Signs shall be designed to further the following purposes:
A. To attract the attention of passing pedestrians and motorists by
communicating information in a visible form outside a building or
along a traveled roadway.
B. To promote the safety of the public by providing signage that is
legible to motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists, and that has been
properly located to allow sufficient decision and maneuver time.
C. To discourage excessive visual competition in signage and to ensure
that signs adequately perform their primary function of orientation
and identification of uses and activities to the public.
D. To preserve and enhance local character and community design objectives
by requiring signage that is creative and distinctive; in scale and
compatible with the neighborhood; and appropriate to the use or activity
advertised.
[Ord. No. O-07-06 §§ 41,
42]
A. Permitted Signs.
1. All signs shall meet the standards set forth in this Part; and only
signs that pertain to a permitted use under the zoning regulations
shall be allowed.
2. A sign permit shall be required for all signs having a total area of two (2) square feet or more in accordance with the procedures of Section
21-104.
3. Site plan applications shall provide a signage plan that includes
all signs proposed on site, including their location, size, shape,
color, and copy style; the visibility of the proposed signs for the
intended sight distance; the impacts of the proposed signs on existing
signs on or adjacent to the site.
4. The design of any signage shall be coordinated with the landscape
and building elements of the site, and with the design parameters
of the Neighborhood Preservation District where applicable.
5. Signs located in a public right-of-way shall require approval by
both the local authority and the agency having jurisdiction over the
right-of-way.
6. All signs, except banners, flags, temporary and window signs, shall
be constructed of permanent materials and shall be permanently attached
to the ground, a building or another structure by direct attachment
to a rigid wall, frame or structure. All signs shall meet the requirements
of the Uniform Construction Code and the electrical code of the Borough
and shall be maintained in good structural condition.
B. Prohibited Signs.
1. Signs, except for a traffic, regulatory or informational sign, containing
words "stop," "caution," or "danger" or incorporating red, amber or
green lights resembling traffic signals, or resembling any official
traffic sign by its location, color, size, shape, nature or message.
2. Signs or lights that revolve or use blinking, flashing, vibrating,
flickering, tracer or sequential lighting.
3. Signs or banners spanning a public street or highway, unless given
special permission by the mayor and council.
4. Signs or advertising matter of an indecent or obscene nature.
5. Any sign so erected, constructed or maintained as to obstruct or
be attached to any fire escape, window, door or opening used as a
means of egress or ingress, or for fire-fighting purposes, or placed
so as to interfere with an opening required for legal ventilation.
6. Signs with a lighting or control mechanism which may cause radio,
television or communication system interference.
7. Signs placed upon or across public property such as hydrants, lampposts,
trees, telephone or light poles, or fences, or attached to signs,
buildings or other property owned by others.
C. General Guidelines.
1. Sign messages should be simple and clear, using short messages or
graphic symbols, and contrasting colors.
2. Sign materials and colors should harmonize with the building with
which the sign is associated.
3. Sign size and orientation should be appropriate to both the building
with which the sign is associated and the audience to whom it is directed.
4. Sign design should follow the guidelines established in the "Central
Business District, Design Manual" developed by the Neighborhood Preservation
Program and adopted by the Planning Board. (Please refer to Appendix
A.) However, any conflicts between the requirements of this chapter and the Design Manual shall be resolved in favor of the Chapter
21.
D. Illuminated Signs.
1. Sources of illumination shall be shielded in such a manner that they
are not visible from the street or adjoining properties. They shall
not shine onto residential properties or create a hazard to pedestrian
or vehicular traffic because of the intensity or direction of illumination.
2. An illuminated sign in the interior of a building shall, if visible
from outside the building, meet all the requirements of this Part.
The area of such interior sign shall be included in any calculations
of total sign area.
E. Placement Standards.
1. Signs shall be placed to maximize their visibility to the intended
user of the site; no sign shall be located where it will restrict
sight distance for motorists entering or leaving a street; nor shall
it obscure the visibility of other, existing signs.
2. Wall signs shall not extend more than ten (10) inches from the surface
of the building to which they are attached.
3. Projecting mounted signs shall not extend more than three (3) feet
from the surface on which they are mounted; nor shall they be less
than seven and one half (7 1/2) feet above the sidewalk or other
public or pedestrian area.
4. Any sign or awning which overhangs a public way, including sidewalks,
shall have a minimum clearance of seven and one-half (7 1/2)
feet and shall be covered by a public liability insurance policy as
required by the affected jurisdiction and which names that jurisdiction
as the insured party.
F. Measurement Computation Standards.
1. Sign Area. Sign area shall be measured based on the entire area of
the sign, within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme
limits of the actual sign surface.
a. For a sign painted on or applied to a building, the sign area shall
include all lettering and accompanying designs or symbols, plus any
background of a color different from that of the building.
b. For a sign consisting of individual letters or symbols, the sign
area shall be the smallest geometric figure which will completely
encompass the lettering, design, or symbols plus any materials or
color that differentiate the sign from the background on which it
is placed.
c. For two (2)-sided signs, where only one (1) side of the sign is visible
at a time and the message is the same on both sides, the sign area
shall be the area of one (1) side of the sign. For multiple signs,
the sign area shall be the total of all signs.
d. The area of any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative wall
shall not be included in the sign area, when such otherwise meets
the zoning regulations and is clearly incidental to the sign itself.
2. Height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from
the finished grade to the top of the highest attached component of
the sign. The finished grade shall be exclusive of any fill, berm,
mound or excavation solely for the purposes of locating the sign.
[Ord. No. O-07-06 §§ 43,
44]
A. Residential Districts.
1. For residential uses, a nonilluminated nameplate sign, located within
the property lines, bearing only the name and address of the occupant
or occupants, not to exceed one (1) square foot for each residential
unit.
2. For nonresidential conditional uses, a nonilluminated sign bearing
the name of the person residing on the premises and the profession
or home occupation being conducted, located within the property lines
of the premises it identifies, not to exceed two (2) square feet;
or as regulated elsewhere in this chapter.
3. For permitted institutional uses, signs referring to the use and
activities conducted on the premises, not to exceed ten (10) square
feet per sign or a total of twenty-five (25) square feet.
4. Temporary signs pertaining to the lease or sale of the premises,
not to exceed four (4) square feet, to be removed within ten (10)
days of the completion of the sale or lease.
5. For multifamily developments and mobile home parks, one (1) ground
sign which may be illuminated at each entrance, designating only the
name of the development, the address and name of the owner and the
names of any buildings located therein, provided the sign area of
each sign shall not exceed fifteen (15) square feet and the height
shall not exceed six (6) feet.
B. Business Districts, Except the Highway Oriented Business District.
1. For permitted residential and conditional uses, as permitted above.
2. For nonresidential uses, signs which may be illuminated may be placed
or inscribed on the front building wall which shall not exceed in
the aggregate fifteen (15%) percent of the front facade area of the
building.
3. A projecting sign, not to exceed six (6) square feet, may be used
in conjunction with or in lieu of either wall or ground signs, provided
the total square footage of the combined signs does not exceed the
fifteen (15%) percent of the front facade area limit.
4. A ground sign, not to exceed fifteen (15) square feet, may be used
in conjunction with or in lieu of either wall or projecting signs,
provided the total square footage of the combined signs does not exceed
the fifteen (15%) percent of the front facade area limit.
5. Window signs, not to exceed thirty (30%) percent of the aggregate
window space of the front face of the building. The square footage
of window signs is in addition to the fifteen (15%) percent front
facade area limit for the signs in paragraph 2 through 4 above.
6. Awning signs, limited to the name of the store and not included in
the fifteen (15%) percent front facade area limit.
7. Individual tenants occupying upper floors in a building may each
have a nameplate sign, not exceeding one and one-half (1 1/2)
square feet, in addition to the area of signs permitted generally
for the building.
8. Temporary signs pertaining to the lease or sale of the premises,
not to exceed four (4) square feet, to be removed within ten (10)
days of the completion of the sale or lease.
9. Other temporary signs pertaining to special events, sales, or seasonal
activities, not to exceed four (4) square feet or sixty (60) days
of display within any calendar year.
10. Portable sandwich signs may be displayed only during business hours,
shall not exceed eight (8) square feet per side and shall be located
so as not to interfere with pedestrian traffic.
11. Special signs, such as menus, plaques and chalk boards, not to exceed
two (2) square feet, placed on the building wall or in the window.
12. For lots with more than one (1) frontage, these standards shall apply
to each frontage independently.
13. Off-premises signs will be permitted to provide identification of
a business and its location within the Borough. Such signs shall not
exceed twenty-four (24) square feet in nonresidential zones and twelve
(12) square feet in residential zones.
C. Waterfront Districts.
1. Signs as allowed in the Business District. For the purpose of calculating
allowed signage only, the property line abutting the river shall be
considered a frontage. Where there is no principal building on-site,
the size limits for projecting or ground signs shall be the maximum
square footage given in paragraphs B3 and B4 above.
2. In addition to any signs along road frontages, only on commercial
buildings along the waterfront, a roof sign which may be illuminated
may be permitted up to forty (40%) percent of the waterfront facade
(signable wall area) not to exceed fifty (50) square feet. Such sign
shall be faced and oriented toward the river and designed for view
from the water only. They shall not project more than five (5) feet
above the highest point of the roof nor shall they exceed the height
limit for the zone.
D. Highway Oriented Business District. Signs in the Highway Oriented
Business district shall comply with all applicable provisions of Part
5 (Sign Regulations). Standards for signs in the Highway Oriented
Business district shall be as follows:
1. Wall mounted signs in accordance with Section
21-103B.
2. Freestanding signs for single tenant buildings as follows:
(a)
|
Size:
|
24 square feet maximum
|
(b)
|
Height:
|
10' maximum
|
(c)
|
Quantity:
|
1 maximum
|
(d)
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Setback:
|
5' minimum
|
3. Freestanding signs for multiple tenant buildings as follows:
(a)
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Size:
|
48 square feet maximum
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(b)
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Height:
|
12' maximum
|
(c)
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Quantity:
|
1 maximum
|
(d)
|
Setback:
|
10' minimum
|