Eagle Fire Co. sign too distracting
The Eagle Fire Station on Center Street in Mount Wolf recently installed a large LED graphic display for showing messages and graphics. They did not contact the Borough Council until it was installed and ready to use. The Council discussed it but turned it over to the Zoning Committee because it did not meet the Borough’s sign ordinance. The Zoning Committee posted a sign stating a meeting would be held on January 26 at 6 p.m. in the Borough meeting room on Chestnut Street to discuss the approval. The Fire Station decided to turn on the sign before receiving approval. Complaints were made to the Council and Committee but the Fire Station sign continued to run.
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The present Fire House sign’s, brightness, movement, colors, size and location is a distraction for neighbors and motorist and a safety issue to all. The sign is so bright you almost need sunglasses and it lights up the neighbors’ houses, at night. The impressive movement and changing colors tempts you to watch it longer as you drive by. The larger size and location of the sign interferes with the line of sight of oncoming traffic to those leaving the station and for those leaving to oncoming traffic.
A big safety concern that they did not consider is that the sign is within 50 feet of an unofficial busy church, daycare and senior center pedestrian crossing. The purpose of this sign is to draw and keep motorists’ attention. While you are looking at the wow sign, you will be distracted from seeing the slow crossing pedestrians. This is expressly true as you turn the corner from Route 921 unto Route 24 and the first thing that draws your attention are the signs. Pedestrians trying to cross are also drawn to the sign and not traffic as they look west.
The Eagle Fire Station has used the issue that the nearby church has an electronic sign that was not properly approved. To this point, there is a big difference between a black and red, slow changing message sign and a large bright color graphical fast movement display. Also, the church’s sign is dimmer and not blocking line of sight of exiting emergency vehicles. With installing a second sign in the same area, it would increase motorists’ distraction to see both signs and would greatly decrease pedestrian safety. The new sign exceeds the ordinance so much that it would no longer be worth the paper it is written on. This hearing will not be about the church’s sign but Eagle Fire Station’s sign. The church sign can be addressed later.
I urge everyone to attend the hearing meeting and voice their thoughts. I urge the Zoning Committee not to allow this sign until the Borough Council revises their sign ordinance. I urge the Borough Council to see what others are doing with brightness, movement, colors, size and location of signs ordinance. I urge the Eagle Fire Station to be more focus of citizens’ concerns and safety with cooperation to the Borough’s process and decisions. Is the price of the sign worth more than lost of life that the distraction could cause?
Because of the issues with LED signs, many municipals have already put restrictions on them.
Charles Stambaugh
Mount Wolf