[Amended 2-18-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-1]
No person shall erect, alter or relocate any sign without obtaining
both a zoning permit and a construction permit, unless exempted under
the following provisions. Prior to submission for a construction permit,
an application for a zoning permit shall be made to the Zoning Officer.
Upon approval of a zoning permit, application shall be made to the
Construction Official for a construction permit. The permit fees for
such signs shall be as provided in the schedule set forth in Township
ordinances. Whenever a sign is changed, the fee for such change shall
be as provided in the schedule set forth the Township ordinances.
Normal maintenance and the removal of a sign shall not require a permit.
[Amended 2-18-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-1]
A. Prohibited signs.
(1)
Animated, flashing and illusionary signs. Signs using mechanical and/or electrical devices to revolve, flash, change intensity of illumination or display movement or the illusion of movement. Prohibited signs shall include changeable-type signs and reader-board signs. An exception to this requirement is digital display signs as permitted by §
310-17-7.
(2)
Signs illuminated externally by bare bulbs.
(3)
Banner-type signs, except in celebration of public events and
erected with the approval of the governing body.
(4)
Mobile signs, including signs that are not permanently attached
to a building, or not placed in the ground in such a fashion as to
be permanent in a manner conforming to the Uniform Construction Code,
or signs mounted on wheels, trailers or unregistered motor vehicles.
Delivery trucks should be stored out of sight of the front of the
building. Any registered vehicle(s) that has as its principal purpose
the advertising of a business from a site as opposed to serving as
a delivery or service vehicle for other business purposes of this
section is prohibited. If a vehicle with advertising on it is not
parked on the property where the business is located, out of sight
of the front of the building, and remains in a single location for
more than two hours and is not actively engaged in making a delivery,
it shall be presumed that it is in violation of this section.
(5)
Neon-lit signs, except for neon illumination covered by a colored,
translucent lens to ensure that there are no exposed neon bulbs, channels
or tubes visible from the street or adjacent properties.
(6)
No signs shall be placed within the right-of-way which is defined
for purposes of this restriction as the area between the street paving
and the furthest edge of the sidewalk, or, if there is no sidewalk,
the area extending back 10 feet from the edge of the street paving.
Any sign so placed shall be subject to removal and destruction by
the Township.
(7)
Signs shall not be painted or otherwise applied directly to
the surface of a building.
(8)
All signs not specifically permitted are prohibited.
B. Attached signs. Signs parallel to walls shall project between six
inches and 15 inches from the surface of the wall. Signs perpendicular
to walls shall extend no more than five feet from the surface of the
wall, shall not exceed four square feet in sign area, shall be supported
in a structurally sound manner approved by the Township Engineer and/or
Construction Official and shall have a clearance of at least nine
feet between the bottom of the sign to the finished grade.
C. Sign height. Unless otherwise specified herein, the height of any
attached sign shall not exceed 10% of the height of the wall to which
it is attached, except that such sign can be at least two feet in
height. No attached sign shall extend above a roofline.
D. Window signs and posters. Promotional signage and posters displayed
in windows shall be fastened or hung on the interior side of the window
and shall not exceed 10% of the total window area.
E. Illuminated signs. Indirect lighting shall be used for signs wherever
feasible. All lighted signs shall have the light source shielded from
adjoining or nearby lots, streets and interior drives. Illuminated
signs shall have translucent fixtures.
F. Monument signs. All monument signs shall be mounted on masonry and
have complementing landscaping along the base.
G. Exemptions from sign permits. Street number designations, highway
signs, postal boxes, family names on residences, on-site traffic directional
and parking signs not exceeding four square feet in area, signs posting
property as "private property," "no hunting," "danger," "warning"
or for similar purposes are permitted but are exempt from other sign
area limits as set forth in this chapter. Such signs, unless otherwise
indicated, shall not exceed two square feet each.
H. No person shall erect, alter or relocate any sign within the public
right-of-way or sight triangle.
I. All signs, including LED/digital display signs, shall be maintained
in good working condition. Any nonfunctioning or malfunctioning panels,
modules and/or bulbs shall be promptly repaired or replaced. Faded
signs shall be repainted or replaced. Inspections for compliance with
this requirement shall be made at the discretion of the Zoning Officer
and or Property Maintenance Inspector.
[Added 2-18-2014 by Ord.
No. 2014-1]
A. LED/digital display signs shall be permitted along Route 130 only,
except that all municipal facilities and schools shall be permitted
to have one digital display sign per facility.
B. Sizes of LED/digital display signs shall be as required within Article
17, Signs.
C. LED/digital display signs shall contain static messages only. Flashing,
video, scrolling, whirling, changing color, or fading in or out, or
movement on any part of the sign or structure is prohibited.
D. A ten-second-minimum message display time is required.
E. A one-second-maximum message transition is permitted. A transition
consisting of flashing, video or changing color is prohibited.
F. Green, yellow, or red backgrounds or any combinations thereof are
prohibited.
G. LED/digital display signs at service stations.
(1)
Fuel prices are permitted to be displayed only with green or
red illuminated numerals on a black background screen.
(2)
Any other signage shall conform to the requirements herein.
H. Digital display sign illumination.
(1)
The digital sign must have automatic dimming software or solar
sensors that reduce luminance during nighttime hours to the level
specified in this subsection.
(2)
A maximum of 5,000 nits (candelas per square meter) at the sign
face is permitted during daylight hours.
(3)
A maximum of 500 nits (candelas per square meter) at the sign
face is permitted between dusk and dawn.
(4)
A maximum of 0.2 footcandle at 150 feet from the sign face is
permitted.
(5)
The sign shall not display light of such intensity or brilliance
to cause glare or otherwise impair the vision of drivers or results
in a nuisance.
(6)
The requirements of this subsection shall be verified biennially,
and a report (on company letterhead, signed by the person qualified
to use the instrumentation) specifying the actual measurement values
shall be delivered to the Zoning Officer.
[Added 2-18-2014 by Ord.
No. 2014-1]
A. Where illumination of signs is permitted, the use of a shielded or
indirect nonflashing light (preferably white), or an interior sign
light with a translucent face shall be required to reduce undue glare,
or offensive or annoying light to surrounding residents.
B. For signs other than LED/digital display signs, the use of red, green,
or amber is not permitted when:
(1)
An illuminated sign is located in the same line of vision as
a traffic control signal.
(2)
Fluorescent paint is used on highly reflective surfaces.
C. Illuminated tubing or light strings outlining roofs, doors, or wall
edges of a building are not permitted.
D. For all signs not located on Route 130, all lighting associated with
signs shall be extinguished by 11:00 p.m., or at the close of the
corresponding business, whichever occurs last. The Zoning Officer
may authorize extended lighting hours to assist in property protection
with the recommendation of the Chief of Police.
E. Gooseneck reflectors and lights shall be permitted on ground signs
and wall signs, provided the reflectors have lenses that concentrate
the illumination on the sign area so as to prevent glare upon the
street or surrounding properties.
F. Floodlights at ground level or located within 12 feet of ground level
shall be located and shielded so as to prevent any glare or blinding
effect upon any lane of moving traffic.
G. No illuminated sign shall interfere with radio, television, WiFi
reception, electrical appliances, or road or highway visibility.