MIDDLESEX TWP — A billboard proposed at 1311 Pittsburgh Road was turned down Wednesday.

The Middlesex Township supervisors denied the conditional use and preliminary land development application for the billboard submitted by American First Enterprises.

The denial came after a planning commission recommendation cited “its failures to satisfy applicable zoning standards prepared by the solicitor and township manager.”

The documents provided by the township about the denial cite concerns about the “LED lighting.” The documents also reference legislation that would disqualify the billboard due to its changing advertisements and that it’s on between midnight and 5 a.m.

Owner of America First Enterprises, Jerome Oliver, spoke at the meeting before the vote. He said both his company and the township have already spent tens of thousands in legal fees, and that the billboard in question is not a safety hazard.

“Digital billboards are completely safe,” Oliver said. “Since we’ve started the process, digital signs have been built no more than a quarter mile from where we’re standing now.

“We’re locally owned, in Butler County. We’re the third-largest billboard company in Pittsburgh. And it’s actually almost obscene, quite frankly, that it’s been this difficult to build this billboard in Middlesex Township.”

The billboard has been a source of contention in the community since the company’s original application, dating back six years.

The company had filed three conditional use applications in 2016 for three billboards in the area, alongside three validity challenges, as the zoning ordinance contained conflicting provisions regarding billboards.

The zoning board originally sent the applications back to America First as incomplete before deciding to hear the validity challenge.

The zoning hearing board denied the validity challenge at one point and a trial court in 2018 reaffirmed that decision upon appeal.

The validity challenge was denied by the hearing board on the grounds that the ordinance needed to be given a clearer meaning.

This led to another appeal, and in 2021, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that some ordinances, due to being conflicting, were invalid.

America First Enterprises was given the ability to re-file its conditional use application.

At the public hearing held for the billboard prior to a November meeting, three residents testified against the billboard, citing safety risks. The main concern among residents was that an LED billboard could distract drivers and lead to more accidents on the road.

Meanwhile, America First Enterprises testified that it is in compliance with the remaining ordinances needed for the billboard.

Residents again raised concerns at the meeting Wednesday.

“For what it’s worth, I express my opposition to it,” said resident David McMaster. “The expectation is that you got a billboard there, and people are going to read it. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

The billboard proposed was created by the company Watchfire, and an engineer from the company had testified at the earlier public hearing via telephone.

The sign itself will have dimensions of 40- by 12-feet and display multiple advertisements throughout the day, switching them periodically.

Also at the Wednesday meeting, supervisors approved the 2023 budget. The total budget is $3,476,098, which is up from the 2022 budget of $2,710,350.

The budget includes a $25,000 Mars Area Public Library donation, which is significantly up from the $5,000 donation the township provided the library in past years.

A pair of representatives from the library were at the meeting and thanked the board.

“I just wanted to thank you gentlemen for the contribution this year,” said Ray Abate, a representative from the library. “Thanks from me, thanks from my fellow board members, thanks from the director, Caitlyn Boland, and the patrons and the staff. We appreciate it very much.”

Boland, who also attended the meeting, explained the library’s have 11,571 active cardholders, which is up from 7,402 in 2018. About 2,500 of those are from Middlesex, she said.