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SCRUB
1315 Walnut Street
Suite 1605
Philadelphia, PA 19107

215.731.1796
scrub@urbanblight.org

Billboard Company Loses Court Battle in Los Angeles
(Updated April 15, 2008)

Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising recently lost a court case challenging the right of an LA Times reporter to obtain a list of 11,000 legal and illegal billboards throughout Los Angeles. LA 's problems mirror Philadelphia's in terms of illegal and inappropriately placed billboards and the cities' attorneys in both places have bartered neighborhoods' scenic assets through "settlement" deals with select billboard companies. Both cities have fostered renegade practices of this industry for decades and instead of fixing the problem they have institutionalized it.

To read the article in the LA Times, click here.


SCRUB Continues to Fight for Taxpayer Standing
(Updated April 15, 2008)

SCRUB continues its fight for the rights of community groups to be heard at hearings of the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment. Click here to read an article advocating for taxpayer standing, which was written by SCRUB Program Director Nicole Seitz and appeared in the Legal Intelligencer last month.


ClearChannnel Announces Plans for Digital Billboards in Philadelphia
(Updated August 20, 2007)

Last August when Mayor John Street announced his administration's secret settlement with three players in the outdoor advertising industry, SCRUB voiced concerns about the impact of carte-blanche billboard legalization that gives up $9 million dollars in licensing fees.  Now, just a year later, the City is poised to allow ClearChannel to replace conventional billboards with high-tech, electronic billboards, granting yet another plum to the outdoor advertising industry at the expense of Philadelphia's visual environment and driver safety.

A photo from ClearChannel's website.  These digital billboards are in Milwaukee.

Read SCRUB's Press Release.

Read Scenic America's Billboards in the Digital Age: Unsafe at Any Speed.

Read the press coverage.


The Great Philadelphia Sidewalk Sale: The RFP for Coordinated Street Furniture (Posted August 6, 2007)

Will the City's contract for ad-adorned street furniture bring more beauty or blight to our neighborhoods?  This "Receptasign" trash can is located on Vine Street, near the main branch of the Free Library.

Few details have emerged from conversations between the City and three outdoor advertising companies (CBS, ClearChannel and Wall USA) bidding on a 20 year contract to install and maintain street furniture in Philadelphia.  In exchange, the winning bidder may sell advertising on all the structures they install -- adding as many as 3,000 new advertising panels to our streets.   The City will get a cut of the revenue.  Selling our sidewalks - what a way to make a buck!

See what we've learned from other cities and their RPF experiences.  Learn why you need to be concerned about this issue if your care about keeping new wallwraps and billboards out of Philadelphia.

Read the coverage in The Philadelphia Inquirer.


Five Illegal Billboards in Mayfair Removed
(Updated August 1, 2007)

SCRUB is delighted to report that five illegal rooftop billboards located at 7033 Frankford Avenue have been removed by ClearChannel.  The towering rooftop signs were erected in 1951 with a one year temporary permit. Both the Court of Common Pleas and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania refused to overturn the Zoning Board's refusal to grant a variance allowing the signs to be legalized. The Commonwealth Court opined that the billboards became illegal in 1952 when the one year temporary permit expired and were not grandfathered in as Clear Channel suggested just because they existed prior to the passage of stricter laws. 

Many thanks to Attorney Samuel C. Stretton for providing dedicated pro bono legal services to Tacony Civic, Mayfair CDC and SCRUB and to Councilwoman Joan Krajewski and her staff for supporting revitalization efforts along the Frankford Avenue corridor.

Read the latest coverage in the Newsgleaner.


Philadelphia Foundation Awards SCRUB Grant for Strategic Plan
(Updated July 10, 2007)

The Philadelphia Foundation has awarded SCRUB a $17,775 grant which will fund a strategic plan for the organization. The Philadelphia Foundation’s Board of Managers approved the grant from the Henry Griffith and Anna Griffith Keasbey Fund on June 28th, according to R. Andrew Swinney, President of the Foundation.

Mary Tracy, SCRUB‚Äö√Ñ√¥s Executive Director, explains, ‚Äö√Ñ√∫Just like a business, every so often we need to evaluate where we‚Äö√Ñ√¥re headed and plan for the future.  This is an exciting milestone for us and we‚Äö√Ñ√¥re thankful for The Philadelphia Foundation‚Äö√Ñ√¥s support.

As Southeastern Pennsylvania‚Äö√Ñ√¥s primary provider of philanthropic services, The Philadelphia Foundation manages more than 750 charitable funds established by caring families who want to give something back to their community.  Revenue generated from these funds provides grants and scholarships to over 1,000 cultural, educational and humanitarian programs, exactly as the donors intend.

"We‚Äö√Ñ√¥re proud of our accomplishments.  SCRUB‚Äö√Ñ√¥s work has prevented or removed over 450,000 square feet of outdoor advertising in Philadelphia.  In other American cities, buildings are being blanketed with ads.  Here in Philadelphia, we can still appreciate our built environment.‚Äö√Ñ√π Adds Tracy, ‚Äö√Ñ√∫The time is right for us to think about what comes next for SCRUB.‚Äö√Ñ√π

A strategic plan will help SCRUB identify new opportunities for programming and fundraising and will guide the organization‚Äö√Ñ√¥s priorities over the next three to five years.  SCRUB has hired Fairmount Ventures as consultants for the planning process.  The plan should be completed by November 2007.

 


SEPTA Withdraws Wallwrap Proposal - For Now
(Updated June 14, 2007)

Late in the day on June 12th, SEPTA and their outdoor advertising contractor, Titan Outdoor, withdrew their application before the ZBA for a giant wallwrap on SEPTA's headquarters at 1234 Market Street.  The last minute change roused the ire of Zoning Board Chairman David Auspitz, who had scheduled a special hearing for the matter.  As a result, SEPTA and Titan cannot revisit the ZBA with this proposal for one year.

Read the latest coverage in The Inquirer.


SEPTA's Plans for a Giant Wall Wrap (Posted May 23, 2007)
ZBA Hearing Rescheduled to June 13th at 1:00
1515 Arch Street 18th Floor 

Photo taken May 2006 when SEPTA installed this campaign for Dunkin' Donuts without a permit.

On Wednesday May 16th, representatives and attorneys for SCRUB, East of Broad Improvement Association, and Citizens Bank appeared before the ZBA, prepared to testify against Titan Outdoor's request for a variance for a huge advertising wrap to be placed on SEPTA's building located at 1234 Market Street in Center City.  Titan's attorneys asked for a continuance which the board reluctantly granted.

Many thanks to Citizens Bank and East of Broad Improvement Association for their leadership in protecting the public interest and the visual character of Market Street's Commercial Corridor.

The public is invited to attend the next ZBA Hearing on this variance request scheduled for: June 13, 2007 at 1:00.

Read the article in the Philadelphia Inquirer.       


SCRUB sues City over Agreement with Billboard Industry (Posted March 8, 2007)

Today SCRUB announced the filing of a lawsuit challenging the validity of a private agreement between three billboard companies and the city’s law department, which  purports to repeal or relax numerous provisions of the zoning code, and strip legislators and aggrieved persons of any right to challenge the legality of those companies’ billboards.

This agreement (click to download pdf) rewrites every law that has ever been passed to control the proliferation of billboards in Philadelphia.  It is essentially legislation happening behind closed doors, written by the City Law Department in conjunction with three billboard companies.  There has been no community input, no transparency and no accountability.  That is why SCRUB, our elected officials and community leaders must intervene.

billboard in residential area
Located at the intersection of Lindbergh Ave and Grays Avenue in West Philadelphia, these two billboards are right next to a block of row houses.

More information about the agreement.

Read the full press release and view more photographs.

The complaint (click to download) was filed March 6, 2007, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  The plaintiffs include several community organizations and five members of Philadelphia City Council.  The Complaint alleges that the private agreement purports to overrule valid provisions of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania law regulating the legality, location, height, and size of billboards.  Plaintiffs allege that the agreement interferes with their right to seek redress in the courts, usurped the legislative power of the City Council plaintiffs, and interfered with the non-City Council plaintiffs’ right to be heard before government action that enacts or changes the law.  Plaintiffs allege that the agreement violates their rights under the United States Constitution and under Pennsylvania law.  Plaintiffs seek an order from the Court prohibiting the City from issuing any billboard licenses based on the agreement, and prohibiting the City from participating in private arbitration with the billboard companies under the terms of the agreement.

Download the press release


Commonwealth Court Hears Taxpayer Standing March 5 (Updated March 6, 2007)

On March 5th, 2007 at 1:00 pm, a Panel of Commonwealth Court judges held hearings for two cases denying the standing of taxpayers and communty groups. The Common Pleas Court had based its decisions for the two cases on the interpretation of a stealth amendment (Act 193) attached to an unrelated bill in 2004. Act 193 of 2004 was an attempt by friends of the billboard industry to remove Philadelphia's taxpayer standing, the historic right of citizens and community groups to appeal decisions of the Zoning Board.

city avenue billboard

The billboard at 3800 City Ave

The two Common Pleas Court cases were heard back-to-back, as they are related cases that both denied standing based on Act 193. The 3800 City Avenue decision by Judge Gary Glazer determined that SCRUB, the Wynnefield Heights Civic Association and the Belmont Village Association did not meet the new standard set by Act 193. In the 1630 Bainbridge Street decision, Judge Joseph Dych denied standing to a taxpayer who lived 1.5 blocks from the property. The Common Pleas Court ruled that the neighbor did not demonstrate direct or substantial interest beyond what members of the general public would experience.

At the Commonwealth Court hearing, Attorney Sam Stretton represented the community groups, and Rich Feder of the City Solicitor's Office represented the city. Both attorneys argued on behalf of taxpayer standing and requested that the court reverse the decisions rendered by Philadelphia Common Pleas Judges Joseph Dych and Gary Glazer.

Many thanks to over forty community leaders who attended. The impressive number of citizens who came to this hearing clearly demonstrated to the panel of judges that Philadelphians place a strong value on civic participation in zoning decisions. The judges did not rule from the bench but will take the matter under advisement. We will keep you posted.


Street Furniture or Commercial Clutter: An RFP to Expand Advertising in the Public Space
(Posted March 2, 2007)

This past January, the Philadelphia Department of Public Property released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a ‘Coordinated Street Furniture Program.’

city toilet

This RFP called upon advertising firms to submit proposals for a twenty-year contract which would allow them to reshape the streetscape of Philadelphia’s Center City District (CCD). According to the RFP, street furniture, such as Automated Public Toilets (APTs), transit shelters, news stands, advertising kiosks/display panels, honor box corrals, benches, and trash receptacles will provide a “coordinated and cohesive appearance,” that reflect the city’s “neighborhoods, historic and cultural districts and park sites.”

While residents may benefit from the practical use of these amenities, as well as the small increase in city revenue, the devil is in the details. Automatic Public Toilets (APTs) are costly ($250,000 a piece) and the idea is to fund them by allowing a large quantity of street furniture to be installed.

These new structures will generate profits for the advertising company that wins the contract. The city has requested thirty-five public toilets for various locations in the city. In return, the company will be able to advertise on the existing 272 transit shelters, build an additional 422 shelters and erect as many advertising kiosks, LED displays, trash receptacles, news stands and advertising benches as they need to compensate for their investment in the public toilets.

Citizens’ skepticism runs high when they are shut out of the process. The City Administration failed to consult neighborhood residents, city council members or Philadelphia’s design community before issuing this broad invitation for advertising in the public space. In issuing this RFP, the administration has stifled public access and discussion. It has also ignored laws regulating outdoor advertising and commercial advertising passed by Philadelphia’s elected officials. The ‘Coordinated Street Furniture Program,’ if not analyzed and planned for in a thorough and pluralistic manner, will compromise the beauty and vitality of Philadelphia. Let’s do it right. Open up the process to the public and include design professionals and community leaders who will ensure that the end result enhances the city’s streetscape for present and succeeding generations.

Read the Daily News Article on the street furniture program.
Download the "Request for Proposals for a Coordinated Street Furniture Program" issued by the Department of Public Property.


Committe Heard Public Voices Speak Out on Proposed Legislation to Allow Signs on Utility Poles
(Updated February 23, 2007)

The Committee on Licenses and Inspections of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing Monday, February 5, 2007, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item:
An Ordinance amending Chapter 10-1200 of The Philadelphia Code entitled "Posting of Temporary Signs" by allowing signs to be posted on utility poles and streetlights, all under certain terms and conditions.

A copy of the bill is available here.

snipe sign pole signs
Images taken from stopsnipesigns.com and streetspam.org

Snipe signs are cardboard signs nailed to telephone poles and utility structures, advertising a wide range of products and services, such as work from home, furniture closeouts, diets, real estate services, and roofing. The original bill that would have legalized these signs was amended to allow only non-commercial signs and set size and time limits.

Several council members expressed grave concerns regarding the bill and all but one district councilmember opted out and removed their districts from the language. The bill was voted out of committee and is before the council for final vote. The Bill’s sponsor, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s West Philadelphia Council District supported loosening temporary non-commercial signage regulations in her district.

Commercial signage would still be prohibited in the new laws. Despite laws prohibiting the placement of signs in public spaces. communities nationwide are struggling to keep their streets clear of snipe signs. Below are some links for more information about these groups and their cause:


The Impacts of Casinos on the Visual Environment
(Posted February 9, 2007)

In September 2004, shortly after the passage of legislation that legalized gaming in Pennsylvania, SCRUB and the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) approached the DVRPC with a request to complete a study of the impact of gaming facilities in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Gary Jastrzab, of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and Lynne Bush, of Bucks County Planner, supported the proposal and presented it to DVRPC's where it was approved for funding.
The result is a comprehensive study that “provides a unique regional viewpoint and recommendations geared towards the topical areas of transportation, land use, and signage.”*

dvrpc casino study cover

Above: The cover art from the full published study

A portion of the study addresses the concerns about new signage that would emerge both on and off site as a result of the casinos. These may include more billboards, "temporary signs along roadways," "digital billboards with rapidly changing images," and wall wraps on vacant buildings. "Orderly and legal signage is a challenge not only for the communities…but for the entire region. The affected communities must balance the need for economic growth with concerns over community aesthetics and traffic safety." Upon review of the legislation and ordinances on signage, the study found that the area's signage laws have not been updated to regulate new technologies practiced by the billboard industry. The DVRPC suggests "specific changes to local sign ordinances on sign types and classifications, and on sign removal, enforcement and permitting. The study also includes recommendations for wayfinding and directional signage, to ensure visitors can get to the casinos as easily and safely as possible."

We have extracted “Chapter 4: Signage and Visual Quality Impacts” from the study. The complete PDF of the study can be downloaded off the DVRPC website.

*Quotations from the Executive Summary of the DVRP study, “Impacts of Gaming in Greater Philadelphia.”



Mayfair Community Wins Great Victory Against Clear Channel Outdoor (Posted January 5, 2007)

mayfair billboardsThe Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court denied Clear Channel’s appeal to legalize five billboards located on a building roof in Mayfair. The decision is a great victory for neighborhood revitalization efforts taking place along the Frankford Avenue Commercial Corridor in Northeast Philadelphia.

Clear Channel’s request for legalization of the towering billboards was vigorously opposed by Mayfair CDC, Mayfair Civic, and Councilwoman Joan Krajewski who sought enforcement of the 1991 sign control laws protecting neighborhoods from billboard blight. SCRUB, the citywide organization dedicated to helping residents improve Philadelphia’s visual character and quality of life, assisted community members with the appeal, and recruited probono attorney Samuel C. Stretton to represent them. Read the court decision here.

For more information about this case, click here.   

   SCRUB and its neighborhood partners have set legal precedents in land use law, having successfully challenged erroneous decisions made by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Click on the image to the left or here to read decisions.

Steen Outdoor contests violation notice for illegal construction of rooftop billboard in Southwest Philadelphia: ZBA to hear case on January 16 at 9:30 (Posted January 5, 2007)

The zoning board of adjustments is scheduled to hear the appeal of Steen Outdoor Advertising to a citation issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections for the reconstruction of billboards on the rooftop of 4800 Woodland Avenue.  The continued hearing has been scheduled for January 16, 2007.

For more information about this case click here.


Update: Zoning Board Hearing Postponed for Rooftop Billboard on Vacant Port Richmond Building (Posted November 17, 2006)

The owner of a vacant Port Richmond building is applying for ZBA approval for a new billboard whose overall height would be 154 feet. There is an existing legal billboard (remember the Marlboro Man) of the same height on the building and other illegal non-accessory signage for which L&I citations were issued last February.

The billboard hearing scheduled for Nov 17 was postponed so that the owners of the building located at 2867 RICHMOND ST can meet with the community. A new date has not yet been rescheduled for this hearing.

Click here for more information and images of the building.


Federal Highway Administration considers modifications to Highway Beautification Act (Posted November 3, 2006)

The Federal Highway Administration is considering conducting negotiated rulemaking sessions to modify portions of the 1965 Highway Beautification Act.
 
The stated goal of the 1965 HBA was to "protect public investment in such highways, to promote the safety and recreational value of public travel, and to preserve natural beauty". This was to be accomplished by having states set control standards for billboards, outdoor advertising signs and junkyards along interstates and federal-aid highways in their regions.

This "negotiated rulemaking" is being driven in part by the outdoor advertising industry's push to remove provisions in the HBA that prohibit the rebuilding of storm destroyed billboards in rural areas, and prohibit the modification of older non-conforming signs outside of commercial and industrial areas. Senator Bennett of Utah tried to have an amendment put through last year to eliminate provisions of the HBA without public comment, which was defeated in committee. You can learn more about that at the Scenic America website www.scenic.org

As the first stage of the negotiated rulemaking process, the Federal Highway Administration is holding focus groups and public hearings in five regions of the country including Philadelphia. The hearing here will take place on Nov. 9th.

You may not be able to attend the hearing here in Philadelphia but you and others in Monroeville who care about this issue can submit comments via email to me  scrub@urbanblight.org which I will read into the record or you can directly write them into the federal register by following the link to http://dms.dot.gov. The Docket Number is 25031. To enter a comment, click on Comments/Submissions, and follow the instructions.

In other public sessions around the country, the outdoor advertising industry has turned out in force, along with their favored businesses and nonprofit groups, to talk about how extremely important billboards are for a healthy economy. People need to speak out now about whether we want our public highways to become "buyways" full of commercials. If no one speaks up, the Federal Highway Administration will believe that loosening the already weak laws on billboards and signs is not a problem.

The rapid commercialization of our public spaces is something that needs to be taken into consideration. Issues of blight, community character, sprawl, traffic safety and the continued consolidation of the media are all a part of this. Please contact people you know who work on planning, community development, public lands, scenic roadways or byways, roadside beautification, community landscaping and similar areas, and let them know that this final public session is an important opportunity to voice what they want their communities will look like in the upcoming decades.


Commonwealth Court Reverses ZBA Decision for Tidewater Grain Building (Posted October 6, 2006)
 

The enbanc panel of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania reversed the ZBA's grant of a variance allowing 38,000 square feet of advertising signs on the walls of the former Tidewater Grain Building (2600 Penrose Ferry Rear) near Philadelphia's International Airport.

 

The court ruled that:

1. It was wrong for Act 193 to be applied retroactively to SCRUB and other community groups, given the chronology of this case.

2. The applicant did not prove a hardship.

3. The applicant did not prove that the signs were not contrary to the public interest.

 

Many Philadelphia citizens came down to testify before the Zoning Board and several were quoted in the published Commonwealth decision, including Gray Smith, an architect and urban planner, William Faust, a member of the Center City Residents Association, Jean Gavin, member of the Fox Chase Home Owners Association, John Kline, vice-president of Duncan Civic Association, Mary Tracy, executive director of SCRUB, and Councilperson David Cohen.

 

Many thanks to Attorney Sam Stretton for his continual dedication to helping SCRUB and the neighborhood groups in this legal case.

To download the full decision in PDF format click here.

 

Click here for more information about the decision and taxpayer standing.

 


 

Neighborhood Defense Coalition Press Conference

(Posted October 6, 2006)

On September 20th, Neighborhood Defense kicked off its effort to repeal Act 193 today at a press conference at City Hall. Neighborhood Defense is an alliance of Philadelphia community associations and civic groups working to protect their longstanding rights to appeal decisions of the Zoning Board and other city agencies that regulate land use.

On Monday, Neighborhood Defense launched a website where individuals and community organizations can register their support for the repeal of Act 193. The website will be used to fax and email state representatives and senators and create local networks of community activists who will contact and lobby their legislators. For more information about the press conference click here.

 


Billboard Consent Agreement: an Attempt to Legalize Billboard Blight (Posted August 23, 2006)

Shortly after the passage of an ordinance which among other things set higher license fees on billboard structures and required regular safety inspections, Clear Channel, CBS and Steen filed a lawsuit against the City declaring that the license fee was a tax on free speech and violated constitutional rights. The City rather than defend the law held secret meetings with the industry to discuss a settlement agreement.


The City Solicitor used this lawsuit as a vehicle to assume legislative powers and enter into an unlawful agreement with private parties. The Certified Agreement as it exists today ignores 40 years of existing laws enacted by local, state and federal lawmakers which have set limits on size and height and location and which were passed to benefit the public health, safety and welfare.

Read more information about the billboard consent agreement.


SCRUB Launches New Signage Resource Center
(Posted August 8, 2006)

As part of SCRUB’s work in neighborhood commercial corridors, we are launching a new online feature: the Signage Resource Center. This new feature will be a valuable tool for Philadelphia store owners, corridor development professionals, and anyone else interested in storefront signage. The Signage Resource Center features:

  • Easy access to zoning information relating to accessory (on-premise) signage
  • An interactive map showing all 25 neighborhood overlay zones
  • Downloadable signage permitting handbook and forms from L&I
  • Sign design guidelines and idea gallery.

The Signage Resource Center is part of a larger effort to help improve the look of storefronts in neighborhood commercial districts by working closely with corridor managers and their merchants. For more information, contact Nicole Seitz, Program Director, at 215-731-1775 or seitz@urbanblight.org.


417 N. 7th Street ZBA Hearing Cancelled (Posted July 13, 2006)

The Zoning Board's fourth hearing on a case regarding the 7,950 square foot wall wrap proposed for the second time for the Callowhill Center was cancelled due to a conflict with a last minute change in time for SCRUB's Oral Arguments before Common Pleas Judge Glazer. A new date has not been set for the hearing.


Zoning Board Reschedules Two Case (Posted July 5, 2006)

 
The Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment has scheduled the fourth hearing for 417 North 7th Street, on July 12, 2006 at 12:30PM.
 
Attorneys for Keystone Outdoor have finally finished putting on their case for 3610 Front Street after four hearings. Opponents to the erection of this 70 foot high billboard will present testimony on August 9th at 12:30PM. Taxpayer standing will also be defended at this time.
 
Many thanks to the many residents of Philadelphia who have attended these hearings, waiting for an opportunity to be heard. Zoning Board hearings are open to the public and are held on the 18th floor of 1515 Arch Street. Photo ID is required.
 

 
Supreme Court Victory for Bridesburg (Posted June 29, 2006)

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has dismissed an appeal filed by Frankford Arsenal and Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising. After hearing oral arguments, the Supreme Court found no merit to the appeal. By their decision to dismiss it, the Justices let stand the earlier opinion of Commonwealth  Court  Judge Smith‚Äö√Ñ√¨Ribner who cited and concurred with previous court rulings on dimensional variances, unnecessary hardship and public interest. Thus ends litigation that began over seven years ago when Bridesburg Civic and SCRUB first appeared before the Zoning Board to protest the variance application for two mega-sized, and double-sided 80 foot high billboard structures in the protected National Frankford Arsenal Historic District. Read more about the case here.


 
Commonwealth Court Hears Arguments on Taxpayer Standing (Posted June 7th, 2006)
 
On Wednesday, June 7, 2006 a panel of seven Commonwealth Court Judges heard oral arguments regarding the right of Philadelphia taxpayers and community groups to appeal decisions made by Philadelphia's Zoning Board of Adjustments. The court agreed to hear the standing challenge raised by Preston Ship and Rail for the construction of 5 mega-sized outdoor advertising wall wraps, a total area of 38,744 square feet, on the exterior of the Tidewater Grain Building near the Philadelphia International Airport. The proposed variance would violate 26 provisions of Philadelphia's zoning code, including size, height, and number of structures. Click here for the rest of this story.
 

 
Court of Common Pleas Affirms Willow Street Steam Plant Decision (Posted May 3rd, 2006)
 

Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Joseph Dych denied an appeal filed by American Land Recycling (ALR) seeking to overturn the Zoning Board‚Äö√Ñ√¥s denial of a variance to erect seven illuminated outdoor advertising signs on the walls and smokestacks of the former Steam Plant located just north of the Vine Street Parkway. ALR planned to place over 12,000 square feet of advertising signage on the smokestacks and sides of the building located at 411 N. 9th Street overlooking Chinatown. Outdoor advertising signs are prohibited in the Vine Street Parkway Area and the excessive size of the proposed signage exceeded size, height, and density requirements, and would be too close to a church and residences.

 

In his April 11, 2006 decision, Judge Dych wrote that ‚Äö√Ñ√∫although the Record in this matter is voluminous and the arguments of ALR are many and varied, the issue before me boils down to whether or not they met the burden of proving that an unnecessary hardship would result if the variance is not granted, that such hardship is not self imposed and the granting of the variance would not adversely affect the public health, safety and welfare.‚Äö√Ñ√π Neither Judge Dych nor the ZBA in the earlier decision found that ALR met this burden.

 

Read the decision here. Learn more about the history of this case here.

 

 

 
SCRUB is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation. The official registration and financial information of the Society Created To Reduce Urban Blight may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Quick Links:

New! An interactive map of unlicensed billboards that will be legalized as a result of the agreement.
Icon for billboard map

 

Street Furniture RFP

Billboard Settlement Agreement

Signage Resource Center
 
Upcoming Hearings
 
Taxpayer Standing
 
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City of Philadelphia Codes for
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