Souderton discusses planned Broad Theater sign
SOUDERTON >> Plans for a new sign when the Broad Theater reopens have been forwarded to the municipality, Borough Manager Mike Coll said at the March 18 Souderton Borough Council work session meeting.
“It doesn’t protrude out into Broad Street near as far as what the current one does, and it sort of tries to mimic the old sign that was there years back,” Coll said.
The sign doesn’t meet the borough’s ordinances, though, so in order for the sign to be allowed, the theater would have to apply for and receive a variance from the zoning hearing board, he said.
The sign is also close to overhead wires, so the theater and electric company are planning a meeting to work that out, he said.
“This does not meet our sign ordinance at all, but it’s historical,” council President Brian Goshow said.
Council could go to the zoning board and give its support for the sign, he said.
The sign looks like the old one but would be digital, Coll said.
It uses new technology but has a historical appearance, council member Jeff Gross said.
“The style of the sign is art deco, and it goes with the style of the building,” he said.
The century-old theater has been closed for more than a decade. The plans are for it to reopen this year.
Options for freight building
In another matter at the meeting, potential uses of the freight building at the train station include a brewpub, Coll said.
“The problem is that brew pubs are not specifically provided for as a use by-right,” he said. “We do allow taverns, bars, night clubs as conditional uses, but when you look at the conditional uses, they’re not permitted on Front Street.”
Front Street has homes on it that could lead to conflicts, such as over brewpub patrons parking in the residential area, he said.
Since it’s part of the train station property, the freight building technically has frontage on Main Street and Broad Street, where the conditional use would be allowed, council members noted. There are other commercial buildings that also might make a good place for a brewpub but where it would not be allowed under the current zoning rules, council said.
Customers at brewpubs are generally people who enjoy craft brews and would only have one or two drinks, Goshow said.
“All the issues that we think about that come with a bar or a tavern are not issues with that kind of use,” he said.
Council member Ed Huber, who is also the planning commission chairman, said the planning commission is in the process of reviewing the brewpub zoning rules.
Souderton leases the train station from SEPTA and renovated the buildings at the site to sublease to businesses. The Northbound restaurant, a partnership between the owners of the Butcher and Barkeep in Harleysville and Boardroom Spirits in Lansdale, opened in the train station last year.