Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Catalyst Outdoor DEFEATED in Tredyffrin Township — VICTORY Declared — NO Digital Billboard in Paoli!

Thank you Tredyffrin Township Zoning Hearing Board for agreeing with the township and the community by saying NO to a digital billboard in Paoli! Tonight with a unanimous 3-0 vote, the Zoning Hearing Board members rejected Catalyst Outdoor’s digital billboard appeal of the township’s denial of the digital billboard application!

For fourteen months, the BAN the Digital Billboard campaign has fought back against Catalyst’s plan for digital billboard at the Clockworks building — and tonight VICTORY is declared! Thank you to so many who joined in and supported the journey against the digital billboard.

Of course, I would be remiss if I did not say that Catalyst can appeal the decision and I think the time line is 30 days — the appeal would go to Chester County Court of Common Pleas. For now, I’m just going to savor the VICTORY of NO Digital Billboard in Paoli … Community Does Matter!

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  1. Pattye,

    Thank-you!!! This initiative would have sailed through without you! We are so lucky to have you in this community. Thanks for ALL you do!!

  2. WOW! Community activism won! Hearty congrats to all those who made the difference on behalf of the community.

  3. Thank you Pattye for standing up for our community. I only hope that the Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors will now work on updating the ordinances so that this fight will not have to happen again.

  4. thank you pattye !!! i am not opposed to some change but that billboard would not be a good change . opportunists preying to make a few bucks in our little town is so gross … thx again for the fight ??

  5. Thank you Pattye for leading and organizing this campaign. I suppose I can take down the lawn sign in a week or so — Thanks again..

    1. Thank you for keeping up the BAN sign all these months — yours was one of the few locations where the sign was not stolen! You can take the sign down but I would hold on to it. Catalyst has 30 days to appeal to Chester County Court of Common Pleas and then it would have to get on the court’s schedule and who knows how long that would take! My hope is that Catalyst just takes their digital signs somewhere else but we’re in a “wait and see” for 30 days.

  6. Thank you Pattye! You were and are the driving force behind bringing the community together to fight this. This is great decision for our community.

    1. Thanks Steve — and yes, it is a great outcome! This community was not divided on this issue, that’s for sure! NO ONE wanted the digital billboard! It’s definitely a “GOOD NEWS” day!

  7. Patty,
    Congratulations to you & community members that took the time to speak. We can determine our community when the community gets involved! Tredyffrin Township is listening to the community.

  8. Westtown voted it down. Catalyst appealed. Catalyst won. They expected this. This is the playbook. PA Supreme Court is clear on this. I’d wait before you all start popping corks. The law favors catalyst. The ZHB has the luxury of ignoring the law. The courts don’t.

    1. Yep, I hear you which is why I mentioned in the post that Catalyst has 30 days to appeal. I’m savoring the VICTORY for the township but fully understand that Catalyst’s deep pockets probably already have the appeal on file. It may be only a baby step but it’s a step in the right direction!

      1. What’s the right direction? The law ultimately favors catalyst. The law also favors the current owners. What else would you put on that property? It’s delayed. But the sign is going in. That’s the direction.

        1. I don’t have a crystal ball on the digital billboard nor does anyone.

          Catalyst does NOT own the building/property. All they have is a 30 year lease on the small billboard. Dale Nelson of Nelson Roofing owns the property and no longer has a sales agreement with Catalyst to purchase the property. In fact, Mr. Nelson is making updates to the property and apparently has a new tenant for spring 2020.

    1. Bob — although there was early enthusiasm from a couple of the supervisors regarding the “Welcome to Tredyffrin Township” digital sign, all supervisors appear to have joined the community in supporting the BAN the Digital Billboard campaign.

  9. Pattye,

    I know most people agree that you are so much more than a one woman blogger. You are a true Community Activist who goes to meetings, sits there for hours, stands up, speaks out for citizens and fights for our right to be heard. I would bet every public official in this county knows who you are and reads your essays. I know reporters from major news organizations click on your site and I know from your influence in the ,Community that your opinions matter.

    I appreciate all editors of news magazines in the area and all citizens who speak out and demand that our public officials do the right thing, and I especially appreciate that you take the extra step and influence our community in such a positive way.

  10. Thank you! Your efforts made this happen and everyone here benefits. Although some of us may not be in the forefront as you and your team, please know we are very grateful for you!

    1. Thank you — this was a victory for all of us! With a possibility that Catalyst will appeal the decision to the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, I’ve got my fingers-crossed that it doesn’t happen!

  11. Thanks For all your hard work.

    Now, I suggest the Board of Supervisors get super powers and quickly update the bill board ordinance. Get rid of the loop holes!
    As evidence in the three zoning board hearings, Catalsyt built a case on the record by introducing witnesses and experts and cross examining Matt Bauman.
    As a realist and an attorney, I see Catalyst filing a motion to appeal the Zoning Board decision in 30 days.
    A big company like Catalyst has a bucket of attorneys to fight townships as seen in other areas where they appealed and won.

    1. Thanks Marian — hopefully (fingers-crossed!) this is the end of the digital billboard discussion — however, the realist in me knows that there is very real possibility that Catalyst will appeal the decision.

  12. Thank you Pattye, for taking the time to challenge this and letting the people in the community know. Catalyst is only trying to build these digital signs so they can resell them to a bigger company, these companies do not care about the safety of the people who live in our community, they look at household income and population and then sell advertising to make more money. I wonder if the CEO of Catalyst would have his children drive by a bright digital sign ever day and get distracted every day. I wonder if that would change his mind – if he would put his children in danger? Probably not he would just tell them to avoid the intersection altogether.
    Thanks again for making this happen.

    1. I agree Donna, it does make you wonder if a digital billboard company owners considers the safety impact on his own family. Or are the dollars just more powerful? I think we know the answer.

  13. As a Tredyffrin resident, I am grateful for your community advocacy and activism on this issue. I think that such a digital signage would be a dangerous distraction. I am under the impression that there is a good deal more pedestrian traffic using this intersection, including families with children. Further, the vehicular congestion at Rts 30 and 252 appears to be increasing. The signage would likely be a further difficulty in the need to be alert to pedestrian traffic along with safely navigating the severe intersection vehicular bottleneck at the Amtrak bridge. Lastly, in my opinion, such a digital signage is an affront to those sensibilities that seek to preserve some sense of a small town community atmosphere. I hope this issue is eventually resolved successfully and the issue is definitively defeated. Thank you again for your community advocacy.

  14. It may very well come to pass that Catalyst doesn’t appeal. I doubt it. But that may be.

    Some other things to think about. A new building can’t be built. Zoning would never allow it because there isn’t a sufficient set back from the road. Hard to get in an out. Highest and best may in fact be the bill board. There’s a billboard there now. Distinguishing electronic ones may not fly.

    On Safety, people often like to cite that electronic billboards are a distraction and are inherently not safe. I haven’t seen any authoritative evidence. And, I’d argue there are more distractions in the car. Think phones and texting.

    No. The principle argument against the billboard welcome sign is that it is unkeeping with the main line. From Daylesford to the Starbucks, it is probably some of the least scenic parts of 30. It’s urban and commercial. The idea that a billboard is going to make it worse doesn’t seem to be supported by the facts. People were going nuts over the assisted living center. It turned out well. Devon Yard? Looks great. New train station. Looks great. New apartment building behind train station? Will be very nice.

    Seems like some just need something to complain about.

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