Church appealing denial of sign

Law firm will monitor ongoing case to keep standing for possible future appeal

A local church is going to court to try to get permission for an electronic message sign, and Lansdale officials will be watching the case closely.

Lansdale United Methodist Church has appealed a denial by the borough zoning board of their request to put an electronic message sign in front of their church at 300 N. Broad St.

“Lansdale Borough Council initially took a position against the digital billboard sign, related to the application from the Methodist church, then changed their position publicly,” said Borough Solicitor Sean Kilkenny.

That discussion has been ongoing since December, when the church first began the process of seeking a digital sign outside their church, and said it would reduce the risk of vandalism and let them consolidate other freestanding signs and banners.

Continuous electronic variable message signs were banned in town from 2009 to 2014, but similar signs have been allowed at Lansdale Catholic High School and First Baptist Church as replacements for previously existing signs, and a 2014 change allowed the signs but only in the industrial zone.

Borough council first opposed the Methodist church’s request in December 2015, and several months later were asked by church officials to reconsider. In May, after lengthy discussion, council voted to lift its opposition to the sign request, but the zoning board voted to deny the request on June 21.

“The zoning hearing board went ahead and heard voluminous testimony related to the variance request for that sign. The zoning board denied the church’s request for the variance, and the church has now appealed,” Kilkenny said.

Council President Denton Burnell said the vote by council did not mean an automatic approval for the sign itself, and the motion to send the solicitor to the court hearings did not mean council supports or opposes the sign either.

“We did not approve the sign. What we did was, we took action initially to oppose (the sign), and we ultimately withdrew that opposition as a council,” he said.

“That’s not an approval, and the zoning hearing board heard their application and denied it,” Burnell said.

The case of Lansdale Zoning Hearing Board vs Lansdale United Methodist church is now being heard at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Kilkenny told council, and that leaves borough council with three options.

“Borough council can, one — support the zoning hearing board’s decision; two — choose to fully stay out of it, or three — go ahead and send my office, merely to monitor the proceedings,” he said. Voting to send the law firm would give the borough legal standing if either side decides to appeal the county court’s decision, according to the solicitor.

Council ultimately voted six to two in favor of sending Kilkenny’s firm to observe the court case, with council members Jason Van Dame and Carrie Hawkins-Charlton opposing; council member Mary Fuller was absent from the meeting.

In the two months since the denial, church and community members have continued that debate online, largely in a series of posts on the “Citizens for the Revitalization of Lansdale” Facebook page.

“Our church membership feels it would help us get the word out about what we do for the community and hopefully attract people to visit us and possibly join our church. Churches need to try new ways of marketing themselves to remain vital and relevant,” said church council member Cindy Scheetz.

Burnell said while he and fellow council members appreciate and monitor the Facebook feedback, the best way to make lasting changes is to attend borough council and committee meetings and have your say.

“A resident with a genuine concern, or a genuine request, always has a voice here with us. So please, don’t be shy,” he said.

“If you have a concern, if you want to change something, this is the place to do it,” Burnell said.

Lansdale’s borough council next meets at 9 p.m. on Sept. 7, with various committees meeting starting at 7 p.m. that night. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.Lansdale.org or follow @LansdalePA on Twitter.