Judge: Banner did not enlarge sign

Lamar to immediately take down the banner, which has been in place since May 31.

Lamar, in turn, filed an appeal of the zoning board decision.

Kevin Acklin, chief of staff to Mayor Bill Peduto, described Judge Motznik’s decision as a “minor ruling” on a Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspection citation.

“Lamar and Sprint continue to blatantly violate city zoning code, as ruled by the zoning board, and we hope they will step up to be good corporate citizens. Otherwise, we intend to hold them legally accountable to remove the eyesore they are imposing on Pittsburgh’s landscape,” he said in a text message.

Mr. Acklin argued that the decision did not affect the underlying zoning ruling. “Instead of dragging city residents through the courts and subjecting them to an illegal eyesore, we encourage [Lamar] to do the right thing and either rehabilitate or tear down the illegal sign.”

Lamar, Mr. Kamin retorted, is all for rehabbing the sign. In its appeal, the company maintained that it only put up the banner after the city failed to act for more than two years on its request to modernize the Bayer sign.

“If the city would look at the application on its merits instead of trying to regulate content, we could go ahead and get our renovations done,” he said.

A hearing on the appeal is scheduled May 11 in Common Pleas Court.