Brady Township Butler County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE X
Signs
§ 350-1001 General requirements.
The following regulations and restrictions shall apply to all signs created in all zoning districts of this Township, with all signs requiring a building permit or zoning permit as the same is applicable herein.
Permitting of signs.
When required. If a sign requiring a building permit or zoning permit approval under the provisions of this chapter is to be placed, constructed, erected altered or modified on a lot or site, the owner of the lot shall secure a permit prior to the construction, placement, erection or modification of such a sign and a zoning approval for occupancy/use after completion of such sign in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
No zoning approval shall be issued for any business identification sign requiring a zoning approval unless and until a master signage plan for the lot or site, on which the signs will be erected has been submitted to the Zoning Officer and approved by the Zoning Officer as conforming with this chapter. A master signage plan will be submitted which contains the following:
Two copies each — a site plan of the lot or site and elevation drawings to scale — clearly and legibly drawn at a scale of one inch being equal to 50 feet or less, showing the location of each existing and proposed sign on the building, lighting, material, color scheme and lettering or graphic style, computation of the maximum total sign area, the maximum area for individual signs, the height of signs, and the number of freestanding signs allowed on the lot or site.
No zoning approval of any kind shall be issued for an existing or proposed sign unless such sign is consistent with the requirements of this chapter in every respect and with the master signage plan for the lot or site.
After approval of a master signage plan, no sign shall be erected, placed, painted, or maintained except in conformance with such plan and such plan may be enforced in the same way as any provision of this chapter.
Signs within public rights-of-way:
No sign shall be constructed, erected, or so located that any portion of the sign structure projects over or is placed within the right-of-way lines of any public highway or street except for official traffic signs or for street or road signs as required and erected by local, state, and/or federal governmental agencies or authorities.
Street or road signs as required and erected by local, state, and/or federal governmental agencies or authorities are permitted at a height of not less than seven feet above the top level of established or proposed curb. Such signs may have a reflective surface. Signs guiding or controlling traffic movement may be permitted at a height to exceed seven feet above adjacent grade level and may be illuminated if such is judged to be appropriate and necessary by the governmental agency or authority responsible for the erection and maintenance of said signs.
Any sign which does not comply with the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a public nuisance in addition to being in and of itself a violation of this chapter.
Sign location and construction.
All signs shall be a minimum of 10 feet from the right-of-way or four feet inside public sidewalk and the clear sight triangle must be maintained.
No permanent sign shall be erected, placed, or constructed in any zoning district on a movable base, sled, trailer vehicle, or any other portable device. Temporary signs shall be erected and maintained in accordance with the appropriate provisions of this chapter.
Sign lighting.
Signs that flash, rotate, oscillate or move shall not be permitted. Digital signs are not included in this reference.
Any sign other than official governmental traffic control signs using the words "Stop," "Look," "Listen," "Slow," "Danger," or any other words, phrase symbol, or character in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse traffic shall be prohibited.
A sign may be illuminated, according to the provisions of this chapter. The illumination is confined to or directed to the surface of the sign.
All illumination shall be by diffuse or indirect light.
All lighting shall be so arranged as to reflect the light away from adjoining premises and public right-of-way.
No artificial light or reflecting device shall be used where such will interfere with, compete for attention with, or may be mistaken for a traffic signal.
No illumination utilizing red, green, or yellow lights, or a combination thereof, shall be utilized if such sign interferes with the effective visibility of any adjacent traffic signal or if such sign is located adjacent to a roadway where such illumination might give the appearance or impression of a traffic signal.
Sign removal.
Any sign which is in violation of this chapter or which creates a public nuisance or hazard shall be removed by the owner(s) after they are so notified by the Township Board of Supervisors.
In the case of a nonconforming sign determined to be a public nuisance or hazard which has not been removed by the owner(s) within 10 days following proper notification by the Township Board of Supervisors, then the Township, in order to prevent such signs from becoming injurious to public health and welfare, may enter upon the premises upon which such sign is erected and remove said sign along with its supporting structure or hanging devices. All costs and expenses of removal shall be the obligation of the owner(s) of said signs and the Township may proceed to collect said costs and expenses by any legal procedure that said Township deems advisable, including, without limitation, the filing of a municipal lien.
A public nuisance or hazard shall be defined as any condition that is created as a result of sign disrepair which in the opinion of the Township Board of Supervisors will likely cause injury or damage to persons or property.
§ 350-1002 Signs advertising sale, rental or development of real estate.
Permanent off-premises signs indicating the location and direction of premises available for or in the process of development within the Township, may be, erected and maintained in any zoning district of this Township, provided:
The gross surface area of such sign shall not be in excess of four square feet.
No more than two such signs shall be erected for each property available for, or in the process of development.
Such signs shall not be reflective or illuminated.
No signs shall be permitted on public lands.
At no time will such signs be placed on any utility pole.
Banners may be permitted as a conditional use upon the approval of the Township Board of Supervisors.
Permanent on-premises signs indicating the location and direction of premises available or in the process of development, erected upon such premises, and having inscribed thereon the name of the owner, developer, builder, or agent may be erected and maintained, provided:
The gross surface area of such sign shall not be in excess of 20 square feet in all districts.
The total height of such sign shall not exceed six feet above adjacent ground grade.
Such sign shall be located not less than 10 feet from the right-of-way line of any public street or highway and not less than 20 feet from any interior (side) property line.
Not more than one such sign shall be erected on each 1,000 lineal feet of street frontage.
Such sign shall not be reflective or illuminated.
Such sign shall be removed within one year from the date of issuance of the permit to erect said sign.
Temporary on-premises signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises when erected by the owner or any other person interested in the sale or rental of such premises, shall adhere to the following:
The gross surface area of such sign shall not be in excess of four square feet.
Not more than one such sign shall be placed upon each property except when:
Such signs shall not be reflective or illuminated.
Signs bearing the word "sold" or the word "rented" with the name of the persons or corporate entity effecting the sale or rental may be erected and maintained when erected upon the premises affected, provided that such signs are removed within 30 days of the date of the final sale or rental.
§ 350-1003 Temporary signs.
Temporary off-premises signs may be erected on real estate located in any zoning district by the owner or owners of that property, provided:
The gross surface area of such sign shall not exceed 20 square feet in all districts.
The total height of such sign shall not exceed six feet above adjacent ground grade.
Only one such sign shall be erected and maintained on each property unless such property fronts on more than one public street, in which event one such sign may be erected on each frontage.
Such signs shall only be erected and maintained during the time period beginning four weeks before an event and terminating one week following that event or use.
The owner of the property upon which such sign is erected shall be responsible for the placement, maintenance, and removal of such sign in accordance with the terms of this chapter.
No sign shall be reflective or illuminated.
All such signs shall be self-supporting or wall-mounted. Overhead signs, arched signs, and banners are prohibited.
The sign is utilized to advertise a nonprofit or community organization. At no time will such signs be placed on any utility pole.
Signs of mechanics, painters, and other artisans may be erected and maintained during the period such persons are performing work on the premises on which such signs are erected, provided:
The gross surface area of such sign shall not be in excess of 20 square feet.
Such signs shall not be reflective or illuminated.
No more than one such sign shall be placed upon each property.
Such signs when pertaining to remodeling or rehabilitation work being performed on an existing structure shall be displayed for a period not to exceed 60 days in any one calendar year.
Such signs when pertaining to the construction of a new structure or an addition to an existing structure shall be removed within 15 days of the completion of work or the issuance of an occupancy/use permit, as applicable, except as mandated by state or federal regulations.
Temporary signs advertising the sale of farm products, when said sale is not the primary use of the premises and where such sale is permitted under the terms of the district of this chapter, may be erected, provided:
§ 350-1004 No-trespassing signs.
A trespassing sign, or sign indicating the private nature of a driveway or property, or restricting the use of a driveway or property, may be erected and maintained, provided that the gross surface area of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet. Only one such sign is permitted for every 100 feet of public street frontage. Such sign shall not be an overhead sign or be illuminated.
For any nonresidential property, a trespassing sign, or sign indicating the private nature of a driveway or property, or restricting the use of a driveway or property, may be erected and maintained, provided that the gross surface area of any such sign shall not exceed four square feet. Only two such signs are permitted per property unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which event two such signs may be erected on each frontage. Such signs shall not be overhead signs or illuminated but may be reflective.
§ 350-1005 Residential signs.
[Amended 5-21-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-01]
Nameplate signs that indicate the name of the owner or occupant of a residential use and the street number may be erected and maintained, provided:
Nonilluminated nameplate signs shall not exceed a gross surface area of six square feet.
Illuminated nameplate signs shall not exceed two square feet in gross surface area and shall not be larger than 12 inches by 24 inches.
Nameplate signs shall be wall-mounted or self-supporting.
Only one such sign shall be permitted per dwelling unit.
(Reserved)
Residential development designation.
Two such signs may be erected at the entrance/exit of roads which service a particular residential development.
Such a sign may be erected on a wall or a pillar but the sign shall not be more than five feet in height. The pillar or wall that the sign is attached to shall be not more than eight feet in height.
Such a sign shall be set back a minimum of five feet from the public right-of-way unless approval is given by the Board of Supervisors.
Such a sign shall not exceed 20 square feet in area, exclusive of supporting pillars.
Such a sign shall not be flashing, contain moving parts, be changeable or constructed of reflective or fluorescent materials.
The placement of such a sign shall not obstruct the sight triangle.
§ 350-1006 Identification signs for noncommercial public and semipublic facilities.
Identification signs located on the premises or building in all districts, which serve only to tell the name or use of a public or semipublic facility, such as churches, schools, camps, hospitals, recreational place, municipal facility, or other institutions of similar nature, when permitted under the terms of the district and this chapter, may be erected and maintained, provided:
The gross surface area of any such sign shall not be in excess of 36 square feet. The gross surface area of any such arched sign shall not be in excess of 125 square feet.
Any self-supporting identification sign may be allowed up to 1/3 additional sign area over that allowed for such sign under the provisions of this chapter to be used for ornamentation of the upright or structural portion of the sign, provided that such ornamentation is designed in such a manner as to form an integral background element to the remainder of the sign and the design otherwise enhances the appearance of the sign.
No more than two such signs shall be placed on each property unless such property fronts upon more than one public street, in which event, two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
Such signs shall not be overhead signs. Only wall-mounted or self-supporting signs are permitted.
Self-supporting or wall-mounted signs may be reflective and may be illuminated in accordance with the provisions of the chapter.
§ 350-1007 Business identification signs.
Business identification signs bearing the name of the occupant and the service offered or products sold or displayed may be erected and maintained on a tract or parcel when said tract or parcel contains only one business enterprise, provided:
No more than two such signs may be placed on each property unless such property fronts on more than one public street, in which event, two signs may be erected on each frontage.
A combination of self-supporting, wall-mounted, or overhead signs are permitted provided that the total number shall not exceed two signs except as provided in Subsection A(1) above.
The gross surface area of an overhead sign shall not exceed 20 square feet and shall not project beyond the building line.
The gross surface area of a wall-mounted sign shall not exceed 1.5 square feet of gross sign surface area per one lineal foot of building frontage.
The gross surface area of a self-supporting sign shall be as follows:
The gross surface area of such self-supporting sign located 10 feet to 50 feet from a public street or road right-of-way shall not exceed 50 square feet.
The gross surface area of such self-supporting sign located more than 50 feet from a public street or road right-of-way shall not exceed 75 square feet.
Such signs may be illuminated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Each business may erect signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter. Such signs shall be limited to such information or instructions as necessary for the convenience of vehicular traffic in reaching such business.
No sign shall exceed the height of 35 feet above adjacent ground level.
All wall-mounted signs shall be affixed to or displayed on the face of a building. Such signs shall not project or extend above or beyond the roof or eave line.
Overhead signs shall be at least 13 feet six inches high measured from the adjacent ground grade.
No wall-mounted sign shall project over a sidewalk area available for public use more than 12 inches.
Business identification signs bearing the name of the integrated commercial development, the commercial occupants, and the services offered or products sold or displayed may be erected and maintained on a parcel when in accordance with Article X, § 350-1007A(1) through (7), as listed above, and when:
Only one self-supporting sign identifying only the name of the integrated commercial development may be erected and maintained per land parcel unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which event, one such sign may be erected on each frontage.
There shall be only one sign of any nature on any standard erected to hold a self-supporting sign.
The gross surface area of such identification sign shall not exceed two square feet of gross sign surface area per one lineal foot of street frontage not to exceed 300 square feet in gross surface area.
Each business enterprise shall be permitted one wall-mounted business identification sign not to exceed two square feet of gross sign surface area per one lineal foot of frontage of the building or portion of the building occupied by said business enterprise.
As applicable, each business enterprise shall be permitted one additional wall-mounted business identification sign for each auxiliary or accessory use. Such sign shall not exceed 40 square feet of gross surface area.
No combination of business enterprises may combine their interest to permit larger signs or increase the number of signs.
Such signs may be illuminated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.