The purpose of this article is to promote and protect the public
health, safety and welfare by regulating proposed and existing outdoor
advertising signs/devices, including billboards. It is also intended
to maintain or create a more attractive economic and business climate,
curb the deterioration of natural beauty and community environment,
enhance and protect the physical appearance of the Township and maintain
the scenic character of the community, thereby protecting and enhancing
property values. This article is further intended to reduce sign or
advertising distractions that may contribute to traffic accidents
and reduce hazards caused by billboards/outdoor advertising devices.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings ascribed to them therein:
ABANDONED BILLBOARD
A billboard which has carried no message for more than 90
days or which no longer identifies a bona fide business, lessor, product,
service, activity, event or message and/or for which no legal owner
can be found after public notice or a billboard or billboard structure
which does not have an advertising or other message on its display
face or the majority of the message has deteriorated to the condition
that it is not clearly discernible.
ANIMATED SIGN
A sign or any device designed to attract attention by visual
means through the movement or semblance of movement by mechanical,
electrical or natural means.
BANNER
A graphic or sign which has its letters or design applied
to cloth, canvas or other flexible material which is durable and weather-resistant.
BILLBOARD
A sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service,
entertainment or noncommercial event conducted, sold or offered at
a location other than the premises on which the sign is located. Billboards
do not include on-premises commercial or temporary off-premises commercial
or noncommercial signs placed in residential lawns by or with the
consent of residents, owners, occupants, contractors, realtors or
by other principals or agents. Each substantially different face of
a billboard shall constitute a separate billboard.
B.
BACK-TO-BACK BILLBOARDA structure with two parallel and directly opposite billboards with their faces oriented in opposite directions located not more than three feet apart.
C.
GROUND BILLBOARDA billboard supported by one or more uprights upon the ground with or without braces and not attached to a building or structure.
BILLBOARD STRUCTURE
The framework, supports, display face(s) and electrical components
of the billboard.
DIGITAL BILLBOARD
A billboard without moving parts whose content may be changed
by electronic process through the use of intermittent light or lights,
including light-emitting diodes (LED), liquid crystal display, and
plasma image display.
DIRECTIONAL SIGNS
An informational sign indicating entry or exit, loading or
service area, fire lanes, parking, no trespassing or a similar sign
incidental to the primary use and not itself advertising or naming
that use except as required by law.
ERECTION OF SIGN
To install, construct, place, relocate, enlarge substantially,
alter, attach, suspend, paint, post or display a sign. Normal maintenance
and repair, including refinishing of a conforming sign, is not included
in this definition.
FACADE AREA OF FIRST FLOOR
The area of one side of a building or portion of a building
from the curb level to the bottom edge of any second-story window
or the upper edge of a roof or parapet line.
ITEM OF INFORMATION
A word; abbreviation; initial; number or group of numbers
up to 10 in a row, including a telephone number, a trademark, logo,
symbol, illustration or distinct shape or element. A legal or fictitious
name shall count as one word.
SIGN, ADVERTISING
A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity,
service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered elsewhere than
upon the property on which the sign is located. An advertising sign
shall include a commercial billboard.
SIGN, BUSINESS
An accessory sign which directs attention to a business,
profession, industry or similar activity conducted upon the property
on which the sign is located.
In R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3(a), R-3(b), R-4 and R-5 Residential Districts,
the following signs may be maintained:
A. One sign advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which
it is erected, when erected by a broker or other person interested
in the sale or rental of such premises, may be erected and maintained,
provided that the size of any such sign is not in excess of 12 square
feet. Where such property fronts upon more than one street, two such
signs may be erected, one on each frontage.
B. One sign advertising the sale or development of the premises upon
which it is erected, when erected in connection with the development
of the premises by a builder, contractor, developer or other person
interested therein, may be erected and maintained, provided that the
size of any such sign is not in excess of 25 square feet. Where such
property fronts upon more than one street, two such signs may be erected,
one on each frontage.
C. Signs indicating the location and direction of premises available
for or in the process of development, but not erected upon such premises,
and having inscribed thereon the name of the owner, developer, builder
or agent may be erected and maintained, provided that the size of
any sign is not in excess of six square feet nor four feet in length,
not more than one such sign is erected on each 500 feet of street
frontage and not more than four such signs are erected in connection
with any one development.
D. Signs bearing the word "sold" or "rented," with the name of the person
effecting the sale or rental, may be erected and maintained, provided
that the conditions specified in Subsection (c) hereof are complied
with.
E. One sign for each mechanic, painter and other artisan may be erected
and maintained during the period such persons are performing work
on the premises, or for a maximum period of four months, which ever
period is less, provided that the size thereof is not in excess of
four square feet and any such signs are removed promptly upon completion
of the work being performed or within four months after erecting any
such sign, whichever time period is less.
F. Signs of schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, sanitariums or institutions
of similar nature, relating exclusively to the institutions erecting
the same, may be erected and maintained, provided that the size of
any such sign is not in excess of 25 square feet and not more than
one sign is placed on a property in single or separate ownership,
unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event
not more than two such signs may be erected, one on each frontage.
G. No permit will be required for the erection, alteration or maintenance
of any signs permitted in any residential district (except as to any
nonconforming uses existing therein).
H. There are no setback requirements for signs whose area does not exceed
two square feet, except that no sign is permitted in any street right-of-way.
I. Real estate signs or bulletin boards for a church, school or other
public or semipublic religious or educational institution, as permitted
herein, may be erected within 10 feet of the right-of-way of any street
or highway, provided that such sign or bulletin board does not obstruct
traffic visibility at street or highway intersections.
It shall be unlawful to erect, construct or alter any sign or
billboard (except those signs permitted in the residential district)
without first having filed an application with the Township, in writing,
and obtaining a sign or billboard permit from the Township. Said application
will be submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer on a form as prescribed
by the Township.
A. Plans.
(1)
The dimensions of the sign or billboard and, where applicable,
the dimensions of the wall surface of the building to which it is
to be attached.
(2)
The dimensions of the sign or billboard supporting numbers and
the maximum and minimum height of the signs or billboards.
(3)
The proposed location of the sign in relation to the face of
the building in front of which it is to be erected.
(4)
The proposed location of the sign in relation to the boundaries
of the lot upon which it is to be situated.
(5)
Where the sign is to be attached to an existing building, a
current photograph of the face of the building to which the sign is
to be attached.
(6)
A description of the construction details, materials of the
sign structure, type of lettering and the intensity and type of lighting
to be provided.
(7)
A written statement showing the name of the owner of the sign,
address, telephone number and the name of the person in control of
the building or premises where such sign is to be located. The name
of the sign contractor or erector is also required.
(8)
The owner of any billboard shall provide the Township with a
certificate of insurance issued by a qualified and licensed insurance
company naming the Township as an additional insured against all claims
in the face amount of $250,000 for property damage and personal injury
connected with said sign. The amount of the deductible pertaining
to the Township shall not exceed $2,500.
(9)
A statement of valuation as to cost of construction.
(10)
Whenever a proposed sign or billboard is included in the presentation
of a new or amended site plan application, the sign permit application
shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission prior to
the issuance of a sign permit by the Code Enforcement Officer.
B. Fees. The Township Board of Commissioners may, by resolution, establish
reasonable fees for permit applications and inspection, the cost of
which shall be in direct correlation with the costs incurred by the
Township in connection with such permit and be issued without the
application and payment of the permit fee as well as the payment of
the first year's inspection fee. If an approved sign or billboard
is not erected within 90 days of the issuance of the permit, the permit
shall expire.
Billboards, as defined herein, are permitted in the Industrial
Districts, Open Space Preservation Districts and any parcel that is
municipally owned regardless of the zoning district in which a municipally
owned parcel is located, provided that they are located a minimum
of 50 feet from the boundary one of any residential district. Billboards
are not permitted on sewer rights-of-way, including water, electric,
gas or petroleum pipelines, floodplain areas or within 500 feet of
a bridge crossing.
A. Location.
(1)
The minimum front, side and rear yard requirements applying
to a principal use as designated within an industrial district shall
apply to each structure. The maximum lot coverage as specified within
the Zoning Ordinance shall apply to any lot upon which a billboard
structure is located and shall include any other structure or buildings
on the same lot therewith. If the district in which the billboard
is located abuts a residential district, the minimum setback for that
residential district shall apply.
(2)
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 or limit or reduce the lighting
and ventilation requirements under the Township Building Code.
(3)
Ground billboards shall be set back to the required distance
for building located within said zoning district or a distance of
not less than the minimum setback of adjoining properties or 25 feet,
whichever is the greatest. All newly constructed ground billboards
shall be of the single-pole design, and attached billboards shall
be only the front or face of a building and must be constructed and
maintained flat or parallel with the building wall to which they are
attached and shall not extend more than 12 inches from such exterior
building wall.
B. Size and height.
(1)
A billboard shall have a maximum allowable gross surface area
of 240 square feet per sign face. A billboard shall have a maximum
of two sign faces per billboard structure, and the gross surface area
of each sign face shall not exceed the two-hundred-and-forty-square-foot
maximum, provided that the billboard structure sign faces are placed
back-to-back.
(2)
No billboard's gross surface area shall exceed 20 feet in total
height or 50 feet in total length.
(3)
A billboard structure shall have a maximum height above the
curb or a roadway, from which it is intended to be viewed, of 35 feet;
provided, however, that the height of a billboard structure oriented
to a depressed roadway shall be measured from the grade at the base
of the billboard.
(4)
No billboard sign shall be more than 25 feet average to the
bottom of the sign above the ground level immediately below and shall
not in any way interfere with normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
C. Construction methods. Billboards shall be constructed in accordance
with the applicable provision of all Township codes. In addition:
(1)
A billboard structure shall have a minimum of one vertical support
being a minimum of 48 inches in diameter, with one-half-inch wall
or width and without bracing or vertical supports.
(2)
A billboard sign face shall be independently supported and have
vertical supports of metal which are galvanized or otherwise treated
to prevent rust and corrosion.
(3)
One vertical support shall be capable of enabling the entire
sign face to be able to withstand a minimum sixty-mile-per-hour wind
load.
(4)
The entire base of the billboard structure shall be permanently
landscaped with suitable shrubbery and/or bushes of minimum height
of six feet placed in such a manner as to screen the foundation of
the structure. A landscaping plan shall be submitted for review and
approval by the Code Enforcement Officer. Said landscaping shall be
maintained by the owner in an attractive and healthy manner in accordance
with accepted conservation practices. Landscaping shall form a base
and backdrop to the billboard sign when practical.
(5)
No bare cuts are permitted on a hillside, and all cuts or fills
are to be permanently seeded or planted.
(6)
A billboard shall not be illuminated by artificial lighting.
(7)
No billboard structure, sign face or display lighting shall
move, flash or emit noise. No display shall cause distraction, confusion,
nuisance or hazard to traffic, aircraft or other properties.
(8)
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 manner obstruct or impede traffic safety, including ingress
or egress.
(9)
Billboards shall maintain a lateral minimum spacing of 2,500
feet between billboard structures, measured in all directions.
(10)
Billboards may not be mounted on a roof, wall or face or other
part of a building or any other structure, including trees.
D. Maintenance requirements.
(1)
The billboard structure shall be entirely repainted every three
years.
(2)
Every five years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural
inspection made of the billboard by a qualified Pennsylvania-registered
structural engineer and shall provide to the Township a certificate
from the engineer or architect certifying that the billboard is structurally
sound.
(3)
Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the
Township Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance, and billboards
found to be in violation of this section shall be brought into compliance
within 30 days of notice or ordered removed upon proper notification
by the Township.
(4)
Billboards using removable paper or other materials shall be
maintained in such a condition as to eliminate loose or frayed material
protruding or hanging from the structure. The owner of such structure
shall eliminate loose or frayed material within 15 days upon proper
notification by the Township.
E. Digital billboards may not utilize digital technology to produce
changeable letters, figures, images or graphics.
F. No billboards shall be permitted along designated scenic byways,
in the scenic view district(s), waterfront district(s), historic district(s),
tourist center district or in similar designated districts/areas/corridors.
G. Any sign or billboard allowed under this article may contain, in
lieu of any other copy, any otherwise lawful noncommercial message.
H. Abandonment:
(1)
A billboard or billboard structure which has been discontinued
for a period of 90 consecutive days, regardless of any intent to resume
or not to abandon, shall be presumed to be abandoned and shall constitute
an illegal billboard or billboard structure and shall not be deemed
to be a nonconforming billboard.
(2)
Any period of time for which such abandonment is proved to be
caused by government actions, labor strikes, material shortages or
acts of god, and without any contributing fault of the billboard owner
or user, shall not be calculated toward the number of days for abandonment.
(3)
An abandoned billboard or billboard structure shall be removed
at the billboard owner's expense. In the event that no billboard owner
can be ascertained after the Township's reasonable inquiry, then the
abandoned billboard or billboard structure shall be removed at the
expense of the property owner of record of the site upon which the
abandoned billboard or billboard structure is located.
All sign standards herein shall exist in full force and effect
in conjunction with all sign standards existing in the most recent
edition of the ICC Building Code, as amended. Whenever any conflict
exists between this section and the ICC Code, the more restrictive
provisions shall have precedence.