilton Boulevard near Krocks Road into an electronic sign with changing images.''We change in 10 seconds, so there are six messages a minute,'' she said.Lancsek confirmed Adams can install that sign because it had its permit to do so before the law changed.The law was approved by Supervisors Dennis Hinkel and Marilyn Jones. Supervisor Kenneth DeAngelis was absent.Lancsek became concerned about such signs months ago, when Adams demonstrated them for local zoning officers and other public officials.

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