Santander Bank on Thursday secured the variances it needed for signage at its future home at the Village at Newtown Shopping Center.

Bank officials appeared before the township’s Zoning Hearing Board on 2 November 2023 to request relief for five signs that will be comparable in size to other banks the shopping center.

The bank, now located at 3 Terry Drive will be relocating its Newtown branch from the Newtown Business Commons to the Village at Newtown Shopping Center on Eagle Road.

This is my personal summary of my notes regarding the October 25, 2023, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.

Planning Commission Report

• Capital Grille Signage
• Durham Road Development: Medical Office and Day Care Buildings
• Business Commons Rezoning Overlay Plan

Engineer’s Report/Topics

• Lower Dolington Road Multi-Use Trail
• Newtown Creek Pedestrian Bridge Grant Proposal

Budget Discussion

• SAFER Grant and Future New Taxes
• Tara Blvd RRFB Project

Other Items of Interest

• Detailed Notes
• Official Video
• Video Transcript

More...

This is the video edition of the October 23, 2023, #NewtownPA News of Interest (NOI) e-newsletter.

The cover features Spooky Stop Sign Sawer! Just in time for Halloween! You can video the spooky story behind the #NewtownPA Stop Sign Sawer here: https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/blog...

Topics in the October 2023 issue of NOI include:
(1) 2024 Budget Highlights
(2) Capital Grille Signage Debate
(3) Neon Signage Showdown
(4) Sewage Treatment Plant
(5) Business Commons Rezoning
(6) More Paid Firefighters Needed

To receive the newsletter in via email, become a subscriber: https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/news...

You can unsubscribe at any time.

At the 17 October 2023 meeting of the #NewtownPA Planning Commission (PC), members failed to agree unanimously to recommend approval of certain aspects of Capital Grille's signage plan.

Specifically, some members had problems with the huge 13-4" by 6' 80 sqft sign that Capital Grille proposes to affix to the rear facade of the building that faces Silo Drive. The rationale for such a big sign in an unusual location is to make it easier for people driving North on South Eagle Rd in the shopping center to find the restaurant.

Edward Murphy, Esq., Wisler Pearlstine, representing Capital Grille, said the dimensions of the sign should be measured based on the size of the lettering and that the black background should not figure into the calculation to determine if it is up to code.

PC Member Terry Christensen, however, said "changing the way the square footage of signage is calculated by only counting the letters...that's an argument that I don't think we are competent to work on" versus the wording of the ordinance.

Listen to the audio recording of the discussion...

This is the video edition of the September 23, 2023, #NewtownPA News of Interest e-newsletter. Topics include:

(1) Plans for pedestrian- activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at two locations;
(2) Supervisor Mack "refuses to recuse" himself from Kushner RE hearing and goes on to challenge the developer's key so-called "expert" witness;
(3) Planning Commission Chair thinks developers' proposals are "Ridiculous" - hear what she has to say;
(4) Supervisor Mack discusses issues with residents at September 11, 2023, Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting;
(5) Newtown Emergency Services Department gets FEMA grant that will allow 24/7 fire coverage in Newtown Twp and Boro.

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The stage is set In #NewtownPA township for a showdown over neon signs in what I call "Neon Signage Armageddon".

On Wednesday night [27 Sept 2023], the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors [BOS] voted unanimously to oppose a zoning board appeal by the Borscht Belt, which is seeking a variance for a neon window sign. [Read “Borscht Belt Delicatessen Seeks Variance to Allow Neon Sign”.]

Supervisor Phil Calabro made the motion to send its solicitor and the township's zoning officer to a zoning board meeting [on Nov. 2] in early November to defend the township’s sign ordinance, which states that “any sign illuminated by inert gas or any form of exposed tubes is prohibited.”

"It's important that we send our solicitor because of the abuse that has been done by this deli in regard to breaking the zoning law," said Calabro. "We need to stick up for our zoning laws."

The hugely popular Jewish deli, which opened last May in the Village at Newtown South, was sent a violation notice by the township after the township received an anonymous complaint over its neon “Borscht Belt Deli” window sign.

In his appeal, [the eatery’s co-founder, Mike Dalewitz] is seeking a variance to allow the sign. He points to at least 17 other electric window signs throughout the township, including seven in the Village at Newtown South Shopping Center.

Mike Dalewitz, Co-Founder of the Borscht Belt Delicatessen, is appealing the action of the Newtown Township Zoning Officer who has issued a Violation Notice regarding the neon window sign at the newly-opened store located at 2124 South Eagle Road (see photo).

Zoning Officer Received an Anonymous Complaint

Neon signs are prohibited by Zoning Ordinance, Section 1104(B)(2), which states that “any sign which is illuminated by inert gas or any form of exposed tubes is prohibited.” The Borscht Belt Violation Notice was sent via certified mail to Newtown Center Associates – owners of the shopping center – dated 6/13/23 after the zoning office received an anonymous complaint via phone call.

The battle to bring a Wawa to the township is back before the zoning hearing board where Provco Pinegood LLC is challenging the validity of sections of the township’s E30 use ordinance.

In its latest appeal, Provco, which has been fighting to build a Wawa convenience store and gas station on Lower Silver Lake Road and the Newtown Bypass for the past five years, is challenging the ordinance’s limit on the number of gas pumps allowed, the definition of an Electronic Message Center (EMC) sign and the ordinance’s restriction on signage along the Newtown Bypass.

During its second appearance before the zoning hearing board on Monday night, Matthew Hammond, a licensed civil engineer specializing in traffic planning, and Michael Tantala, a civil engineer, specializing in signage, testified on behalf of Provco.

Hammond testified that if Provco is not allowed to put a monument sign on the bypass alerting motorists of the store and gas station, it could create a dangerous condition on the bypass with motorists making split second decisions to make the turn onto Silver Lake Road after realizing there’s a Wawa there.

Under the E30 ordinance, signs are prohibited along the limited access Newtown Bypass.

Hammond testified that visible signage is important, especially for impulse customers who need enough advance warning to move to the proper turning lane.

“These signs are designed with the appropriate size, height and location necessary to provide a safe and efficient flow of traffic along these roads,” Hammond told the zoning board.

Regarding the use of signs for safety, zoning board chair Paul Cohen wanted to know if that only applied for certain uses. “Do you believe going from an office use to a retail use increases the need for signage?”

“I do,” said Hammond. “Retail use is what I’ll classify as an impulse use. Obviously there are people who want to traverse to that specific use. That signage is important. If it was an office it may not be as important because you’re not normally passing by an office building and saying, ‘Oh, I should probably try to turn in there.’”

More...

The hearing for Provco/Wawa’s requests for variances officially began at the May 6, 2021, meeting of the Newtown Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB). Township Solicitor David Sander, representing the Township supervisors, requested a continuance of the hearing to allow the township expert ample time to draft a report and prepare for the hearing. Thus, no evidence was taken and the hearing was continued at the June 3, 2021 ZHB meeting.

This is just “Round 1” of the hearing, which I review below. Round 2 will commence at a special July meeting yet to be officially scheduled.

Recall that the township supervisors voted unanimously to oppose Wawa’s requests seeking relief for eight fueling dispensers on 4.9 acres where six are permitted by right as well as various signage variances to display the Wawa logo and fuel prices. This round of the hearing focused mostly on testimony and cross examination of witnesses regarding the signage variances.

Listen to excerpts from the hearing, including comments from Mr. Mike Redel, a Real Estate Project Engineer employed by Wawa.