On the September 3rd agenda for the Whitpain Township Board of Supervisors is a public hearing involving a LED advertising billboard facing the turnpike at 1625 Union Hill Road in Blue Bell (Whitpain Township) (pictured above) and a “public discussion” about a single-use plastics ordinance. You can view the full agenda here.
The property is owned by Jasmine Associates, LLC or Jupiter, Florida and the applicant is UMR Outco of Harrisburg. The property falls within the R-E – Research and Engineering [Zoning] District and subject to the OffPremises Advertising Sign Overlay District. The property sits between the AVE apartments and the turnpike.
From the application (view application):
The Subject Property consists of a small triangle-shaped lot with a total area of 14,927 square feet. The
parcel was created when the right of way was condemned for the construction of the Pennsylvania
Turnpike. The condemnation for the Turnpike physically subdivided the subject property from the
remaining original parcel on the western side of the Turnpike. The condemnation also caused the
Subject Property to become landlocked with no direct access to the Property from any public street.The proposed advertising sign has two sign faces in a V-type configuration with each face having an area
of 360 square feet. The height of the sign structure, measured from the grade of road surface of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike, is proposed to be 60 feet. The proposed height of 60 feet is the minimum height
required in order for the sign to be safely visible to vehicles travelling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in
conformance with Ordinance Section 160-191.2.C(3).The proposed advertising sign complies with all applicable criteria of the zoning ordinance.
The public discussion regarding a single-use plastics ordinance follows the draft of such an ordinance in August 2024. The draft ordinance provides for the “regulation and minimization of single-use plastic bags, utensils and expanded polystyrene (aka Styrofoam).”
The meeting is scheduled for September 3rd at 6:00 p.m. at the township building.
Photo: Google