In expansion of the community development objectives in § 204-3 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this section to place reasonable standards on the erection and maintenance of signs within the Borough of Abbottstown. Furthermore, it is the intent of this section to:
A.
Maintain and enhance the aesthetic qualities of the historic, mixed-use
core of Abbottstown by encouraging signs to be designed of sizes,
shapes, colors, and styles complimentary to the historic character
of Abbottstown.
B.
Allow signs in all zoning districts that balance the needs of individual
property owners with the desire of the community to perpetuate an
attractive, livable environment.
C.
Maintain adequate traffic safety standards by minimizing the negative
sensory impacts of excessive signage as well as minimizing signage
conflicts with necessary traffic control signs and equipment.
D.
Encourage signage that will meet the needs of pedestrians and occupants
of moving vehicles traveling at speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour.
A.
Sign permits. No sign shall be erected, enlarged, or relocated until
a permit for doing so has been issued by the Zoning Officer. All applications
for a sign permit shall be made to the Zoning Officer and shall conform
to the following requirements.
(1)
Name, address and telephone number of applicant.
(3)
Name of the person, firm, corporation, or associations erecting the
sign.
(4)
Written consent of the owner of the building, structure, or land
to or on which the sign is to be located.
(5)
Other information as required by the Zoning Officer to demonstrate
full compliance with this and all other codes and ordinances of the
Borough of Abbottstown.
(6)
All applicable permits fees, as established by resolution by the
Borough Council of the Borough of Abbottstown, shall be paid.
C.
Revocation of permits. All permits shall be subject to revocation
upon 15 days' written notice for violation of any provision or upon
change of information provided in the application. Revocation of a
permit shall not be cause for refund of the permit fee.
D.
Nonconforming sign standards. Any sign lawfully existing at the time
of the passage of this chapter that does not conform with the regulations
of the district in which such sign is located shall be considered
nonconforming. Said signs shall be subject to the following conditions:
(2)
Any parcel containing a nonconforming sign of any type, regardless
of the nature of the non-conformity, shall not be permitted to erect
any additional signage until all signage on site is brought into conformity
with the requirements of this chapter.
E.
Abandoned signs. A sign and its structure shall be considered abandoned
when:
The following types of signs shall be authorized within the
Borough of Abbottstown.
A.
Permanent signs.
(1)
Awning signs.
(2)
Billboard signs.
(3)
Canopy signs.
(4)
Directory signs.
(5)
Drive-through menu boards.
(6)
Fascia signs.
(7)
Freestanding signs.
(8)
Home occupation/cottage industry sign.
(9)
Hours of operation signs.
(10)
Open/closed signs.
(11)
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs.
(12)
Projecting signs.
(13)
Residential development/neighborhood signs.
(14)
Revolving barbershop poles.
(15)
Sandwich board signs.
(16)
Wall signs.
(17)
Window signs.
D.
Exempt signs.
(1)
Official street and traffic signs.
(2)
Other signs required by state or federal law.
(3)
Political signs.
(4)
Street number and nameplate signs.
(5)
Governmental flags or insignias.
(6)
Public service signs.
(7)
Legal notices.
(8)
Vending machine signs.
(9)
Memorial signs or historical signs or markers.
The following types of signs and/or sign design features are
prohibited in all districts.
A.
Flashing signs and/or flashing and/or rotating lights.
B.
Revolving, rotating, or otherwise moving signs.
C.
Animated signs.
D.
Animated and/or changeable copy signs except when copy is changed manually and except for Digital Message Center Signs permitted in accordance with § 204-42A(18). Signs with the express purpose of displaying the time and/or temperature or the price of gasoline are exempted from this requirement.
[Amended 7-21-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-02]
E.
Electronic signs advertising a business name and/or products for sale on-site or off-site, except for Digital Message Center signs permitted in accordance with § 204-42A(18).
[Amended 7-21-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-02]
G.
Any sign located in or extending into a public right-of-way, except
official street and traffic signs and other signs required by state
or federal law.
H.
Any sign attached to a trailer or a vehicle, where any such trailer
or vehicle is allowed to remain parked in the same location or in
the same vicinity at frequent times, or for extended periods of time
(longer than one week), and is exposed to view from a public road,
shall be considered a sign subject to the provisions of this chapter.
This provision does not restrict the use of identification signs on
vehicles actively used for delivery service, interstate commerce,
or any bona fide transportation activity, or which are parked within
an enclosure or screened area blocking them from view from a public
road.
I.
Any sign which uses the words "stop," "look," "danger," or any other
word or character which attempts or appears to attempt to direct the
movement of traffic or which interferes with or resembles any official
traffic sign, signal, or device.
J.
Open flames used to attract public attention to a place of business
or to an advertising sign.
K.
Signs within the center circle portion of the Abbottstown Square
or any public road or street right-of-way.
L.
Signs that include words, phrases or pictures which are considered
to be vulgar, obscene or pornographic. This prohibition only applies
to signs which, taken as a whole appeal to the prurient interest in
sex; which portray sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and
which taken as a whole, do not have serious literary, artistic, political
or scientific value.
M.
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs shall not be
permitted within the LDR, MDR, TCR and TCMU Districts.
The following design standards shall apply for signs within
the Borough of Abbottstown, except upon order of the Zoning Hearing
Board, granted pursuant to the procedures established for the issuance
of a variance.
A.
Permanent signs.
(1)
Awning signs.
(a)
The copy area of an awning sign shall not exceed an area equal
to 25% of the background area of the awning surface to which such
sign is affixed.
(2)
Billboard signs.
(a)
Billboard signs are permitted by conditional use.
(b)
Billboard signs shall only be permitted on properties within
the CI District with road frontage on Route 30.
(c)
The maximum angle between two sides of a billboard sign shall
be 60°.
(d)
The maximum area of any one side of a billboard sign shall not
exceed 150 square feet.
(e)
The total area of all sides of a billboard sign shall not exceed
300 square feet.
(f)
The maximum height of a billboard sign shall not exceed 25 feet.
(g)
The minimum clearance height of a billboard sign shall be seven
feet.
(h)
All billboard signs shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from
all public road rights-of-way.
(3)
Canopy signs.
(a)
The permanently fixed copy area of canopy signs shall not exceed
an area equal to 25% of the face of the canopy, marquee or architectural
projection upon which such sign is applied.
(b)
Graphic striping, patterns or color bands on the face of a building,
canopy, marquee or architectural projection shall not be included
in the computation of sign copy area.
(4)
Directory signs.
(a)
One sign may be erected for each major parking area or each
main entrance to a building.
(b)
The maximum area of a directory sign shall be one square foot
for each linear foot of building facade up to a maximum of 25 square
feet per side.
(c)
Directory signs may be wall-mounted or freestanding.
(d)
Freestanding directory signs shall have a maximum height of
12 feet, including any supporting structure components.
(e)
Freestanding directory signs shall have a maximum of four sides.
(5)
Drive-through menu boards.
(a)
The drive-through menu board shall be located adjacent to the
drive-through lane.
(b)
All drive-through menu boards shall have a maximum sign area
of 32 square feet, with no dimension more than 12 feet. However, drive-through
menu board signs may increase the maximum permitted area by 50% if
the height of the freestanding sign, including support structure,
is no greater than eight feet.
(c)
There shall be no more than one drive-through menu board per
drive-through lane.
(d)
The height of all drive-through menu boards, including any mounting
or other support structures, shall be in no greater than 15 feet as
measured from the average existing grade directly below the sign.
(e)
The drive-through menu boards shall only be used to display
those products and services offered at the on-site drive-through.
(6)
Fascia signs.
(a)
A fascia sign shall have a minimum clearance of eight feet from
the sidewalk and shall not extend above the eaves of parapet of the
building.
(b)
The area of a fascia sign shall be limited by the width of the
occupant's building facade.
(c)
The maximum height of the text or image copy a fascia sign shall
be two feet.
(d)
No text or image copy of a fascia sign shall extend within two
feet of the party or end wall of a building.
(7)
Freestanding sign.
(a)
One freestanding sign shall be permitted on a lot.
(b)
The sign shall be set back at least eight feet from the right-of-way
line or 12 feet from the curb line, whichever is greater.
(c)
The sign location shall meet the side and rear setbacks for
the underlying zoning district. However, under no circumstances shall
a sign be located less than five feet from a side or rear lot line.
(d)
Freestanding signs shall not be permitted on a site where a
freestanding directory sign has already been erected.
(e)
The area of the sign shall be one square foot for each linear
foot of the building facade up to a maximum of 25 square feet per
side.
(f)
The maximum height of the sign, including any supporting structure
components, shall be 12 feet.
(g)
Freestanding signs shall not be permitted on any properties
immediately adjacent to the Abbottstown Square.
(8)
Home occupation/cottage industry sign.
(a)
A maximum of one sign per property shall be permitted for each
home occupation and/or cottage industry operated on the property.
(b)
These signs shall not display the name or logo of specific product
brands for sale on the property.
(c)
The area of the sign shall be a maximum of 10 square feet per
side.
(d)
The maximum height of the sign shall be six feet.
(11)
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs.
(a)
Such signs shall only be permitted within the CI District.
(b)
A maximum of one sign per tenant shall be permitted. However,
no more than two such signs shall be located on any one property.
(c)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
20 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign, including any supporting structure
components, shall be 10 feet.
(12)
Projecting signs.
(a)
One projecting sign may be erected on a building and/or structure
fronting onto a public right-of-way if that premises has a minimum
of 50 linear feet of frontage onto the public right-of-way.
(b)
The sign location shall at least five feet from the end of the
building or structure to which it is attached.
(c)
The sign shall maintain a minimum clearance of eight feet from
the sidewalk and shall not extend above the eaves or parapet of the
building.
(d)
The sign shall not project more than four feet beyond the outer
building wall.
(e)
The area of the sign shall be a maximum of 20 square feet per
side.
(13)
Residential development/neighborhood signs.
(a)
A maximum of one sign per street entrance shall be permitted.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be eight feet.
(e)
The maximum height of the sign, including any supporting structure
components, shall be 10 feet.
(14)
Revolving barbershop poles.
(a)
Barbershop poles may be freestanding or wall-mounted. Freestanding barbershop poles are not permitted on a property where a freestanding sign exists or has been established per § 204-42A(7).
(b)
The maximum height of a freestanding barbershop pole shall be
eight feet, including any supporting structures.
(c)
A wall-mounted barbershop pole shall maintain a minimum clearance
of eight feet from the sidewalk and shall not extend above the eaves
or parapet of the building.
(15)
Sandwich board signs.
(a)
Each nonresidential use shall be permitted one sandwich board
sign along each public street the use fronts.
(b)
Sandwich board signs shall not be permitted on a site where
a freestanding sign or freestanding directory sign has already been
erected.
(c)
The maximum height of the sign shall be four feet.
(d)
The maximum width of the sign shall be two feet.
(e)
The sign shall be located directly in front of the business
it is advertising.
(f)
The sign shall not block a sidewalk, walkway or path.
(g)
The sign may only be displayed during business hours.
(16)
Wall signs.
(a)
The maximum area of a sign for all wall signs, excluding wall-mounted
directory signs, shall not exceed 1.25 square feet of sign area per
linear foot of building wall on the side of the building on which
the sign is mounted.
(b)
No text or image copy of a wall sign shall extend within two
feet of the party or end wall of a building.
(17)
Window signs.
(a)
A window sign shall consist of words or a logo or both, but
shall not have any painted background.
(b)
Window signs shall not exceed 40% of the total area of the store
front window area.
(c)
Window signs shall be transparent and shall not obstruct the
view into the building from outside the window.
(d)
No permanent window sign shall have any flashing lights or lighted
displays.
(e)
Signs advertising a specific manufacturer's labeled product
are not permitted as window signs.
(f)
Window signs meeting the above requirements are not counted
towards the maximum number of permanent signs permitted on a building
or lot.
(18)
Digital message center signs.
[Added 7-21-2016 by Ord.
No. 2016-02]
(a)
Such signs shall only be permitted within the CI District.
(b)
All messages/displays shall remain unchanged for a minimum of
eight seconds.
(c)
The time interval used to change from one complete message/display
to the next complete message/display shall be a maximum of one second.
(d)
There shall be no appearance of a visual dissolve or fading,
in which any part of one message/display appears simultaneously with
any part of a second message/display.
(e)
There shall be no appearance of flashing or sudden bursts of
light, animation, movement, or flow of the message/display.
(f)
Any illumination intensity or contrast of light level shall
remain constant.
B.
Directional signs.
(1)
Nonresidential use entrance and exit signs.
(a)
A nonresidential use shall be permitted to erect one entrance
and one exit sign per public road frontage with an access drive. Lots
with more than one use shall be limited to one entrance and one exit
sign per public road frontage with an access drive for the entire
property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
six square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of the sign shall not exceed five feet.
(2)
Off-premises directional signs.
(a)
A maximum of one off-premises directional sign shall be permitted
per property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of the sign shall not exceed 10 feet.
(e)
Off-premise directional signs shall not be permitted on any
properties immediately adjacent to the Abbottstown Square.
C.
Temporary signs. The following temporary signs shall be exempt from the permitting requirements of § 204-39A, provided the following standards are met.
(1)
"No trespassing" or "private property" signs.
(2)
Real estate signs.
(a)
Each separately deeded property shall be allowed one such sign
per public road frontage.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
10 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be six feet.
(e)
The signs must be removed within five business days following
sale or rental of the property.
(3)
Contractor signs.
(a)
A maximum of one such sign per firm shall be permitted per separately
deeded property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
eight square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 16 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be five feet.
(e)
The signs must be removed within one day following completion
of the work.
(4)
Developer signs.
(a)
A maximum of one such sign per street entrance shall be permitted.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of each sign shall not exceed
20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of each sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be eight feet.
(e)
The signs must be removed once all lots or units with the development
site have been constructed.
(5)
Yard or garage sale signs.
(a)
A maximum of two signs shall be permitted per property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
four square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed eight square feet.
(d)
The sign(s) shall not be displayed more than seven days prior
to the start of the event and shall be removed within one day after
the conclusion of the event.
(6)
Business grand opening signs.
(a)
A maximum of one such sign shall be permitted per business per
public road frontage.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
25 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 50 square feet.
(d)
The sign(s) shall not be displayed for a period exceeding three
months out of every 12 months.
(7)
Special event signs.
(a)
A maximum of one special event sign shall be permitted per property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed
20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The sign may be freestanding or wall mounted and shall conform to the height requirements in § 204-42 for freestanding and wall signs.
(e)
The sign(s) shall not be displayed more than 14 days prior to
the start of the event and shall be removed within three days after
the conclusion of the event.
D.
Exempt signs. The following signs shall be exempt from the permitting requirements of § 204-39A provided the following standards are met.
(1)
Official street and traffic signs.
(a)
There shall be no limits on the number, size or maximum height
of official street and traffic signs.
(2)
Other signs required by state or federal law.
(a)
There shall be no limits on the number, size or maximum height
of any non-street or traffic signs required by state or federal law.
(6)
Public service signs.
(a)
Public service signs shall include those advertising availability
of restrooms, telephones, or similar public conveniences, and directional
signs for public safety directions.
(b)
There shall be no restrictions of the number of such signs permitted
on any property.
(c)
The maximum area of the sign shall be four square feet.
(d)
Each sign shall be attached to a building or wall.
The following general regulations shall apply to all signs within
the Borough of Abbottstown, except upon order of the Zoning Hearing
Board, granted pursuant to the procedures established for the issuance
of a variance.
A.
Sign location. All signs shall comply with the following standards
concerning sign location:
(1)
No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress
or egress from any door, window or fire escape. No sign shall be attached
to a standpipe or fire escape.
(2)
No sign shall be erected at the intersection of streets so as to
obstruct the clear sight triangle, established by the Borough Subdivision
and Land Development Ordinance or applicable PennDOT Highway Occupancy
Permit (HOP) or other applicable state or federal standards.
(3)
Unless specifically authorized elsewhere within this chapter, no
sign shall be erected within the legal right-of-way of any public
or private street.
B.
Sign illumination. Unless specifically authorized elsewhere within
this chapter, no sign permitted within the ordinance shall be internally
illuminated. Externally illuminated signs shall be done so using fully
shielded or full-cutoff light fixtures.
C.
Sign construction and maintenance. All signs shall comply with the
following standards concerning construction and maintenance:
(1)
All signs shall be constructed of durable materials and kept in good
condition and repair.
(2)
All lighting associated with any sign shall be done so in accordance
with applicable Uniform Construction Code standards and the National
Board of Fire Underwriters.
(3)
Whenever a sign becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety
of the building or premise, or endangers the public safety, the Zoning
Officer shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on
which the sign is located that such sign must be made safe or removed
within five days.
D.
Sign height. The height of a sign shall be measured from the existing
ground elevation at the base of the sign to the highest point of the
sign structure.
E.
Calculating sign area. For the purposes of this chapter, the area
of a sign shall be calculated as follows:
(1)
The area of the sign shall include the entire area within a single
continuous perimeter enclosing the outer limits of the sign. The sign
area shall not include any structural elements lying outside the limits
of the sign and not forming an integral part of the display.
(2)
Unless otherwise stated by individual sign standards in § 204-42, in the case of an open sign made up of individual letters, attached to or painted on a building, wall, window, canopy, or awning, the sign area shall be that of the smallest rectangle or other geometric shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
(3)
In computing the area of a double-faced sign, only one face shall
be considered, provided that both faces are identical in area. The
maximum angle between sign faces shall be 60° for a sign to be
considered a double-faced sign.
The following sign types shall be permitted with each zoning
district as follows:
|
Zoning District
|
LDR
|
MDR
|
TCR
|
TCMU
|
CI
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of Signs
| ||||||
|
Signs per lot (residential only)
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Hours of operations and open/closed signs shall not count towards
this limit
| |
|
Signs per lot (nonresidential, single occupancy)
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
Window, hours of operations, and open/closed signs, and revolving
barbershop poles shall not count towards these limits
| ||
|
Signs per tenant (nonresidential, multiple occupancy)
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Window, hours of operations, and open/closed signs, and revolving
barbershop poles shall not count towards these limits.
| ||
|
Signs per occupant of mixed-use structures
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
Window, hours of operations, and open/closed signs, and revolving
barbershop poles shall not count towards these limits
| ||
|
Signs for home occupations and cottage industries
|
1 each
|
1 each
|
1 each
|
1 each
|
Hours of operations and open/closed signs shall not count towards
this limit
| |
|
Permanent Signs
| ||||||
|
Awning signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Billboard signs
|
CU
| |||||
|
Canopy signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Directory signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Drive-through menu boards
|
P
| |||||
|
Fascia signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Freestanding signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Home occupation sign
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |||
|
Hours of operation signs
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |
|
Open/closed signs
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |
|
Projecting signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Sandwich board signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Wall signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Window signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Residential development/ neighborhood signs
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |||
|
Revolving barbershop pole
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
| ||
|
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs
|
P
| |||||
|
Directional Signs
| ||||||
|
Nonresidential entrance and exit signs
|
P
|
P
| ||||
|
Off-premises directional signs
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |
