Township of Lower Southampton, PA Part 16 OPAS Off-Premises Advertising Sign Overlay

§ 27-1601 Purpose and intent.

[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]

The OPAS Off-Premises Advertising Sign Overlay District is an overlay zoning district whose purpose is to provide an area for the placement of off-premises advertising signs, aka "billboards," in the Township; to provide regulations for such signs — defined as signs which advertise other than the business transacted, services rendered, goods sold or produced on the premises, name of the business, or the name of the person, firm or corporation occupying the premises; to provide standards for construction of such signs; and to locate such signs so that they are not adverse to the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of Lower Southampton Township.

§ 27-1602 Overlay concept.

[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]

The OPAS shall be considered an overlay zoning district in any areas of the Township containing nonresidentially zoned property within 50 feet of the right-of-way established for the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

§ 27-1603 Use regulations.

[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]

1. An off-premises advertising sign, also known as a "billboard," shall be permitted in the OPAS Off-Premises Advertising Sign Overlay District, subject to the following requirements:

A. Size of sign. An off-premises advertising sign may not exceed 672 square feet per side in area, with a maximum length of 48 feet and a maximum width of 14 feet.

B. Height and location of sign. The maximum height of an off-premises advertising sign shall be the minimum necessary in order for the sign to be reasonably viewed by the intended motorists and in no event higher than 30 feet measured to the top of the sign. Off-premises advertising signs shall be located no closer than 20 feet from any property line.

C. Spacing. Off-premises advertising signs may not be located closer than 25 feet from any street measured from the ultimate right-of-way of such street. Off-premises advertising signs may not be located closer than 300 feet from another off-premises advertising sign measured linearly.

D. Number of signs per lot. There shall be no more than one off-premises advertising sign containing not more than two sides per sign on any single lot. Lots containing more than 10,000 square feet of land area may have one sign containing not more than two sides per sign for every 15,000 square feet of lot area as a conditional use.

E. Content. Off-premises advertising signs shall not contain advertisements for gentlemen's clubs, adult entertainment or adult businesses.

F. Lighting. Lighting for off-premises advertising signs is permitted, provided that the light is restricted from shining onto other properties located within Lower Southampton Township and that such lighting shall not take place between 12:00 midnight and sunrise. Lighting fixtures must be placed above the sign and aimed downward, rather than at the bottom of the sign aimed upward toward the sky. All lighting fixtures must be aimed and controlled so as to place their light output only on the face of the sign and not projected past the sign. Internal illumination and computer-controlled electronic displays are prohibited in the OPAS Off-Premises Advertising Sign Overlay District.

G. LED billboards shall be permitted as a conditional use, subject to the following requirements:

(1) Illumination levels shall not exceed industry standards.

(2) Graphic displays cannot be programmed to change more than one time every eight seconds.

(3) One screen image every minute must be reserved for public service messages, amber alerts, or other Township-designated content.

(4) The applicant must demonstrate that the proposed LED sign will have no adverse impact on any adjacent property.

(5) The applicant must demonstrate that the proposed LED sign will not have an adverse impact on the general health, safety and welfare of the Township.

H. Lot size. The minimum lot size for a property on which an off-premises advertising sign may be located is 10,000 square feet.

I. Maintenance of sign. All off-premises advertising signs shall be structurally sound and maintained in good condition. If the signs are not structurally sound or are in poor condition, the signs shall be immediately removed at the sole cost and expense of the owner of the sign in accordance with the provisions of this section. If an off-premises advertising sign is not structurally sound or remains in poor condition, Lower Southampton Township shall notify the owner of the property on which the sign is located and provide the owner 60 days' written notice by certified mail, sent to the owner's last known address, to remove the sign. If the sign is not removed within 60 days from the date of the notice, the Township may remove the sign, and the cost thereof shall be paid by the owner of the property on which the sign is erected. Lower Southampton Township may file a lien against the property or take any action authorized by law to collect the cost of removal if it is not paid by the owner of the property.

J. Landscaping. Landscaping shall be provided at the base of all off-premises advertising signs in order to shield from view the base, structural elements and foundation of the sign. Trees and shrubbery including evergreen and flowering trees of sufficient size and quantity shall be used to achieve the purpose of this section. A landscaping plan which meets the following minimum requirements shall be submitted, reviewed and approved by the Township Engineer:

(1) Five evergreen trees with a height of five feet to six feet, planted within a forty-foot radius on the sides and rear of the base of the sign;

(2) Four flowering trees with a height of eight feet to 10 feet, planted within a fifty-foot radius on the sides and rear of the base of the sign; and

(3) One shrub tree with a height of three feet to four feet for each three lineal feet of road frontage along the parcel or 40 shrubs, whichever is greater, to be placed in front of the sign.

§ 27-1604 Additional regulations.

[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]

All off-premises advertising signs shall comply with any and all applicable zoning regulations not specifically established herein and any and all Township, state and/or federal Regulations, including, but not limited to, the Lower Southampton Township Building Code and all applicable Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regulations.