§ 175-44General.
§ 175-45Signs exempt from requirements.
§ 175-46General sign standards.
§ 175-47Sign standards classified by use.
§ 175-48Sign standards classified by construction.
§ 175-49Sign permits.
The following sign regulations are included to provide guidance in preserving the character of Daugherty Township. Any sign not exempt from this chapter shall adhere to the general sign standards, the standards determined by the usage classification of the sign, and the standards determined by the construction classification of the sign. Where standards may conflict, the more restrictive standard shall apply.
The following signs shall be exempt from the requirements of this article:
Incidental signs not exceeding a sign area of one square foot and not including any commercial message or logo which carry a message to identify rest rooms, entrances and exits, telephone locations, an on-site direction, on-site warnings or anything similar.
Government signs, such as official traffic and street name signs and identification, informational or directional signs required by government bodies or their agencies.
Flags, badges or insignia of any government, government agency, civic organization, charitable organization or religious organization.
Property identification signs which do not exceed two square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, post box numbers, names of occupants of premises or other identification not having commercial connections.
Integral decoration or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving parts or moving lights.
Private traffic signs which guide traffic and direct parking on private property but bear no advertising matter.
The following standards shall apply to all signs, except that they shall be superseded by any more specific or conflicting regulations elsewhere in this article.
All signs shall reflect the general character of the neighborhood.
No sign shall be maintained in such a state of disrepair as to have the appearance of complete neglect or which is rotting or falling down.
If a sign becomes unsafe, the Zoning Officer shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on which the sign is located that the sign must be made safe or removed within five days.
The areas surrounding all signs shall be maintained in a neat, clean and attractive condition.
No temporary signs shall be permitted except as authorized elsewhere in this article.
No permanent sign shall be located within a street right-of-way, except a government sign, a public utility sign or another sign approved by the governing body or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Signs may be placed no closer than 15 feet to an adjacent highway right-of-way line in the Highway Commercial District and the Industrial District. In all other cases, the sign shall meet the required setback for structures.
No sign shall be located within the clear-sight triangle of any street intersection or any other position where it could endanger vehicular or pedestrian traffic by obstructing vision.
No sign shall have a clearance of less than eight feet between any pedestrian walk at the lowest part of the sign.
No sign which is parallel to the face of a building shall project more than 12 inches; no sign which is perpendicular to the face of a building shall project more than 48 inches over a public sidewalk.
No animated signs, no signs illuminated by a flashing, pulsating or intermittent source or no signs lighted in such manner as to create glare conditions on adjacent properties or any adjacent street shall be permitted.
No sign shall be permitted which imitates or which might be confused with an official traffic sign or signal, such as by containing the words "Stop" or "Danger" or by including red, green or yellow lights.
No sign shall advertise activities or products which are illegal under federal, state or local municipal laws or regulations.
No sign shall include statements, words or pictures which are considered to be vulgar, obscene or pornographic.
Business signs in other than commercial and industrial districts shall not be illuminated when the business is closed.
Signs in excess of 30 square feet in area, as well as their structural supports, shall be made of noncombustible materials, meaning those materials which will not ignite or deform at temperatures below 1,200° F.
Every sign shall be designed and anchored to withstand a steady horizontal wind pressure of at least 100 miles per hour regardless of the direction of air movement. No loads, except those of the sign itself plus normal snow and ice loads, shall be placed on the supports of the sign.
Where glass panels on any sign exceed three square feet in area they shall be wire glass or shatterproof glass; otherwise glass areas shall be at least one-fourth-inch-thick safety glass.
No sign shall be located so as to block doors, fire escapes, operable windows or access to them; nor shall a sign be attached to a fire escape. No sign shall, by reason of location or message content, create a traffic hazard by obstructing sight distances or confusing motorists.
No sign shall be painted directly on a wall, but letters or other devices prepared elsewhere may be applied directly to a wall or to a display window.
The computation of sign area shall be as follows:
The surface area shall be computed by including the entire area within a single, continuous, rectilinear perimeter of not more than eight straight lines or a circle or an ellipse enclosing 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 or bracing that is clearly incidental to the display itself.
If the sign consists of more than one section or module, all of the area, including that between sections or modules, shall be included in the computation of the sign area.
With respect to two-sided, multisided or three-dimensional signs, the sign surface area shall be computed by including the total of all sides designed to attract attention or communicate information.
All signs shall be divided into classifications based on the use of the individual sign. Each sign shall adhere to the following specific sign standards for their respective classifications:
Advertising sign. A sign relating to commercial, industrial, private, recreational, public utility, or other similar business conducted on the premises in which the sign is located shall comply with the following:
Wall signs are permitted for any business or use not identified by a ground sign. The maximum allowable size for any wall sign shall be one square foot of sign area for each linear foot of sign area or width of the building face to which the sign is attached but shall not exceed 35 square feet. Further, such sign shall not protrude above the structural wall of which it is a part. Where such sign consists of individual lettering or symbols attached to a building or wall, the area of the sign shall be considered to be part of the smallest rectangle or other regular geometric shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols. Wall signs shall be limited to one per building or use. For buildings or uses on corner lots having at least 50 feet of frontage on two public rights-of-way, a second sign is permitted facing the right-of-way; the second sign shall not exceed 15 square feet.
Freestanding signs shall be permitted only when the use has no wall sign visible from a public right-of-way. Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of eight feet from ground level to the top of the sign and shall not exceed a height of 12 feet to the top of the sign support. The freestanding sign shall have a maximum sign area of 35 square feet.
A window sign consisting of individual letters or symbols shall not exceed 30% of the total glass area of the building front or 60 square feet, whichever is less.
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
Freestanding signs shall not be located within 15 feet of any right-of-way line or 15 feet from any property line.
Advertising signs are only permitted in the Highway Commercial District and Industrial District.
Center sign. A business sign which provides identification at the entrance to a complex such as a shopping center, office complex, or industrial park shall comply with the following:
The sign shall devote no less than 50% of the total sign area to advertisement of the center's name.
A center sign shall have a maximum size of 32 square feet.
Individual uses within the center may be identified on the center sign, provided that no more than one sign per entrance is proposed and the size of such sign for the individual use shall not exceed four square feet.
A center sign shall have a minimum setback of 15 feet from the street right-of-way line.
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
Election signs. A sign directing attention to a candidate, political party, or a ballot issue shall comply with the following:
Signs may be displayed no more than 60 days prior to the election and must be removed within 48 hours of poll closing.
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of six square feet.
No sign shall be erected on any private property without the consent of the property owner.
No sign shall be erected on public property.
Home occupation. Designation or name signs indicating the name, profession, or activity of the occupant of the dwelling shall comply with the following:
Signs shall have a maximum size of two square feet.
Signs shall not project more than six inches from a wall when attached to a building.
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
The sign shall be limited to the name, address, occupation or activity, and logo or trademark.
There may be no illumination of the sign.
Identification signs. Signs identifying schools, churches, hospitals or similar institutions and for lodges, clubs, residential developments, parks, recreation areas, and other public assets shall comply with the following:
Real estate signs. A sign advertising the sale, rental, leasing or development of the premises shall comply with the following:
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of six square feet.
Signs shall be removed within five days after final transactions are completed or sales consignments have expired.
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the property owner has granted permission.
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
Special event signs. A temporary sign or banner advertising a sale or providing information about a special event sponsored by a legally recognized institutional, public, civic, charitable organization, shall comply with the following:
Street banners: shall not be permitted.
All signs shall be divided into classifications based on the construction of the individual sign. Each sign shall adhere to the following specific sign standards for their respective classifications.
Area. The area of a sign shall be the area of the smallest rectangle, triangle or circle that will encompass all elements of the sign, such as letters, figures, symbols, designs or other display.
When the sign is a separate unit, the area shall include any borders, framing, trim, decorative attachments, background and space between elements; it shall not include any supporting structure unless the structure is illuminated, is in the form of a symbol, or contains advertising elements.
When a sign is applied to a wall or otherwise has no definable edges, the area shall include all color artwork or other means used to differentiate the sign from the surface upon which it is placed.
Flat wall signs. Signs which are erected or displayed on or parallel to the surface of a building shall comply with the following:
Signs shall not project more than 12 inches from the building wall.
In any case where projection from the wall is greater than three inches, the sign shall be a minimum of eight feet above grade.
Signs shall be limited to one per building or use. For buildings on corner lots having at least 50 feet of frontage on two public rights-of-way, a second wall sign is permitted facing the right-of-way. The maximum allowable size for any sign shall be one square foot of sign area for each lineal foot or width of the building face to which the sign is attached but shall not exceed 15 square feet.
Signs may be erected only on the premises to which the sign relates.
Ground signs. Signs which are stationary but not supported by a part of a building, which are erected on an independent structure (legs or base), so that the structure is the main support of the sign, shall comply with the following:
No sign shall project to a point nearer than 15 feet to the right-of-way line, except any governmental sign or any sign permitted through a road occupancy permit.
No support for any sign shall be located nearer than 15 feet to any lot line.
The maximum permitted height is eight feet. The sign height shall be measured from the finished grade to the highest point of the sign. The grade shall not be altered for the purpose of altering the elevation of the sign.
Roof signs: shall be prohibited.
Wall projecting signs. A sign which is mounted upon a building so that the principal face is at right angles to the building wall shall comply with the following:
Signs shall be located so that the lower edge of the sign is a minimum of eight feet above grade.
Signs shall project a maximum of four feet from the building wall; provided, however, that no sign shall project within the road right-of-way.
No sign shall extend higher than the top of the wall to which it is attached.
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the wall upon which they are mounted or a maximum sign area of 100 square feet, whichever is less.
