Churchill council to decide fate of billboard in December

After completing a two-part hearing on Oct. 23, the Churchill Zoning Hearing Board must now decide whether to permit an electronic billboard that some Penn Hills residents say will negatively impact the appearance of the Rodi Road corridor.

Despite being located in Churchill, the proposed billboard would target motorists exiting I-376 into Penn Hills near the intersection of Rodi Road and Maple Lane, about 300 feet from a newly installed Western Pennsylvania Conservancy garden. The Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission further enhanced the corridor on Saturday by planting 19 trees, adding to the 13 planted last year.

“This is the main entry point into our community, and its visual impact gives visitors their first impression upon entering Penn Hills,” Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission president Kathy Raborn said. “This electronic billboard will counteract the Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission’s ongoing beautification and economic revitalization efforts on Rodi Road.”

Community opposition to the double-sided, v-shaped billboard came in large part due to its proposed proximity to the road. The applicant, Rodi Maple Devco, LLC, requested a variance to place the sign two feet from the right of way, down from the 100 feet required under Churchill’s zoning code.

Traffic engineer Joshua Haydo, an expert witness for the applicant, testified that making the sign as visible as possible to motorists “is a positive thing,” from a traffic safety standpoint.

Raborn also cited the application listing the adjacent property as a gas station, which has since been demolished and replaced by the garden, as another reason for the board to deny the application. She was among a handful of the Penn Hills residents, business people and government officials in attendance who were able to fully express their concerns on the record.

The board limited public comment to Churchill residents and taxpayers, and only three parties were ultimately granted legal standing to participate in the hearing, including Raborn. Wilkins Township, which encompasses part of the parcel where the billboard would be located, also received standing, as did John D’Andrea, who owns property on Maple Lane.

For an individual or organization to have standing, the board must determine that they’ll be affected by the application.

Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese, who was denied standing but represented the Shade Tree Commission in her capacity as an attorney, asked the board to consider the broader ramifications of the billboard.

“We’re trying to build up our entranceway,” Calabrese said. “If you let this billboard go, you might as well tell Penn Hills to forget about it, because we can’t go any further.”

Each party has until Dec. 7 to submit their written findings, with a public vote scheduled for Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. As with the hearing, the vote will be held at the Churchill Borough Building with the option to join via Zoom.