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Politics & Government

Planning Board Grants Preliminary Approval for New Billboard

New billboard to be built on Route 9 by the exit for Salem Hill Road.

Drivers coming down Route 9 in Howell may soon be getting something new to look at while making their way through the borough, as the Howell Township Planning Board granted a preliminary approval on Thursday evening for a new billboard to be erected in the township.

Jersey Outdoor Media LLC brought this application to the planning board, with attorney Todd Cohen, owner Chet Atkins and engineer Ron Sive present on behalf of the company. Cohen began the meeting by noting all conditions set forth in the borough’s ordinances for billboards had been met, and no variances were needed. They were only in front of the board to request a preliminary and final site plan for the billboard.

This new billboard will be located on Route 9 just south of the exit for Salem Hill Road. To the north of this billboard is currently a Sovereign Bank, and to the south is a Just Carpets store location. This puts it not far away from the border between Howell and Lakewood.

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He then brought forth Sive, who explained that recently, Jersey Outdoor Media changed the billboard from one that was in the shape of a V to one that would be two sided, facing front and back.

Sive noted with this new layout, the billboard still meets all the borough’s requirements, and would be at least 20 feet away from Route 9 and any neighboring properties. He then went over the parameters of the billboard, noting the maximum height of the billboard would be 45 feet. A single column would also support the billboard.

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Planning board chairman Vincent Tantillo asked if it was possible to landscape the area a bit, and Cohen replied they would have no problem installing some low-maintenance shrubbery around the base of the billboard.

The question was also asked of what type of material would cover the billboard, with Sive noting that recently a type of vinyl had been used frequently, thereby eliminating the wear and tear that comes from the use of paper on the billboards. 

“With the vinyl, the signs can last longer and are replaced less occasionally,” Atkins added. 

Several local residents then spoke out with some concerns they had on this particular project. Howell Township resident Daniel Ritter was first to speak, noting he was concerned with the light illuminated from the billboard.

“I just want you to assure me this lighting will not be an issue for us,” Ritter stated, to which Sive replied they would be using a state-of-the-art lighting system that only illuminated the billboard and nothing else.

“There may be a spillage of light about ten feet past the billboard, but that’s it,” Sive said.

Pat Mneski, of Finch Road, spoke next, and he echoed those fears expressed by Ritter about the lighting on the billboard.

“I live adjacent to this billboard, and I do not want the light to shine through the trees and into my property,” he said.

He then added he was afraid of the added traffic this billboard would cause to the local area.

“I am against this sign because it poses another distraction to drivers,” he said. “The last thing I want is to be woken up in the middle of the night due to a pile-up from a crash from people staring at the sign.” He then asked if there were any other locations the billboard could be placed.

Chairman Tantillo said there was not much they could do, since the billboard was to be placed in an area set for commercial zoning, and he also added he could not recall hearing about a car crash due to a billboard being built.

Planning Board attorney Ron Cucchiaro then said he understood the concerns of the residents, and advised the board members to approve the site plan on a preliminary basis and not a final basis.

He explained he felt this way because of the corrections that Jersey Outdoor Media had made to the billboard’s plan that day, and also so residents in the area could come into borough hall and look at the plans, thereby getting a better idea of what kind of light the billboard would emit.

The board members then unanimously approved the site plan on a temporary basis, and a vote on the final site plan will be heard at the next Howell Township Planning Board meeting on July 14 at 7 p.m.

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