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The Lakewood Times

Lakewood Twp Approves Signs With Changing Messages

7/28/2013

18 Comments

 
Electronic billboards OK'd despite some misgivings
Picture
Digital billboards are approved for 10 locations on the township’s busiest roads, despite some residents begging the Township Committee to ban them because, they say, the signs distract drivers and cheapen the community’s image.

“Drivers will be looking at the signs and there will be accidents,” said an animated Harold Herskowitz, 47, who turned an imaginary steering wheel while looking up in the air to demonstrate the distraction. “Do we really need the money that bad?”

In addition to posing a distraction, the presence of digital billboards will cheapen the township’s image to the level of the “Vegas strip,” residents warned.

While the town allows billboards, digital billboards have not been a permitted use. The digital billboards will be privately owned, built, maintained and operated by one for-profit company that will meet the standards laid out by the new ordinance.

There will be no cost to the town. The digital billboards also will generate revenue of $500-a-year fee for locations along routes 9 and 88, 70, 623, 549; Cedar Bridge Avenue and West County Line and Lanes Mill roads.

The ordinance was adopted unanimously — after amending the permitted height from 65 to 40 feet— at Thursday’s Township Committee meeting.

Still, residents voiced concerns over the signs.

Noreen Gill, 70, said the signs are “degrading” in a town that has had much negative publicity, including a recent scandal over human-trafficking ring and brothels arrests.

Larry Simons, 77, balked at the initial proposal to allow the signs to be 65 feet in height.

“That is the equivalent of a six-story building,” Simons said in his opposition to the signs.

The billboards come with a host of stipulations, including no political advertising; allowing 10 percent of the screen be dedicated to township use as well as an 18-inch strip for public services messages; location restrictions and message details including no video or animation. The face of the total screen will be 14-by-48 feet.

“I have seen these all over the tri-state area,” Committeeman Raymond Coles said Friday. They are the same as any other billboard except the message changes.”

These are not the flashing red, neon billboards described by the residents who spoke against the ordinance, Coles said.

Source: APP

18 Comments
Curious George
7/28/2013 06:03:47 am

Which LLC got the contract?
Who are the partners?
Just curious, how did they get the 'right' to put up billboards. Was there an open bidding process?

Why would the town sell us out for 500 dollars a year per location? Wouldn't they be better off taking a percentage of generated income with an absolute minimum?
How long does this contract go for?

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Anon
7/28/2013 06:57:19 am

What does this have to do with TLS? why are you putting the TLS logo on this article?

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Moishe
7/28/2013 07:02:37 am

I hear that Mr. Berkowitz from the voice of lakewood went Friday morning at 9:00 to fill out the permits and was told that they were all taken already.

I smell something fishy here.

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chaim
7/28/2013 07:07:38 am

I think aron kotler is a silent partner with berkowitz in the voice.

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NATHAN MERMELSTEIN
7/28/2013 09:09:06 am

the scoop does not bieleve in freedom of speech,and does'n't allow it this is totally improper for them to post signs.

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noach
7/28/2013 09:22:51 am

This is what is being said. Hasenfeld from the Lakewood scoop went to meir Lichtenstein and Steven Langer and made some sort of deal they should push this through and only allow 1 person to put up all signs.

They pushed it through and hasenfeld had all permits filled out and ready to go. Friday morning 9:00 the permits were all filed and no one can get them anymore.

So the township gave one person the monopoly and now allowed anyone else to get in on this.



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To Noach
7/28/2013 09:28:44 am

You got it half right. Lichtenstein has been working on this for a long time. Word is Langert tried to kill it but no one on the committee had the balls to back him up.

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corrupt
7/28/2013 12:25:56 pm

Lichtenstein and the rest of the committee keep pushing all their private deals thru and are not running this town or maybe running it to the ground! Do they ( lichtenstein miller ackerman and langert) really care about this town or they want their buddies to get evrything and for nothing??

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annon
7/28/2013 01:25:40 pm

If Langert had balls he wouldn't need someone to back him up. We vote the committee into office hoping they would vote as reps of the people.

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3 Ring Circus
7/28/2013 03:18:59 pm

If Hasenfeld was involved Than You cen Bet Your Money That Yankel Wanger and Yisroel Bursztyn from The Lakewood Shopper were also Involved

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Jorge Benshevsky
7/28/2013 09:54:12 pm

Finally the Township committee had the courage not to succumb to pressure from the (de)press(ed). Neighbors not outsiders or newcomers are the ones that must be accomodated according to logic, fairness, halacha.

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in the know
7/28/2013 10:24:42 pm

this should be challenged legally. it MUST be sold as open bid. btw lichtenstien pushed it through by getting ackerman and coles to agree. langert was opposed.

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annon
7/29/2013 12:15:44 am

Each and every member voted. If Langert was opposed he should have voted no. We must hold each and every member accountable individually for their votes.

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So farbisen
7/29/2013 06:08:05 am

Why in the world is everyone so farbisen about this??!! I personally do not see anything wrong, I think you are just jealous that you did not think of it. Maybe HH can get them to advertise for his stores on there. It just sounds like another typical thing that everyone just complains about every little thing the township does. What is wrong with this??!!

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To So Farbisen
7/29/2013 08:07:46 am

I don't have a problem with the signs. I have a problem with the township making an ordnance that you can only have 10 in the town, and all 10 must go to one person.

On top of that, that the next morning by 9:00 the permits were all filled.

That is my problem, this does not smell right and the committee approved something that is totally corrupt.

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lkwd:)
7/30/2013 10:01:31 am

who do i contact to advertise????!!!!!

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in
7/31/2013 12:06:37 am

order to prevent immodest ads they wanted one person to control what goes on them.

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shabbos goy
7/31/2013 06:52:55 am

so on Shabbos the sign goes off?

if you hold like rabbi moishe Feinstein you would not able to put it even on Shabbos clock?

is it wire thru the internet do you need a filter for that ?

Reply



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