HIGHTSTOWN: Blinded by the light

Borough eyes crackdown on bright signs

By Doug Carman, Staff Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — Bright, flashy neon signs are a no-no in the borough, yet they’re all over Main Street.
   However, bright signs using LED bulbs are perfectly legal, the Borough Council noticed. Some members of the governing body considered changing that Tuesday.
   After the council and Mayor Steve Kirson discussed the potential fallout with local businesses of banning LED signs, Councilwoman Isabel McGinty suggested drafting an ordinance to do just that for the borough’s Feb. 7 meeting.
   ”There is now a similarity between neon and LED,” Ms. McGinty said. “Our code covers neon. It does not cover LED. Are we then seeking to include LED signs under the code, and if not, then why do we continue to have neon?”
   Several businesses along Main Street use neon signs mounted within their windows, even though the borough’s laws explicitly state they are not allowed. Mayor Kirson told the Herald he believes “more than the majority” of businesses in town are violating this law, which hasn’t been enforced for the past few years.
   On Mercer Street, Lucas Electric’s sign is the largest using an LED display. It is the only prominent external stand-alone marquee using the bulbs within the borough. Lucas Electric owner Matt Lucas, who was unaware of the council’s discussion until he was informed by the Herald, said he had the sign up for three years. Mr. Lucas said the sign was approved by the borough.
   Mayor Kirson told the Herald he believes the prohibition of neon signs, without mention of their LED counterparts, might have been an oversight. He suggesting neon and LED signs “are kind of the same” in appearance.
   Oversight or not, Councilman Dimitri Musing, who operates an antique store on Stockton Street, was hesitant to attack it.
   ”I think signage for businesses is extremely important and I don’t think we ought to be revising the entire sign ordinance,” he said. “The only thing we’re looking at right now I believe … is how would the council and the town want to look at LEDs? Is it going to be held in the same aspect as neon, which is certainly not allowed?”
   Mayor Kirson and Ms. McGinty said the larger issue is the lack of enforcement on neon signs.
   Ms. McGinty, a critic of the perceived lack of code enforcement in the borough, said enforcement needs to be addressed first before any revision would be relevant. Last year, Ms. McGinty made code enforcement updates a standing item on council meeting agendas.
   ”It is why I’m asking for some sort of routine to how we address enforcement, because it really doesn’t matter what we do with the sign ordinance if we’re not going to enforce,” she said. “The underlying issue is, we have a neon sign ordinance for years, I don’t know that — well, I won’t even address the enforcement issue.”
   Residents that were attending the meeting were polarized on enforcing the ordinance and including LED signs in the ban.
   Hightstown resident Frank Rivera, who wanted to see all LED signs banned, in addition to the rule against the neon signs being enforced, compared it to the “blinkies” the borough contended with decades ago. He specifically referred to the sign at Lucas as “the beginning of the dismantling of the quality of life” of Hightstown.
   Mr. Lucas said it was up to the borough to enforce existing codes against neon signs, but given the shape of the economy he thought enforcing it would be a bad idea, He bristled at the possibility of having his marquee outlawed after it had been approved three years ago.
   ”Hightstown needs all the help they can get attracting legitimate businesses,” Mr. Lucas said. “Considering the taxes we pay in Hightstown, we should be given a little flexibility to create business.”
   Borough resident Gene Sarafin, a regular at council meetings, said he doesn’t want the borough to look like Las Vegas, but he said a ban on LED signs would make Hightstown less friendly to business.
   ”You call it offensive … I call it freedom of speech,” Mr. Sarafin told the council. “We don’t want to look like Las Vegas but we do want to give the right to display their wares.”
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