OpEd: Proposed Churchill billboard will be an unsightly distraction
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One of the most rewarding things to do in Penn Hills these days is participating in tree planting projects – in front yards and parks and along Allegheny River Boulevard and Rodi Road. Many have been organized by the Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission.
With a committed team of volunteers and nonprofit and corporate partners, the commission has planted trees along Rodi (with more plantings already in the works) and has built a welcome garden near the Comfort Inn access road, Maple Lane.
Now we find that, at the same time, a billboard company is asking Churchill’s zoning hearing board to scale back its rules in order to set up a two-sided electronic billboard on a small, steep wooded parcel across Maple Lane.
Because of the location — exactly at the Churchill-Penn Hills border — perhaps the billboard company thought the zoning variance request would not be noticed by Penn Hills residents. Maybe it thought no one cares what the view along that roadside looks like.
But that is not the case.
Penn Hills residents and visitors use that road as the main entrance to our municipality and we’re making it look better every day. Volunteers water the plants in the welcome garden, under the care of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. More trees and plants will soon be placed there, and the site will be offered as a spot for people to stop, sit and enjoy the garden up close.
At the August zoning hearing board meeting, an expert said without a variance to allow the billboard to be larger and closer to the road, the board will not fit there. Essentially, this parcel otherwise is undevelopable. The meeting was continued until 7 p.m. Oct. 23.
The Maple Lane parcel has been a topographically challenged site ever since the Parkway East was built. Now someone wants to make money by placing an eyesore in the Parkway corridor and cut down mature trees in order to do that. Common sense says that a lighted sign that changes images every so many minutes will be a distraction to drivers coming into Penn Hills, merging onto Rodi as they approach the light at Maple Lane.
We have to take a stand. Churchill is our good neighbor; we are friends and relatives with each other. Penn Hills and Churchill residents drive past Maple Drive all day, every day. Penn Hills tree volunteers and Churchill tree volunteers tirelessly work to preserve our woodland heritage.
As board members of the Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission, we know Penn Hills people deserve to live in a healthy, attractive and thriving community – without an intrusive advertising billboard at our front door.
Kathy Raborn, president, Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission; Rick Duncan, vice president; Tori DeJohn, treasurer; Sandy Feather, secretary; Betty Arenth, member at large; Laurie Follweiler, member at large; Jill Daly, member at large