East Deer revises draft of proposed billboard rules

Taking Allegheny County and township planners’ recommendations into consideration, East Deer officials have revised their draft of an ordinance targeting proposed billboards and signs.

Following a June hearing where Butler-based America First Enterprises, which does business as Oliver Outdoor, sought to erect four electronic billboards in the township, the East Deer commissioners began amending its zoning ordinance regarding billboards.

East Deer’s draft ordinance doesn’t impact Oliver’s project, but it does prevent other billboard applications from being submitted until the ordinance is adopted.

The township’s zoning hearing board recommended approving three of Oliver’s four proposed billboards. The hearing board requested more information regarding the fourth billboard before making a decision.

East Deer appealed that ruling, and a remote status conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 8 before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Mary C. McGinley.

In August, township commissioners sent their draft ordinance to township and county planners for review. East Deer acknowledged their recommendations and revised the draft, which was announced during the commissioners’ meeting Thursday.

What has changed

Under the revisions, billboard signs can be permitted only as a conditional use in industrial-zoned districts, and not in residential or commercial districts. The sign’s surface area cannot exceed 300 square feet, including both sides if it’s a two-sided sign.

Other clarifications or revisions in the draft include heights of signs and where their measurements are, as well as landscaping requirements being considered on a case-by-case basis during the conditional-use process.

The first draft prohibited LED digital billboards.

The updated draft states that lighting and special effects for billboards will be determined during the conditional-use process, but also sets standards for special effect display, including:

• All parts of the sign’s special effect display shall be contained within the boundaries of the sign’s faces.

• Billboards that rotate images must display each individual image for an eight-second minimum.

• Images and messages displayed must be static. The transition from one display to another must be instant, without any transition effects.

• Billboards must be equipped with a light-sensing device that adjusts the sign’s brightness as the day changes.

• If the board malfunctions, it must have monitoring in place that turns off the display or shows a full black image.

The commissioners plan to schedule a public hearing before adopting the new ordinance, board Chairman Tony Taliani said.