[Ord. 7/12/94]
The regulation of signs by this chapter is intended to promote and protect the public health, safety, and welfare by reducing the depreciation of property values caused by signs which are incompatible with surrounding land uses; by creating a more attractive economic and business climate within the commercial and industrial areas of the Borough; by enhancing and protecting the physical appearance of all areas of the Borough; and by reducing the distractions, obstructions and hazards to pedestrians and those traveling the roadways within the Borough which can be caused by the indiscriminate placement and use of signs.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
This chapter shall govern and control the construction, erection, enlargement, repair, renovation, alteration, relocation, operation, maintenance, reconstruction, demolition or removal of signs within the Borough. Any sign not expressly permitted by these regulations shall be prohibited. These provisions shall be in addition to and read in pari materia with the provisions of Chapter 4, Licensing and Business Regulations, and Chapter 14, Building and Housing.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
SIGN
Shall mean a structure, portion of a wall or other outdoor surface, or any device, whether indoor or outdoor, used for visual communication, display, identification or publicity, which is visible from any street, road, sidewalk, public or private property.
TEMPORARY SIGN
For purposes of this chapter, shall mean a sign which shall not remain in place for a period exceeding three months in a calendar year.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
The Construction Official is hereby appointed to administer and implement this chapter by granting or denying sign permits in accordance with its provisions.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
a. 
All signs shall require a sign permit unless exempted from the sign permit requirements under subsection 28-1.6.
b. 
Sign permits shall be issued by the Construction Official for signs permitted under this chapter upon application and payment of a sign fee in the amount of $20. The sign fees will be waived by the Construction Official for temporary signs for charitable, religious or educational purposes and for signs for which a fee is already required to obtain a construction permit under subsection 14-1.3.
c. 
Applicants must submit as part of the permit application a sketch showing the size, location, text and owner of the sign.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
Subject to the further provisions of this chapter, the following signs are expressly permitted in any zone of the Borough provided they are not prohibited by any other chapter:
a. 
Professional signs indicating the name and profession of the occupant of a dwelling, provided such signs do not exceed four square feet on any one side.
b. 
Residential nameplate signs situated within the property lines and not exceeding four square feet on any one side.
c. 
Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments not covering more than 25% of the window area.
d. 
Any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as authorized by the Fish and Game Laws.
e. 
Temporary signs indicating a political preference or a political cause provided such signs do not exceed 18 square feet in area on any one side.
f. 
Temporary charitable, religious or educational signs provided such signs do not exceed 18 square feet on any one side.
g. 
Temporary real estate "for sale," "for rent" and "sold" signs provided:
1. 
No such sign in a residential zone shall exceed nine square feet in surface area on any one side and is unlighted. No more than one such sign shall be permitted for each of 100 feet of lot frontage or fraction thereof.
2. 
No such sign shall exceed 25 square feet on any one side in a nonresidential zone. No more than one such sign shall be permitted for each of 100 feet of lot frontage or fraction thereof.
3. 
No such sign shall be located closer than 10 feet to a property line unless attached to a building.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
The following signs are prohibited:
a. 
Billboards signs in residential zones.
b. 
Exterior signs using moving parts, except clocks and temperature gauges.
c. 
Signs which direct attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered elsewhere than on the premises upon which the sign is located.
d. 
Rotating, moving, flashing or glittering signs.
e. 
Temporary real estate signs on lots in a proposed subdivision prior to final approval of the plat.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
a. 
No sign shall be erected, used or maintained which in any way simulates official, directional or warning signs erected or maintained by the State of New Jersey and any County or Municipality thereof, or by any public utility or similar agency concerned with the protection of the public health or safety.
b. 
No sign other than official traffic control devices or street signs shall be erected within, or encroach upon, the right-of-way lines of any street unless specifically authorized by this or other chapters.
c. 
No neon sign or similar illuminated advertisement shall be of such color or located in such a fashion as to diminish or detract in any way from the effectiveness of any traffic signal or similar safety or warning device.
d. 
The following signs are specifically prohibited: signs advertising a single advertisement message using a series of two or more signs placed in a line parallel to the roadway or in similar fashion, part of which message is contained on each sign.
e. 
No sign shall have flashing lights or exposed high intensity illumination.
f. 
No sign may obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light or ingress and egress to or from any building or structure, with the exception that 25% of any window, excepting those serving a fire escape, may be occupied by a sign or signs subject to the further provisions of this chapter.
g. 
No sign may be placed in such a position to cause a danger to traffic by obscuring visibility.
h. 
No sign shall contain profane language or language or pictures which are sexually explicit or of a sexually oriented nature.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
a. 
Illumination. Illumination devices such as, but not limited to, floor or spot lights, shall be so placed and so shielded as to prevent the illumination thereof from being cast into neighborhood dwellings and approaching vehicles.
b. 
Signs over Public Right-of-Way. No portion of any sign shall be located within or suspended over a public right-of-way or pedestrian walkway except for projecting signs as permitted by this chapter.
c. 
Setback from Residential District. No sign in a nonresidential zone shall be located closer than 25 feet to any residential zone boundary and further, shrubbery, a wall or other suitable device shall be provided as a visible barrier between the sign and adjoining residential properties.
d. 
General Provisions. No existing sign shall be enlarged, rebuilt, structurally altered or relocated except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and until a construction permit has been issued in accordance with Chapter 14, Building and Housing.
e. 
Nonconforming Signs. Nonconforming signs may be continued in use, but may not be enlarged, relocated, altered, rebuilt (except for existing billboards), extended nor made less conforming. Failure to keep signs in good repair for a period of 12 consecutive calendar months shall constitute abandonment, and such sign may not then be replaced or reused and must be removed.
f. 
Sign and Sign Structures. All signs shall be set back or elevated sufficiently to allow a clear, unobstructed line of sight from points of ingress or egress for at least 400 feet along all abutting streets and highways.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
The following signs are permitted in R-1, R-2, R-3 and Public zones:
a. 
One nonflashing sign identifying a church, public building, playground or other such permitted use and not exceeding 25 square feet in area on any one side. No such sign shall be located closer than 10 feet to any property line.
b. 
Clubs, where permitted, shall be permitted one unlighted, attached sign not to exceed nine square feet on any one side.
c. 
Apartment buildings, where permitted, shall be permitted to attach signs not to exceed 10% of the wall area facing a street or streets.
d. 
Buildings permitted to be used for office professional purposes shall be permitted to attach one sign to the side of the structure facing the street; the sign not to exceed 5% of the wall area of front facade.
[1]
Editor's Note: Codified as adopted by Ord. 7/12/94.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
The following signs are permitted in all nonresidential zones:
a. 
Attached Signs. Signs attached to the main building advertising a business or businesses conducted on the premises shall be subject to the following regulations:
1. 
For a building having one side facing a street, the attached signs may be placed on the front of the building of 25 square feet or 10% of the front of the building, whichever is greater. No sign shall have a vertical dimension in excess of five feet.
2. 
For a building on a corner lot or having both front and rear entrances for customers or patrons to the business, attached signs may be placed on the front, side or rear of the building not to exceed 10% of the wall area of the front and side or rear walls of the building except that no such sign shall have a vertical dimension in excess of five feet.
3. 
Such sign shall not project more than four feet from the building facade to which it is attached, provided, however, where a sign extends more than eight inches from the face of the wall, the bottom of the sign shall not be closer than 10 feet from the ground level of the sign.
4. 
No sign projecting more than eight inches from a wall shall have a vertical dimension in excess of five feet, and no such sign shall extend more than four feet above the roof line.
b. 
Freestanding Signs.
1. 
Such signs shall not exceed a height of 18 feet or the height of the principal building on the lot, whichever is greater. The bottom edge of the sign shall not be less than three feet above the ground.
2. 
No such sign shall exceed 25 square feet in area on any one side.
3. 
Not more than one freestanding sign per business premises shall be permitted on any one street frontage.
4. 
Such sign shall advertise only such business as is conducted on the premises where the sign is located.
5. 
Such sign shall not overhang the front property line nor be less than one foot from a side or rear property line.
[Ord. 7/12/94]
Any person who violates any section of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as established in Chapter 1, Section 1-5.