Wednesday, June 15, 2016

More natural settings being targeted

A small stretch of Pennypack Park along State Road may soon be home to an electronic billboard. A City Council committee voted last Tuesday to rezone the park, carving out enough space for the sign along I-95.

The final vote will occur Thursday, but it is almost certain that it will pass. The package of two bills, sponsored by Councilman Bobby Henon, rezone the land so that the billboard can be placed there, and then create exceptions to regulations regarding proximity to other billboards (there’s one across the street).

While it is a relatively small part of the park (see below) and one that is hardly used, some residents are pretty upset over the proposed bill. Michael McGettigan, who owns Trophy Bikes, said that “billboards are the walking dead,” meaning that they are bordering on irrelevancy since most people get their media from mobile devices and computers.
The billboard will also be distracting, figures McGettigan. He flashed a bike light in the eyes of the Council to demonstrate his point during last week’s hearing.

Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2016/06/14/pennypack-park-billboard/#sBTzlexK0y3R3EFX.99