Any sign hereafter erected or maintained shall
conform with this article and any other ordinance or regulation of
the Borough relating thereto.
The following regulations shall be observed
in all districts:
A. Except as provided in §
300-83, all signs shall be related to the use of the structure or premises where it is located.
[Amended 8-20-2009 by Ord. No. 1339]
B. A sign permit must be obtained from the Code Enforcement
Officer before a sign is erected in the Borough, except for temporary
real estate signs.
C. Permit applications for signs larger than eight square
feet in size shall be accompanied by a plan, drawn to scale, showing
the sign and the size and location of the sign with respect to the
building.
D. Plans for signs which exceed 20 square feet in size
shall be subject to review and approval as a conditional use by the
Borough Council.
[Amended 8-20-2009 by Ord. No. 1339]
E. All signs shall be kept in a proper state of repair.
F. If a sign has become dilapidated, the Code Enforcement
Officer shall notify the owner or the lessee of the property to correct
the condition within 30 days. The owner or lessee may appeal the decision
of the Code Enforcement Officer to the Zoning Hearing Board within
the same time period.
G. If, after 30 days, the condition has not been corrected
and the notice has not been appealed, the Code Enforcement Officer
shall cause the dilapidated sign to be removed at the expense of the
owner or lessee.
H. If the Code Enforcement Officer determines that the
condition of the sign poses an imminent danger to the public safety,
he or she may order the sign removed immediately. The owner or lessee
shall have a right of appeal after the fact to the Zoning Hearing
Board.
I. No sign shall be placed in such a position that it
will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view or
to pedestrians by obstructing the sidewalk right-of-way.
J. No sign shall be erected with colored lights which
may be confused with highway traffic lights.
K. No stringing of light bulbs, animated signs or signs
that revolve or swing or have movable parts or flashing lights or
reflectors shall be permitted after the effective date of this chapter
(Ordinance No. 1115, passed July 12, 1984).
L. No sign shall be erected on a roof.
M. Parallel signs shall not project over 12 inches from
the face of the building to which they are attached.
N. No animated signs, other than time and temperature
signs, or signs that emit smoke, vapor or noise shall be permitted.
O. No projecting signs of any type shall be permitted.
P. All signs shall front on a street.
All nonconforming signs on the effective date
of this chapter (Ordinance No. 1115, passed July 12, 1984) shall be
replaced or brought into compliance with this article within five
years of the date of the adoption of this chapter.
The following signs, and no others, shall be
permitted in Residence and Institutional Districts:
A. Signs of any type erected by the Borough.
B. Signs for a professional or accessory use, indicating
the name, profession or activity of the occupant of the dwelling,
provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign shall not exceed two square
feet.
(2) Not more than one sign shall be permitted for each
permitted use or residential structure, unless such premises front
on two streets, in which case not more than two signs, one on each
street, shall be permitted.
(3) No such sign shall be illuminated except by concealed
or indirect lighting attached to the sign itself.
(4) No such sign, if freestanding, shall have a height
greater than 80 inches.
C. Identification signs for garden-type apartment houses,
schools, churches and other permitted uses, other than dwellings,
provided that:
(1) The size of any such signs shall not exceed 20 square
feet.
(2) Not more than one such sign shall be placed on premises
held in single and separate ownership, unless such premises front
on two streets, in which case not more than two signs, one on each
street, shall be permitted.
(3) No such sign shall be illuminated except by concealed
or indirect lighting attached to the sign itself.
D. Temporary real estate signs advertising the sale,
lease or rental of premises, provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign shall not exceed four square
feet.
(2) Not more than one such sign shall be erected for any
property held in single and separate ownership.
(3) No such sign shall have a total height exceeding 54
inches.
E. Temporary signs for developments indicating the location
and direction of premises which are in the process of such development,
provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square
feet.
(2) Not more than one such sign shall be erected along
each 500 feet of street frontage.
(3) No such sign shall be illuminated.
(4) All such signs shall be removed within five days of
completion of active work on the development.
(5) No such sign shall have a total height exceeding 54
inches.
F. Temporary home improvement signs indicating ongoing
services, provided that:
(1) Such signs shall be erected only on the premises where
such work is being performed.
(2) The size of any such sign shall not exceed four square
feet.
(3) Such signs shall be removed promptly upon completion
of the work.
(4) No such sign shall have a total height exceeding 54
inches.
The following signs, and no others, shall be
permitted in the NC Neighborhood Commercial District:
A. Any sign of a type and size permitted in a Residence
District which relates to a use permitted in the district;
B. Window signs not exceeding 15% of the glass area of
the window in which they are placed;
C. Wall signs, not to exceed 20 square feet;
D. Canopy signs, not to exceed 20 square feet;
E. Parallel signs, not to exceed 20 square feet; and
The following signs, and no others, shall be
permitted in RC Regional Commercial Districts:
A. Any sign permitted in the Neighborhood Commercial
District.
B. Pole signs, subject to the following requirements:
(1) One such sign per street frontage per tract or parcel,
regardless of the number of establishments occupying such tract or
parcel, shall be permitted.
(2) Each pole sign shall be erected in such a way that
the distance from the edge of the sign to each street right-of-way
line shall be not less than 10 feet.
(3) No freestanding sign shall be erected within 100 feet
of another freestanding sign.
(4) No establishment shall be permitted to utilize a pole
sign unless it has a front yard of not less than 35 feet.
(5) No pole sign shall exceed a height of 20 feet.
(6) Not more than one pole sign may be permitted on each
street frontage relating to, and directing persons to, a shopping
center as a whole.
(7) The size of any such sign shall not exceed 40 square
feet.
C. Directional signs not exceeding nine square feet.
D. Temporary real estate signs advertising the sale or
rental of the premises, provided that:
(1) The size of any sign shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(2) One sign per street frontage shall be allowed.
The following signs, and no others, shall be
permitted in IND Industrial Districts:
A. Temporary real estate signs advertising the sale or
rental of the premises, provided that:
(1) The size shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(2) Only one sign per street frontage shall be permitted.
B. Ground signs, provided that:
(1) The height of any such sign does not exceed 60 inches.
(2) The length of any such sign does not exceed 96 inches.
(3) Only one such sign per street frontage shall be permitted.
C. Parallel signs, provided that the size of any such
sign shall not exceed 30 square feet.
[Added 8-20-2009 by Ord.
No. 1339]
Off-premises advertising signs, including but not limited to
billboards, shall be permitted in the Off-Premises Advertising Sign
Overlay District, subject to the following regulations:
A. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED SIGN
(1)
Any sign that does not display a well maintained message for
a consecutive one-hundred-twenty-day period;
(2)
Any sign the owner of which cannot be located at owner's
last address as reflected on the records of the department; or
(3)
Any sign no longer fully supported, by the structure designed
to support the sign, for a consecutive one-hundred-twenty-day period.
AREA OF A SIGN
The area of one side of a sign is calculated from the smallest
rectangle that encompasses all the exposed face that could be filled
with a message or graphics.
BANNERS
Sign placed without a permanent structure containing a time-bound
message and used in aggregate no more than seven days in any calendar
on any private parcel.
DOUBLE-FACED SIGN
Sign with a message on both sides of a support structure
thus counting as two sign faces.
GOVERNMENT SIGN
A sign authorized by this municipality, another governmental
agency, the State or Pennsylvania, or the federal government.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN
Any sign advertising activities, services, products or uses
not located, made, sold, used or served on the premises displaying
such sign.
PUBLIC CONVENIENCE
A structure maintained by the Borough or other authorized
governmental entity which provides a service to the public such as
public bus shelters, public trash receptacles, and other similar structures.
SIGN
An object, including a structure, wall, image, or movable
device displaying any message visible to the public.
B. District boundaries. The boundaries of the overlay district shall
consist of the area within 50 feet of the right-of-way:
(1) Of Baltimore Avenue within the Borough; and
(2) Of McDade Avenue from Cedar Avenue eastbound approximately 420 feet
which is zoned Regional Commercial.
The overlay district is set forth in the attached overlay district
map.
C. Off-premises signs shall be permitted as of right in the Overlay
District, provided that such signs meet the following criteria:
(1) Each sign allowed under this section of the article shall be located
not less than 500 feet (measured by radial spacing) from any other
sign allowed pursuant to this section of the article and not less
than 100 feet from a residential zoning district. Distance measurement
shall be made horizontally in all directions from the nearest edge
of the sign face.
(2) Only one sign may be permitted on any one lot.
(3) No sign's gross surface area shall exceed 300 square feet in
face size.
(4) The height of the sign structure at the top of the sign surface area
shall not exceed 35 feet above the grade at the sign base.
(5) The sign shall conform with all other sections of this article, including
but not limited to limitations on illumination and construction of
signs.
(6) Applicants shall prohibit the display of obscene materials on sign
faces.
(7) The minimum required lot width at both the street line and the front
yard setback line shall be 100 feet.
(8) Adequate screening must be provided to screen the view of the sign
from any and all adjacent residential districts.
(9) Subject to the landowner's consent, a noncommercial message
of any type may be substituted for any duly permitted or allowed commercial
message; provided, that the sign structure or mounting device is legal
without consideration of message content.
D. Construction methods. Billboards shall be constructed in accordance
with the applicable provisions of all Borough codes. In addition:
(1) Applicability of International Construction Code (ICC) standards.
All sign standards herein shall exist in full force and effect in
conjunction with all sign standards existing in the most recent edition
of the ICC, as amended. Whenever any conflict exists between this
chapter and the ICC Code, the more restrictive provisions shall have
precedence.
(2) A billboard sign face shall be independently supported and have vertical
supports of metal which are galvanized or otherwise treated to prevent
rust and corrosion. All billboards shall be painted in PMS Color 279.
(3) One vertical support shall be capable of enabling the entire sign
face to be able to withstand a minimum one-hundred-mile-per-hour wind
load.
(4) The entire base of the billboard structure shall be permanently landscaped
with suitable shrubbery and/or bushes of minimum height of six feet
placed in such a manner as to screen the foundation of the structure.
A landscaping plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the
Code Enforcement Officer. Said landscaping shall be maintained by
the owner in an attractive and healthy manner in accordance with accepted
conservation practices. Landscaping shall form a base and backdrop
to the billboard sign when practical.
(5) No bare cuts are permitted on a hillside, and all cuts or fills are
to be permanently seeded or planted.
(6) No billboard structure, sign face or display shall emit noise, cause
distraction, confusion, nuisance or hazard to traffic safety, aircraft
or other properties.
(7) No billboard shall be constructed within the clear sight triangle
of the public street or road on which it is situated and shall not
in any manner obstruct or impede traffic safety, including ingress
or egress.
(8) Billboards may not be mounted on a roof, wall or face or other part
of a building or any other structure, including trees.
(9) Illumination of any and all sign faces shall be shielded to prevent
the light source from being seen from any direction.
(10)
No illumination of any sign shall occur between 11:00 p.m. and
6:00 a.m.
(11)
Multiple message signs are prohibited.
(12)
Signs which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing,
pulsing, oscillating, intermittent, scrolling or moving light or lights
are prohibited.
(13)
Signs containing video and/or animated graphics are prohibited.
(14)
All freestanding off-premises signs (billboards) shall be approved
by the Borough Engineer. Applicants must submit a plan, sealed by
a structural engineer, showing the proposed construction.
(15)
All sign structures shall comply with all other applicable Borough
codes and ordinances.
E. Maintenance.
(1) The billboard structure shall be entirely repainted at a minimum
of every five years.
(2) Every three years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural
inspection made of the billboard by a qualified Pennsylvania registered
structural engineer and shall provide to the Borough a certificate
from the engineer or architect certifying that the billboard is structurally
sound.
(3) Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the Borough
Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance, and billboards found
to be in violation of this section shall be brought into compliance
within 30 days of notice or ordered removed upon written notification
by the Borough.
(4) Any abandoned sign must be removed within 30 days after notice. If
the owner fails to remove an abandoned sign within 30 days, the Borough
may remove the sign at the owner's expense.