Lower Moreland To Allow Billboards in the Township

The Lower Moreland Board of Commissioners approved a settlement agreement with Catalyst Outdoor Advertising, LLC that will allow billboards to go up in the township.

The arrangement, which was consented to last Wednesday, will permit billboards to go up at the intersection of Heaton Rd. & County Line Rd. facing the Pennsylvania Turnpike (1456 County Line Rd.).

Last month Catalyst Outdoor Advertising challenged Lower Moreland’s old ordinance to allow the construction of billboards in the township. The original documentation did not allow for off-site advertising, like billboards, but now that’s all changed. LM was in the process of penning a new ordinance when Catalyst’s challenge was submitted.

Despite the public’s outcry for not wanting billboards in its neighborhoods, the Township's complete billboard ordinance, separate from the settlement agreement, which will be reviewed by the Planning Commission this Thursday, could allow for more even more billboards to go up.

The Lower Moreland Board of Commissioners met privately with Catalyst representatives for about 20 minutes at the start of their meeting last week. And at the conclusion of their talks, there were several things that were agreed upon to allow billboards.

“The settlement agreement has been negotiated over the last four-six weeks, and the settlement agreement includes the following,” township solicitor Ross Weiss said.

• Instead of the proposed 1,200 sq. feet, the billboard will now only be 960 sq. feet in size (this is because the billboard will be constructed on the edge of the property)
• The height was reduced to 83 feet
• Billboard won’t be operated between the hours of 11:30 p.m. – 6 a.m.
• Township agrees that it will not allow anything to be built on the township’s property that would block the billboard from the cars traveling on the turnpike.
• Billboard will not advertise adult or sexually-oriented materials.
• Catalyst required to post any Amber Alerts
• Billboard will not advertise obscene or profane language, except in the event of an Amber Alert.

The billboard will also use ambient light censors to reduce the intensity. In other words, in the daytime the sign will be brighter; and at night the sign will be dim. Any advertisement won’t emit verbal announcements, moving, scrolling, or animated video. Township commissioners also stated that the light won’t reflect out on neighboring roadways.

Each sign face would rotate between five and seven ads and take less than a second to change, with each ad lasting between seven and eight seconds.

For the full agreement between Lower Moreland and Catalyst, please click the PDF file above to the right.