As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
DIGITAL SIGN
A type of ground, monument, wall, or window sign which provides
a message made up of internally illuminated components. Digital sign
displays may include LCD, LED, or plasma displays.
[Added 12-29-2020 by Ord.
No. 1028-2020]
DOUBLE-SIDED SIGN
A sign with the same lettering on both sides. For purposes
of construing the provisions of this chapter, a double-sided sign
shall be considered to be one sign.
ERECT
To build, construct, attach, place, suspend or affix and
shall also include the painting of wall signs and the painting of
signs or displays on the exterior surface of a building or structure,
and the change in any sign shall be considered as the erection of
a new sign.
FREESTANDING SIGN
A sign which is supported by poles, pylons, or other structural
components so that the bottom edge of the sign face is six feet or
more above grade.
[Added 11-10-2020 by Ord.
No. 1025-2020]
GROUND SIGN
A sign in which the entire bottom is in contact with or is
close to the ground and is independent of any other structure.
[Amended 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 1025-2020]
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Any development which shall have been or shall be classified
as a major subdivision by the Borough of Northvale Planning Board.
ILLUMINATED SIGN
Any sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs
or outline illuminated by electric lights or luminous tubes as a part
of the sign proper.
MONUMENT SIGN
A sign in which the entire bottom is in contact with the
ground and is independent of any other structure.
[Added 8-27-2019 by Ord.
No. 1007-2019]
PERSON
Includes any person, firm or partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
PORTABLE SIGN
A sign which is not permanently installed and which is located
inside the property lines.
ROOF SIGN
Any sign erected, constructed and maintained wholly upon
or over the roof of any building with the principal support on the
roof structure.
SHOPPING CENTER DEVELOPMENT
A group of commercial establishments which provide for the sale of the daily living needs such as food and drugs as well as personal services such as apparel and furniture, banking, professional services and recreation. Such a center should be developed as a unit. A shopping center development shall be comprised of no less than 20,000 contiguous square feet of ground space and shall comply with the requirements of Chapter
200, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of Northvale.
[Amended 8-10-1994 by Ord. No. 675-94]
SIGN
Includes every sign, billboard, ground sign, wall sign, roof
sign, sign painted on the exterior surface of a building or structure,
illuminated sign, projecting sign, temporary sign and sign on an awning
or canopy and shall include any announcement, declaration, demonstration,
display, illustration or insignia used to advertise or promote the
interests of any person, firm or corporation when the same is placed
out of doors in view of the general public or when of a permanent
nature and placed within the window of a commercial or other structure
so as to be visible to persons from the outside for the purposes aforesaid.
SIGN AREA
For projecting signs or ground signs, the actual outside
dimensions of the sign erected; for wall signs, that rectangular area
bounded by the lines in a horizontal and vertical plane delineating
the extreme limits of lettering or border constitutes the sign surface
on any wall space, awning or canopy.
TEMPORARY SIGN
Includes any sign which is intended to be displayed for a
period not in excess of 90 days.
WALL SIGN
A sign which is affixed to or painted on an exterior wall
of any building, when such sign shall project not more than six inches
from the building or parts thereof. For purposes of this chapter,
an attached sign shall be considered to be a wall sign.
WINDOW SIGN
Any sign that is painted upon a window or placed in a window
in such a manner or proximity that is intended to be viewed by the
public.
[Added 10-11-2000 by Ord. No. 757-2000]
[Amended 8-10-1994 by Ord. No. 675-94]
Except as otherwise set forth herein, it shall
be unlawful for any person to erect, alter, relocate or maintain within
the Borough of Northvale any sign, as set forth and defined in this
chapter, without first making application for and obtaining a sign
permit from the Construction Official.
Signs within each district shall be permitted
as follows:
A. Residential A and B Districts:
(1) A nameplate sign, situated within the property lines
and bearing only the name and address of the principal occupant, provided
that the sign does not exceed 72 square inches in total area. No application
or fee or permit shall be required for signs under this subsection.
(2) Not more than two temporary or ground signs for and
located within any subdivision which has been approved by the Planning
Board, provided that each such sign does not exceed 25 square feet
in area. In no case shall any such sign be located closer than 25
feet to any street or side lot line. Any such sign shall be removed
within 30 days after 50% of the lots in the subdivision have been
either sold or residences built thereon.
(3) One wall or ground sign not exceeding 20 square feet
located on the premises of a place of worship, school buildings, public
libraries, museums, art galleries, parish houses, etc., giving only
the name and nature of occupancy and information as to the condition
of use or occupancy, provided that said use is for nonprofit purposes.
No fee shall be charged for any application or permit for signs under
this subsection.
(4) One sale or rent sign erected only on the property
line to be sold or rented, but not to be placed on any street and
not to exceed four square feet in area. No application or fee or permit
shall be required for a sign under this subsection.
B. Business and industrial districts.
[Amended 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 1025-2020]
(1) The following signs shall be permitted:
(a)
One ground sign per street frontage with an
overall width of not more than six feet and an overall height not
exceeding six feet above ground. Ground signs may be internally illuminated.
(b)
One wall sign per establishment per street frontage.
Said sign shall be not more than two feet high nor more than 24 square
feet in area Wall signs shall not project more than six inches from
the façade of the building.
(c)
A window sign shall be permitted in a window.
No window sign shall exceed 25% of the total window area nor 10% of
any door window. In no event shall any window sign exceed the limits
of permitted wall sign area requirements.
[Added 10-11-2000 by Ord. No. 757-2000]
There shall be permitted no more than a total of one ground
sign or a total of three signs of all types for each applicant.
(2) Illumination of signs shall be in such a manner as
to cause no glare or blinding light to adjacent properties or roadways.
(3) All signs shall be set back a minimum distance of
20 feet from the edge of the right-of-way of any public road and 10
feet from any side lot line and shall not be located so as to interfere
with the view of adjacent properties.
(4) Customary warning, trespassing and posted signs shall
be allowed.
(5) Illumination of signs shall be in such a manner as to cause no glare
or blinding light to adjacent properties or roadways. Digital signs
are permitted, but shall not blink, flash, scroll, or animate. The
message displayed on a digital sign shall not change more than once
per day.
[Added 12-29-2020 by Ord.
No. 1028-2020]
C. Shopping center developments.
(1) Not more than two wall signs per established business
shall be allowed in shopping center developments, and such signs shall
not exceed a total of 10% of the area of that portion of the face
of the building or buildings used in such business at the location
in question, the face being the front side of the place of business
and the area to include the window and door areas, provided that all
signs shall advertise only the business carried on or the products
made or sold on the premises, or both.
(2) In shopping center developments, one freestanding
sign shall be permitted, advertising the name of the shopping center,
as defined in this chapter, or the uses found within; provided, however,
that they meet the following specifications:
(a)
The total height of each sign shall not exceed
15 feet.
(b)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed
75 feet.
(c)
The lowest edge of any sign shall not be less
than three feet above the ground.
(d)
The freestanding sign shall be internally illuminated
as to prevent any glare or blinding effect upon any adjacent property
or roadways.
[Amended 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 1025-2020]
(e)
All signs shall be set back a minimum distance
of 20 feet from the edge of the right-of-way of any public road and
10 feet from any side lot line and shall not be located so as to interfere
with the view of adjacent properties.
(3) Digital signs are permitted provided that they do not blink, flash,
scroll, or animate and the message displayed does not change more
than once per day.
[Added 12-29-2020 by Ord.
No. 1028-2020]
The following types of signs are specifically
prohibited:
A. Any sign of which all or part is in motion by any
means, including fluttering, rotating or moving devices set in motion
by movement or atmosphere.
B. Any sign displaying flashing or intermittent light
or lights of changing intensity. No neon or similarly illuminated
signs shall be of red, yellow or green color or located in such a
fashion as to diminish or detract in any way from the effectiveness
of any traffic signal or similar safety or warning device.
C. Any illuminated tubing or strings of lights outside
rooflines, doors, windows or wall edges of any building, except for
holiday decorations during December and January.
[Amended 8-10-1994 by Ord. No. 675-94]
D. Any sign that uses the words "stop" or "danger" or
otherwise presents or implies the need or requirement of stopping
or caution or the existence of danger, which sign is likely to be
confused with any sign displayed by a public authority.
E. No banner-type sign shall be permitted in any location
in the Borough of Northvale except where in celebration of public
events or to call attention to dates of holidays of public significance
and in such cases only when erected with approval of the governing
body itself.
F. All pylon or freestanding signs.
G. High or turnpike-height signs.
The following exemptions shall apply only to
the requirement for a sign permit and shall not be construed as relieving
the owner of the sign from the responsibility for its erection and
maintenance in a good and safe condition.
A. Memorial tablets or signs, names of buildings and
date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed
of bronze or other noncombustible materials.
B. Traffic or other municipal signals or legal notices,
railroad crossing signals or danger signs and such temporary emergency
signs as may be erected by governmental or public utility employees
in carrying out their official work.
D. Signs used on property warning the public against
hunting or trespassing thereon.
E. Any temporary signs advocating or advertising any
candidate for public office.
[Amended 8-10-1994 by Ord. No. 675-94]
Any person or persons, firm or corporation who or which violates any provision of this chapter shall be punishable as provided in Chapter
1, General Provisions, Article
II, General Penalties. Each and every day such violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
[Added 10-11-2000 by Ord. No. 757-2000]
All permitted signs within the Borough of Northvale
which contain letters, numbers or symbols in a language other than
English shall also include an English translation or Arabic numbers
with appropriate visibility to allow the reasonable identification
of the location and means of egress from and ingress to the premises
and the nature of the activity conducted therein. In addition, such
signs shall comply with all other requirements of the Borough of Northvale.