The purpose of this article is to create the legal framework
by which the Township of Franklin may regulate signs. More specifically,
these regulations are intended to:
A. Promote signs which are:
(1) Orderly, readable and appropriate to the activity to which they pertain
(time, place and manner).
(2) Compatible with surroundings.
(3) Expressive of the identity of individuals or proprietors.
(4) Complementary to the character of the community.
(5) Nondistracting to motorists so as not to contribute to traffic accidents.
B. Discourage and render unlawful signs which:
(1) Represent an overloaded, overstated system of graphics that defeats
its communicative purpose.
(2) Contribute to visual pollution and clutter.
(3) Are in disrepair or of faulty construction, thereby threatening the
safety and welfare of persons and property.
(4) Advertise, identify or promote an activity no longer in existence
or operation.
C. Otherwise control the size, location, character, and pertinent features
of all signs in order to meet the expressed purposes stated above.
[Amended 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 3959]
A. Signs
may be removed by the Township for the following reasons:
(1) Signs
unsafe by virtue of construction.
(a) Whenever a sign becomes dilapidated, structurally unsafe or endangers
the safety of life or property, the Township of Franklin Construction
Official or designee shall give a written notice that the sign either
be made safe or removed. Compliance with the written notice shall
be within 10 days of receipt of this order.
(b) The Construction Official or designee may remove said hazardous sign
in the event that the individual, corporation or other entity responsible
for same cannot be found or refuses to repair or remove it. The Township
may charge the owner of the sign for any costs incurred in removing
hazardous signs.
(2)
Signs unsafe by reason of placement. Signs that are unsafe by
reason of placement within a sight line, within a sight easement,
or which otherwise create a hazard by virtue of their placement shall
be removed. Signs which pose an imminent hazard to the public may
be removed by the Township without notice; otherwise the Township
shall give a written notice that the sign be removed and compliance
with the written notice shall be within 10 days of receipt of this
order. The Township may charge the owner of the sign for any costs
incurred in removing hazardous signs. All determinations with respect
to this section shall be made by the Chief of Police or the Township
Engineer or their designee.
(3)
Signs placed on public property. Signs placed on public property, including but not limited to lands owned by the Township, county or state, public open space lands and lands owned by the School District, may be removed by the Township. Such signs may be removed by the Chief of Police, Township Engineer or the Director of Planning or their designee. Pursuant to §
112-111B(3), this section shall not apply to temporary political or charitable signs placed within the non-travel portion of any Township right-of-way, provided such signs comply with §
112-108A(1) and
(2) above and provided such signs are not placed within the right-of-way abutting lands owned by the Township, county or state, public open space lands and lands owned by the School District.
(4)
Off-premises signs not otherwise permitted by this chapter.
B. Removed signs. When identifiable, the owner of sign(s) removed by
the Township without prior notice shall be subsequently notified by
the Township of such removal and the location from which the signs
were removed. Signs removed by the Township shall be stored at the
municipal complex, in good order, for 30 days prior to disposal.
C. Abandoned signs. Any individual, corporation or entity who owns or
leases a sign shall remove said sign within 30 days after the party
advertises that business is no longer conducted in or on the premises,
or the party vacates the premises.
D. Illegal signs. Any sign erected or applied in violation of this chapter
shall be removed immediately by the owner upon notice by the Township.
The following types of signs are not permitted within the Township
of Franklin:
A. Signs tacked, pasted, painted or otherwise attached to utility poles, posts, trees, fences, sidewalks, curbs, rocks, water towers, tanks, culverts or bridges, except that any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as authorized by the fish and game laws may be affixed to trees or fences located on the subject property and except that temporary political or charitable signs as permitted by §
112-110D and
E may be attached to posts and fences.
[Amended 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 3959]
B. Exterior signs using moving parts except clocks.
C. Animated, flashing, and illusionary signs.
D. Signs using mechanical or electrical devices to revolve, flash or
display movement, or the illusion of movement.
E. Portable signs which are fixed on a movable stand; self-supporting
without being firmly embedded in the ground; supported by other objects;
mounted on wheels or movable vehicles; or made easily movable in any
other manner, unless specifically permitted or exempted elsewhere
in this chapter.
F. Signs which bear or contain statements, words or pictures of an obscene
or indecent character.
G. Signs maintained at any location where, by reason of color, illumination,
position, size or shape, as determined by findings of the Chief of
Police or his designee, may obstruct, impair, obscure or be confused
with any traffic control sign, signal or device, or where it may interfere
with, mislead, or confuse vehicular traffic.
H. The following advertisements are specifically prohibited: any advertisement
which uses a series of two or more signs placed in a line parallel
to the highway or in similar fashion, all carrying a single advertisement
or message, part of which is contained on each sign.
I. Any sign which advertises or publicizes an activity, use, business,
product, real estate, or service not located or conducted on the premises
upon which such signs are located unless specifically permitted by
other provisions of this chapter.
J. No sign or portion thereof shall rotate, move, produce noise or smoke, display video or other changing imagery, automatically change, or be animated or blinking, nor shall any sign or portion thereof have any electronic, digital, tri-vision or other animated characteristics except as permitted in §
112-111M.
[Amended 4-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3875; 3-12-2019 by Ord. No. 4267-19]
The following shall not be subject to the permit provisions
of this chapter nor require the payment of any fee, but are subject
to all other provisions of this chapter:
A. Professional signs indicating the name and profession of the occupant
of a dwelling, provided that such signs do not exceed two square feet
on any one side.
B. Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments not covering
more than 25% of the window area.
C. Any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as
authorized by the fish and game laws.
D. Signs indicating a political preference or a political cause, provided
that such signs do not exceed 32 square feet in area per face. Such
signs shall be removed no later than 10 days after the event or election
to which they relate.
[Amended 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 3959]
E. Temporary signs of charitable organizations, provided that such signs
do not exceed 32 square feet per face. Such signs shall be removed
no later than 10 days after the event to which they relate.
[Amended 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 3959]
F. Real estate signs ("for sale," "for rent," or "sold"), provided that:
(1) Said sign does not exceed four square feet in area on any one side,
and also provided that no more than one such sign for each 200 feet
of frontage of the property to which such sign applies shall be exempt.
(2) In the event of the property having less than 200 feet of frontage,
only one such sign shall be exempt.
(3) With respect to the aforementioned "sold" signs, such signs shall
only be exempt for a period of 21 days after the date the applicable
property is sold.
(4) No more than eight open house directional signs, per property for
sale, not located on the subject property, to be erected on the date
of the open house, no earlier than dawn and no later than dusk, and
removed on that same day.
G. Signs required by law or government order, rule or regulation, including
signs forbidding dumping or signs erected by the municipality or government
for public purposes.
H. Seasonal decorations permitted for display purposes on public or
private property providing such decorations are safely maintained.
I. Signs displayed for the direction or convenience of the public, including
those to identify rest rooms, emergency exits and the like, with a
total sign area not exceeding five square feet.
J. Signs denoting responsible contact persons or firms placed on construction
sites and not exceeding 32 square feet in total sign area. They shall
be removed when construction is completed.
[Amended 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 3959]
K. Information, identification and directional signs, provided:
(1) The sign is for street number designation, postal box, on-site directional
or parking sign, warning sign or sign posting property as private
property, or similar signs. No such signs shall contain corporate
logos or other corporate identification.
(2) Such signs are not to be considered in calculating sign area.
(3) No such sign shall exceed three square feet in area.
L. Residential name plates consisting of one nonilluminated or shielded-lighted
not to exceed 25 watts and not exceeding two square feet in total
sign area shall be permitted for each single-family residence.
M. Rescue companies, first aid squads and fire houses shall be permitted
signs announcing membership drives, fund-raising drives and events,
public functions and other such events, provided such sign is no more
than 32 square feet per face.
[Added 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 3959]
N. Section
112-109J notwithstanding, digital display of fuel prices shall be permitted in association with gasoline filling stations provided:
[Added 3-27-2012 by Ord. No. 3970]
(1)
Such digital display consists solely of the display of fuel
prices with characters no greater than 24 inches in height;
(2)
Such digital display is contained wholly within, and is as an
integral part of, the freestanding site identification sign(s);
(3)
The price display of each fuel grade shall be limited to a single
color on a contrasting background;
(4)
Fuel prices shall be changed no more frequently than as permitted
by N.J.S.A. 56:6-2 or as otherwise permitted by New Jersey State Law;
(5)
Such digital display consists of a static digital display and
provided no portion shall rotate, move, produce noise or smoke, display
video or other changing imagery, or be animated or blinking;
(6)
Such digital display consists of no more than 50% of the sign
area;
(7)
No other signage shall be permitted on the property; and
(8)
No other signage advertising the price of fuel shall be permitted.
[Added 4-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3875; amended 12-8-2020 by Ord. No. 4333-20]
Billboards shall be permitted as a conditional use in the B-I District and shall be subject to the requirements provided in Article
V of Chapter
112.