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.[1]) However, any conflicts between the requirements of this chapter and the Design Manual shall be resolved in favor of the Chapter 21.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A may be found as an attachment to this chapter.
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)
Setback:
5' minimum
3. 
Freestanding signs for multiple tenant buildings as follows:
(a)
Size:
48 square feet maximum
(b)
Height:
12' maximum
(c)
Quantity:
1 maximum
(d)
Setback:
10' minimum
A. 
Applications. A sign permit shall be required for any sign to be erected, displayed, altered or enlarged that has not been approved as part of a site plan application and erected as part of site plan construction. Such permit shall be issued by the Zoning Officer upon the filing of an application including, at minimum, the following information: the name of the owner of the property upon which the sign is to be erected; the name of the owner of the sign and his address; the name and address of the person or firm engaged to construct and erect the sign; a scale drawing specifying dimensions, material, illumination, letter sizes, colors, support systems, and location on land or building. All sign permit applications shall comply with the requirements of this chapter and of NJDOT's outdoor advertising standards if applicable.
B. 
Fees. The fee for a sign permit is twenty-five ($25.00) dollars per year. Sign permits must be renewed annually.
C. 
Action. The Zoning Officer shall act within thirty (30) days of the receipt of a complete sign application. Appeals of the action or decision of the Zoning Officer under this section may be taken to the Board of Adjustment under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70a.
D. 
Temporary Signs. Temporary signs shall be subject to the same permit requirements as permanent signs, with the exception of political signs for which no permit shall be required.
A. 
The provisions and regulations of this Part shall not apply to the following signs:
1. 
Any sign(s) having an aggregate area of less than two (2) square feet.
2. 
Nonilluminated directional signs, not exceeding four (4) square feet, which identify parking areas, loading zones, entrances, exits and similar locations and may contain either the company name or logo, but no advertising.
3. 
Signs for the public convenience and welfare erected by a governmental agency; traffic controls; and legal notices, posters, directions, or warning, no trespassing or other regulatory signs, as may be required by law.
4. 
Signs indicating public transportation stops, not to exceed two (2) square feet.
5. 
Historical tablets, cornerstones, memorial plaques, and emblems, not to exceed six (6) square feet, installed by governmental, civic or religious organizations, and including flags or emblems flown from the buildings or grounds of such organizations.
6. 
Signs which are an integral part of vending machines, including gasoline pumps, which do not exceed two (2) square feet per machine or pump.
7. 
Temporary real estate signs pertaining to the lease or sale of the premises, in conformance with Section 21-104 above.
8. 
Temporary signs for charitable, educational, or religious events, erected for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days in any calendar year.