This chapter may be cited as the "Amended Sign Ordinance of
the Borough of Paramus."
The purpose and objectives of this Amended Sign Ordinance of
the Borough of Paramus shall be to preserve the public health, welfare
and/or safety within the Borough of Paramus by providing a comprehensive
plan of regulation by coordinating the type, placement and scale of
signs within different land use zones within the Borough of Paramus;
establishment of a clear and orderly pattern of signs that are appropriately
designed to be compatible and not competitive with other signs; reduction
of obstructions, distractions and other conditions which cause confusion
or otherwise threaten to compromise pedestrian and vehicular safety;
promotion of ready identification of governmental and institutional
sites and events; promotion of safety on highways and roadways; coordination
of signs with prevailing speed limits and highway or roadway conditions;
to recognize the communication requirements of all sectors of the
community; to encourage the innovative use of design and advancing
technologies; to promote both renovation and proper maintenance; promotion
and protection of the Borough's visual resources by creation of a
pleasing streetscape, encouragement of artistic, creative, expressive
and distinctive signage of appeal and quality appropriate to the respective
environs, encouragement of signage compatible and reflective of desirable
architectural buildings and features, eradication and prevention of
visual clutter caused by the competitive proliferation of signs, disorderly
placement, excessive height, size and illumination and redundancy;
promotion of commerce in Paramus by affording each Borough profession,
business, industry and service a fair and protected opportunity to
communicate, identify and safely and effectively direct traffic to
its site by means which are expressive of identity and appropriate
to the nature of the enterprise and the surroundings and creating
a distinctive commercial environment which attracts business because
of a heightened visual quality and image; to allow for special circumstances;
and to guarantee equal treatment under the law. These shall be accomplished
by regulation of the display, erection, use and maintenance of signs.
The use of signs is regulated according to zone. The placement and
scale of signs are regulated, primarily, by type and length of street
frontage, and surrounding conditions must also be considered. All
signs hereafter erected and/or maintained, except official traffic
and street signs, shall conform with the provisions of this chapter.
Any signs not specifically permitted are and shall be prohibited.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
AWNING
A roof-like cover made of nylon, canvas, or other such material
or fabric that projects from the wall of a building for the purpose
of shielding a doorway or window from the elements.
BANNER
A temporary paper, plastic, or cloth device hung to attract
attention to a business or special event.
BILLBOARD
An off-premises sign displayed outdoors which is used to
advertise, identify, display, direct or attract attention to an object,
person, institution, organization, product, event, location, business,
industry, profession, commodity, service or entertainment not necessarily
sold or offered upon the premises where the sign is located or to
express a point of view. Billboards may include signs attached to
walls and those otherwise attached to buildings and structures as
well as those not attached to buildings and supported by uprights
or braces on the ground. For the purposes of this chapter, the term
"billboard" shall include the sign face, border, hardware and other
physical items constructed for the purpose of facilitating a billboard.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTERS
A sign whose alphabetic, graphic, or symbolic informational
content can be changed or altered on a fixed display surface composed
of electrically illuminated or mechanically driven changeable segments
either by means of preprogramming or by computer-driven electronic
impulses.
ERECT
To construct, build, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach,
create, paint, draw or in any other way bring into being or establish,
but not any of the foregoing activities when performed as an incident
to the change of an advertising message or normal maintenance or repair
of a sign or sign structure.
FLAG
Any fabric or bunting containing distinctive colors, patterns
or symbols.
FLAG, OFFICIAL
Any flag of the United States of America, the State of New
Jersey, the County of Bergen, the Borough of Paramus, or any other
governmental unit or recognized nonprofit organization.
FLAG, TRADEMARK
Any flag that displays only a registered trademark, logo,
corporate name or any combination of the three. No other wording or
display of any kind shall be considered a trademark flag.
FRONTAGE
The side of a lot abutting a street; the front lot line.
On lots with multiple street fronts, the frontage shall include the
length of the lot abutting all such streets.
GARAGE SALE
The offering for sale of multiple items of personal property
on property designed, used or intended as a residence.
GASOLINE SERVICE STATION
Any business that dispenses, or is designed, used, or intended
to dispense, gasoline and oil for use in motor vehicles and boats.
GASOLINE SERVICE STATION CANOPY
A freestanding structure located on the same premises as
a gasoline service station affording protection from the elements
to persons or property thereunder.
MARQUEE
A permanent roof-like shelter extending from part or all
of a building face over a public right-of-way and constructed of some
durable material such as metal, wood or plastic.
OPAQUE
Not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light.
PARAPET
The extension of a false front or wall above a roofline.
PERSON
Any individual, association, partnership, firm or corporation.
PLINTH
A monument sign base that rests directly on the ground designed
as a support unit, architectural unit, or decorative design element.
SIGN
Any inscription, design or lighting arrangement, written,
printed or otherwise placed on a board, object, balloon, banner, device,
display, fixture, placard, building, structure or part thereof, or
upon any material object or device, or in a window, situated outdoors,
which by reason of its form, color, working or otherwise, attracts
attention or otherwise intends to advertise, identify, display, direct
or attract attention to an object, person, institution, organization,
business, product, service, event, or location by any means, including
words, letters, figures, designs, graphics, symbols, fixtures, colors,
illumination or projected images, but excluding the flag of the United
States of America or other governmental flags, athletic scoreboards
on school premises, or official announcements and signs of government.
SIGN COPY
The wording or graphics on a sign surface.
SIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
The Borough of Paramus Sign Review Committee shall be an
advisory committee consisting of four individuals, each a member of
the Borough Planning Board, appointed to review and provide recommendations
to the Borough Zoning Signage Officer, the Borough Planning Board,
and then only on applications submitted to the Borough Planning Board
concerning sign, facade, and/or streetscape improvements, or as otherwise
provided for within the Borough Ordinances. The Borough Zoning Signage
Officer shall not be an appointed member of the Sign Review Committee
but shall chair all meetings of the Borough Sign Review Committee.
SIGN, ABANDONED
A sign that, after a period of 30 days, no longer correctly
directs or exhorts any person, advertises a bona fide business, lessor,
owner, project or activity conducted or product available on the premises
where such sign is displayed. Works of art unrelated to business or
other activity conducted at the property shall not be considered as
signs.
SIGN, ADVERTISING
A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity,
service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered elsewhere than
upon the same lot on which the sign is located or utilizes a trademark.
SIGN, ANIMATED
A sign which has its illumination maintained at a constant
intensity at the source of such illumination, and the animation is
created by other means than the increase or decrease of the intensity
of its illumination at its source.
SIGN, AWNING
A fireproof space frame structure with translucent flexible
reinforced vinyl covering designed in awning form, but whose principal
purpose and use is signage. Such signs are internally illuminated
by fluorescent or other light sources in fixtures approved under National
Electrical Code and BOCA Code.
SIGN, BLADE
A two-sided projecting sign extending in a perpendicular
plane from a vertical wall, in which said sign is mounted directly
to the building wall or suspended from an arm or bracket attached
to the building wall or a two-sided sign hanging under a building
eave/overhang.
SIGN, BUSINESS
A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity,
service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered upon the premises
where the sign is located.
SIGN, CHANGEABLE COPY
Any sign designed to allow the sign copy to be changed or
altered without undertaking a physical alteration to the sign by manual
or electric, electromechanical or electronic means (such as changing
sign panels or repainting the sign), i.e., through the use of movable
letters, electronic displays, interchangeable parts, or other means.
"Changeable copy" does not include copy pertaining to the business,
occupation, or tenant advertised or identified.
SIGN, CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION
A temporary sign used during the construction of new buildings
or reconstruction of or additions to existing buildings which identifies
the project or future use of a site and provides information denoting
the owner, architect, engineer, contractor, financing institutions
or similar individuals or firms having a role or interest in the project.
SIGN, DAILY ADVERTISING
A freestanding sign (e.g., A-frame, sandwich boards) that
is displayed during hours in which a business is open and removed
during hours in which a business is closed.
SIGN, DIRECTIONAL
A sign containing directional information about public places
owned or operated by federal, state or local governments or their
agencies; publicly or privately owned natural phenomena or historic,
cultural, scientific, educational and religions sites; and areas of
natural beauty or naturally suited to outdoor recreation; and a sign
containing directional information whose purpose it is to regulate
and control the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
SIGN, DIRECTORY
A freestanding sign listing the tenants or occupants of a
building or group of buildings that may indicate their respective
professions or business activities, and containing two or more names
within a single sign.
SIGN, DOUBLE-FACED
One sign painted on both sides or two signs of identical
size and shape attached to each other back-to-back. Whenever there
is an angle between the two sign faces, it shall be considered as
two separate signs.
SIGN, DRIVE-THROUGH MENU BOARD
A sign displaying food, beverages or other services offered
for sale at a business with drive-through service, and located adjacent
to the drive-through lane on the premises upon which such service
is offered.
SIGN, FACADE
A sign attached to, painted on or erected against the exterior
wall or window of a building or an awning.
SIGN, FLASHING
Any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light
source or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing
light by means of animation or an externally mounted intermittent
light source. Automatic changing signs such as public service time,
temperature and date signs or electronically controlled message centers
are not defined as "flashing signs."
SIGN, FLUTTERING
A sign which flutters or is made of flexible materials which
moves with the wind or by some other artificial means, including,
but not limited to, pennants, banners, balloons, spinning devices,
streamers, and flags other than official and trademark flags.
SIGN, FREESTANDING
Any sign supported by poles, columns, uprights, foundations
or other supports of any kind that is placed on, or anchored in, the
ground and that is independent from any part of any building or other
structure, but excluding monument signs.
SIGN, GARAGE SALE
A sign posted on a residential lot on which the garage sale
is to be held.
SIGN, INFORMATION
A sign that gives parking, building address, fire protection,
traffic flow (other than directional signs), height clearance, pedestrian
or other similar information and that does not advertise a business
or use located on the lot or parcel.
SIGN, INSTITUTIONAL
A sign that identifies or describes the services or functions
of premises or facilities used, maintained, or owned by any not-for-profit
educational institution, house of worship, religious society, fraternal
organization, public utility, hospital or any other similar organization.
SIGN, MEMORIAL OR TABLET
Historical tablets, cornerstones, memorial plaques and emblems
which do not exceed six square feet in surface area and which are
installed under the auspices of public or quasi-public bodies and
religious organizations.
SIGN, MONUMENT OR GROUND
Any detached sign on the same lot or parcel as the use it
advertises which has its bottom portion attached to a proportionate
base or plinth, integrated ground planter box, or structural frame.
SIGN, NAMEPLATE
A sign which states the name or address of the occupant where
a sign is located.
SIGN, NEON
An illuminated sign, typically constructed of a glass discharge
tube that has been shaped to form letters or symbols, and which contains
a gas or vapor (typically neon or mercury) that emits light when voltage
is applied across electrodes at either end of the tube.
SIGN, POLE
One or more stationary poles or pylons supporting a freestanding
sign located on the same lot or parcel as the use it advertises.
SIGN, POLITICAL
A temporary sign advocating or opposing any political proposition
or candidate for public office.
SIGN, PORTABLE
A sign that is not permanently affixed to a building or structure,
or the ground, and that may be readily moved or relocated.
SIGN, PROFESSIONAL
A sign directing attention to the office of a recognized
profession located on the same lot and listing only the name and recognized
profession of each resident practitioner.
SIGN, PROJECTING
Any sign that is wholly or partly dependent upon a building
for support and projects more than 14 inches from such building. See
"sign, blade."
SIGN, ROOF
Any sign constructed or supported on or above a roof of any
building or structure, excluding wall signs. The generally vertical
plane of a mansard-type roof shall be interpreted as the same as a
wall of a building.
SIGN, SANDWICH BOARD
A portable sign, also known as an A-frame sign, that consists
of two hinged sign boards with information on each side designed to
be placed on the ground or hung from the shoulders of an individual.
SIGN, TEMPORARY
Any sign intended for a limited or intermittent period of
display.
SIGN, WALL
A sign which is attached to or painted on the wall of a building
with the face in a place parallel to such wall and extending from
the face of such wall more than one foot at one end and no more than
three feet at the other end. That side which projects more than one
foot shall be covered with the same material as the remainder of the
sign and shall be at a right angle to the facade or side of said building.
The space between the sign face and the building wall shall be enclosed
so that the sign face and sign sides are flush with the building wall.
SIGN, WINDOW
A sign internally or externally affixed on a window or located
inside the window which faces the exterior of the building.
SPECIAL DISPLAYS
Signs or an assemblage of materials used for holidays or
promotion of civil welfare or charitable purposes.
STRUCTURE OF SIGN
Any structure which supports or is capable of supporting
any sign or signs.
Any person violating this chapter or any of its provisions shall,
upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not more than $2,000 per
sign per day or imprisonment of not more than five days, or both.
Each day and instance of violation shall constitute a separate offense,
and at the discretion of the Borough Zoning Signage Officer, a summons
may be issued for each separate offense. This chapter may also be
enforced in an action at law or equity for injunctive relief, pursuant
to applicable law.
Any summons issued pursuant to this chapter shall be under the
jurisdiction of the Borough of Paramus Municipal Court.
The following signs shall not require permits or the payment
of fees but are subject to the other provisions of this chapter:
A. Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments covering
not more than 20% of any given window and which shall be removed within
30 days of the date of the erection, which date shall be indicated
thereon in a prominent manner. These signs shall not unreasonably
obstruct light and visibility.
B. Public directional signs containing directional information about
public places owned or operated by federal, state, county or local
governments or their agencies; publicly owned natural phenomena or
historic, cultural and educational sites.
C. Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and dates of erection
when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or
other durable material not to exceed six square feet of surface area.
D. Any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as
authorized by the fish and game laws, dumping and the use of all-terrain
vehicles (ATVs), not to exceed two square feet in area.
E. Temporary signs indicating a political preference or a political
event, for a period of 60 days prior to an election or political event,
which shall be removed within 14 days after the election or political
event, provided that such signs do not exceed 32 square feet in area
on any one surface.
F. Name and number of plates identifying the residents on a house, apartment
or mailbox, not to exceed 60 square inches.
H. Temporary signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon
which they are situated, provided that such signs do not exceed eight
square feet and which shall be removed when the purpose of the sign
is fulfilled.
I. Temporary and permanent traffic signs and signals installed by the
Borough, county and state for the purpose of directing and regulating
the flow of traffic.
J. Signs indicating public transportation stops when installed by the
Borough or a public transportation utility.
K. Flags or emblems of religious, educational, civic or governmental
organizations flown from supports on the buildings or grounds occupied
by the organization and the American flag whenever and wherever flown
in accordance with the laws and rules promulgated by the federal government.
L. Lawn signs identifying residents, not exceeding 1 1/2 square
feet in area for each side. The signs shall not contain any advertising
message and shall be nonilluminated except by a light which is an
integral part of a lamppost if used as support.
M. Signs posted by governmental agencies or pursuant to governmental
statute, order or regulation.
N. Temporary "Open House" signs.
O. Signs erected inside a building not visible through windows.
P. Help wanted signs. One sign advertising employment opportunities,
located on the lot or parcel of the business advertising employment
opportunities, and not larger than one square foot in the HCC, HCC-2,
NB and LB Zones.
Q. Open/closed signs and signs indicating business hours. Such signs
shall not exceed one square foot and shall contain no other information
than that necessary to highlight business hours and the open/closed
status of a business.
R. Customary holiday seasonal decorations and lighting shall be permitted
within a continuous period of no more than 90 days per year and shall
be exempt from site plan approval. Such building, landscaping or site
accent lighting which is installed or used at times outside of the
permitted ninety-day period shall be subject to site plan approval.
S. Flags honoring and remembering military and servicemen and women
of the United States of America.
U. Any public notice or warning or safety sign required by a valid and
applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance.
V. Regulation mailboxes of the United States of America Postal Service.
W. Flags of the United States of America and/or the State of New Jersey.
X. Signs of the County of Bergen, the Borough of Paramus, the Paramus
School District, the Paramus Volunteer Fire Department or any other
governmental unit, provided approvals are received from the individual,
entity and/or governmental unit(s) having jurisdiction over the area
where placed and adjacent rights of way, respectively.
This section provides representative diagrams for certain signs
identified in this section which are subject to provisions of this
chapter and examples of the calculation of the sign area for certain
signs identified in this section which are subject to provisions of
this chapter:
D. Measurement of wall sign area where there is no defined sign background:
E. Awning sign and valance sign:
[Amended 7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-28]
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Zones
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Types of Signs
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R-50, R-75, R-100, R-150, R-150ML, R-2F, R-AH, R-GC, RML
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MFAC, MFML
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GOV
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NB
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HCC, HCC-2
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LB
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CEM
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HP
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CR
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MU
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Temporary real estate signs
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Temporary construction signs
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Name or professional sign
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X
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|
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|
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Multifamily monument sign
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X
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X
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|
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X
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Wall sign
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Directory sign
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|
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X
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X
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Awning sign
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X
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X
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Hanging sign/blade sign
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|
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X
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X
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X
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Freestanding monument base sign
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|
|
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X
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Freestanding pole sign
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|
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X
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X
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Directional sign - interior
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|
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X
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Temporary political sign
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Institutional sign
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Temporary "Grand Opening" or "Re-Grand Opening" signs
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|
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X
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X
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X
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Billboard signs
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X
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Entrance signs
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X
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X
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X
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Gasoline service station
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X
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X
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