A large LED sign was recently installed behind a wooden sign at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on the 300 block of Locust Street, which is in the Columbia Borough Historic District.
A sticker on the side of the sign’s casing displays the manufacturer’s name and contact information.
Council denied a proposed LED-lighted sign at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 340 Locust St. Glenn Shaeffer, Historic Architectural Review Board chairman, asked that council create an amendment not allowing this type of sign in the future.
“There are no other signs like this in the historic district and allowing it would open the door for others and have an impact on the historic nature of the district,” Shaeffer said. “The historic district should not look like the Las Vegas strip.”
Council members Kelly Murphy and Cle Berntheizel removed themselves from the vote because they are members of the church.
HERE is a video showing the manufacture and operation of various LED signs from ADvantageLED Signs.
Columbia Spy 
Replacement windows are no longer reviewed by HARB, unless the size of opening is changing or the configuration is changing. The storage facility is not in the historic district. If you're not happy about that, take it up with council, as they created the district.
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The church was told last year that they could not put up a LED sign so why did they go ahead and put it up I don't care if it is a church they need to obey the law and they need to take it down
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They made HARB even more useless. But this time in a good way. Although, I'd be happy if they'd get rid of the whole thing.
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Council better tread cautiously on this one, as allowing it will set a precedent for more to come. An obscene sign at a church, what a joke.
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Churches should be exempt from those dumb sign laws
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Actually I would think churches (and other businesses) would do a better job of setting an example at how to work together in a community.
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