Council upholds HARB, denies digital billboard at 141 Jefferson Avenue

Scranton City Council on Oct. 2 voted to uphold the Historic Architectural Review Board’s recommendation and deny a certificate of appropriateness for a proposed digital billboard at 141 Jefferson Avenue.

The vote followed a motion to take the matter from the table and place it in seventh order for final action. Council members voted by roll call to deny the permit; all members present recorded “yes.” The measure implements HARB’s finding that electronic billboards are not appropriate in the downtown historic district.

The decision reflects the city’s long-standing approach to its downtown historic designation. Council members said permitting the sign would set a precedent that could lead to additional electronic billboards in designated historic areas. Councilman Schuster said the decision was intended to protect the historical character of the downtown and noted that some digital signs in the city predate the historic designation and were grandfathered in.

City counsel confirmed the council acts on HARB’s recommendation under the city ordinance that establishes the historic-review process and gives the board advisory authority to recommend whether Certificates of Appropriateness should be granted.

The action concluded an item that had been tabled earlier in the meeting and returned for final vote tonight. The formal resolution on the council docket is listed as resolution 264 of 2025 and records the denial of the certificate of appropriateness for the digital billboard at 141 Jefferson Avenue.

Council records show the motion to take the resolution from the table was made and seconded at the start of the meeting; the final roll-call tally on adoption of item 7c was: King — yes; Shuster — yes; Rothchild — yes; McAndrew — yes; Smearl — yes. The council declared the item legally and lawfully adopted.

The denial means the applicant will not be permitted to install an electronic billboard at the specified downtown address under current city rules and HARB guidance. Any further appeals or applications would need to address the same historic-district standards that guided tonight’s decision.