[Amended 3-5-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-5; 8-19-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-20]
The purpose of this section is to establish sign controls which promote the public safety and welfare to inform; enhance the built environment through compatible design, and protect the public from unsafe signs, which may be placed indiscriminately, conflict with lawful signs, and obscure vision.
A. No person shall erect, alter or relocate any sign without a zoning permit issued by the Zoning Officer and a sign permit issued by the Construction Official, unless exempted under the following provisions. The permit fee for such signs shall be as provided in the schedule set forth in Township ordinances. Whenever a sign is changed, the fee for such change shall be as provided in the schedule set forth in the Township ordinances. Normal maintenance and the removal of a sign shall not require a permit.
B. General regulations shall be as follows:
(1) Attached signs. Signs parallel to walls shall be no more than 15 inches from the surface of the wall. Signs perpendicular to walls shall extend no more than six feet from the surface of the wall, shall not exceed 10 square feet in area, shall be supported in a structurally sound manner approved by the Township Engineer or Construction Official and shall have a clearance of at least nine feet between bottom of the sign to the finished grade.
(2) Height. The height of a sign shall be measured from the finished grade to the uppermost part of the sign. The lowest portion of any sign which projects over a driveway shall be at least 14 feet above the finished grade and projects over a sidewalk shall be at least nine feet above the finished grade. Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of 20 feet.
(3) Illuminated signs. All lighted signs shall have the light source shielded from adjoining or nearby lots, streets and interior drives and shall have translucent fixtures.
(4) Sign area and dimension. Sign area shall include all lettering, wording, coloring and accompanying designs and symbols, together with the background, whether open or closed, but not including the supporting framework and bracing incidental to the display itself. All internally illuminated panels or translucent fixtures, whether or not they contain lettering, wording, designs or symbols, shall be considered to be part of sign area.
(5) Exemptions from sign permits. Street number designations, highway signs, postal boxes, address, nameplate, on-site traffic directional and parking signs, signs posting property as "private property," "no hunting," "danger," "warning" (within a building or affixed to a building and not visible from a public right-of-way), logos and labels on mechanical equipment or refuse containers, and flags of nations, states, cities, or organizations or for similar purposes are permitted but are exempt from other sign area limits as set forth in this chapter, so long as said signs do not exceed two square feet each. Any signs governed by the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) shall conform with the sizes specified therein. Additionally, any "feather flag" -type banners are permitted but are exempt from other sign area limits as long as said "feather flag" banners do not exceed one per business, per street frontage that it is advertising.
(6) No sign other than street, traffic, or similar official signs are permitted to be erected within or project over the right-of-way of any street, sidewalk, or public promenade, except as permitted by the governing body or expressly permitted herein.
(7) No signs are permitted to be placed on any property without the consent of the property owner.
(8) No sign is permitted to be attached to utility poles, public structures, trees, stumps, fence posts, other signs, or signposts, but shall be freestanding or attached to buildings in accordance with this section, except as otherwise provided herein for warning signs as defined.
(9) In order to protect the public health and safety, signs shall be placed so that there is no visual clutter, conflict, or interference with traffic signs or sight triangles.
(10) All signs must be kept in a safe and maintained condition and appearance; and must be repainted or otherwise maintained by the owner to prevent deterioration caused by weather, age, or other condition.
(11) Temporary signs.
(a) Construction signs, nonresidential. No more than one sign naming the project under construction and the participating firms and individuals is permitted on the construction site, beginning with the issuance of a building permit and terminating with the issuance of a certificate of occupancy or the expiration of the building permit, whichever comes first. Such signs shall not exceed an area of 32 square feet and shall be no closer than 15 feet to any street or side lot line.
(b) Construction sign, residential. Not more than two temporary ground signs for an approved residential development shall be permitted, provided that each sign does not exceed 12 square feet, shall be no closer than 15 feet to any street or side lot line and shall be removed within 30 days after all lots or units have been sold or rented.
(c) Residential real estate signs. Real estate signs shall not exceed an area of five square feet on each side. Signs shall be removed at the expense of the advertiser within 15 days after the termination or completion of the matter being advertised. They do not require a permit. No more than one sign shall be permitted along each street. Real estate signs shall be permitted only on the lot that the sign is advertising. Signs shall be set back at least seven feet from the edge of the street paving and five feet from all side property lines. In the event the distance between the edge of the street paving and the dwelling/building/structure on the property is less than seven feet, the sign shall be permitted at a lesser distance as maybe required.
(d) Commercial and industrial real estate signs. Real estate signs shall not exceed an area of 16 square feet on each side. Signs shall be removed at the expense of the advertiser within 15 days after the termination or completion of the matter being advertised. They do not require a permit. No more than one sign shall be permitted along each street. Real estate signs shall be permitted only on the lot that the sign is advertising. Signs shall be set back at least seven feet from the edge of the street paving and five feet from all side property lines. In the event the distance between the edge of the street paving and the building/structure on the property is less than seven feet, the sign shall be permitted at a lesser distance as maybe required.
(e) Election signs. Election signs shall not exceed 16 square feet in area or six feet in height. There shall be no more than one sign per candidate/slate of candidates/issue per street frontage, and the sign shall have the consent of the owner of the lot. No such sign shall be erected more than 45 days prior to any municipal, county, state, or national election or referendum and shall be removed within 14 days following such election. Signs shall be set back at least seven feet from the edge of the street paving and five feet from all side property lines. In the event the distance between the edge of the street paving and the building/structure on the property is less than seven feet, the sign shall be permitted at a lesser distance as maybe required.
(f) Free expression signs. Free expression signs shall not exceed four square feet in area or six feet in height. Signs shall be set back at least seven feet from the edge of the street paving and five feet from all side property lines and shall be limited to one sign per street frontage.
(g) Mechanics and artisans. Each mechanic and artisan is permitted to erect one sign during the period when the mechanic or artisan is actively performing work on the lands or premises where the sign is placed. The sign shall have a maximum of six square feet. Signs shall be set back at least seven feet from the edge of the street paving and five feet from all side property lines.
(12) Public and quasi-public uses. Three wall or ground sign(s) not exceeding 24 square feet each may be located on the premises of places of worship, school buildings, libraries, parish houses, government buildings and public recreational and community center buildings and grounds. Signs with changeable message panels of up to 75% of the overall sign area, whether electronic or manual, shall be permitted, provided that the message shall be permitted to change a maximum of one time per 30 seconds. No fee shall be required in connection with the permit for such a sign. Where there is more than one public or quasi-public use on a property, those uses may receive separate signs.
(13) Automotive service stations. Automotive service stations may display the following special signs:
(a) One freestanding sign advertising the name of the station, including the company or brand name, insignia or emblem, provided that such sign shall not exceed 50 square feet on a side and shall be at least 15 feet from the edge of street paving. Said sign shall not exceed the height requirements established herein for freestanding signs. One freestanding sign shall be permitted for each street frontage. The freestanding sign may have a supplementary price sign, provided that it is mounted on the same support structure as the freestanding sign, that the price sign does not exceed 25 square feet in sign area and that the lowest part of the sign is at least eight feet above finished grade.
(b) Incidental signs advertising services, trade information, credit cards, prices and information other than product advertising are permitted, provided that no one sign exceeds 10 square feet, there is no more than one such sign per street frontage and all are set back at least seven feet from the curbline and are permitted to be attached to any existing structure.
(c) In addition to the freestanding sign permitted herein, gasoline service stations that have a canopy over the fuel-dispensing islands shall be permitted one sign per side on the canopy, with the area of the sign limited to no more than 10% of the area of the longest facade of the canopy.
(d) In addition to the freestanding sign, the incidental sign and the sign on the canopy, the principal building shall be permitted to have one attached or wall sign in accordance with the provisions of §
110-17C(2).
(14) Prohibited signs.
(a) Animated, flashing, and illusionary signs. Signs using mechanical and/or electrical devices to revolve, flash, change intensity of illumination or display movement or the illusion of movement.
(c) Bare-bulb external sign illumination.
(d) Banner-type signs, except in celebration of public events and erected with the approval of the governing body.
(e) Billboards or off-premise signs.
(f) Mobile signs, including signs that are not permanently attached to a building, or not placed in the ground in such a fashion as to be permanent in a manner conforming to the Uniform Construction Code, or signs mounted on wheels, trailers or unregistered motor vehicles; a registered vehicle that has as its principal purpose the advertising of a business from a site as opposed to serving as a delivery or service vehicle for other business purposes of this section. Mobile signs operated by or for a governmental agency to advise of road closures, no parking, and similar messages are exempt from this provision.
C. Signs within each zoning district shall be permitted as follows:
(1) Residential zoning districts.
(a) Townhouses. One freestanding sign giving the name of the project, not exceeding 12 square feet, and a maximum height of four feet and no closer than 10 feet to any right-of-way.
(b) Home occupations. One sign providing only the name and occupation, not exceeding three square feet and may be either attached flush with the facade of the dwelling or ground mounted set back at least 15 feet from the edge of street paving. Such sign shall not be illuminated. A home occupation sign shall be provided in lieu of a separate residential sign that is exempted in the provisions set forth in §
110-17B(5).
(2) Commercial zoning districts.
(a) Freestanding businesses not part of a multiple-tenanted commercial facility. There shall be no more than two business signs per freestanding business. No more than one sign shall be permitted to be an attached or wall sign, and no more than one sign shall be permitted to be freestanding.
[1] Parallel signs attached to a wall or wall signs, including awning, canopy, marquee and window signs. Maximum sign area shall be 40 square feet and the number of sign types cannot exceed two.
[2] Awning, canopy and marquee signs. Awning, canopy and marquee signs may be permitted as follows:
[a] Awning signs may be permitted as part of an awning, provided that the sign does not exceed 20% of the surface area of the awning. Awnings are not permitted to be translucent or let light through. Matte cotton and mixed fabrics and materials are required to be opaque and matte for awnings.
[b] Signs may be permitted on each vertical face of a canopy, provided that the sign does not exceed 10% of the surface area of each vertical face of the canopy on which the sign is to be located.
[c] Signs may be permitted on each vertical face of a marquee, provided that the sign does not exceed 10% of the surface area of each vertical face of the marquee on which the sign is to be located.
[3] Window sign. Etched and painted permanent window signs are permitted but limited to 33% of the total glass area of the building front.
[4] Each use may utilize one sign perpendicular to the right-of-way. Perpendicular signs are freestanding, suspended, and projecting signs.
[5] Perpendicularly or suspended attached signs. Maximum sign area shall conform to §
110-17B(1) and the bottom of the sign height shall be at least seven feet above grade and the top of the sign shall not be more than nine feet above grade.
[6] Freestanding signs. Maximum sign area shall be 20 square feet, and sign height shall not exceed six feet above surrounding grade. Such signs shall be set back at least 15 feet from any curbline or property line; and five feet from the property line.
[7] Incidental signs advertising services, trade information, credit cards, prices and information other than product advertising are permitted, provided that no one sign exceeds 10 square feet, there is no more than one such sign per street frontage and all are set back at least seven feet from the curbline and are permitted to be attached to any existing structure.
(b) Multiple-tenanted commercial facilities. Multiple-tenanted commercial facilities consisting of two or more businesses in a building shall be permitted to have one attached or wall sign per business. No more than one freestanding sign shall be permitted on the premises. Such signs shall be business signs.
[1] Parallel signs attached to a wall or wall signs. Maximum sign area shall be 40 square feet.
[2] Perpendicularly attached signs. Maximum sign area shall be at least seven feet above grade and the top of the sign shall be not more than nine feet above grade.
[3] Freestanding signs. Maximum sign area shall be 40 square feet, and sign height shall not exceed eight feet above average surrounding grade. Such signs shall be set back at least 15 feet from the curbline.
[4] Awning, canopy and marquee signs shall comply with the provisions set forth in §
110-17C(2)(a).
[5] Window sign. Etched and painted permanent window signs are permitted but limited to 33% of the total glass area of the building front.
(3) Industrial zoning districts.
(a) Not more than one freestanding monument sign shall be allowed for each street frontage, and each freestanding sign shall meet the following requirements. Such signs shall be business signs.
[1] Maximum sign area shall be 100 square feet.
[2] Sign height shall not exceed 10 feet in height.
[3] Such signs shall be set back at least 20 feet from the curbline.
(b) No more than two attached parallel to the wall signs or wall signs shall be permitted. Such signs shall be limited to one sign per side of the main building and shall meet the following requirement.
[1] Maximum sign area shall not exceed 120 square feet or 10% of the area of the wall to which it is attached or located, whichever is less.