[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Paterson as
indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Garage sales and flea markets — See Ch. 249.
[Adopted 5-23-1995 as Ord. No. 95-028]
Real estate signs customarily necessary in the offering of real estate
for sale or to let by the owner thereof or by his real estate agent or broker
are permitted to be erected in the City, provided that the following requirements
are complied with:
A.
In all zones, one real estate sign is permitted for each
principal use.
B.
All real estate signs shall be nonilluminated.
C.
All real estate signs may be freestanding or attached
to the building which is for sale or to let.
D.
Signs permitted hereby shall pertain only to the sale
or lease of the lot or premises upon which the sign was placed.
E.
Signs customarily used to indicate that the real estate
offered for sale or to let has been sold or leased by the owner, real estate
agent or broker concerned are prohibited. Permitted real estate signs shall
be removed within seven days of the day that a contact of sale or lease of
a premises has been executed by both parties to the document.
F.
In the event that the owner, real estate agent or broker
conducts an open house at the premises, an addition to the signs, stating
"open house," may be added to the on-premises sign.
[Adopted 2-10-2004 by Ord. No. 04-009]
The Municipal Council finds and declares that the safety and welfare
of the people of the City and others using the streets and sidewalks of the
City are endangered because of the common practice of candidates for public
office and their supporters, and of supporters and opposers of public questions
posed in elections to:
A.
Affix posters, signs and other campaign literature to
trees, lawns, poles, trestles, traffic signs and other structures in the City,
causing same to be obliterated, obstructed and defaced.
B.
Write names and slogans upon the streets and sidewalks
of the City, causing lawful markings upon same to be confused, obstructed
and defaced.
C.
Fail to remove such signs, posters and other campaign
literature after the elections, thereby requiring the diversion of the work
effort of municipal personnel and causing an unsightly condition and expensive
drain on municipal funds.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any poster, sign, handbill, circular, banner, card, advertisement,
printed sticker, painted words or material having reference to any election
or to the adoption or rejection of any public questions at any general, primary
or special election.
Any individual candidate, corporation, political committee, citizen's
committee or partnership, organization, association or any committee or group
of persons organized on behalf of or against any candidate or public question
to be voted on at any special, primary or general election.
Any sign, including on the lawns or grounds of private property,
advancing the candidacy of any candidate or group of candidates for public
office or supporting or opposing a public question, expressly excluding, however,
any such signs posted or displayed on existing commercial billboards by or
with the consent of the owner thereof and any such signs posted or displayed
on licensed motor vehicles in operating condition; provided, however, that
no such vehicle is parked or placed in any location for the primary purpose
of displaying any such signs, it being the intention of this article to eliminate
the unsightly condition created by the parking or standing of motor vehicles
bearing political signs at or adjacent to trafficked areas for the purpose
of displaying such signs.
Any property or item used for public purposes, including but not
limited to all public streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public
ways, all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds, buildings, medians, traffic
signal facilities, utility poles or any other type of public pole, public
trees, litter receptacles, benches, bus shelters, fences or any object affixed
to or placed upon public streets, parking lots or sidewalks which is affixed
or placed thereon for public purposes or for the use of the public.
A.
Except as provided in Subsection B hereof below, any such political signs shall be a ground sign or a sign placed on or in private property, with the consent of the owner, and no such sign shall exceed eight square feet in total display area nor have a setback less than 10 feet from the inner line of the sidewalk upon which fronts the lot on which such sign is situated or, where no sidewalk exists, less than 20 feet from the street line upon which fronts the lot on which such sign situated.
B.
Any privately owned building or part thereof designated
and serving as the campaign headquarters of any candidate or group of candidates
for election for public office or as headquarters of a person or entity supporting
or opposing a public question may display one political sign not exceeding
20 square feet in total area.
All campaign material and political signs shall bear upon the face thereof
a statement of the name, address and other information required to be disclosed
by New Jersey Election Statutes.
The following persons shall be responsible under this article for the
removal of any campaign material or political sign posted:
A.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall erect or display
or who shall cause or permit to be erected or displayed any campaign material
or political sign on premises subject to his, her or its control.
B.
Persons whose names appear on any political sign or on
any campaign material and as required by New Jersey Election Statutes.
C.
Any other person who actually places any campaign material
or political sign in any public place or public facility, even though his
or her name does not appear thereon.
[Amended 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-006]
No campaign material or political sign shall be erected, posted or displayed,
including on private property, more than 30 days prior to the date of the
election to which such material or sign pertains, and any such material or
sign shall be removed not more than 14 days after the date of such election.
A.
No person shall draw, write or print or permit or suffer
to be drawn, written or printed upon any street or sidewalk or upon any public
place or facility any slogan, motto, name or symbol whether the same is written
with chalk, paint or any other substance. Each day the political sign, advertisement
or writing remains in violation of this section may be considered a separate
violation, and a separate complaint may be issued for said violation until
it is removed.
B.
No campaign material or political sign shall be attached
to or affixed upon any public place, public facility or on public property
by any means. Each day the political sign, advertisement or writing remains
in violation of this section may be considered a separate violation, and a
separate complaint may be issued for said violation until it is removed.
C.
No campaign material or political sign shall be painted
or affixed upon private property or private fence or a private tree without
the consent of the owner thereof. Each day the political sign, advertisement
or writing remains in violation of this section may be considered a separate
violation, and a separate complaint may be issued for said violation until
it is removed.
D.
No person shall remove, tear down, deface or destroy
any lawfully erected political sign on private property without the consent
of the owner of said private property.
[Amended 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-006]
A.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall,
upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine in the amount of $50. Fines
for violation of any provision of this article are payable at the Violations
Bureau without a court appearance. Costs of court of $30 will be imposed,
consistent with New Jersey Court Rule 7:11-4, for all such payments.
[Amended 5-23-2006 by Ord. No. 06-050]
B.
No summons or complaint shall issue to a candidate or the owner
of private property on which a sign is located more than 14 days after the
election until a warning is first issued to the candidate and owner and the
sign is not removed within seven days of the issuance of said notice.
