Signs may be erected and maintained only when in accordance with the provisions of this article and any and all other ordinances and regulations relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance of signs and similar devices.
[Amended 1-20-1976 by Ord. No. 2]
The following types of signs and no other shall be permitted in residence districts:
A. 
Signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which they are erected, when erected by the owner or broker or any other person interested in the sale or rental of such premises, may be erected and maintained, provided:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of six square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are placed upon any property in single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
B. 
Signs advertising the sale or development of the premises upon which they are erected, when erected in connection with the development of the premises by a builder, contractor, developer, or other person interested in such sale or development, may be erected and maintained, provided:
(1) 
The size of any sign is not in excess of 20 square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are placed upon any property in single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
C. 
Signs indicating the location and direction of premises available for or in 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:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of six square feet and not in excess of four feet in length.
(2) 
Not more than one such sign is erected on each 500 feet of street frontage.
D. 
Signs bearing the word "sold" or the word "rented" with the name of the persons effecting the sale or rental may be erected and maintained, provided the conditions in Subsection A hereof are complied with.
E. 
Temporary signs of contractors, developers, architects, engineers, builders, and artisans, erected and maintained on the premises where the work is being performed, provided that the area of each such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet, and provided that such sign shall be removed upon completion of the work.
F. 
Trespassing signs or signs indicating the private nature of a driveway or property, provided that the size of any sign shall not exceed two square feet.
G. 
Signs of schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, sanitariums, or other institutions of a similar nature may be erected and maintained, provided:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of 20 square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are placed on a property in single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
H. 
Signs advertising home occupations shall not be larger than six inches by 18 inches, bearing the name and occupation (words only and not illuminated) of the practitioner.
[Amended 4-6-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-2[1]]
The following types of signs shall be permitted in commercial districts:
A. 
Advertising signboards. Advertising signboards may be erected and maintained in Commercial Districts, only when they relate or refer directly to the use conducted on the premises or to the material or products made, sold or displayed on the premises. The general regulations in § 500-45 shall apply to advertising signboards.
B. 
Billboards.
(1) 
A "billboard" is hereby defined as any off-premises sign with a changeable advertising face that advertises an establishment, person, activity, product or service that is unrelated to or not available on the premises on which the sign is located.
(2) 
Only one billboard shall be permitted per lot.
(3) 
No sign shall be located in such a position that it will cause a hazard by obstructing visibility for traffic on a street or obscuring a traffic signal or other traffic control device, and no billboard shall hang over or be erected within the right-of-way of any street, nor be located within the clear sight triangle as generally defined.
(4) 
Any illumination shall be directed upon the sign face and not toward adjoining properties or streets, and flashing or oscillating signs shall not be permitted. All lighting shall be stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times, except for an approved electronic changeable copy sign. The intensity of any source of illumination, whether indirect or internal, shall be controlled so as to not create glare and to be compatible with the intensity of ambient light and illumination on surrounding properties.
(5) 
All billboards must be constructed of a durable material and maintained in good condition. Any billboard found to be in an unsafe condition upon inspection shall be declared to be a public nuisance, and the Zoning Officer or such other municipal official as authorized by Borough Council shall give notice to the owner in writing to repair or remove the billboard within 30 days. Upon failure of the owner to comply, the Borough shall remove the billboard at the owner's expense.
(6) 
No billboard may be erected except upon first obtaining a permit from the Borough, wherein the application for the proposed billboard shall show on a drawing to scale the location of the proposed billboard in relationship to the road right-of-way or rights-of-way, lot setback distances, property lines, and the height, width and total square footage of the proposed billboard. The application must contain the name and address of the billboard owner and the landowner and must contain an affidavit attesting that there is a valid lease agreement between them for the land on which the billboard is to be located or that the billboard owner is also the owner of the land. The fee for said permit shall be set by resolution by Borough Council. Therein, any and all permits issued by the Borough shall be on an annual basis, wherein a new permit fee must be paid for each year.
(7) 
Any permit issued by the Borough shall automatically expire upon the anniversary date of the issuance and shall not be extended unless application for renewal is made prior to the expiration date. Otherwise, a new application shall be made with the issuance of a new permit based on the fee therein in effect.
(8) 
Billboards shall only be permitted in the Commercial Zoning District, and no billboard shall be erected within 100 feet of any other billboard, regardless of lot size and/or lot ownership, except if the location is along a limited-access highway, as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, not within 500 feet of any other billboard, regardless of lot size and/or lot ownership.
(9) 
No billboard shall exceed Pennsylvania Department of Transportation limitations.
(10) 
Any person, corporation or legal entity that violates this section shall be subject to the penalties, civil and criminal, as provided in this chapter, with enforcement and/or prosecution being conducted in accordance therewith.
C. 
Business identification signs. Signs bearing the name of the occupant and products manufactured, processed, sold or displayed may be erected and maintained on the premises in Commercial and Industrial Districts. The size of business identification signs shall not be restricted; however, all general regulations shall apply to such signs.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
The following regulations shall apply to all permitted sign uses:
A. 
Signs must be constructed of durable material, maintained in good condition and not allowed to become dilapidated.
B. 
No sign shall be placed in such a position that it will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view.
C. 
No sign, other than an official traffic sign, shall be erected within the lines of any street, unless authorized by the Borough Council for a special purpose.
D. 
No sign shall project over a public sidewalk area more than 18 inches.
E. 
No permit shall be required for the erection, alteration, or maintenance of any signs as permitted in § 500-43, Signs in residence districts.
F. 
A permit shall be required for the erection or alteration of billboards or advertising signboards.
G. 
All signs shall be removed when the circumstances leading to their erection no longer apply.