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Planning commission approves larger electronic wall sign for downtown Harrisburg with transition limits
Summary
The Harrisburg Planning Commission recommended approval of a larger electronically changeable wall sign for a downtown building, with one condition limiting message transitions to six per minute and restricting the sign to public-interest messages.
The Harrisburg Planning Commission recommended approval of a variance to allow a larger electronically changeable wall sign on a downtown Market Street building, with a condition limiting message transitions to six per minute.
Planning bureau staff told commissioners the building currently has an 88-square-foot electronically changeable message sign installed in 2008 and recommended approving an updated, slightly larger sign because it would better promote publicly accessible activities and events run by government agencies and local nonprofits. Jeff, planning bureau staff, told the commission the request was predicated on driver eligibility and safety and recommended limiting message transitions to six per minute consistent with PennDOT guidance for billboards.
Phil Petrina, attorney for the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District, said the downtown group wanted an updated sign that is “bigger, clearer, easier to read” and “more aesthetically pleasing” to attract people to the downtown district and to promote city- and countywide events. Todd Vingerwoody, executive director of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District, said the sign will remain in the same location but will be about 40 percent larger in area and sit roughly five feet higher than the current installation.
Commissioners asked whether the sign would be moved and expressed support for making the display more legible to drivers and pedestrians. No members of the public spoke for or against the proposal during the meeting.
A motion to recommend approval with the staff condition limiting message transitions was moved and seconded and carried on a voice vote. The approval recommendation will proceed to the Zoning Hearing Board where final relief is required.
The Planning Commission’s recommendation includes a condition that the sign be used to promote publicly accessible activities and events held by government agencies and local nonprofits and not to advertise private businesses, other than the property owner.
