Marple Cracks Down on Signs Posted Around Town

BROOMALL–At a recent work session meeting on April 4, discussed the trend of signs ubiquitously found throughout the township in medians along major roadways.

Ed Cross, director of public works for Marple, shared with the board he had noticed a number of small businesses in the area posting signs around the township in places that are not allowed.

"Over the winter time, a lot of businesses–small businesses and so forth–managed to prop their signs along Sproul Road and township properties, nailing them on telephone poles and the industrial park, and I will say we sent three guys, the best part of last Tuesday, taking them down," said Cross.

Last month, the and discussed updating the town's sign ordinance to mitigate this exact sign posting issue.

Commercial business signs are in agreement with the township ordinance but the offsite commercial advertising signs such as real estate, tree, roofing and other commercial services, along the median on major roads such as Route 3/West Chester Pike and Route 320/Sproul Road is more of the concern, previously stated Michael Molinaro, president of the Board of Commissioners.

Major roads like West Chester Pike are Sproul Road are state roads in which offsite commercial signs are not permitted along the medial strips, in which the task to take down each sign is left up to the township.

Cross said the department is looking to take down the sign weekly and went out again earlier this week to comb through the township of any signs that are not allowed on township or state property.

In addition, Cross said he spoke with the Director of Code Enforcement Joe Romano to work together on enforcing the sign ordinance around town.

"We discussed that he's [Joe Romano] going to send a representative from Code with one of my guys and we're going to kind of log repeat offenders and they'll be lettered and fined in accordance with our code," said Cross. "But it is out of hand without a doubt."

In addition Cross said that although realtors need to set up signs for open houses, they also need to know when to put down those signs as well when the open houses are over.

Molinaro said that anyone who is seeking to put a sign up in town–whether it be a civic organization or not–a request needs to be made to the township in which the board will decide whether or not those signs will be allowed. Allowed signs will also receive a specific location on where they are to be posted in the township.

"We just can't have a free for all," said Molinaro. "It's kind of nice driving around and not having to see all those signs along West Chester Pike."