For the purpose of this article, certain terms
and words pertaining to signs are hereby defined:
ANIMATED SIGN
A sign or portion thereof involving motion, flashing, blinking,
rotating, or varying light intensity to convey an image.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
BANDIT SIGN
An off-premises sign, which generally has less than six (6)
square feet of advertising area and made of vinyl, paper, cloth, fabric,
polyboard, coroplas, corrugated plastic, poster board, plastic core,
cardboard, wood, or plywood, with wood or wire framing, posts, or
stakes, and which is:
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
A.
Posted on a utility pole, street sign, or other street appurtenance;
or
B.
Placed within a public right of way, on public property, or
on private property such that it is visible from a public right-of-way
or public property.
BANNER
A piece of fabric or similar material that is attached to
a pole, enclosed in a frame, or mounted as a temporary sign.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
BULLETIN BOARD
A wall sign consisting of a board for the posting of bulletins,
notices, events, and announcements. The board itself does not have
any message.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02; amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
BUSINESS SIGN
A sign directing attention to a business, service, or the
entertainment conducted, sold, or offered upon the same premises upon
which the sign is maintained.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
CHANGEABLE SIGN
A detached sign that is designed so that the characters and
letters can be changed or rearranged manually, but not electronically,
without altering the face of the surface of the sign, and which may
be affixed to another permitted sign to appear as one (1) sign.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02; amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
DETACHED SIGN
A self-supporting sign resting on or supported by means of
poles, standards or any other type of base on the ground (ground,
monument, and pole).
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
ELECTRONIC VARIABLE MESSAGE BOARDS
A sign or portion of a sign that displays an electronic image,
video, or both, which may include text. Such signs include any sign
or portion of a sign that uses changing lights to form the sign's
message or uses electronic means to change the sign's message. Electronic
message boards include but are not limited to signs also known as
"electronic reader boards," "electronic message center signs," "tri-panel
message systems," and "commercial electronic-variable message signs
(CEVMS)."
[Added 4-12-2016 by Ord.
No. 16-06]
FLASHING SIGN
An animated sign conveying the same or similar images in
succession.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
FRONT FACADE LENGTH
Those portions of a facade which face or are parallel to
the front of the front lot line or street.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
ILLUMINATED SIGN
A sign characterized by the use of artificial light, either
projecting through its surface(s) (internally illuminated); or reflecting
off its surface(s) (externally illuminated).
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
OFF-PREMISES SIGN
A sign advertising an activity, interest in real estate,
or establishment other than those activities, interests, or establishments
on the premises on which the sign is located.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
PENNANT
Any relatively long, tapering flag.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
POLITICAL SIGN
A temporary sign permitted no sooner than ninety (90) days
before a contested election for an office of the Town of Millville,
school district, county, state or federal election or referendum and
removed no later than fourteen (14) days after that contested election
or referendum.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02; amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
PROJECTING SIGN
A sign other than a wall sign, which projects from a structure
or building face. An example includes an awning sign.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
ROOF SIGN
A sign projecting over the coping of a flat roof, or wholly
or partially over the ridge of a gable, hip or gambrel roof, and supported
by or attached to said roof.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
SANDWICH BOARD SIGN
Any self-supporting "A"-shaped freestanding sign with only
two visible sides.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
SETBACK
An open space, on the same premises as the sign, which lies
between the edge of the sign structure nearest to the property line.
[Amended 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
SIGN
Any device designed to inform or attract the attention of
persons not on the premises on which the sign is located.
SIGN AREA
The area of a sign shall include the entire display area
of the sign, including all of the elements of the matter displayed
on all surfaces. Frames not bearing letters, numbers or other symbols
conveying information shall not be included in computation of the
surface area, but are subject to size limitations.
STREAMER
A long, narrow flag, banner, tinsel, or roping, which is
hung or strung from any structure to another structure or the ground.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
TRAILER SIGN
A sign which is mounted on wheels and which may be moved
from one location to another.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
WALL SIGN
A sign painted on or affixed to and mounted parallel to a
building facade or wall in such a manner that the facade or wall becomes
the supporting structure for the signs.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
The following signs shall be prohibited in all districts:
A. Flashing signs, except those with the limited capacity
of showing time and temperature indicators;
[Amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
C. Signs which produce noise or sounds or emit smoke,
flame vapor, particles or odor;
D. Pennants, banners, streamers and all other fluttering, spinning or
similar type signs and advertising devices with the exception of a
flag no larger than three (3) feet by five (5) feet, mounted on a
pole, attached to the front facade of the business or organization,
and displayed only when the on-premises business or organization is
open to the public. For each business or organization, the number
of flags allotted is one (1). Other exceptions are national flags
or flags of political subdivisions or the United States or the State
of Delaware;
[Amended 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02; 11-8-2016 by Ord. No. 17-04]
E. Signs with intermittent lights resembling or seeming
to resemble the flashing lights associated with danger or such as
are customarily used by police, fire or ambulance vehicles, or for
navigational purposes;
F. Signs located and so illuminated as to provide a background
of colored lights blending with traffic signal lights to the extent
of confusing a motorist when viewed from a normal approaching position
of a vehicle at a distance up to three hundred (300) feet;
[Amended 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
G. Signs in any location which obstruct a motorist's
view of traffic control signals;
H. Signs attached to trees or utility poles;
I. Signs attached to any vehicle, parked primarily for
display purposes;
J. Off-premises signs;
[Amended 11-8-2016 by Ord. No. 17-04]
K. Neon tubes, bent to form shapes, letters or symbols,
unless placed inside a premises;
M. Signs illuminated in any manner which may constitute
a traffic hazard or be a nuisance; and
N. Signs that provide blinking, moving, animation, revolving,
chaser lights or moving spotlights.
O. Electronic variable message boards, other than those for municipal,
police, fire, and ambulance buildings, and those with the limited
capacity of showing time and temperature indicators;
[Added 4-12-2016 by Ord.
No. 16-06]
P. Bandit signs;
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
Q. Roof signs; and
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
R. Trailer signs.
[Added 11-8-2016 by Ord.
No. 17-04]
[Amended 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
A. Permanent subdivision identification signs shall be approved by site
plan approval and shall not exceed a total of forty (40) square feet
of sign area per street entrance.
B. Temporary real estate sale or rental signs of the premises on which
it is located with a maximum area of six (6) square feet, minimum
setback of ten (10) feet from the front property line, nonilluminated
and no more than one (1) sign for each street frontage on which the
premises abuts. Sold signs shall be removed within seven (7) days
of final sale;
[Amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
C. Temporary construction sign identifying those businesses engaged
in construction, with a maximum total area of thirty-two (32) square
feet, minimum setback of (10) feet from the front property line, maximum
height of five (5) feet, and nonilluminated. One (1) sign is permitted
per business and only while construction by that business is in progress
and on the property where construction is taking place; however, the
maximum total sign area for all such signs on the project's property
shall not exceed sixty-four (64) square feet, and all such signs shall
be located within an area of twenty-four (24) linear feet;
D. Temporary yard sale signs erected on the premises of the yard sale.
Yard sales may be held twice a year for a period of no longer than
two (2) consecutive days and removed immediately after the sale is
over. Signs may be posted for a maximum period of seven (7) days prior
to each sale; and
E. Electronic variable message boards for municipal buildings, police,
fire and ambulance departments.
[Amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
F. Political signs.
(1) No artificially illuminated signs of any type are allowed;
(2) Size is limited to four (4) square feet per side;
(3) Signs must be freestanding;
(4) Shall be placed only on private property with permission of the property
owner in writing;
(5) No more than one (1) sign per candidate or referendum is allowed
per lot;
[Amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
(7) No sign shall be placed closer than twenty-five (25) feet to an intersection;
(8) No signs shall be erected in a right-of-way;
[Amended 4-12-2016 by Ord. No. 16-06]
Where a nonconforming sign exists on the effective
date of this chapter, such sign may be continued, subject to the following
provisions:
A. No sign may be enlarged or altered in any way which
increases its nonconformity;
B. If the sign is destroyed by any means to an extent
of more than fifty percent (50%) of its replacement cost, it shall
not be reconstructed except in compliance with the provisions of this
article;
[Amended 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
C. Every sign, billboard or other advertising structure
in existence on the date of the adoption of this chapter which violates
or does not conform to the provisions hereof shall be removed, altered
or replaced so as to conform with the provisions of this chapter within
two years. After two years' time, the Town can remove the signage
with the cost of removal borne by the sign owner;
[Amended 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]
D. Any sign, including its supporting structure, which advertises or
identifies a closed or abandoned business, shall be removed by the
owner of the property or the person having beneficial use of the property
upon which the abandoned sign is located within sixty (60) days after
the business closes. After the sixty-day period, the Code Enforcement
Officer shall remove the sign or have the sign removed at the property
owner's expense, provided that the owner has been issued a notice
ten (10) days prior of the violation, in writing, by the Code Enforcement
Officer.
[Added 8-14-2012 by Ord. No. 13-02]