Signs may be erected and maintained only when
in compliance with the provisions of this article and any and all
other ordinances and regulations of this Township which may be applicable.
The following signs shall be permitted in all
districts and shall not be subject to the provisions of this article
unless otherwise specifically cited herein:
A.
Signs of a duly constituted local, state or federal
governmental body, including traffic or similar safety and regulatory
devices, legal notices, railway warning signals, memorial signs or
tablets; (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
B.
Small signs with a surface area not exceeding three
square feet, displayed for the direction or convenience of the public
which identify landmarks, parking areas, convenience facilities and
similar features; (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
C.
One temporary nonlighted sign on a construction site,
not exceeding an area of 32 square feet, denoting engineer, architect,
contractor or funding agencies and related information regarding the
development; (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
D.
Temporary political and election issue campaign signs of a type and size characteristic to, and commonly utilized in the immediate vicinity. Said signs shall be displayed no more than 21 calendar days prior to the date of the election and shall be removed within seven days after the election. Said signs shall not exceed 16 square feet in area. Political advertising utilizing other than temporary sign facilities, including but not limited to commercial advertising and signs specified under § 185-37 herein, shall be subject to sign permit requirements and all other applicable provisions of this chapter. (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
In the A-1, A-2, R-1, and R-2 Districts, the
following requirements shall apply:
A.
The following signs shall be permitted:
(1)
One permanent identification sign for each dwelling
unit, which may cite the name of the occupant, address and other distinguishing
features of the structure or property. Such signs shall not exceed
three square feet in area. (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
(2)
One temporary nonlighted real estate sign pertaining
to the sale, lease, hire or rental of property on which the sign is
displayed, not to exceed six square feet in area. (NOTE: No zoning
permit required.)
(3)
One announcement sign designating a bed-and-breakfast,
professional uses, group residential facilities, day-care or home
occupations, provided all such signs shall be limited to four square
feet in area.
(4)
One permanent announcement sign erected by churches,
schools, hospitals, funeral homes, cemeteries, municipal facilities,
business activities or similar permitted uses, which may include any
appropriate message, provided that the area of such sign shall not
exceed 24 square feet in area.
(5)
Temporary signs advertising a garage sale, street
fair or other temporary activity, or a temporary sign directing persons
to the location of such activity. Signs must be removed within seven
days of termination of the activity and shall not exceed 16 square
feet in area. (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
(6)
Signs relating to the sale of farm products produced
on the premises in A-1 and A-2 Districts, and temporary signs relating
to the sale of agricultural products produced on the premises in Residential
Districts. Such signs shall be displayed only when seasonal sales
are taking place and removed when not applicable. Said signs shall
not exceed 12 square feet in area. (NOTE: No zoning permit required.)
(7)
Signs for private and commercial recreation in A-1
and A-2 Districts shall be established in accordance with the following
requirements:
(a)
Signs shall be limited to the immediate site.
(b)
Signs shall relate only to the activities at
the immediate site.
(c)
There shall be no more than two signs at each
business site.
(d)
Individual signs shall not exceed 20 square
feet in area.
(e)
Signs mounted or painted on a wall, canopy or
other portion of a principal site structure shall not protrude more
than 18 inches beyond the wall on which said signs are mounted.
B.
Signs in all A and R Districts shall be located a
minimum distance of four feet from the street or road right-of-way
if no sidewalk exists, and two feet from the inside edge of the walk,
if such a walk exists.
C.
The bottommost part of a sign shall not be more than
two feet above ground level, except signs attached to a building.
No sign shall project above a roof or be mounted on a building above
the eve line of a roof or extend above a public sidewalk.
[Amended 11-14-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
In the Commercial Districts, the following signs shall be permitted:
A.
Temporary signs not exceeding six square feet in area advertising
the sale or rental or development of property (no zoning permit required).
B.
Signs advertising business conducted or services, material or equipment
for sale on the premises which meet the following criteria:
(1)
A total of three signs will be permitted per business excluding window
signs.
(2)
Individual signs shall not exceed 100 square feet in area.
(3)
Signs shall be located a minimum distance of 10 feet from the street
right-of-way line.
(4)
No sign shall be mounted on a building above the eave line of a roof,
or extend above a public sidewalk or vehicular right-of-way.
(5)
Signs displayed in windows or graphics applied directly to the window
cannot be larger than 15 square feet with a maximum of five window
signs per business.
Business signs established for shopping centers
and integrated industrial areas shall meet the following criteria:
A.
B.
Signs per unit of use, affixed to the subject premises,
within the site shall be limited to one square foot of sign area per
lineal foot of frontage, up to a maximum of 100 square feet of sign
area.
C.
Signs shall be located a minimum distance of 25 feet
from the public street right-of-way line.
D.
No sign shall be set closer than 50 feet of a rear
or side property line.
Portable or mobile signs and other similar advertising
displays for special sales, announcements and related purposes, subject
to the following provisions:
A.
Display area of temporary signs shall not exceed 32
square feet. Said area may be in addition to maximum areas specified
in this article.
B.
No portion of the sign or its supporting structure
shall occupy a public right-of-way.
C.
Permits for the placement of such signs shall be issued
for a maximum of 30 consecutive days and may be renewed no more than
one time during any consecutive 180 day period.
The following standards shall apply to signs
in all zoning districts of the Township:
A.
No sign shall be located or constructed to obstruct
or interfere with any traffic control signal, sign, device or intersection
sight triangle.
B.
All signs shall be constructed of durable materials;
shall be kept in good condition and repair; and shall not be permitted
to become unsightly or dilapidated.
C.
No sign shall be permitted that is deemed to constitute
a hazard of any kind.
D.
Signs shall not be attached to utility poles except
when authorized for public purposes by the pole owner.
E.
A sign shall be removed within 30 days when the circumstances
that led to its erection no longer apply or if safety violations occur.
Circumstances that dictate sign removal shall include, but not be
limited to, the following:
(1)
The creation of a safety hazard.
(2)
Dilapidation.
(3)
Vacancy or termination of the subject business for
more than 90 days.
(4)
Legal transfer of ownership of a property that involves
a change of name or business activity.
(5)
The completion of an event, business transaction or
other activity for which the sign was originally installed.
(6)
Any illegality under the provisions of this chapter
or regulation of duly constituted governmental authority.
F.
Signs shall be subject to the following regulations:
[Amended 11-14-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
(1)
All lighting and illumination of signs shall conform to regulations
regarding traffic hazards as specified in local and state regulations,
and shall not cause undue distraction, confusion or hazard.
(2)
No sign face image shall contain parts that move, scroll, flash,
glitter or emit noise.
(3)
A sign face that rotates to display two or three separate face images
shall be permitted providing that each image is displayed for at least
five consecutive minutes every time it is shown.
(4)
A maximum of 75 square feet of a sign face may be used to display
a changeable copy sign. Lettering and other images on the changeable
copy sign shall be displayed for at least 30 consecutive seconds every
time it is shown.
G.
Business signs shall be permitted only when in conjunction
with a business or industry located on the immediate premises, except
for billboards. Billboards may be permitted as a conditional use when
approved by the Board of Supervisors after submission, review and
recommendation by the Planning Commission and further provided the
following requirements are met:
(1)
Location.
(a)
Billboards shall not be erected within 100 feet
of the right-of-way line of a public road.
(b)
Billboards shall be limited to A-1 Agricultural
and C-2 Highway Commercial Districts.
(c)
Billboards shall not be erected within 100 feet
of the boundary line of any A-2, R-1, R-2 or C-1 District or within
200 feet of the property line of any public or private school property.
(2)
Size and height.
(a)
Billboards shall have a maximum allowable gross
surface area of 300 square feet per sign face. An advertising sign
may have a maximum of two sign faces per billboard structure. As used
in this section, sign face shall mean the entire area within a single
continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representation,
emblem or any figure or similar character together with any frame
or other material, excluding necessary supports or uprights upon which
such sign is placed. For signs utilizing individual letters or figures
or characters mounted directly on a wall or a structure, the sign
face shall be the entire area within a single continuous perimeter
enclosing the extreme limits of the writing, representation, or other
communication material.
(3)
The billboard's gross surface area shall not exceed
20 feet in total height or 40 feet in total length.
(4)
Billboard structures shall be limited to a maximum
height of 40 feet above the curb of the roadway from which it is intended
to be viewed. However, the height of a billboard structure oriented
to a depressed roadway shall not exceed 40 feet and shall be measured
from the grade at the base of the structure.
(5)
Construction methods billboards shall be constructed
in accordance with applicable provisions of the Township Code. In
addition thereto:
(a)
A billboard shall be independently supported
and have vertical supports of metal that are galvanized or otherwise
treated to prevent rust and corrosion.
(b)
Vertical supports shall be capable of enabling
the entire sign face to be able to withstand a minimum 80-mile-per-hour
wind load.
(c)
All grading shall be in accordance with the
Township ordinances.
(d)
No bare cuts are permitted on a hillside.
(e)
All cuts or fills must be permanently seeded
or planted.
(f)
A billboard with display lighting shall be constructed
so that it does not glare upon adjoining property and shall not exceed
a maximum foot candle of 1.5 upon the adjoining property.
(g)
No billboard or display lighting shall move,
flash, or emit noise. No display lighting shall cause distraction,
confusion, nuisance, or hazard to traffic, aircraft or other properties.
(h)
The minimum front, side, or rear yard requirements
applying to a principal use as set forth within a zoning district
in which the billboard is to be located shall apply to each structure.
(i)
No billboard shall be erected in such a manner
as to block the view from the road or street of any existing business
sign, logo sign, residential or nonresidential structure.
(j)
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 case obstruct or impede traffic safety.
(k)
The density (spacing) of billboard placement,
regardless of the size of individual installations, shall not exceed
two billboards per each lineal mile of public right-of-way.
(l)
Billboards may not be mounted on the roof, wall
or other part of a building or any other structure.
(6)
Maintenance.
(a)
Billboards shall be entirely painted at a minimum
of once every three years.
(b)
Every five years the owner of a billboard shall
have a structural inspection made of each such sign by a qualified
Pennsylvania registered engineer or architect and shall provide to
the Township a written certificate and report from the engineer or
architect certifying that each advertising sign is structurally sound.
(7)
Billboards found to be in violation of this or any
other Township ordinance shall be brought into compliance therewith
or removed within 30 days upon written notification by the Township.
(8)
Billboards using removable paper or other materials
shall be maintained in such condition as to eliminate loose or frayed
material protruding or hanging from the structure.
(9)
Permits No billboard shall be erected without first
obtaining a permit from the Township and any other approvals, including
but not limited to, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Applications for permits shall be issued in the name of all owners
of the real estate on which the billboard is erected and the owner
of the sign.
[Amended 11-14-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
A.
A zoning permit shall be required for the erection of signs under
this chapter, except that no permit shall be required for the following
exclusions:
B.
Each application for a permit shall be accompanied by a drawing to
scale showing the proposed sign, the size, general characteristics,
method of illumination, the exact location of the sign in relation
to the lot and structure involved and other data as may be required
by the Zoning Officer.
C.
The application for a permit shall be signed by the landowner and/or
developer of the lot. The tenant of the lot, if not the landowner
and/or developer, shall be permitted to sign the permit application
if he can present notarized evidence that the tenant has permission
to act on the landowner's and/or developer's behalf.
D.
The applicant must obtain and submit all state, local or federal
approvals required in connection with this use.
E.
A fee shall accompany each application for a permit. Such fees shall
be established by resolution of the Township Board of Supervisors.
