Digital Billboard Injunction Hearing Tuesday

The court date is now set.

Palmer Township will go to court Tuesday to battle code violations from the controversial digital billboard on Route 22, township officials said Monday.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Dave Colver confirmed Monday that Palmer Township will appear before a Northampton County Court judge Tuesday.

Township Solicitor Charles Bruno said the hearing is slated for 11 a.m.

Bruno filed an injunction Friday morning in Northampton County Court for the billboard developer to comply with several township code violations.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion last Monday night to go forward with the injunction.

Developer Abraham Atiyeh was given 24 hours to get into code compliance before the township went to court. But when that deadline came and went, Colver said that Bruno went ahead and started preparing the paperwork on Wednesday.

He said that the developer got his PennDOT permit and also passed inspections for the structure and electrical work.

Still remaining is an illumination test, permanent power and a certificate of occupancy, Colver said.

He stated that the developer has lined up a lighting test with the township for sometime next week and has turned in a request to Met-Ed for permanent power.

Hay Terrace residents—who say the billboard is ruining their quality of life—have complained to the supervisors, showing up in force at several meetings over the past month to protest the billboard's brightness and blight.