At its Aug. 18 meeting, Evesham Township Council introduced an ordinance outlining a new pilot grant program to facilitate the improvement of entranceway signs at named developments and neighborhoods throughout town.
The program comes as a result of various residents voicing concerns to the township over the state of disrepair of several entranceway signs across Evesham.
The program will encourage the restoration and upkeep of signs by providing matching funds of up to $500 to any community wishing to renovate and repair signs.
The issue was a previous topic of discussion at the June 16 council meeting when a resident from the Briarwood subdivision spoke about the condition of Briarwood’s two entranceway signs, with one missing letters and both being overgrown with weeds.
At the Aug. 18 meeting, Briarwood resident Kim Jones also spoke specifically to one of Briarwood’s signs. She said the residents of Briarwood appreciated the township’s involvement in the issue, but wondered what would happen if the owner refused to maintain the sign even with the grant program in place.
“Then what? Then he can just let it become overgrown with weeds again and then we’re right back in front of you again?” Jones asked.
Township Manager Tom Czerniecki said in the instance of the Briarwood sign Jones was referencing, the township uncovered documentation in the form of a deed in the file of the property developer in which the obligation of maintaining that particular sign falls on the property owner.
“It was a very complicated situation,” Czerniecki said. “There’s an easement there that the adjoining landowner has an obligation related to that easement.”
However, at the time of the Aug. 18 meeting, Czerniecki said there had not been an official communication from the township to the owner informing him of that obligation, as the township wanted to wait until the grant program was in place.
Unlike some developments in Evesham, in Briarwood there is no homeowners association and the entranceway signs are not on common ground.
“It’s not unusual, at least back in that day, for a property owner to be burdened with either a sign — I’ve seen developments where a property is responsible for a small basin,” noted Township Solicitor John Gillespie.
Czerniecki said the township would review and have final approval over any restoration plans from those looking to participate in the program, which he believes will guarantee a level of quality.
As the program was an unexpected expense, Czerniecki said this year the program would be funded through clean communities and economic development resources, which could potentially fund the restoration of four or five signs.
Czerniecki said the extent to which the program is funded in the future would depend on council and the budgeting process.
According to Czerniecki, before drafting the ordinance, officials also took inventory of how many signs in town would potentially need to be restored.
“I think if we can address in the neighborhood of about 15 signs over the course of a few years, it would make the town much more attractive, and again, we can fund a few every year,” Czerniecki said.
