Purpose. The attractiveness of the Township of Nutley (the "Township")
contributes to the general welfare and economic well-being of its
citizens, property owners and business enterprises. The reasonable
control of signage promotes a desirable visual environment and enhances
public safety. The purposes of the regulations and standards that
follow are:
A. To encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communication;
B. To maintain and enhance the aesthetic environment and the Township's
ability to attract beneficial sources of economic development;
C. To improve pedestrian and traffic safety;
D. To attempt to minimize the possible adverse effect of signs on nearby
public and private property values;
E. To prevent unnecessary and dangerous vehicular traffic distractions;
F. To enable fair and consistent enforcement of these regulations. This
section is adopted under the zoning authority of the Township in furtherance
of the more general purposes set forth in this chapter.
The effect of this section, as more specifically set forth herein,
is:
A. To require the continuation of the Township's existing permit system
to allow a variety of types of signs subject to the standards and
the permit procedures of its local ordinances;
B. To allow certain signs that are small, unobtrusive and incidental
to the use of the respective buildings on which they are located,
subject to the requirements of this chapter, but without a requirement
for permits;
C. To provide for temporary signs without commercial messages in limited
circumstances; and
D. To prohibit all signs not expressly permitted by this chapter.
The following signs shall not require a sign permit to be issued
by the Township for their installation and shall be permitted as follows:
A. Temporary civic, cultural and public service window posters, when
posted inside windows of commercial establishments, provided they
are only permitted in one window per establishment and do not, individually
or combined, occupy more than 20% of the total area of said window
or five square feet, whichever is less. Temporary window signs are
permitted on ground-floor windows only. Temporary civic, cultural
and public service banners shall also be permitted to be posted on
areas designated by the Township of Nutley Public Works Department
as public areas. Any such banner shall comply with the requirements
of this chapter and may be erected up to two weeks prior to the advertised
event and must be removed no later than five days following the advertised
event.
B. Temporary promotional or special sales signs in windows of a commercial
establishment when advertising that commercial establishment, provided
they do not, individually or combined with other window signs, exceed
50% of the total area of the display windows. Temporary signs advertising
a business opening or change in ownership of a commercial establishment,
located on the premises of the commercial establishment, are also
permitted, provided such signage does not exceed 50% of the window.
All temporary signs shall have the date of installation printed clearly
on the lower right-hand corner, as viewed from the exterior, and shall
be permitted for a period not to exceed 30 days. Temporary promotional
signs are permitted on ground-floor windows only. When more than one
establishment is located at a single street address, the aggregate
size of the signs for all establishments permitted by this subsection
shall not exceed 50% of any one window.
C. Temporary signs of a nonprofit or charitable organization located
on the premises of such organization, provided such signs shall not
exceed one per premises per event and do not exceed 32 square feet
in area. Said signs shall be put in place no earlier than 60 days
before the event and shall be removed within five days after completion
of said event.
D. One bulletin board sign not exceeding 12 square feet in surface display
area shall be permitted for a house of worship or private, public
and parochial schools, provided that, if not attached to the facade
of the building, it shall be located no closer than 10 feet to the
street line and not exceeding five feet in height. Such signs may
be illuminated by direct exterior lighting, provided that the latter
is so screened that light is not directed or reflected toward any
adjacent residence or street.
E. Incidental signs, and signs posting property as "private property,"
"no trespassing" or similar signs, which do not exceed two square
feet in area. No such signs shall be neon signs. No property or structure
shall contain more than five incidental signs.
F. Temporary signs denoting the architect, engineer or contractor, when
placed upon the site under construction or demolition, provided such
signs shall be limited to one sign per site and shall not exceed 16
square feet in area per sign face. Sign shall provide a start and
proposed finished date, a sketch or photograph of the proposed building.
Signs shall be located not less than five feet beyond the front property
line; shall not be illuminated, and shall be limited to a time period
of 30 days from the start of said services unless granted additional
time by the Construction Official. Contractor signs are allowed in
all zoning districts and shall require a permit. The fee for the sign
permit shall be $100.
[Amended 10-6-2015 by Ord. No. 3320]
G. Flags or emblems of religious, educational, civic or governmental
organizations flown from supports on the building or grounds occupied
by the organizations and the American flag, wherever flown in accordance
with the laws and rules promulgated by the federal government.
H. All signs located within buildings that are not visible to the public
from the outside of said building.
I. Banners and flags used to signify a "grand opening" or special occasion,
provided such banners and flags which shall require a permit may be
erected up to two weeks prior to the event and are removed within
30 days of the date first erected.
The following signs shall be prohibited:
B. Neon signs or lighting, except when used in a window to advertise
a particular product sold by the establishment seeking to install
the sign, which shall be limited to no more than two such signs per
street frontage.
C. Marquee signs, except for uses that typically utilize such signs.
D. Signs on roofs, dormers and balconies.
E. Billboards; billboard signs. No sign otherwise lawful under this
section shall be prohibited because of this provision.
F. Signs mounted upon the exterior side or rear walls of any building
or structure, except as otherwise permitted hereunder.
G. Animated, moving or revolving signs and signs using blinking, flashing,
vibrating, flickering, tracer or sequential lights, which display
movement or the illusion of movement, including interior signs visible
from the exterior of the premises, except for clocks, temperature
displays, or signs commonly known as barber poles used in conjunction
with barbershops.
H. Changeable message signs, except when utilized in connection with
municipal, Township school or houses of worship property.
I. Signs erected, painted or composed of fluorescent, phosphorescent
or similar material. Banners, strings of banners and pinwheels, strings
or streamers of flags, pennants, spinners or other similar devices
strung across, upon, over or along any premises or building, whether
part of a sign or not. These items shall not be affixed to public
service utility pole, telephone utility pole or any other pole, street
sign, traffic signal pole, tree or installation on or along any public
street, public right-of-way or any other public property, or on any
public building.
J. Balloons and inflatable signs.
K. Signs attached to vehicles. It shall be unlawful to use a vehicle
or a trailer to display a sign in circumvention of this section. Printed
signage on the sides of commercial vehicles shall not be precluded
hereunder.
L. A-frame signs, except as permitted herein.
M. Signs painted on the exterior walls or facade of a building.
N. Signs on accessory buildings or structures.
O. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, locate, relocate or
maintain any sign which falsely identifies the premises or occupant
of any premises or building, or which falsely advertises for sale
on any premises or in any building any product or service not available
therein.
P. Whenever there is a change in occupancy of a building or premises,
including any vacancy of such building or premises, the message of
any sign or signs which identify or advertise an individual, business,
service, product or other item that is no longer present or available
in the building or on the premises, and any attendant or incidental
supporting framework or signage structure shall be promptly removed.
Q. Any other type of sign not otherwise permitted.
R. Pylon signs: any business sign supported by uprights, braces or masonry
wall which is attached to the ground and is not attached to any building,
exceeding five feet in height to the top of the sign. Pylon signs
are prohibited in all zones. An example of a pylon sign is a gas station
sign.
Any sign permitted by the provisions of this chapter may be
illuminated as permitted in this section, except that real estate
signs shall be nonilluminated. Signs may be externally illuminated,
provided that they comply with the following standards. For the purpose
of administering this section, an "internally illuminated" sign shall
be defined as a sign that is illuminated by a light source that shines
through the letters or logos from the back of the sign. "Externally
illuminated" signs shall be defined as signs that are illuminated
by a light source that shines directly on the surface of a sign or
which shines on the wall upon which applied letters are installed,
and which light source is designed specifically to illuminate only
the sign or applied letters.
A. Internally illuminated signs. Internally illuminated signs are allowable.
B. Externally illuminated signs. Externally illuminated signs shall
only be permitted where the sources of illumination are shielded in
such a manner that light is not directed to the street or adjoining
property.
C. No sign shall be lighted by means of flashing or intermittent illumination.
D. Floodlights or spotlights used for the illumination of signs, whether
or not such lights are attached to or separate from the building,
shall not project light beyond the sign. Gooseneck reflectors and
lights shall be permitted; provided, however, that the reflectors
shall be provided with proper glass lenses concentrating the illumination
upon the area of the sign so as to prevent glare upon the street or
adjacent property.
E. In no instance shall the light intensity of any illuminated sign
exceed 75 footcandles measured with a standard light meter measured
at any point in front of the sign at a distance that is no greater
than the smallest horizontal or vertical dimension of said sign.
F. All sign lighting shall be turned off no later than 30 minutes after
the closing, except signs in residential zones shall not be lit beyond
10:00 p.m.
A-frame signs shall be permitted as follows:
A. The area of each signboard, single-sided, does not exceed six square
feet;
B. The signboard is constructed of building compatible material;
C. Letters are painted, vinyl die cut or legibly handwritten;
D. The sign shall not be located within the county, state or Township
right-of-way, and sidewalks, and its location does not interfere with
pedestrian or vehicular circulation;
E. The information displayed is limited to daily specials and/or hours
of operation; and
F. The sign is removed at the end of the business day.
G. No more than one A-frame sign shall be permitted for use in connection
with any structure.
In R-1A, R-1AA, R-1, R-2 and R-3 Zoning Districts, no sign shall
be permitted except the following: a nameplate sign bearing the name
of the residence or professional person residing on the premises and,
in the case of a professional person, indicating his profession, provided
that such sign shall not exceed 1 1/2 square feet in area; a temporary
sign not exceeding 12 square feet in display area pertaining to the
lease or sale of the lot or buildings on which it is placed. Not more
than one nameplate for each dwelling unit or more than one "for sale"
sign per lot shall be permitted. In single-structure multifamily dwellings,
one identification sign shall be permitted for each multifamily dwelling.
Such sign shall be a facade sign or a ground sign limited to eight
square feet in area. If a ground sign, the sign shall be no higher
than five feet above the ground and shall be set back 18 feet from
the front property line.
In Zoning Districts M and M-1, the controls governing signs
shall be the same as those for the B-3, B-4 and M-O Zoning Districts,
except that in no event shall the maximum display area for a premises
exceed 200 square feet.
Private schools, clubs and permitted institutional uses may
identify themselves with one nameplate sign not exceeding nine square
feet of surface display area, provided that, if the sign is not attached
to the facade of the building, it shall be set back from the street
line a distance of 18 feet.
Bulletin board directory signs not exceeding 12 square feet
of surface display area shall be permitted in garden apartment and
townhouse developments, provided that only one such sign shall be
maintained for each street frontage upon which the garden apartment
or townhouse development fronts, that such sign or signs shall be
set back from the street line a distance of 18 feet and that only
backlighting shall be used to provide artificial illumination.
At the termination of a business, commercial or industrial enterprise,
all signs pertaining thereto shall be removed from the public view
within 30 days from the date the premises are vacated. Removal shall
include the face of the sign and any framing, brackets or supports.
Any replacement signs shall require new sign permits. Responsibility
for violation shall reside with the property owner, according to the
latest tax roll's listing.
Signs in which the colors red, amber or green are used in direct
illumination or in high reflection by the use of special preparations
such as fluorescent paint or glass shall not be located within 100
feet of any approved traffic light or other safety device using red
or green.
All applications for signs herein permitted shall be signed
by the owner of the property or his authorized or designated agent.