Limerick Township Board of Supervisors Approves Electronic Signs

The Limerick Township Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to start allowing businesses to use electronic signs to show advertisements for sales or other business information.

The amendment was approved and is a change from the board’s earlier position on electronic signs. In the past, signs were allowed to show only the time and temperature, with several board members stating that they felt messages on electronic signs were a distraction.

Solicitor Joseph McGrory said that he felt it was important to note that no one will have any rights to their signs taken away. Businesses that currently have electronic signs will not have to change them but will now be allowed to advertise on their signs.

The amendment to the ordinance will be in effect for new sign applications. In the future, electronic signs will have to be monument-style signs, with height and width limitations.

Board chairman Thomas Neafcy used the sign at as an example.

"You can have an aesthetically pleasing electronic sign," Neafcy said.

The rules will continue to develop through amendments to the sign ordinance as the dimensions and allowable design elements are decided upon.

Board member Kara Shuler asked about the base of signs having to be rectangular, as opposed to allowing signs on pillars or other bases. McGrory said that this particular amendment is a start for allowing new signs.

The ordinance will also prohibit electronic signs on billboards. Neafcy said there have been inquiries from two billboard companies, but the board does not want signs that large to have electronic messages.

The board is also planning to step up enforcement of the rules for other types of signs.

Board member Elaine DeWan said that they are stepping up enforcement and will be doing so on a rotating basis throughout the township.

McGrory also pointed out that the township has to be "delicate with enforcement."

"We can’t fine the person who put the sign out," McGrory said. "The code says we have to fine the landowners [whose property the sign is on]."

Neafcy said that the increased enforcement was largely due to the over-proliferation of signs in the township.

"We needed to clean it up," said Neafcy. "It doesn’t bring any quality to the community,"

During the public comment portion of the meeting, the sign ordinance came up again from several members of the audience.

Gail Wellington, co-owner of and a board member from the Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce, asked for clarification on existing signs. She asked if business owners would be allowed to keep signs in the state they are in. Neafcy said yes.

"It will allow more advertising," he said.

Board member Joseph St. Pedro pointed out that several members of the township board are also business owners, and that none of them are anti-business.

"It’s a complicated issue," said Wellington. "There are so many ways to put up a sign."

Neafcy explained that the change in his opinion was the result of a
compromise among members of the board.

"As long as we had a height restriction on it, we had masonry style," said Neafcy. "If you look at the one Pope John [Paul II High School] has, that’s a nice-looking monument sign. It can be effective for
promoting your business, you can advertise on it, and still look attractive, and that’s what I wanted."