Hellertown Gateway Sign Gets Green Light

Although Lower Saucon Township Council must still OK it, Hellertown Borough Council unanimously green-lit a directional "gateway sign" the Borough Business Revitalization Program (BBRP) has proposed installing at the intersection of Bingen Road/Mountain Drive South and Hickory Hill Road/Friedensville Road.

The sign would direct visitors to downtown Hellertown shopping and dining, and would be located at the southwest corner of the busy intersection, which straddles the border between Bethlehem and Lower Saucon Township.

It would also direct out-of-towners to the popular Saucon Rail Trail, which is accessible at Water Street Park.

The hope is that the sign will be seen by motorists exiting Lehigh University's Goodman Campus, many of whom pass through the traffic light at the intersection as they make their way toward routes 378 and 412.

Hellertown Borough Manager Cathy Kichline told council that grant money is already in place to pay for the sign, which the volunteer BBRP committee designed over a period of months.

She said that although highlighting businesses and organizations with individual "slats" was considered during the sign's design phase, committee members ultimately opted for a proposal they hope will be universally appealing.

“This keeps it simple,” Kichline said. “If you start adding things, people aren’t really going to read it.”

“I think it’s beautiful, and I think it will still direct people to the downtown area,” she added.