Published: July 10, 2009 12:09 am      

Billboard proposal raising hackles in Lilly

LILLY — A proposal to lease a tract that once housed a strip club has local leaders butting heads with a group of residents.

The $1,000 annual fee a company is willing to pay to place a billboard on the borough-owned tract is viewed by Lilly Borough Council as a means to help balance its bare-bones budget.

Residents focused on preserving the rich history of the small community say the site is prime land and should be used to help sustain Lilly’s ambiance or for a commercial endeavour.

A resolution is not expected before August, when council could vote on a request from Bukowski & Associates of Boyd Avenue, Johnstown, to install a four-sided billboard.

The sign, 37 percent smaller than a standard billboard, would provide spaces for commercial advertisers and a reserved area for signs advertising community and nonprofit endeavors, owner Michael Bukowski said.

“Surveys show there is a market for a billboard in this section of the highway,” he said.

The 10-year lease proposal has stirred strong emotions on both sides.

“Let’s glory in the fact we can make it a neighborly, homey town, the jewel of the Mainline,” said Jim Salony, a historian and strong community advocate.

“Had we two dozen businesses in town, it would be different.”

Any revenue is a help in an economy in which local tax increases are not a option, council President John Nezneski said.

“At the end of the year when we try to do a budget, it’s really difficult. This is something we won’t make a killing on, but with increased prices, it’s been a job trying to get a budget,” he said.

The land still could be put to other uses, Nezneski said.

Councilman Fred Gailey was ready to sign the contract with Bukowski.

“They’re going to put a billboard somewhere in town. This way we get $1,000 a year and a little bit of control with the advertising,” Gailey said.

The company has agreed not to use tobacco or alcohol ads on the sign, a concession creating little impact on the opposition.

“I see no good in it. I like the town the way it is, quaint and rural,” said Jack Barlick.

Located on Route 53, the property equals three building lots and last housed the Ecstasy adult entertainment bar. Prior to that a bus garage occupied the space.

The pink building sustained fire damage about a decade ago. The floor had fallen in by 2003, when the borough purchased the property for $50 from a bank after the owner skipped town, leaving behind unpaid bills and a vacant building.

Community Volunteer Fire Department of Lilly later used the structure for training through a controlled burn.

Bukowski said he is willing to consider removing the billboard if the property is sold for development.