Collegeville Borough Settles with Business on Zoning Appeal

Collegeville Borough Council voted at its November meeting to enter into a stipulation that settles two zoning hearing board issues, allowing five local businesses to erect slightly larger signs than initially permitted.

"[Collegeville Convenience] will agree to an offer for a significantly reduced signage on the property on the property compared to what they originally had applied for," said Collegeville Borough Solicitor Mark Hosterman.

The issue came to a head at the August borough council meeting, when former council member John Zvarick asked brooch council to reconsider the sign specifications for his wife's business, Lily Laser and Beauty.

Initially, all five tenants of the newly-constructed building at 534 Second Avenue, including Zvarick's wife, would share a road sign and a directory, giving each tenant roughly 11-square-feet of signage, in addition to individualized window signs.

Zvarick argued that each business should be allowed its own 35-square-feet sign at the road.  Borough Council did not agree, and the owners of the building appealed the case to the Court of Common Pleas in Montgomery County.

According to Collegeville Solicitor Mark Hosterman, the new agreement would allow for a 35 square-foot shared free-standing sign on the road, and each of the offices would be allowed signs in the balance of the freestanding sign, with a maximum total of 125 square feet on that property.

"I've received word that they are in agreement with that, it would settle the appeal that is pending in the Court of Common Pleas right now," said Hosterman. "It would also settle the appeal from the zoning officer violation notice that was served upon one of the tenants."