Signs exempt from the requirement of obtaining
a sign permit shall be as follows:
A. Professional signs, where permitted, indicating the
name and profession of the occupant, provided that such signs do not
exceed one square foot. They may be illuminated by a nonflashing light.
B. Temporary paper signs or signs of like construction
inside windows of commercial establishments so long as the signs do
not cover more than 25% of the total window area. Temporary signs
inside windows announcing local events, such as benefits, theatrical
productions and the like, displayed as a public service by the business
are also permitted.
C. Signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or
trapping as authorized by the fish and game laws.
D. Temporary signs, indicating a political preference
or a political cause, not to exceed six square feet for each sign
on any one lot in any zone. Signs relating to a local, state and/or
federal election, initiative or referendum or other public issue shall
be removed within five days after such event.
E. Temporary signs announcing fund-raising for charitable
purposes.
F. Decorative nonilluminated signs, showing the name
and/or address of a house or family, not larger than one square foot
in area. Not more than one such sign shall be erected for each dwelling
unit.
G. Official signs, including temporary and permanent
traffic signs and signals erected by the municipality, county, state
or federal government.
H. Official signs or legal notices erected, maintained
or owned by governmental units and those signs deemed necessary by
the Planning Board to inform or guide the public or the promotion
of the health, safety, convenience or welfare of the general public.
The following types of signs shall not be permitted
in any zone:
A. A flashing, fluttering, animated, moving, vibrating,
sequential, tracer, electronic or rotating sign.
B. Signs with any lighting or control mechanism that
may cause radio or television interference.
C. Any sign so erected, constructed or maintained as
to obstruct or be attached to any fire escape, window, door or opening
used as a means of egress or ingress or for fire-fighting purposes
or placed so as to interfere with any opening required for legal ventilation.
D. Any sign which is of such a form, character or shape
as to confuse or dangerously distract the attention of the operator
of a motor vehicle, including but not limited to signs visible from
the street using the word "stop" or "danger" or any other word, phrase,
symbol or character with the effect of simulating a public safety
warning or traffic sign.
E. Any advertisement which uses a series of two or more
signs or units placed in a line parallel to the highway, or in similar
fashion, all carrying a single advertising message, part of which
is contained on each sign.
F. Signs which in any way simulate official, directional
or warning signs erected or maintained by the State of New Jersey,
a county or municipality thereof, or by any railroad or public utility
or similar agency concerned with the protection of the public health
or safety.
G. Billboard and/or outdoor display structures not associated
with a business on the same lot.
H. Roof signs and signs on the side of any structure
extending above the edge of the roof
I. Signs on railroad or vehicular overpasses.
J. Any use of flags or similar displays, not otherwise
referenced in this section, to attract attention, except in connection
with a particular holiday or season of the year.
[Amended 8-13-2002 by Ord. No. 02-18R]
K. Any use of pennants or similar displays, not otherwise
referenced in this section, to attract attention.
[Added 8-13-2002 by Ord. No. 02-18R]
L. Any commercial exterior use of outdoor icicle or string
lighting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, icicle or string lighting
is permitted when such lights are used to illuminate merchandise on
display or for purposes of indicating that a commercial establishment
is open, subject to the following:
[Added 8-13-2002 by Ord. No. 02-18R;
amended 5-13-2003 by Ord. No. 03-04R]
(1)
Such lights are to be small, white and unblinking.
(2)
No such lights may be used when the exterior
of the building is floodlit, "floodlit" being defined as a strong
beam of light that is used to illuminate a substantial portion of
a building exterior or grounds.
(3)
All such lights must be turned off at the close
of business for an establishment using such lights.
M. Signs tacked, pasted, painted or otherwise attached
to or inserted into public buildings, poles, posts, trees, fences,
sidewalks or curbs.
N. Signs which obstruct driving vision, traffic signals,
sight triangles and traffic direction and identification signs.
O. Ionized inert gas sign lighting where the light source tubing is directly exposed to view, except neon "open" signs as permitted by §
184-157B(4).
P. Signs which identify that a property has been sold
or is no longer available for rent.
Q. Banner-type signs, except in celebration of a public
event or to call attention to holidays of public significance and,
in such cases, only when erected by the Borough itself or authorized
by the Mayor and Council.
R. The term "internally illuminated sign" shall include
awnings and vending machine displays which are translucent or transparent
and which meet the definition of signs as contained herein which are
illuminated from the rear so that such awning or vending machine display
acts as an internally illuminated sign.
[Amended 7-9-2002 by Ord. No. 02-16R]
S. Signs projected by light on to the facade of a building.
T. Banner-type signs, except in celebration of a public
event or to call attention to holidays of public significance and,
in such cases, only when erected by the Borough itself or authorized
by the Mayor and Council and to announce a "grand opening" of a business
provided that the banner is affixed to the building of the business
celebrating its "grand opening", the banner is erected for a period
not to exceed 30 days, and the banner is no more than two feet high
and no longer than 3/4 of the width of the side of the building to
which it is affixed.
U. Any signs not specifically permitted are hereby prohibited.
[Added 8-12-2003 by Ord. No. 03-16R]
A. Findings. The Mayor and Council hereby find the following:
(1)
The posting, erection or maintenance of signs
on public utility poles is expressly prohibited by P.L. 1991, c. 413
(N.J.S.A. 27:5-9).
(2)
Said statute does not assess any penalty for
violations of the same.
(3)
Such prohibition is not widely known or followed.
(4)
The posting of signs on public utility poles
jeopardizes the safety of utility workers, damages the aesthetics
of the Borough, promotes unlicensed and unregulated businesses, and
creates safety hazards by creating distractions to motorists travelling
the public streets.
(5)
The practice of posting printed, silk-screened
or otherwise mass-produced signs advertising, for example, business
opportunities, articles or services for sale, or offers of employment,
has become increasingly prevalent. These signs are posted using nails,
bolts, screws or other devices intended to prevent removal.
(6)
Such signs that are posted using nails, bolts,
staples, screws, or other semipermanent means of attachment, are particularly
hazardous to utility workers and are deleterious to the aesthetics
of the community and foster enduring visual pollution. For the purposes
of this section, a "means of attachment" is "semipermanent" if the
nail, bolt, staple, screw or other device cannot be easily removed
with one hand without the use of a tool.
(7)
The practice of attaching bumper stickers, decals
and stickers to utility poles, traffic control devices and similar
structures is becoming increasingly prevalent, and such practice constitutes
litter, pollution, vandalism and trespass. When attached to traffic
control devices such practice also constitutes destruction of public
property.
B. Posting of certain signs expressly prohibited.
(1)
The posting of any sign as described in Subsection
A(5) above to any utility pole in the Borough using nails, bolts, staples, screws, or other semipermanent means of attachment is expressly prohibited.
(2)
The placing of a bumper sticker, decal or other
sticker to any utility pole or traffic control device in the Borough
is expressly prohibited.
C. Violations. Any violation of this section shall result
in a fine of not more than $1,250 and/or the imposition of 50 hours
of community service. Every sign posted in violation of this section
shall be deemed a separate offense. Every day that a sign is posted
in violation of this section shall be deemed a separate offense.
[Amended 5-10-2005 by Ord. No. 05-10R; 6-13-2006 by Ord. No.
06-11R]
[Amended 10-12-2010 by Ord. No. 10-13R]
No portion of any sign shall be located within
or suspended over a public right-of-way, including a pedestrian walk,
except as may be permitted on awnings or canopies, or sidewalk or
sandwich signs.
When signs in a nonresidential district are
located along the district boundary line of any residential district,
they shall be set back not less than 50 feet from such residential
district boundary line.
Any sign that is or shall become dangerous or
unsafe in any manner whatsoever shall be repaired, made safe and attractive
in conformity with this chapter or shall be removed by the owner,
lessor, agent or occupant of the building, property or land upon which
it is placed or to which it is attached. A written notice shall be
served upon the owner, lessor, agent or occupant of a building, property
or land upon which a dangerous or unsafe sign is located by the Construction
Official, Building Subcode Official or Zoning Officer. Said notice
shall require necessary action to be taken within 10 days from the
date of service or the notice upon such person or within such lesser
time as shall be deemed reasonable in cases where the danger to the
public health, safety and general welfare is so imminent as to require
more immediate abatement. All signs shall be painted and maintained
in good repair at all times. Failure to keep signs painted, illuminated
or in good repair for a period of 90 consecutive days shall constitute
abandonment, and such sign may not then be repaired, replaced or reused
but shall be removed.
No sign shall be erected or located to obstruct
the vision of drivers entering a public street; nor shall any sign
be erected which obstructs existing signs on adjacent properties to
a degree that the message contained on the obstructed sign is no longer
visible for a reasonable distance therefrom.