Abbottstown City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XI
Sign Standards
§ 204-38 Statement of intent.
In expansion of the community development objectives in § 204-3 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this section to place reasonable standards on the erection and maintenance of signs within the Borough of Abbottstown. Furthermore, it is the intent of this section to:
A.
Maintain and enhance the aesthetic qualities of the historic, mixed-use core of Abbottstown by encouraging signs to be designed of sizes, shapes, colors, and styles complimentary to the historic character of Abbottstown.
B.
Allow signs in all zoning districts that balance the needs of individual property owners with the desire of the community to perpetuate an attractive, livable environment.
C.
Maintain adequate traffic safety standards by minimizing the negative sensory impacts of excessive signage as well as minimizing signage conflicts with necessary traffic control signs and equipment.
D.
Encourage signage that will meet the needs of pedestrians and occupants of moving vehicles traveling at speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour.
§ 204-39 Administration.
A.
Sign permits. No sign shall be erected, enlarged, or relocated until a permit for doing so has been issued by the Zoning Officer. All applications for a sign permit shall be made to the Zoning Officer and shall conform to the following requirements.
(1)
Name, address and telephone number of applicant.
(3)
Name of the person, firm, corporation, or associations erecting the sign.
(4)
Written consent of the owner of the building, structure, or land to or on which the sign is to be located.
(5)
Other information as required by the Zoning Officer to demonstrate full compliance with this and all other codes and ordinances of the Borough of Abbottstown.
(6)
All applicable permits fees, as established by resolution by the Borough Council of the Borough of Abbottstown, shall be paid.
C.
Revocation of permits. All permits shall be subject to revocation upon 15 days' written notice for violation of any provision or upon change of information provided in the application. Revocation of a permit shall not be cause for refund of the permit fee.
D.
Nonconforming sign standards. Any sign lawfully existing at the time of the passage of this chapter that does not conform with the regulations of the district in which such sign is located shall be considered nonconforming. Said signs shall be subject to the following conditions:
E.
Abandoned signs. A sign and its structure shall be considered abandoned when:
§ 204-40 Permitted signs.
The following types of signs shall be authorized within the Borough of Abbottstown.
A.
Permanent signs.
(1)
Awning signs.
(2)
Billboard signs.
(3)
Canopy signs.
(4)
Directory signs.
(5)
Drive-through menu boards.
(6)
Fascia signs.
(7)
Freestanding signs.
(8)
Home occupation/cottage industry sign.
(9)
Hours of operation signs.
(10)
Open/closed signs.
(11)
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs.
(12)
Projecting signs.
(13)
Residential development/neighborhood signs.
(14)
Revolving barbershop poles.
(15)
Sandwich board signs.
(16)
Wall signs.
(17)
Window signs.
D.
Exempt signs.
(1)
Official street and traffic signs.
(2)
Other signs required by state or federal law.
(3)
Political signs.
(4)
Street number and nameplate signs.
(5)
Governmental flags or insignias.
(6)
Public service signs.
(7)
Legal notices.
(8)
Vending machine signs.
(9)
Memorial signs or historical signs or markers.
§ 204-41 Prohibited signs.
The following types of signs and/or sign design features are prohibited in all districts.
A.
Flashing signs and/or flashing and/or rotating lights.
B.
Revolving, rotating, or otherwise moving signs.
C.
Animated signs.
D.
Animated and/or changeable copy signs except when copy is changed manually and except for Digital Message Center Signs permitted in accordance with § 204-42A(18). Signs with the express purpose of displaying the time and/or temperature or the price of gasoline are exempted from this requirement.
[Amended 7-21-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-02]
E.
Electronic signs advertising a business name and/or products for sale on-site or off-site, except for Digital Message Center signs permitted in accordance with § 204-42A(18).
[Amended 7-21-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-02]
G.
Any sign located in or extending into a public right-of-way, except official street and traffic signs and other signs required by state or federal law.
H.
Any sign attached to a trailer or a vehicle, where any such trailer or vehicle is allowed to remain parked in the same location or in the same vicinity at frequent times, or for extended periods of time (longer than one week), and is exposed to view from a public road, shall be considered a sign subject to the provisions of this chapter. This provision does not restrict the use of identification signs on vehicles actively used for delivery service, interstate commerce, or any bona fide transportation activity, or which are parked within an enclosure or screened area blocking them from view from a public road.
I.
Any sign which uses the words "stop," "look," "danger," or any other word or character which attempts or appears to attempt to direct the movement of traffic or which interferes with or resembles any official traffic sign, signal, or device.
J.
Open flames used to attract public attention to a place of business or to an advertising sign.
K.
Signs within the center circle portion of the Abbottstown Square or any public road or street right-of-way.
L.
Signs that include words, phrases or pictures which are considered to be vulgar, obscene or pornographic. This prohibition only applies to signs which, taken as a whole appeal to the prurient interest in sex; which portray sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and which taken as a whole, do not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
M.
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs shall not be permitted within the LDR, MDR, TCR and TCMU Districts.
§ 204-42 Design regulations for signs.
The following design standards shall apply for signs within the Borough of Abbottstown, except upon order of the Zoning Hearing Board, granted pursuant to the procedures established for the issuance of a variance.
A.
Permanent signs.
(1)
Awning signs.
(a)
The copy area of an awning sign shall not exceed an area equal to 25% of the background area of the awning surface to which such sign is affixed.
(2)
Billboard signs.
(a)
Billboard signs are permitted by conditional use.
(b)
Billboard signs shall only be permitted on properties within the CI District with road frontage on Route 30.
(c)
The maximum angle between two sides of a billboard sign shall be 60°.
(d)
The maximum area of any one side of a billboard sign shall not exceed 150 square feet.
(e)
The total area of all sides of a billboard sign shall not exceed 300 square feet.
(f)
The maximum height of a billboard sign shall not exceed 25 feet.
(g)
The minimum clearance height of a billboard sign shall be seven feet.
(h)
All billboard signs shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from all public road rights-of-way.
(3)
Canopy signs.
(a)
The permanently fixed copy area of canopy signs shall not exceed an area equal to 25% of the face of the canopy, marquee or architectural projection upon which such sign is applied.
(b)
Graphic striping, patterns or color bands on the face of a building, canopy, marquee or architectural projection shall not be included in the computation of sign copy area.
(4)
Directory signs.
(a)
One sign may be erected for each major parking area or each main entrance to a building.
(b)
The maximum area of a directory sign shall be one square foot for each linear foot of building facade up to a maximum of 25 square feet per side.
(c)
Directory signs may be wall-mounted or freestanding.
(d)
Freestanding directory signs shall have a maximum height of 12 feet, including any supporting structure components.
(e)
Freestanding directory signs shall have a maximum of four sides.
(5)
Drive-through menu boards.
(a)
The drive-through menu board shall be located adjacent to the drive-through lane.
(b)
All drive-through menu boards shall have a maximum sign area of 32 square feet, with no dimension more than 12 feet. However, drive-through menu board signs may increase the maximum permitted area by 50% if the height of the freestanding sign, including support structure, is no greater than eight feet.
(c)
There shall be no more than one drive-through menu board per drive-through lane.
(d)
The height of all drive-through menu boards, including any mounting or other support structures, shall be in no greater than 15 feet as measured from the average existing grade directly below the sign.
(e)
The drive-through menu boards shall only be used to display those products and services offered at the on-site drive-through.
(6)
Fascia signs.
(a)
A fascia sign shall have a minimum clearance of eight feet from the sidewalk and shall not extend above the eaves of parapet of the building.
(b)
The area of a fascia sign shall be limited by the width of the occupant's building facade.
(c)
The maximum height of the text or image copy a fascia sign shall be two feet.
(d)
No text or image copy of a fascia sign shall extend within two feet of the party or end wall of a building.
(7)
Freestanding sign.
(a)
One freestanding sign shall be permitted on a lot.
(b)
The sign shall be set back at least eight feet from the right-of-way line or 12 feet from the curb line, whichever is greater.
(c)
The sign location shall meet the side and rear setbacks for the underlying zoning district. However, under no circumstances shall a sign be located less than five feet from a side or rear lot line.
(d)
Freestanding signs shall not be permitted on a site where a freestanding directory sign has already been erected.
(e)
The area of the sign shall be one square foot for each linear foot of the building facade up to a maximum of 25 square feet per side.
(f)
The maximum height of the sign, including any supporting structure components, shall be 12 feet.
(g)
Freestanding signs shall not be permitted on any properties immediately adjacent to the Abbottstown Square.
(8)
Home occupation/cottage industry sign.
(a)
A maximum of one sign per property shall be permitted for each home occupation and/or cottage industry operated on the property.
(b)
These signs shall not display the name or logo of specific product brands for sale on the property.
(c)
The area of the sign shall be a maximum of 10 square feet per side.
(d)
The maximum height of the sign shall be six feet.
(11)
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs.
(a)
Such signs shall only be permitted within the CI District.
(b)
A maximum of one sign per tenant shall be permitted. However, no more than two such signs shall be located on any one property.
(c)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign, including any supporting structure components, shall be 10 feet.
(12)
Projecting signs.
(a)
One projecting sign may be erected on a building and/or structure fronting onto a public right-of-way if that premises has a minimum of 50 linear feet of frontage onto the public right-of-way.
(b)
The sign location shall at least five feet from the end of the building or structure to which it is attached.
(c)
The sign shall maintain a minimum clearance of eight feet from the sidewalk and shall not extend above the eaves or parapet of the building.
(d)
The sign shall not project more than four feet beyond the outer building wall.
(e)
The area of the sign shall be a maximum of 20 square feet per side.
(13)
Residential development/neighborhood signs.
(a)
A maximum of one sign per street entrance shall be permitted.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be eight feet.
(e)
The maximum height of the sign, including any supporting structure components, shall be 10 feet.
(14)
Revolving barbershop poles.
(a)
Barbershop poles may be freestanding or wall-mounted. Freestanding barbershop poles are not permitted on a property where a freestanding sign exists or has been established per § 204-42A(7).
(b)
The maximum height of a freestanding barbershop pole shall be eight feet, including any supporting structures.
(c)
A wall-mounted barbershop pole shall maintain a minimum clearance of eight feet from the sidewalk and shall not extend above the eaves or parapet of the building.
(15)
Sandwich board signs.
(a)
Each nonresidential use shall be permitted one sandwich board sign along each public street the use fronts.
(b)
Sandwich board signs shall not be permitted on a site where a freestanding sign or freestanding directory sign has already been erected.
(c)
The maximum height of the sign shall be four feet.
(d)
The maximum width of the sign shall be two feet.
(e)
The sign shall be located directly in front of the business it is advertising.
(f)
The sign shall not block a sidewalk, walkway or path.
(g)
The sign may only be displayed during business hours.
(16)
Wall signs.
(a)
The maximum area of a sign for all wall signs, excluding wall-mounted directory signs, shall not exceed 1.25 square feet of sign area per linear foot of building wall on the side of the building on which the sign is mounted.
(b)
No text or image copy of a wall sign shall extend within two feet of the party or end wall of a building.
(17)
Window signs.
(a)
A window sign shall consist of words or a logo or both, but shall not have any painted background.
(b)
Window signs shall not exceed 40% of the total area of the store front window area.
(c)
Window signs shall be transparent and shall not obstruct the view into the building from outside the window.
(d)
No permanent window sign shall have any flashing lights or lighted displays.
(e)
Signs advertising a specific manufacturer's labeled product are not permitted as window signs.
(f)
Window signs meeting the above requirements are not counted towards the maximum number of permanent signs permitted on a building or lot.
(18)
Digital message center signs.
[Added 7-21-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-02]
(a)
Such signs shall only be permitted within the CI District.
(b)
All messages/displays shall remain unchanged for a minimum of eight seconds.
(c)
The time interval used to change from one complete message/display to the next complete message/display shall be a maximum of one second.
(d)
There shall be no appearance of a visual dissolve or fading, in which any part of one message/display appears simultaneously with any part of a second message/display.
(e)
There shall be no appearance of flashing or sudden bursts of light, animation, movement, or flow of the message/display.
(f)
Any illumination intensity or contrast of light level shall remain constant.
B.
Directional signs.
(1)
Nonresidential use entrance and exit signs.
(a)
A nonresidential use shall be permitted to erect one entrance and one exit sign per public road frontage with an access drive. Lots with more than one use shall be limited to one entrance and one exit sign per public road frontage with an access drive for the entire property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed six square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of the sign shall not exceed five feet.
(2)
Off-premises directional signs.
(a)
A maximum of one off-premises directional sign shall be permitted per property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of the sign shall not exceed 10 feet.
(e)
Off-premise directional signs shall not be permitted on any properties immediately adjacent to the Abbottstown Square.
C.
Temporary signs. The following temporary signs shall be exempt from the permitting requirements of § 204-39A, provided the following standards are met.
(1)
"No trespassing" or "private property" signs.
(2)
Real estate signs.
(a)
Each separately deeded property shall be allowed one such sign per public road frontage.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed 10 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be six feet.
(e)
The signs must be removed within five business days following sale or rental of the property.
(3)
Contractor signs.
(a)
A maximum of one such sign per firm shall be permitted per separately deeded property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed eight square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 16 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be five feet.
(e)
The signs must be removed within one day following completion of the work.
(4)
Developer signs.
(a)
A maximum of one such sign per street entrance shall be permitted.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of each sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of each sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The maximum height of each sign shall be eight feet.
(e)
The signs must be removed once all lots or units with the development site have been constructed.
(5)
Yard or garage sale signs.
(a)
A maximum of two signs shall be permitted per property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed eight square feet.
(d)
The sign(s) shall not be displayed more than seven days prior to the start of the event and shall be removed within one day after the conclusion of the event.
(6)
Business grand opening signs.
(a)
A maximum of one such sign shall be permitted per business per public road frontage.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed 25 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 50 square feet.
(d)
The sign(s) shall not be displayed for a period exceeding three months out of every 12 months.
(7)
Special event signs.
(a)
A maximum of one special event sign shall be permitted per property.
(b)
The maximum area of any one side of a sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(c)
The total area of the sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
(d)
The sign may be freestanding or wall mounted and shall conform to the height requirements in § 204-42 for freestanding and wall signs.
(e)
The sign(s) shall not be displayed more than 14 days prior to the start of the event and shall be removed within three days after the conclusion of the event.
D.
Exempt signs. The following signs shall be exempt from the permitting requirements of § 204-39A provided the following standards are met.
(1)
Official street and traffic signs.
(a)
There shall be no limits on the number, size or maximum height of official street and traffic signs.
(2)
Other signs required by state or federal law.
(a)
There shall be no limits on the number, size or maximum height of any non-street or traffic signs required by state or federal law.
(6)
Public service signs.
(a)
Public service signs shall include those advertising availability of restrooms, telephones, or similar public conveniences, and directional signs for public safety directions.
(b)
There shall be no restrictions of the number of such signs permitted on any property.
(c)
The maximum area of the sign shall be four square feet.
(d)
Each sign shall be attached to a building or wall.
§ 204-43 General regulations for signs.
The following general regulations shall apply to all signs within the Borough of Abbottstown, except upon order of the Zoning Hearing Board, granted pursuant to the procedures established for the issuance of a variance.
A.
Sign location. All signs shall comply with the following standards concerning sign location:
(1)
No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window or fire escape. No sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
(2)
No sign shall be erected at the intersection of streets so as to obstruct the clear sight triangle, established by the Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance or applicable PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) or other applicable state or federal standards.
(3)
Unless specifically authorized elsewhere within this chapter, no sign shall be erected within the legal right-of-way of any public or private street.
B.
Sign illumination. Unless specifically authorized elsewhere within this chapter, no sign permitted within the ordinance shall be internally illuminated. Externally illuminated signs shall be done so using fully shielded or full-cutoff light fixtures.
C.
Sign construction and maintenance. All signs shall comply with the following standards concerning construction and maintenance:
(1)
All signs shall be constructed of durable materials and kept in good condition and repair.
(2)
All lighting associated with any sign shall be done so in accordance with applicable Uniform Construction Code standards and the National Board of Fire Underwriters.
(3)
Whenever a sign becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of the building or premise, or endangers the public safety, the Zoning Officer shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on which the sign is located that such sign must be made safe or removed within five days.
D.
Sign height. The height of a sign shall be measured from the existing ground elevation at the base of the sign to the highest point of the sign structure.
E.
Calculating sign area. For the purposes of this chapter, the area of a sign shall be calculated as follows:
(1)
The area of the sign shall include the entire area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the outer limits of the sign. The sign area shall not include any structural elements lying outside the limits of the sign and not forming an integral part of the display.
(2)
Unless otherwise stated by individual sign standards in § 204-42, in the case of an open sign made up of individual letters, attached to or painted on a building, wall, window, canopy, or awning, the sign area shall be that of the smallest rectangle or other geometric shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
(3)
In computing the area of a double-faced sign, only one face shall be considered, provided that both faces are identical in area. The maximum angle between sign faces shall be 60° for a sign to be considered a double-faced sign.
§ 204-44 Permitted sign types by zoning district.
The following sign types shall be permitted with each zoning district as follows:
Zoning District | LDR | MDR | TCR | TCMU | CI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Signs | ||||||
Signs per lot (residential only) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Hours of operations and open/closed signs shall not count towards this limit | |
Signs per lot (nonresidential, single occupancy) | 2 | 2 | 2 | Window, hours of operations, and open/closed signs, and revolving barbershop poles shall not count towards these limits | ||
Signs per tenant (nonresidential, multiple occupancy) | 1 | 1 | 1 | Window, hours of operations, and open/closed signs, and revolving barbershop poles shall not count towards these limits. | ||
Signs per occupant of mixed-use structures | 2 | 2 | 2 | Window, hours of operations, and open/closed signs, and revolving barbershop poles shall not count towards these limits | ||
Signs for home occupations and cottage industries | 1 each | 1 each | 1 each | 1 each | Hours of operations and open/closed signs shall not count towards this limit | |
Permanent Signs | ||||||
Awning signs | P | P | ||||
Billboard signs | CU | |||||
Canopy signs | P | P | ||||
Directory signs | P | P | ||||
Drive-through menu boards | P | |||||
Fascia signs | P | P | ||||
Freestanding signs | P | P | ||||
Home occupation sign | P | P | P | |||
Hours of operation signs | P | P | P | P | P | |
Open/closed signs | P | P | P | P | P | |
Projecting signs | P | P | ||||
Sandwich board signs | P | P | ||||
Wall signs | P | P | ||||
Window signs | P | P | ||||
Residential development/ neighborhood signs | P | P | P | |||
Revolving barbershop pole | P | P | P | P | ||
Pennant, feather, streamer, flag and inflatable signs | P | |||||
Directional Signs | ||||||
Nonresidential entrance and exit signs | P | P | ||||
Off-premises directional signs | P | P | P | P | P | |