|
Billboard Issues in the Delaware County Suburbs
You can read PRC's Billboard Manual here
VIDEOS
03-15-10 Pennsylvania Resources Council - dedicated to preserving
the scenic integrity of the Commonwealth since 1939, proudly presents
"Resisting Billboards - Effective Strategies." Guest speaker: William D.
Brinton, Esq. Host: Carol Butler, Environmental Program Specialist.
Watch here
Topic: "Proliferation on Billboards in the Suburbs" with guest Carol Butler,
PRC Environmental Program Specialist, Pennsylvania Resources Council, Inc.
Watch here
Summary Prepared by The Pennsylvania Resources Council on October, 22, 2009
Over the past 11 months, Thaddeus Bartkowski, of Bartkowski Investment Group (B.I.G.) has made applications for 22 billboards to be erected in the following towns: Marple (7 Billboards), Springfield (7 Billboards), Haverford (5 Billboards), Newtown (3 Billboards) townships and Morton borough (1 Billboard). The sizes of the billboard faces applied for are 672 square feet (14ft. x 48ft.) except for one billboard application in Newtown township which was 1200 square ft. (20ft.x60ft.) billboard. The height of these billboards range from approximately 50 feet in the air to 78 feet depending on the topography of the pole locations. Also, Bartkowski Investment Group is making application for double faced billboards, “V” shaped, free standing signs, so instead of 22 billboards there will really be 44. Also, these out door advertising signs have a 3 foot apron so though the face of the sign is 672 square feet, the sign itself is 816 square feet towering above the rooftops.
In most cases, with the exception of Marple and Newtown Townships, the sign ordinances either did not address off-premise outdoor advertising or banned off-premise outdoor advertising. Marple and Newtown Townships voted to revise their sign ordinance prior to B.I.G.’s applications.
When all of the towns rejected the applications for the billboards, Bartkowski Investment Group challenged the validity of the sign ordinances and asked the zoning hearing boards for variances.
Meetings of the Zoning Hearing Board have been held so far in Springfield and Haverford. The attorneys for B.I.G. have asked for a continuance in each of the other towns. The meetings that are scheduled are on the chart below.
The schedule of Zoning Board Hearing meetings is as follows:
Town |
Date |
Time |
Place |
Newtown Square |
TBD |
|
Newtown Twp Building |
Springfield |
11/19/09, 12/17/09 |
7:30PM |
Springfield Twp Building |
Haverford |
12/03/09 |
7:00 PM |
Commissioner’s Meeting Room
2325 Darby Road
Havertown |
Marple |
TBD |
|
Paxon Hollow Middle School
815 Paxon Hollow Road
Broomall |
Morton |
TBD |
|
|
Local residents are holding or have held protests in Haverford and Marple Townships. Check the websites listed on the last page for more information.
The locations of the properties where the billboards will be placed, the property owners’, who have signed an agreement to lease B.I.G. space for the billboards, and their contact information (information was retrieved from the Delaware County Public Access System) are listed below:
*Please note that the store owner and the property owner may be different, therefore in certain situations, the store owner may not have any control over the B.I.G. lease.
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP
ADDRESS |
STORE |
OWNER & Contact Information |
134 Baltimore Pike |
Klaussner Furnishings |
134 Baltimore Pike Associate LP
C/O B&M Leasing
283 2nd St. Pike Suite 110
Southhampton, PA 18966 |
144-166 Baltimore Pike |
Hobbytown |
Blaise Saienni, President
Cutler Plaza Llc.
255 Airport Rd.
New Castle, DE 19720 |
500-508 Baltimore Pike |
Primo Pizza |
Stephen Mitnick, President
500-508 Baltimore Pike Llc
113 Quintynnes Drive
Wilmington, DE 19807 |
674 Baltimore Pike |
Ferraro Cadillac*
*Withdrew |
Anthony J Ferraro, President
Ferraro Olds Cadillac, Inc.
637 E. Leamy Ave.
Springfield, PA 19064 |
794 Baltimore Pike |
Pandolfi Carpet |
Richard Baccaro
794 Baltimore Pike
Springfield, PA 19064 |
800 Baltimore Pike |
T-Mobile |
David Ragone, President
800 Baltimore Pike Associates Llc
41 S. Haddon Ave. Suite 1
Haddonfield, NJ 08033 |
891 Baltimore Pike |
Springhaven Road Medical Building |
Alpec Co. Limited Partnership and Joseph A Pagano
3060 Plaza Dr. # 107
Garnet Valley, PA 19061 |
Haverford Township
Address |
Store |
Owner |
600 W. Lancaster Avenue |
Faden’s Jewelers |
Andreas Bouikidis& Etal Theognosia
108 Bella Drive
Broomall, PA 19008 |
658 W. Lancaster Avenue |
Bryn Mawr Pizza |
Nancy Athanasiadis
511 Bishop Hollow Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073 |
1157 West Chester Pike |
United Check Cashing |
David J. Ross & Stephanie Y. Ross
c/o Delmac Inc.
18 Clover Lane
Newtown, Square, PA 19073 |
1330 West Chester Pike |
Smile by Design Dentist |
Akbar Mostatab
21510 Valley Forge Circle
King of Prussia, PA 19406 |
2040 West Chester Pike |
Park’s Best Car Wash |
Kwiwon Park
2040 West Chester Pike
Havertown, PA 19083 |
Marple Township
Address |
Store |
Owner |
2343 West Chester Pike |
Nicholas Smith Trains |
Doris E. Gans
425 Rittenhouse Circle
Havertown, PA 19083 |
2501 West Chester Pike |
Man’s Alternative |
Joseph& Donna Laskowski
115 Lexington Avenue
Havertown, PA 19083 |
2531 Summit Ave |
Arrow Cleaners |
Laurence&Rhonda Cetlin
2801 West Chester Pike
Broomall, PA 19008 |
2583-85 West Chester Pike |
Drexel Hill Pizza |
Anastasios & Dionnvsis Sioutis
2583-85 West Chester Pike
Broomall, PA 19008 |
2619 West Chester Pike |
Dentist Office |
Anastasios & Diane Sioutis
106 Lincoln Drive
Broomall, PA 19008 |
1990 Sproul Road |
Bosnan Dental Building |
Kenneth S. & Kristine L. Gross
P.O. Box 490
Concordville, PA 19331 |
2105 Sproul Road |
Rita’s Water Ice |
Tosco Family, LTD
Giuseppe Tosco, President
2052 Sproul Road
Broomall, PA 19008 |
Newtown Township
Address |
Store |
Owner |
3105 West Chester Pike |
Meineke car Care Center |
Robert Rosetty & Todd Mullaney
3105 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA 19073 |
3545 West Chester Pike |
Weinrich Bakery |
George Athanaisiadis
511 Bishop Hollow Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073 |
3517 West Chester Pike |
Newtown Hair Styling |
Charlotte Holzmueller (POA Lisa Wilde)
4 Sparrows Ridge
Glen Mills, PA 19348 |
Morton Borough
Address |
Store |
Owner |
407 Baltimore Pike |
Steak & Hoagie Works |
George & Nancy Athanasiadis
511 Bishop Hollow Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073 |
Picture yourself driving down West Chester Pike, Baltimore Pike, Lancaster Avenue or Sproul Road being visually bombarded by gigantic billboards. These mammoth steel structures will overwhelm the surrounding buildings and block the sunlight. Billboards have been called “visual pollution”, “sky trash”, “litter on a stick” and the junk mail of the American Highway.
The residents of these 5 communities feel ambushed by Bartkowski Investment Group and are fighting back against this visual pollution. Every Zoning Board Meeting has had an enthusiastic very large group of attendees. Residents have voiced there opinions for the record and have had protests at some of the billboard locations.
It is imperative that people keep the pressure on by attending the Zoning Board Hearing meetings, because B.I.G.is hoping that you will get tired and go away, since this may go on for months and maybe years. The Zoning Hearing Boards need to know that a variance is absolutely unacceptable. Also, the continued protests at billboard locations will put pressure on the owners of these properties who signed leases with B.I.G. Really, what good will the revenues from the billboards leases be to them, if there rental property becomes less desirable because of the gigantic billboard over top of the roof.
The Pennsylvania Resources Council, Inc. has been involved in controlling outdoor advertising since 1939. For the past 10 years we have been working with SCRUB (Society Created to Remove Urban Blight) through a grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to help take control of our visual environment and to protect the natural beauty and character of communities.
It is important to be informed about these issues, below are some websites that may be helpful:
www.no billboards.com
www.nobillboardsinhaverfordupdate.com
www.haverfordblog.com
www.saveardmorecoalition.org
www.westgatehillscivic.org
www.prc.org
www.urbanblight.org
Contact Information:
Carol Butler
Environmental Program Specialist
The Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC)
3606 Providence Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-353-1555 ext 230
www.prc.org
butler@prc.org
|
Mary Tracy, Executive Director
SCRUB Public Voice for Public Space
1315 Walnut Street
Suite 1605
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.731.1796
www.publicvoiceforpublicspace.org |
|
