Ford City Zoning Gives Green Light for LED Sign

Thomas Schereen of Schereen Insurance turned the lights on his LED sign back on Monday night after the Ford City Zoning Hearing Board approved a variance for its usage. Notified of its violation in November 2011 since the current ordinance does not address LED signs, Schereen said other Ford City businesses might also be in-violation of the more-than 40-year-old ordinance book.

by Jonathan Weaver

A Ford City zoning decision Monday may make a community impact and lead to some ordinance changes in the future.

The zoning hearing board heard from Borough Zoning Officer Jeff Richardson, of Richardson Inspection in Volant, Pa. that Scheeren Insurance Group in Ford City was in violation of three zoning amendments in respect to its light-emitting diode (LED) sign along Main Street: including the size of the sign, its projection over the right-of-way and being light-emitted in general.

The three items are listed under Section 4 of the Borough’s Zoning Ordinance, passed in 1976. A copy of the ordinance is available on the borough’s web site.

However, variances on two of the three amendments were passed by Zoning Board President Greg Dinko and Board Member James Milligan due to the – what former Zoning Officer Fred Dzugan referred to as ‘antiquated’ ordinance earlier this year. The current ordinance does not have any specific regulations in respect to the LED signs.

Dinko said his only concern was regarding the light’s projection, which he said insurance agents might hear about from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He said some drivers have experienced “disability glare” due to LED signs that have caused traffic accidents.

One such sign he referred to is at the Worthington Slatelick Road/Bear Road intersection in Worthington Borough, though he said officials have dimmed the light since.

On behalf of the insurance agency, Thomas Scheeren applied for the variances and agreed the agency would dim the sign at 343 Main St. if it became a problem.

Scheeren said there are other LED signs in the neighborhood possibly in violation, – including next door at Murray Auto Electric – to which Richardson agreed.

“There are plenty of signs up there on that road in violation if I’m in violation. There is a lot more than just me,” Scheeren contested.

The insurance group currently projects three different color variations on the 22 ½ by 82 ½-inch sign sequence, all products offered at the location.

As Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor James Favero stated, other than a statement that lights can not exceed the right-of-way, “the zoning ordinance is silent as to LED signs.”

In a statement given to the hearing board – and read by Dinko -, the Borough Planning Commission also recommended the variance be issued and that the hearing fee be returned.

“It is our recommendation that a variance for the new sign be given to Scheeren’s and return the $500 fee for the hearing. We have personally seen this sign and see no reason why this should go any further,” the letter read. It was signed by Christopher A. Dilick, Robert D. Welch and Timothy Bennett

Although Favero’s office is to issue Scheeren written notice of the hearing board’s approval, the insurance group was allowed to use the sign as of Monday night.

Ford City Borough Council is responsible for a possible refund, though a 2008 ordinance states the $500 fee is non-refundable.

Borough Councilman Gene Banks and Paul Harmon attended the meeting. Harmon said the ordinance should be updated.

“I did see we’re not in the 21^st century because when it was written up, these LED signs were not becoming as popular as they are now, so I can see that we need to do something with it,” Harmon said.

With the variance approvals Monday, the zoning hearing board does not have to deliberate its permitted-45 days.

The zoning hearing board met at the Ford City Borough office and heard testimony from Schereen and Borough Zoning Officer Jeff Richardson of Richardson Inspection in Volant, Pa.

Ford City Rejects Roof Replacement Bids

Ford City Borough Engineer Greg Scott (left) opens one of two contractor bids to replace the roof on the Borough's water treatment plant. However, both bids came more than double the projected cost and caused Council members to reject them.

by Jonathan Weaver

A couple unpredictably-expensive bids might ruin Ford City Borough’s plans in terms of replacing their water treatment plant’s roof.

The Borough is mandated to replace the nearly-90 year old roof – among other things – by the Department of Environmental Protection. Borough Engineer Greg Scott opened two bids for the replacement last night, but was in awe when the least-expensive bid was more than double the amount expected.

While he predicted the project would cost $234,000, BCS Construction, Inc. of Altoona bid more than $600,000 and Kukurin Contracting of Export bid $1 million.

“The plan was basically to begin this work in late May/early June and looking to be done at the end of the year, but now we’ll quickly have to move to make some changes and rebid,” Scott said.

Some of those changes might include dividing up proposed work to alleviate cost.

“There’s a lump sum price in here for the actual structure – then we have unit prices for repairing the small portion of concrete, painting the interior and placing some rebar – so, there’s a lump sum we need to explode out and see was there something in there driving the cost and is there something we could specify that would meet the same requirement but be cheaper, I’d be all for it,” Scott said.

One of those more cost-effective items might be Shotcrete, or spray-applied concrete, which Scott thought was applied to the roof 40 years ago and caused cracks.

Council unanimously rejected the bids 4-0 and charged Scott with finding the answers. Council members Kim Bish and Gene Banks were absent from the meeting.

“You’re our watchdog,” Council President Lou Vergari said.

Ford City Borough has received more than $450,000 in Safe Water state grant funds, but they had hoped to also use some of that money – in addition to possible other grants and/or financing -  for a new backwash facility.

Bids for that project are projected to be advertised in November.

“We’re still proceeding with that – the question is how much money to ask for,” Scott said.

Both contractors sent bid bonds with their proposals. Of the three contracting companies that requested information, none have reportedly worked with the Borough in the past due to the specificity of the work involved.

“People aren’t hungry, surprisingly,” Scott said.

Council also agreed to enter into an agreement with David’s Recycling, based out of Vandergrift, to collect hard-to-recycle items in the borough weekly.

Mayor Marc Mantini asked Council to come to an agreement with David Bracken of David's Recycling to add another recycling effort in Ford City Borough. Bracken would recycle hard-to-recycle items, such as computers, tires or alkaline batteries. The agreement is contingent on solicitor approval.

Owner David Bracken will have his third collection tomorrow in Kittanning Borough after speaking to council members earlier this month.

“I’m trying to clean up the community everywhere,” Bracken said.

Items that can be recycled include computers, magazines and alkaline batteries – at no cost to Ford City.

“Everything here is free – no charge whatsoever – I just ask (Council) help keep the community involved,” Bracken said. 2.41 “Pretty much 80 percent of what you have out in the community I’ll recycle.”

Vergari reported Ford City Borough collects the most recyclables at the Progressive Workshop and that officials have to dump the bins three times per week, the most of any surrounding community.

Vergari and Superintendent Larry Coffey visited Bracken’s effort in Kittanning previously and Coffey recommended Council approve the recycling effort based on some trash outside some trailers.

“I’m for one been getting real tired of seeing this mess,” Coffey said.

He said the effort would not hinder the Borough’s recycling program, which begins June 18.

Mayor Marc Mantini thought community bars and restaurants would begin to take empty bottles of alcohol to the free collection instead of throwing them in the trash.

The collection is proposed to be from 11AM to 7PM this Monday, April 30 contingent on approval by Solicitor Frank Wolfe.

For more information on David’s Recycling, call 724-553-3879.