This article shall apply to the placing, illumination, animation
and maintenance of all signs that are visible from the public right-of-way.
Subject to the regulations contained in §
170-911, authorized signs may exhibit the following features:
A. Changeable copy. A sign whose informational content can be changed
or altered by manual or electronic means. A sign on which the only
copy that changes is an electronic or mechanical indication of time
or temperature shall be considered a time and temperature portion
of a sign and not a changeable copy sign for purposes of this chapter.
B. Digital. A sign with a fixed or changing message composed of a series
of lights, including light emitting diode (LED), which may be changed
through electronic means without altering the face or surface of the
sign.
C. Indirectly illuminated. A sign which is lighted by means of lamps
or lighting devices external to and reflected on the sign, which lighting
is stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times and
which is shielded so that the illumination is concentrated on the
face of the sign and there is no spillover of illumination or glare
beyond the face of the sign.
D. Internally illuminated. A sign which is lighted by means of lamps
or lighting devices internal to the sign, which lighting is either
behind the face of the sign or is an integral part of the sign structure
and the advertising effect.
The following signs shall not be permitted in any zoning district:
A. Attention-getting devices, unless approved as a temporary special
event display;
B. Off-premise signs, with the exception of billboards, in accordance with §
170-911A;
C. Signs featuring animation of any kind;
D. Signs on trees, utility poles or official traffic control devices
or signs;
E. Signs which imitate traffic control devices;
F. Signs painted on walls or chimneys of a building or on fences or
walls;
G. Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers which are parked
on a public right-of-way, public property or private property, other
than temporarily for overnight storage on the site of a business or
for maintenance, repair, loading, unloading or rendering a service
at any location, which are visible from the public right-of-way and
where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or direct people
to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property.
The construction or display of the following sign types will
be permitted without a permit. Exempt signs shall, however, conform
to all other applicable regulations:
B. Government/regulatory signs.
D. Public signs which are erected or required by government agencies
or utilities, including traffic, utility, safety, railroad crossing,
and identification signs for public facilities.
E. Flags, provided that they meet the following:
(1)
The flag and flagpole shall not be located in any required yard
setbacks;
(2)
The height shall not exceed 30 feet above grade level;
(3)
No more than two flags per lot in residential districts and
no more than three in all other districts;
(4)
The maximum size of the flag shall be 24 square feet in residential
districts and 35 square feet in all other districts;
(5)
Flags containing commercial messaging may be used as a permitted
freestanding or projecting sign, and if so, the area of the flag shall
be included in and limited by the computation of allowable area for
signs on the property.
F. Residential identification signs, provided they do not exceed two
square feet.
G. Signs inside a building or other enclosed facility, which are not
meant to be viewed from the outside.
H. Holiday and seasonal decorations.
K. "No trespassing," "no hunting," security and warning signs or private
property signs, provided they do not exceed two square feet.
L. Temporary signs on residential properties, that are noncommercial
in nature, not illuminated, contain no offensive or obscene language
and do not exceed six square feet in size.
The following principles shall control the computation of sign
area and sign height:
A. The area of a sign face (which is also the sign area of a wall sign
or other sign with only one face) shall be computed by means of the
smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle or combination thereof
that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation,
emblem or other display, together with any material or color forming
an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate
the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed,
but not including any supporting framework, bracing or decorative
fence or wall when such fence or wall otherwise meets land use ordinance
regulations and is clearly incidental to the display itself.
B. The sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed
by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one
point. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that
both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time, and when
such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more
than 42 inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement
of one of the faces.
C. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base
of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component
of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the lower of:
(1)
Existing grade prior to construction; or
(2)
The newly established grade after construction, exclusive of
any filling, berming, mounding or excavating solely for the purpose
of locating the sign.
Signs shall be allowed on private property in the Borough in accordance with, and only in accordance with, Tables 9.1 and 9.2, unless the sign is specifically exempt from the permit requirements as outlined in §
170-907.
A. If the letter "P" appears for a sign type in a column, such sign is permitted in that district, subject to the regulations contained in §
170-911.
B. If the letter "N" appears for a sign type in a column, such a sign
is not allowed in the land use district represented by that column
under any circumstances.
Table 9.1: Permitted Signs in Residential Districts
|
---|
Type
|
C
|
R-1
|
R-2
|
R-3
|
---|
Billboards
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Building
|
|
|
|
|
Canopy
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Marquee
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Projecting
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Roof
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Suspended
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Wall
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Window
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Freestanding
|
|
|
|
|
Ground
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Pole
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Pylon
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Residential Plan Identification
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Table 9.2: Permitted Signs in Mixed Use and Nonresidential Districts
|
---|
Type
|
MU
|
CBD
|
C-1
|
OI
|
I-1
|
---|
Billboards
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
CU
|
N
|
Canopy
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
Marquee
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
Projecting
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
Roof
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Suspended
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
N
|
Wall
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Window
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
N
|
Ground
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Pole
|
N
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Pylon
|
N
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Residential Plan Identification
|
N
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
N
|
Construction
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Development
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Portable
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
N
|
N
|
Real estate
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Real estate open house
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Special event display
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|