Signs may be erected and maintained only when
in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and all other ordinances
and regulations relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance
of signs and similar devices.
For the purposes of the interpretation of Article
V only, the following definitions shall apply.
ANIMATED SIGN
A sign with electrically or mechanically powered action or
motion or flashing or color changes. This includes signs with wind
actuated elements.
BILLBOARD or ADVERTISING SIGN BOARD
Those boards which direct the motorist or pedestrian to a
business establishment or call the attention of the motorist or pedestrian
to a product, place or activity that exists or occurs at locations
other than the location upon which the board is erected.
BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION SIGNS
Signs or boards that are directly oriented to activities
that occur at the same premises upon which the board or sign is erected.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN
A sign designed to guide or direct pedestrians or vehicular
traffic. Said signs may not exceed four feet in height nor be more
than four square feet in area. The business name or trademark may
be placed on a directional sign but said name or trademark may not
exceed more than 50% of the area of said sign. These signs shall not
be considered business identification signs.
ELECTRONIC SIGN
A sign capable of displaying text, graphics, symbols, or
images that can be electronically or mechanically changed by remote
or automatic means, and which directs attention to a business, activity,
product, commodity, service, entertainment or communication.
[Added 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
A.
OFF-PREMISES ELECTRONIC SIGNA sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, entertainment, institution or other use which is offered at a location other than upon the premises on which the sign is located.
B.
ON-PREMISES ELECTRONIC SIGNA sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, entertainment, institution or other permitted use which is offered on the same premises where the sign is located.
FASCIA SIGN
A sign which is affixed to an architectural projection of
the wall of a building or structure or to a canopy or marquee or any
other projected surface.
GROUND SIGN
A sign supported vertically by one or more uprights placed
in or on the ground.
PORTABLE SIGN
A sign used to advertise the products offered for sale on
the premises where it is erected and designed to be movable.
ROOF SIGN
A sign supported by a roof of a building. The highest point
of a roof sign shall not exceed the building height limit for the
district in which it is erected. The maximum area of a roof sign shall
not exceed 200 square feet.
TEMPORARY SIGN
Flags, pennants, special promotional devices or displays
intended to be erected for a limited period of time.
WALL SIGN
A sign attached to, or a part of, the wall of a structure.
The following regulations shall apply to all
permitted sign uses:
A. No sign shall be placed in such a position that it
will cause danger to traffic on street by obscuring the view.
B. No sign, other than an official traffic sign, shall
be erected within the right-of-way lines of any street.
C. No sign shall project over a public sidewalk area
or public right-of-way.
D. No sign shall be painted on a tree, stone, cliff or
other natural object.
E. Signs shall not attempt to direct the movement of
traffic or interfere with, imitate or resemble any official signs,
signal or device.
F. Signs shall not prevent the driver of a vehicle from
having a clear and unobstructed view of approaching or merging traffic.
G. No sign or portion thereof, including lights, shall
be permitted in any district when, by reason of its design, content,
intensity, color, location or movement, it may interfere or cause
confusion with traffic lights, signals or other controls or otherwise
interfere with the operation of vehicles upon a public thoroughfare.
Signs may be internally or externally illuminated except as further
restricted by this chapter.
H. A permit shall be required for the erection or structural alteration or structural modification of all billboards or signs except as specified in §
215-33 of this article.
I. All signs shall be removed by the owner when the circumstances
leading to its erection no longer apply.
J. All signs with a clearance of less than six feet above
grade shall be a minimum of 20 feet from the face of any curb abutting
a street or 10 feet from the property line abutting any street right-of-way,
whichever distance is less restrictive.
[Amended 3-27-2012 by Ord. No. 347]
K. No wall sign shall extend above the top of the wall,
nor beyond the left or right extremity of the wall to which it is
attached nor shall it extend or project more than 18 inches from the
wall upon which it is attached.
L. A fascia sign shall have its copy area parallel to
the structure or building and shall not extend from the surface of
the architectural projection more than as follows:
(1) Eighteen inches out from the surface.
(2) Two feet up from the top of the surface.
(3) Two feet down from the bottom of the surface.
(4) Zero feet from the side of the surface.
[Added 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
Electronic signs are permitted on-premises in the (C-N) Commercial
Neighborhood, (C) Commercial, (A-O) Apartment-Office and (I) Industrial
Districts, provided that such signs conform with the following as
applicable:
A. Such sign may be a portion of a building sign or freestanding sign,
or may comprise the entire sign area.
B. All signs shall have automatic dimming controls via software settings,
in order to bring the lighting level at night into compliance with
sign illumination standards.
C. Each message on the sign must be displayed for a minimum of three
to eight seconds.
D. Section
215-32, General regulations for all signs, shall apply.
E. In the (A-O) Apartment-Office and (C-N) Commercial Neighborhood Districts,
the following electronic sign features are prohibited: continuous
scrolling and/or traveling, flashing, spinning, rotating, and similar
moving effects, and all dynamic frame effects or patterns of illusionary
movement or simulating movement.
F. In (C) Commercial and (I) Industrial Zones, all electronic display
features and functions are permitted, with the exception of a) flashing,
which is prohibited, and b) full-motion video or film display. Full-motion
and video shall only be permitted by the Board of Supervisors.
The following types of signs and no others shall
be permitted in residential districts except as further provided for
by this chapter. No zoning permit is required for the erection of
these signs when erected in a residential district.
A. Signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises
upon which they are erected, when erected by the owner or broker of
any other person interested in the sale or rental of such premises,
shall be permitted, provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign is not in excess of six
square feet.
(2) Not more than two signs are placed upon any property,
unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which case
two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
B. Signs advertising the sale or development of the premises
upon which they are erected, when erected in connection with the development
of the premises by a builder, contractor, developer or other person
interested in such sale or development, shall be permitted as follows:
(1) The size of any such sign is not in excess of 32 square
feet.
(2) Not more than two signs are placed upon any property,
unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which case
two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
C. Signs indicating the location and direction of premises
available for or in process of development, but not erected upon such
premises and having inscribed thereon the name of the owner, developer,
builder or agent, provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign is not in excess of 12 square
feet.
(2) Not more than one such sign is erected on each 500
feet of street frontage.
D. Construction signs, including signs of mechanics,
painters and other artisans may be erected and maintained during the
period such persons are performing work on the premises on which such
signs are erected, provided that:
(1) The size thereof is not in excess of 32 square feet.
(2) Such signs are removed upon completion of the work.
E. Trespassing signs or signs indicating the private
nature of driveway or property, provided that the size of any such
sign shall not exceed two square feet in area.
F. Signs of schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, sanitariums
or other institutions of a similar nature and signs identifying housing
developments, provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign is not in excess of 32 square
feet.
(2) Not more than two signs are placed on a property in
a single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon
more than one street, in which case two such signs may be erected
on each frontage.
G. Signs advertising the sale of farm products when permitted
by this chapter, provided that:
(1) The size of any such sign is not in excess of six
square feet.
(2) Not more than two signs are used.
(3) The signs shall be displayed only when such products
are on sale.
H. Signs advertising home occupations shall be not larger
than six square feet in area.
I. Auctions, garage or yard sales signs may be permitted
provided that:
(1) Such signs shall not exceed six square feet in area.
(2) Such signs shall not be erected more than two days
prior to the event or activity, without the express consent and approval
of the Board of Supervisors.
(3) Such signs shall be removed within 24 hours following
the date of the event or activity.
J. Electronic signs must be on-premises and must be approved by the
Board of Supervisors.
[Added 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
Billboards or advertising sign boards visible
from the highway may be erected in C Commercial and I Industrial Districts,
provided as follows:
A. Billboards or advertising sign boards shall be spaced not less than
1,000 feet apart, measured radially.
[Amended 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
B. Such boards shall not exceed 300 square feet in area
in a C Commercial District or 672 square feet in area in an I Industrial
District.
C. Such boards shall not exceed 12 feet in height nor
25 feet in length in the C Commercial District or 14 feet in height
nor 48 feet in length in the I Industrial District, inclusive of all
trim and border area but exclusive of bases, aprons, supports and
other structural members.
D. Such boards shall be set back from any property line
abutting a limited access highway a distance of 30 feet and a minimum
of 10 feet from a property line abutting any other street.
E. Such boards shall have no portion exceeding a height
of 35 feet above ground level at the curb or edge of pavement.
F. Such boards shall not be less than 500 feet from an
interchange with a limited access highway measured from the point
of widening of pavement at the entrance to and/or exit from the main
traveled way and extending 500 feet in both directions along the highway
and on both sides of the highway.
G. Billboards and advertising sign boards must conform
with Act 160, the Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, as amended,
except as further controlled by this section.
H. Off-premises electronic billboard or advertising sign boards are only permitted in the (I) Industrial and (C) Commercial Zoning Districts. See §
215-32.1 for any additional requirements.
[Amended 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
Signs bearing the name of the occupant, products
manufactured, processed, sold or displayed and services available
may be erected and maintained on the premises in C-N Commercial Neighborhood,
C Commercial, A-O Apartment-Office and I Industrial Districts, provided
that such signs conform with the following as applicable:
A. A zoning permit is issued by the township.
B. No more than two ground- or roof-mounted signs may
be erected or maintained on any premises at any one time, except when
a building is located on a corner lot and has a public entrance on
two or more public ways; or when a building has both a front and rear
public entrance, one additional sign may be erected. A double-faced
sign shall count as a single sign. A three- or four-faced sign shall
count as two signs.
C. Height. Signs shall not exceed 20 feet in height when
erected within 10 feet of the right-of-way line of a street, road
or highway adjoining the premises.
D. Area.
(1) Single business on one lot. The total sign area of
pole-mounted or roof-mounted signs per premises shall not exceed four
square feet per one linear foot of property frontage upon a street.
No business shall be limited to less than 32 square feet of total
sign area nor exceed more than 300 square feet of sign area.
(2) More than one business on one lot. The total sign
area of pole-mounted or roof-mounted signs per premises shall not
exceed four square feet per one linear foot of frontage of the portion
of the building occupied by the occupant of said premises. No business
shall be limited to less than 32 square feet of total sign area nor
exceed more than 200 square feet of sign area.
E. Shopping center (more than six individual businesses). A sign advertising the premises shall not exceed 300 square feet in area. Signs identifying the individual businesses within the shopping center may be attached to the shopping center sign structure. Such identification signs shall not exceed an aggregate area of 300 square feet and is in addition to the 300 square feet in area provided for in Subsection
D(2).
F. Apartment-office building and apartment-office complex,
including office building and office complex signs shall conform to
all general provisions applicable, and be limited to:
(1) One ground sign for each single office building, apartment
or office-apartment combination.
(2) One ground sign for each office complex, or combination
office complex and apartments.
(3) Each occupant of an office building or an office complex
may have one wall sign or fascia sign not exceeding 25 square feet
in area.
G. Business identification signs shall not be utilized as a billboard
or advertising sign board.
[Amended 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
On existing lawful uses, nonilluminated movable
ground signs advertising the product offered for sale on the premises
may be erected and maintained. Such signs shall be limited to one
double-faced sign and shall be included in the total number of permitted
signs for the use category. Such signs shall not be greater than 12
square feet in area per side and shall not be more than six feet in
height above the ground. All portable signs shall be anchored, weighted,
spring-loaded or otherwise designed to resist wind action.
Flags, pennants, special promotional devices
or displays or similar type signs shall be permitted in C Commercial
and I Industrial Districts only, provided that:
A. The signs or displays shall not endanger the public
or be located in the right-of-way of any state or township road without
the prior approval of the Board of Supervisors.
B. Section
215-32, General regulations, shall apply.
C. An individual business shall be limited to one temporary
sign at any one time per street the business fronts on.
D. A single side or face of a temporary sign shall not
exceed 25 square feet.
E. Temporary signs shall be permitted for a period not
exceeding 30 days in any six-month period or such additional time
as may be authorized by the Board of Township Supervisors.
F. A zoning permit has been issued.
G. Temporary signs must be removed immediately upon the
expiration of the permit for its erection or as soon as torn or damaged.
Political signs are permitted in any zoning
district, provided that:
A. The sign shall not endanger the public or be located
in the right-of-way of any state or township road.
B. Section
215-32, General regulations, shall apply.
C. A zoning permit is required for the erection of signs.
D. The application for a permit for the erection of political
signs must be accompanied with a list of locations of said signs.
E. The application for a permit for the erection of political
signs must be accompanied by a fee, as set from time to time by resolution
of the Board of Supervisors, for each 10 signs or portion thereof.
Said fee is refundable upon said removal of these signs.
F. Signs may be erected 60 days prior to the election
date and must be removed within 10 days after said election day.
G. Failure to remove political signs within the time limits as set forth in Subsection
F hereof shall result in the forfeiture of the fee required in Subsection
E hereof.
H. Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area per
sign face and shall not have more than two faces per sign.
I. The township shall have the right to enter upon any
premises and remove signs that are not in compliance with these regulations
without notice.