Community Corner

'Hats' Coming to Hatboro

The Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce hopes to add decorative, illuminated hats to the downtown in time for the Hatboro Holiday Parade on Nov. 24.

Likening it to the illuminated A's that line Broad Street's Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia, Hatboro too will soon have its motif lit for all to see. 

Hatboro's trademark top hat will be adorned in red and white lights and installed on 29 of the taller light posts situated throughout the borough's downtown shopping district on York Road. 

The Hatboro Borough Council on Monday voted 4-0-1 to approve the Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce's request to purchase, install and maintain the decorative lights. Hatboro, in turn, would cover the electricity costs of the year-round addition, officials said previously.

Borough Manager Fred Zollers said Monday that he did not know how much the additional lights would cost the borough in terms of electricity expenses because PECO does not calculate kilowatt hours for existing street lights. Rather, the borough receives the actual wattage, according to Zollers. 

Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce representative Curt Difurio said the new lights would "help us brand" and would "give some identity to the town." Difurio said the decorative lights would be about the same size as the A's lining Broad Street in Philadelphia.  

The chamber's board had approved the project to go forward pending the council's approval, he said, later telling Patch he did not know how much the lights would cost and did not have anything other than a rough hand drawing of what the lights would look like. 

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Councilmen Robert Hegele and Bill Tompkins were absent from Monday's meeting.

Councilman Thomas Harbaugh, citing his position on the Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce board, abstained from voting, although he noted that he did not perceive his involvement as a conflict of interest.

"These lights really are for the betterment of the whole town," Harbaugh said. 

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hatboro resident Carol Inman was less sure. 

"I do not believe there’s been sufficient time for public comment," Inman said prior to the vote. "I think we need to look at some models and have a little more public discussion."

Inman said the hat-shaped light fixtures, which Difurio said would be four feet high and four feet wide, "could look great," or, "it could look terrible."

"It’s definitely going to change the character of Main Street," she said, claiming that York Road business owners were concerned about the height and the possibility of the fixtures obstructing the signs in front of their businesses. 

No one other than Inman voiced concerns about the project. 

"Our general board meetings are open to the business community and the community in general," Difurio said. 

Do you own a business along York Road in Hatboro? Are you concerned about the size and scope of the lighting fixtures? Tell us in the comments.


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