This section contains provisions that apply across all commercial
districts to each category of sign. Dimensional requirements specific
to districts appear in the following section.
A. Freestanding signs. No freestanding sign may occupy an area designated
for parking, loading, walkways, driveways, fire lane, easement, right-of-way
or other areas required to remain unobstructed, except for official
traffic signs and government/regulatory signs.
(1)
Monument signs shall be a maximum of six feet in height. The
base shall be constructed with materials used on the main structure
and permanently affixed to the ground in such as manner as to incorporate
it into the landscape and architectural design scheme.
(2)
Pole signs:
(a)
Shall be a maximum of 20 feet in height, with the lowest sign
edge either lower than four or higher than seven feet above the ground.
(b)
Signs on poles shall be designed as a single unit with the open
spaces between panels counted as part of the allowable square footage.
B. Wall signs. No portion of a wall sign shall be mounted less than
eight feet above the finished grade or extend more than 12 inches
from the facade on which it is affixed. If the wall sign projects
less than three inches from the building wall on which it is affixed,
the eight-foot height requirement does not apply. Wall signs shall
not exceed the width of the front of the building on which they are
located.
C. Projecting signs.
(1)
No portion of a projecting sign shall project more than four
feet from the face of the building.
(2)
The outermost portion of a projecting sign shall project no
closer than five feet from a curbline or shoulder of a public street.
D. Canopy/awning signs.
(1)
A canopy or awning without lettering or other advertising shall
not be regulated as a sign.
(2)
Canopy or awning signs must be centered within or over architectural
elements such as windows or doors.
(3)
No awning or canopy sign shall be wider than the building wall
or tenant space it identifies.
(4)
Height: The lowest edge of the canopy or awning sign shall be
at least eight feet above the finished grade.
(5)
Placement: Letters or numerals shall be located only on the
front and side vertical faces of the awning. Logos or emblems are
permitted on the top or angled portion up to a maximum of three square
feet. No more than one emblem or logo is permitted on any one awning
or canopy.
(6)
Any ground-floor awning projecting into a street right-of-way
must be retractable.
(7)
If the awning or canopy sign is mounted on a multitenant building,
all awning or canopy signs shall be similar in terms of height, projection
and style across all tenants in the building.
E. Window signs. Incidental window signs less than two square feet in
area, such as the business's hours of operation and credit cards
accepted, shall be excluded from area calculations for window signs.
F. Marquee signs. No part of a marquee sign shall extend vertically
above the eaveline. The lowest edge of the marquee sign shall be at
least 10 feet above the finished grade.
G. Off-premises signs (billboards).
(1)
Location: Billboards shall only be erected as a principal use
only in the "C" General Commercial District. They are not a use permitted
by right in the CBD, MID or GWS districts.
(2)
Spacing: Off-premises signs shall be:
(a)
Limited to a maximum of one two-sided billboard per property.
(b)
Not mounted on a roof, wall or other part of a building or any
other structure.
(c)
Erected in such a manner as to not block the view from the road
or street of any existing business sign, residential or nonresidential
structure.
(d)
Set back from the ultimate right-of-way a distance equal to
the height of the off-premises sign or 15 feet, whichever is greater.
(e)
Located no closer than 25 feet from any property line.
(f)
Located no closer than 50 feet from any building, structure
or on-premises sign located on the same property.
(g)
Located no closer than 1,500 feet from another off-premises
sign on either side of the road, measured linearly.
(h)
Located no closer than 500 feet from any intersection or interchange.
(i)
Located no closer than 1,000 feet from any property line abutting
a public park, playground, religious institution, cemetery, school
or residential district.
(j)
Not attached to the external wall or otherwise affixed to any
part of any building and shall not extend over any public property
or right-of-way.
(k)
Not located on utility rights-of-way or pipelines.
(3)
Size and height.
(a)
A billboard shall have a maximum allowable gross surface area
of 250 square feet per sign. A billboard shall have a maximum of two
sign faces per structure. However, the gross area of each sign face
shall not exceed the maximum of 250 square feet.
(b)
There shall be a maximum height of 35 feet from ground the finished
grade to top of sign, measured at the center of the sign. The lowest
sign edge shall be at least seven feet above the finished grade.
(4)
Illumination. Off-premises signs may be externally illuminated,
provided that all light sources are designed, shielded, arranged and
installed to confine all illumination to the surface of the sign and
away from adjoining properties, and that light sources are not visible
from any street or adjoining properties.
(5)
Landscape plan.
(a)
The entire base of the billboard structure on the side of the
sign face shall be permanently landscaped with suitable shrubbery
and/or bushes a minimum of three feet placed in such manner as to
screen the foundation of the structure.
(b)
Permanent landscaped trees (minimum three-foot diameter) shall
form a base and/or backdrop to the billboard sign when practical in
the opinion of the Zoning Officer.
(6)
Permit requirements. A sign permit application must be submitted
to the Planning Department in accordance with the general sign regulations
of this article in addition to the following requirements:
(a)
Every 10 years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural
inspection made of the billboard by a qualified Pennsylvania registered
engineer and shall provide to the Borough a certificate from the engineer
certifying that the billboard is structurally sound.
(b)
Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the
Borough to determine compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(c)
The issuance of a permit for any billboard by the Borough shall
be conditioned upon the approval of permit by PennDOT within 30 days
of the issuance of the permit.
H. Temporary signs.
(1)
Temporary signs shall:
(a)
Be displayed for no more than 30 consecutive days up to three
times per calendar year.
(b)
Relate to activities on the property where they are erected,
such as a yard sale, festival or special event.
(c)
Not require a sign permit; however, they shall be labeled with
the date of erection.
(d)
Be anchored or secured to their designated location so as not
to be portable or affected by winds.
(2)
Temporary signs on wheels or with changeable letters are not
permitted.
(3)
Not more than one temporary sign per property will be permitted
at any one time.
I. Portable signs. Unlike temporary signs, portable signs may be displayed
indefinitely, but are limited in terms of their hours of display within
any single day. Portable signs are designed to be easily transported.
(1)
Portable signs shall:
(a)
Not be displayed on any premises before 6:00 a.m. and shall
be removed each day at or before 10:00 p.m.
(c)
Be weighted, temporarily secured or strategically placed to
avoid being moved by high winds.
(2)
Sandwich board signs or three-dimensional figures that comply
with the requirements in this subsection shall not be included in
the determination of the type, number or area of signs allowed on
a property.
(3)
One sandwich board sign is permitted per establishment. Each
sign shall have a maximum area of seven feet per sign face and a maximum
height of 3.5 feet.
(4)
One three-dimensional figure is permitted per establishment.
Each shall have a maximum height of six feet.
(5)
If a sign or figure is located on a sidewalk, a minimum of 36
inches of unobstructed clearance must be maintained. The sign or figure
shall not interfere with pedestrian ingress or egress as required
by the Building Code.
(6)
The sign or figure shall be located within three feet of the
primary entrance of the establishment it advertises.
J. Other permanent signs.
(1)
Monument signs may be erected to identify institutional, governmental,
school, park or residential developments at the entrance to the property
or plan and may be double-faced, provided that:
(b)
Illumination is external by white light only.
(c)
Maximum size is 20 square feet.
(d)
If such signs are erected at a new driveway (institutional,
governmental) or street intersection (subdivision), the double-faced
allotment may be placed one on each side of the intersection.
(2)
Changeable copy signs:
(a)
Manual changeable copy signs are permitted only when integrated
into a freestanding, marquee or wall sign.
(b)
Electronic changeable copy signs (message center or digital
display) integrated into a freestanding, marquee or wall sign shall
be a conditional use in all commercial districts. Additionally:
[1]
The content of electronic changeable copy signs shall not flash,
pulsate, move or scroll. The content must transition by changing instantly
(no fade-out or fade-in).
[2]
Glare control shall be achieved primarily through the use of
such means as cutoff fixtures, shields, and baffles, and appropriate
application of fixture mounting height, wattage, aiming angle, and
fixture placement. Vegetation screens shall not serve as the primary
means for controlling glare.
[3]
The electrical supply to all exterior signs, whether to the
sign itself or to lighting fixtures positioned to illuminate the sign,
shall be provided by means of concealed electrical cables. Electrical
supply to freestanding signs shall be provided by means of underground
cables.
[4]
During daylight hours, luminance shall be no greater than 5,000
nits. At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than 250 nits.
[5]
The minimum message duration shall be no less than 10 seconds.
(3)
Gasoline service stations shall be allotted 10 additional square
feet to display price-per-gallon figures.
(4)
A menu board at drive-through restaurants shall not exceed 36
square feet or contain company identification more than four inches
high. They are not counted toward total sign allotment.
This section contains provisions that specify the types, dimensions and other characteristics of signs that may be erected in each zoning district. Where regulations in this section are more restrictive than those set in §
310-141, Type-specific regulations, the more restrictive provisions will supersede for the purpose of establishing or maintaining the Borough's desired neighborhood character.
A. Community Business District, Midtown District and Gateway South District.
(1)
In addition to the exempt signs described in §
310-139, the following numbers and types of signs may be erected in the CBD, MID and GWS Districts, subject to the conditions specified in this chapter.
(a)
Any sign permitted in residential districts, for the appropriate uses, as defined and regulated in Article
VIII, Residential Signs.
(c)
Any portable sign as defined and regulated in §
310-141I.
(d)
First-floor occupants may erect wall, awning/canopy and projecting
signs as specified below, subject to a limit of two square feet per
one linear foot of building frontage that faces a public street or
parking lot and subject to maximum size limitations based on sign
type. First-floor occupants may additionally erect window signs and
marquee signs as specified below.
(e)
Upper-floor occupants may erect only projecting and/or window
signs as specified below, except that projecting signs for upper-floor
occupants shall not exceed a total sign area of 18 square feet, where
each sign face shall not exceed nine square feet.
(f)
Owners of multistory buildings with multiple tenants may erect
one upper-story projecting sign per building for building/landmark
identification, according to the area, height and illumination standards
specified below.
(2)
Wall signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted, subject
to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one sign per street-level tenant. Where a store has
entrances facing both a street and a parking lot, a second sign is
permitted to face the parking lot.
(b)
Area: No single wall sign shall exceed 24 square feet in area.
(c)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline
or the bottom of the second-story window sill, whichever is lower.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[1]
External illumination, lit from above.
[2]
Halo illumination or back-lit letters.
(3)
Awning or canopy signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted,
subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline
or the bottom of the second-story window sill, whichever is lower.
(b)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[1]
External illumination, lit from above.
(4)
Projecting signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted,
subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one sign per ground-floor establishment, plus one sign
per building entrance serving one or more commercial tenants without
a ground floor entrance.
(b)
Area: Each sign shall have a maximum area of six square feet
per sign face.
(c)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline
or the bottom of the second-story window sill, whichever is lower.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
(5)
Internal illumination. Window signs for nonresidential uses
shall be permitted, subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Area: A maximum of 15% of the total window area of any single
storefront may be used for permanent signs that are etched, painted,
or permanently affixed to the window. A maximum of 25% of the total
window area of any single storefront may be covered by a combination
of permanent and temporary window signs.
(b)
Illumination:
[1]
The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[2]
Any temporary sign that is illuminated shall have a maximum
area of two square feet.
(6)
Marquee signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted, subject
to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one marquee structure per building.
(b)
Area: The total area of signs on a single marquee structure
shall not exceed 150 square feet.
(c)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
(7)
In addition to building signs, freestanding signs for nonresidential
uses shall be permitted, subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Pole signs may be erected only in MID. Monument signs may be
erected only in GWS. Neither shall be permitted in CBD.
(b)
Number: one sign per street frontage, up to two signs per property
held in single and separate ownership.
(c)
Area: Each sign shall have a maximum area of 50 square feet
plus an additional 10 square feet per tenant up to a maximum of 100
square feet.
(d)
Height: Pole signs shall have a maximum height of 20 feet, and
monument signs shall have a maximum height of six feet.
(e)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
B. All other commercial districts.
(1)
In addition to the exempt signs described in §
310-139, the following numbers and types of signs may be erected in all other commercial districts, subject to the conditions specified in this chapter.
(a)
Any sign permitted in residential districts, for the appropriate uses, as defined and regulated in Article
VIII, Residential Signs.
(b)
Any portable sign as defined and regulated in §
310-141I.
(c)
Wall, awning/canopy and projecting signs, subject to a limit
of 1.5 square feet per one linear foot of building frontage that faces
a public street or parking lot and subject to maximum size limitations
based on sign type.
(d)
Window signs, marquee signs and freestanding signs for nonresidential
uses, as specified below.
(2)
Wall signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted, subject
to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one sign per street-level tenant. Where a store has
entrances facing both a street and a parking lot, a second sign is
permitted to face the parking lot.
(b)
Area: Each sign shall have a maximum area of 32 square feet
per sign face.
(c)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[2]
External illumination, lit from above.
[3]
Halo illumination or back-lit letters.
(3)
Awning or canopy signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted,
subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline.
(b)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[1]
External illumination, lit from above.
(4)
Projecting signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted,
subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one sign per ground-floor establishment, plus one sign
per building entrance serving one or more commercial tenants without
a ground floor entrance.
(b)
Area: Each sign shall have a maximum area of eight square feet
per sign face.
(c)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[1]
External illumination, lit from above.
(5)
Window signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted, subject
to the following regulations:
(a)
Area: A maximum of 25% of the total window area of any single
storefront may be used for permanent signs that are etched, painted,
or permanently affixed to the window. A maximum of 35% of the total
window area of any single storefront may be covered by a combination
of permanent and temporary window signs.
(b)
Illumination:
[1]
The following illumination types shall be permitted:
[2]
Any temporary sign that is illuminated shall have a maximum
area of two square feet.
(6)
Marquee signs for nonresidential uses shall be permitted, subject
to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one marquee sign per building.
(b)
Area: The total area of signs on a single marquee structure
shall not exceed 200 square feet.
(c)
Height: Signs shall have a maximum height equal to the eaveline.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted:
(7)
In addition to building signs, freestanding signs for nonresidential
uses shall be permitted, subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Number: one sign per street frontage, up to two signs per property
held in single and separate ownership.
(b)
Area: Each sign shall have a maximum area of 50 square feet
plus an additional 10 square feet per tenant up to a maximum of 100
square feet.
(c)
Height: Pole signs shall have a maximum height of 20 feet, and
monument signs shall have a maximum height of six feet.
(d)
Illumination: The following illumination types shall be permitted: