Another electronic billboard could be coming to Tarentum.
Representatives from Weleski Transfer in Tarentum are asking borough council to approve construction of a digital billboard that would rise 70 feet above the company’s West Fourth Avenue offices and, hopefully, catch the attention of drivers along Route 28.
Lights would be dimmed slightly at night, they said. The billboard would be comparable in size to the one recently erected near the Tarentum Bridge after a court win by Oliver Outdoor.
An appeal was made by Buddy Swisshelm of Digital Signs and Marketing during a conditional use hearing that followed an initial denial by council.
Solicitor Eric Dee will have 45 days to refer an opinion to council, which can then approve or deny it, or approve it with conditions.
Resident Bill Mayhugh isn’t a fan of the plan.
“I live on West 11th and I overlook all of Tarentum,” he said. “I have nothing against Mr. Weleski, but it destroys the view for me.”
Mayhugh referenced the billboard that went up in June near the bridge. That came after a four-year legal battle between the borough and Oliver Outdoor, which ended with the borough losing in Commonwealth Court.
“That board is up and, when I sit on my porch and try to enjoy the view, all you see is flashing lights,” Mayhugh said. “Now we’re gonna add another one?”
Weleski is seeking a billboard that is 14 feet tall by 48 feet wide. It would be double-sided, and space would be sold to local and national businesses. It would display 10 ads per minute on each side, Swisshelm said.
Swisshelm said the billboard would sit 325 feet from the closest one, which meets state guidelines. He also said the company would follow local and state rules on motion and brightness of the ads.
“We’d probably drop the brightness by 20% at night,” he said. “We want a sign that’s easy to read and that makes it more readable at night.”
Code enforcement officer Anthony Bruni said the initial proposal was denied because only static billboards are permitted in that zoning district.
In addition, the company is seeking a billboard that is larger than the allowable square footage in West Tarentum.
“The issue is with the ordinance itself,” Manager Dwight Boddorf said. “It says you can have a billboard there, but it can’t be electronic and it has to be a certain size.”
Boddorf said those issues were not addressed in the borough’s case with Oliver Outdoor.
Councilman Brian Snyder asked whether it will be financially beneficial for Weleski to install a billboard so close to the one at the bridge, just down the road.
“Of course, we’ll be competing with them on some level,” Swisshelm said. “But we have one going up in Murrysville where there are three, and they are all full.”
Snyder shared similar concerns as Mayhugh, saying he didn’t begrudge Weleski for trying to appeal council’s original decision, but that it will impact residents, especially in West Tarentum.
“It’s going to be a shame to a lot of us up on the hill who have a view of the river and the bridge,” Snyder said. “People who live up high have an amazing view of the Valley, and that beauty is going to be lit up.”
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