August 3, 2006 Issue                                       

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Mount Airy would like to see Avenue billboard-free
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Mount Airy USA is hoping negotiations between the city and outdoor advertising companies will result in the removal of billboards, such as these at 6520 Germantown Ave. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

Hands belonging to the 10-foot face of a sweaty male shamefully hold a prison ID number. The words across the man’s chest read, “Is this the father figure you want to be?”

This image greets Germantown Avenue travelers as they drive into Chestnut Hill from Mount Airy. Drivers, distracted by the huge, sweaty face, focus on the image and contemplate the billboard’s meaning instead of noticing the charming Trolley Car Diner on their right. They would have missed New Covenant Church of Philadelphia on their left, too, if it wasn’t for the church’s advertisement on the billboard across the street from the deadbeat dad.

Mount Airy USA and the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight, otherwise known as SCRUB, are working together to rid the avenue’s Mount Airy strip of unwanted, “illegal” billboards that distract drivers from their task at hand and a community’s streetscape, according to a SCRUB report. But negotiations between the city and billboard companies, which are suing the city because of recent ordinances passed that require sales tax and license fees on billboards, have the organizations worried that the billboards they would like to see removed will be legalized.

Provisional Deputy City Solicitor Andrew Ross said the city is negotiating with the city’s large billboard companies to settle the suit amicably, but the conversations shouldn’t result in all billboards being legalized. The two parties are looking at each large board on a case-by-case basis to determine, based on restrictions set in 1991 by city council, their legality. The unpermitted smaller billboards, such as the ones that Mount Airy USA would like to see removed at 6520 Germantown Ave. on Neighbor Food Market, the city would like to see removed as well. “We would like to have the eight-sheets removed, because we are aware most are illegal and the companies should be removing them,” said Ross.

There are over 800 smaller billboards called eight-sheets throughout the city of Philadelphia, all owned by the same company – PNE Media LLC. Of these, Ross said, only about 30 to 40 are what he’d call legal. The Department of Licenses and Inspections issued a blanket violation to PNE on June 9 for the unlicensed eight-sheets, about 800 of them.

L&I spokesperson Gayle Johns explained that an “un-permitted” billboard, as the department refers to them, lack the proper license, zoning and building permits, or violate the zoning code restrictions set on billboard advertising in 1991. When a billboard is reported, she said, L&I inspects its records for licenses and permits; if there are none, a violation is sent to the owner and sign company and they have 10 days to comply or they are taken to municipal court.

Included in the June 9 violation are the four billboards on the Neighbor Food Market building, facing Sharpnack Street and Weaver Street.

The issue is stalemated because, while PNE should appear before the zoning board of adjustments for the violations, they have not placed hearing notices on each of the 800-some billboards, as required, and the ZBA won’t honor the hearing without the notices, according to Ross.

As for the larger billboards, Ross said the city solicitors office is negotiating with suing outdoor advertising companies and looking at each billboard individually to determine whether it is legal, or whether it should be taken down, moved or resized.

The three main outdoor advertising companies — Clear Channel Outdoor, Steen Outdoor Advertising and CBS Outdoor —are suing over ordinances passed last year, requiring the companies to pay license fees and taxes on billboard sales transactions. Two of these companies, Clear Channel and Steen, own the billboards on the train trestle spanning Germantown Avenue that Mount Airy USA and SCRUB would like to see removed. The two organizations suspect they are “illegal,” but both companies argue otherwise.

Clear Channel’s George Kauker, president of the outdoor Philadelphia division, insisted that the company’s unlicensed billboards are legal because they were built before licenses were required. He added, though, that he’d be willing to sit down with Mount Airy USA to discuss a solution, but said removing the signs is not their first choice.

Jerry Lewis of Steen’s Real Estate Department said Steen’s billboard, currently displaying an ad for New Covenant Church of Philadelphia, has a permit and is therefore legal. He would not send a copy of the permit to the Local, saying it was an attainable public record, and L&I was not able to confirm or deny the existence of this permit by press time.

“We’re hoping to get Clear Channel and Steen to be good neighbors,” said Tracy. “It has an impact on a commercial strip, and makes a difference whether people stop and shop or not.”

Ownership of that train trestle will soon be turned over to Mount Airy USA, per an agreement with PECO and the state Department of Transportation. The organization’s director, Farah Jimenez said she hopes to transform the trestle into a “gateway into the communities” by landscaping the area and adding a mural to the bridge. But the billboards, owned by Clear Channel Outdoors and Steen Outdoor Advertising, are in the way.

“They’re a deterrent to the goals of the community in trying to enhance that archway,” said SCRUB Director Mary Tracy.

Contact staff writer Kristin Pazulski at 215-248-8819 or kristin@chestnuthilllocal.com.