Attorney urges council to allow hearing on LED billboard at Rocky’s on Jefferson Avenue

Scranton — Emil Menor, an attorney representing William Rosato and 141 Jefferson Avenue LLC (the property known as Rocky’s), urged the Scranton City Council at a public hearing to allow a proposed LED billboard to proceed to zoning and variance review after the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) recommended against approval.

Menor told the council the proposal would place an LED display on the side of the Rocky’s building facing north toward Jefferson Avenue so it would be visible primarily from one direction. “I’m Emil Menor. I’m an attorney in Scranton. I’m representing William Rosato and the 141 Jefferson Avenue LLC, which is Rocky’s … and I’m here to speak on their behalf, in favor of approval by counsel for, an LED billboard on that property,” he said.

Menor said the area near the proposed sign is commercial and that there are already electric signs and billboards nearby, including one he described across the street on McArdle’s property and another at Picardo’s on Lackawanna Avenue. He noted a freestanding electric sign for Wayne Bank and an electronic sign on Mulberry Street at a credit union as examples of existing electronic signage downtown. He said HARB’s recommendation appeared to be motivated by an informal policy that discourages LED signs downtown, not by a statute or ordinance explicitly banning additional LED signs.

Menor described features the applicant said it would consider during later zoning review, including limiting operation hours — “this thing turns off at 01:00 in the morning till 6AM or 5AM” — and dedicating a portion of time to public-service messaging. He also said some existing signs had been removed previously for safety concerns and that one removed sign had measured about 8.5 by 25 feet.

Council accepted the applicant’s written materials into the record as Exhibit 1 after the presiding officer asked if there were any objections and none were raised. Council received clarification during the hearing that the downtown historic district had been established by ordinance years earlier; the historic designation therefore exists as a city ordinance. No council vote was taken on the billboard request during the hearing, and no final approval or permit was issued.

The next formal steps Menor outlined are a zoning hearing and any required variance process; those reviews would consider operating hours, size, location, and any conditions the council or zoning board might impose. Menor said the applicant was open to compromises that could be worked out in zoning proceedings.

The public hearing closed after comments and procedural questions; the council did not make a decision on the billboard at the hearing.