After Upper Moreland Commissioners told The Catholic Shop storeowner he had until Monday to take his sign down because it doesn’t comply with the township’s zoning code, the sign is still there as of Wednesday.
Owner of St. Jude Stores Russ Davis, who runs the Catholic Shop, applied for a sign permit and was approved in October. The Catholic Shop was previously located in the Willow Grove Shopping Center, but Davis wanted a new sign constructed since it was moving locations after 50 years of service.
Davis notified the township after the sign was installed, and the township responded by telling Davis he must remove the sign because it was installed in a different location than what Davis had originally told commissioners.
The sign is located on the brick wall at 133 York Road, but Davis indicated to commissioners that it would be installed at 125 York Road.
Since Upper Moreland Commissioners made the motion for Davis to remove the sign, it has caused a bit of a controversy in the township. The store has set up a petition where it has collected over 4,000 signatures so far.
The petition sits on the front desk at the store with a sheet of paper next to it that has the names and email addresses of Upper Moreland Commissioners.
One customer who was in the store Wednesday morning said she doesn’t agree with making the storeowners take the sign down. She said she signed the petition and called the township, but nobody answered or returned her phone call.
“It’s kind of confusing,” Catholic Shop employee Carol said. “Because the permit was issued for 125 York Road, and the sign is not on 125, but (commissioners) knew that. When he applied for the permit, I know that for a fact, because he showed me the blue print of the brick wall with the sign. And it had all the dimensions. He wasn’t trying to hide anything by putting 125 (York Road).”
The sign has been up for the last four months and Davis doesn’t plan on taking it down, according to store employees. They felt it was necessary to have a sign that would be viewable to people driving along York Road who weren’t aware the store had changed locations.
“We had just moved in July and we wanted the sign there so people could find us,” Carol said. “We’re right on York Road now. It’s harder to find. By the time they go up York Road, they see it maybe, and then they have to turn around and figure out where to park. Every customer, I ask them, ‘How did you find us?’ because we moved. They said, ‘We saw the big sign and we knew how to get to your store then.’”
Part of the controversy is that Davis believes commissioners are making him take the sign down because of its religious aspect and the word “Catholic” is displayed so prominently.
Upper Moreland President R. Samuel Valenza commented on a Phillyburbs.com article regarding the sign controversy. Part of his statement read:
The shop owner applied for a sign at 125 York Road and was approved for it. Then, he had the sign installed on another property (at 133 York Road). The shop owner doesn't rent or own the wall he used for his sign, and the zoning code allows a certain amount of signage in that district "per occupant (of a nonresidential building in the zone)." He doesn't "occupy" the spot he chose.
When he accuses the commissioners of being anti-Catholic, it's both untrue and hurtful to us and to the community we represent. America really is a land of religious freedom, and that means the laws are applied evenly to everyone regardless of their religion or lack of religion.
R. Samuel Valenza, president
Upper Moreland Board of Commissioners
So far local commissioners have not been out to visit the Catholic Shop this week.