The Whitehall Township administration is making known its opposition to a proposal to permit the placing of a lighted billboard at Jordan Park.

The large LED-illuminated billboards seen in the city and at other sites in the region flash brightly-colored business images for a short duration, usually seconds, before another advertisement appears.

Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. said the proposed billboard that the township has information on would go up on the east side of MacArthur Road, northbound off MacArthur Road, but on City of Allentown-owned property.

Hozza acknowledged the billboard would not be in the township, but would be on the city's portion of Jordan Park. The township has ownership of Jordan Park on the west side of MacArthur Road, an area where the Home Depot and White Castle hamburger restaurant are located and where a dam on the waterway was removed.

"The township opposes the LED billboard from going up," Hozza said. He mentioned there is a possibility the township would join Lehigh Valley developer Abraham Atiyeh who, according to Hozza, also opposes the proposal.

The mayor said it is not certain of Atiyeh's pursuit in the matter.

Nonetheless Hozza said the township will look at every avenue in opposing the billboard, including clauses in the city's zoning and other measures.

Whitehall Township does not permit LED billboards.

Businesses on the south end of MacArthur Road have buildings that face the city-owned park, but Whitehall officials say LED billboards in that area are not a good fit for a park setting.

"Our current zoning regulations prohibit LED signs," Hozza told The Press Monday. "Another factor in the township's opposition to the LED sign is that the property on which the sign would be erected lies in a flood plain."

Hozza shied away from saying the township would go to court on the matter, but did not rule out having "discussions" with Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

Township commissioners in the past have also not looked favorably on LED billboards cropping up in Whitehall.

Asked how the township became aware of the pending LED billboard, Hozza stated, "We read about it in a legal advertisement."

Hozza said he will try to arrange a meeting with Pawlowski over the township's concerns.