EXCLUSIVE: Billboard Battle More Than Decade In Making Finally Hits Delaware County Courtroom
HAVERTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- There's a billboard battle more than a decade in the making brewing in Delaware County and it finally made its way to a courtroom on Wednesday. The developer is fighting township ordinances while residents are fighting against the signs altogether.
The fight is as big as a billboard. One mom said she's been in the battle so long it began before she even had children. Next year, her son is going to middle school.
Inside a cramped courtroom in the Delaware County courthouse, opponents say a decade's long fight over billboards boils down to one thing -- money -- continued on Wednesday.
The winding case pits Newtown Square billboard developer Thaddeus Bartkowski against the leadership of Haverford and Lower Merion Townships.
"There's a lot of money in these signs," a Delaware County man said.
"The bottom line appears to be there is so much money in billboards that they're relentless," another Delaware County man said.
Bartkowkski's zoning appeals have made stops in county and commonwealth courts. He claims that township ordinances regulating four locations along West Chester Pike in Havertown and Lancaster Avenue in Lower Merion are unconstitutional.
But Michelle Collier, of Havertown, says her family's quality of life would be affected.
"A giant, 52.6-foot sign, digital sign -- I forget the square footage but that would be looming over my backyard," Collier said.
"We've been fighting this from Day 1," Haverford Township Commissioner Mario Oliva said.
Oliva believes the size of the billboard in a neighborhood that's a contrast of commercial and residential would be a distraction.
"There's going to be a lot of accidents, there's going to be people hurt here," Oliva said.
The trial was set to begin on Tuesday, but it was delayed.
Bartkowski told CBS3 it must have been a slow news day since we were covering the matter.
He doubled down again when we tried to speak with him outside of court.
"Very slow, clearly, cause you guys are here," said Bartkowski, who refused further comment.
The trial started Wednesday and has been moving along at a snail's pace.
It'll continue on Thursday and then pick back up in February because of the judge's schedule. It's unclear at this time when the judge might rule on the battle.
