Palmyra Borough faces barriers with plans for ‘Welcome to Palmyra’ sign

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Plans to install a “Welcome to Palmyra” sign in a tiny park in the heart of the borough might face a few roadblocks.

“Some concerns have been raised about the location of Mayor’s Park, what constitutes the ground at Mayor’s Park underneath the grass that’s there, and the potential connection to how it is graded and how that goes into stormwater management,” Rebecca Zalit, representing the Palmyra Revitalization Committee, told Palmyra Borough Council during its Tuesday, May 12, meeting.

Council previously gave permission for the committee to start fundraising to install the sign at Mayor’s Park on the northeast corner of the intersection of Lingle Avenue and West Main Street in September 2025.

The sign, as shared at a previous borough council meeting, is proposed to be 5 feet tall and 10 feet long. Each stone pillar is proposed to be 18 inches wide. This is the largest size allowable under the current ordinances.

Zalit told the council that the sign and a “typical” installation process are financially covered, but any additional engineering costs that could be associated with addressing these concerns are not.

She said the committee was looking for guidance on whether there was any potential financial or engineering assistance.

“If not, that’s fine. We still remain fully committed to the continued revitalization, beautification of the borough, and we appreciate, as always, your time, consideration, and support of all of our improvement efforts,” she said. 

Interim borough manager Brenda Pera said the hill where the sign would go is very steep and water flows downhill into a drain.

“There’s no way to place this sign so that it wouldn’t interfere with the integrity of the slope,” she said. “We’re going to have to cut this out somehow to tier it so there’s more of a flat section for it to be on because it’s not going to sit pretty right where it’s at.”

Pera said she will get an amount for how much the engineering would cost. Then, the proposal will be brought to council for consideration.

In other business, council:

• Agreed to move $957.50 from the assistant borough manager’s salary, which currently isn’t being utilized, to bring the borough building’s door system up to date and for a year of support. Pera said they don’t have a backup for the door system. Annual renewal will cost $300 to $350, she said, and will also get the borough technical support throughout the year.
• Approved an updated ordinance that will add and remove several handicapped parking spaces.

Palmyra Borough Council will meet next at 325 S. Railroad St. on May 26 at 7 p.m. Meetings are streamed on the Palmyra Borough, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania YouTube page.