The York County Board of Supervisors will consider at their Tuesday meeting whether to sponsor a resolution that would amend York County Zoning Ordinance to allow places of worship to have electronic changeable message signs that can change as frequently as every eight seconds.
The ordinance currently allows churches with the signs to change the message once every 24 hours. In a memorandum from County Administrator James McReynolds to the supervisors, McReynolds said the change would afford places of worship the same opportunity currently available to community, regional and specialty shopping centers.
According to the memorandum, Supervisor Donald Wiggins proposed the board consider sponsoring the amendment.
“It would be a big help to [churches],” Wiggins said. He said he has heard from a few churches that support the change.
He said the electronic signs are what people like to see compared to the old style, with plastic letters that are slotted into rows to spell out words.
“One of the things [churches] want is to be able to control these things from inside the office and not have somebody designated to go out and put up the sign with one letter at a time,” Wiggins said. “They want to be able to have different messages, three or four a day.”
Wiggins said some of the churches have educational services they want to advertise as well as regular church services.
The supervisors will take up the matter at their Tuesday meeting, though a public hearing is not scheduled on the matter as it is not up for a vote of approval. The supervisors will vote whether to send the matter to the Planning Commission for review. If the matter is sent to them, they will review it and make a recommendation whether the supervisors should approve it. The supervisors will then receive the matter and vote on it.
Tuesday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at York Hall and is open to the public.
