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Ferguson supervisors direct staff to draft letter supporting PA Route 45 byway effort
Summary
Board asked the manager to draft a letter of municipal support for a legislative‑route designation of a portion of Pennsylvania Route 45 as a state scenic byway, following a presentation that said the designation is voluntary, would prohibit new billboards and could improve grant competitiveness.
Ferguson Township supervisors asked staff Sept. 2 to draft a letter of support for a campaign to designate the Route 45 corridor through the township as a Pennsylvania scenic byway, a move proponents said would be voluntary, would not change local land‑use rules, and would prohibit new billboards while grandfathering existing signage.
Leslie Smith, public relations director for the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and Josiah Jones, the bureau’s vice president of marketing, briefed the board on a legislative‑route approach that would seek a state sponsor to introduce legislation for designation. Jones said the legislative route would remove the need for each municipality to adopt billboard‑control resolutions and place the statutory enforcement at the state level; existing billboards would remain but future billboards would not be allowed under the designation.
Proponents said designation is primarily a recognition and promotion program that can improve competitiveness for corridor grants, wayfinding signage and tourism marketing. Board members asked how signage and other corridor enhancements typically appear and requested examples. The bureau said PennDOT installs byway signs at key intersections and that the designation can be highlighted in brochures and marketing campaigns.
Supervisor Patty moved to ask the township manager to draft a letter of support for the state‑byway designation; Supervisor Lisa seconded and the motion passed by voice vote. Staff will present a draft letter at a future meeting for board review and community input.
What happens next: staff will draft the letter for the board to review; the bureau will continue outreach to other municipalities and seek a legislative sponsor once municipal support is in hand.
