Brecknock Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
Signs
§ 110-82 Intent; interpretation of provisions.
The following sign regulations are included to provide guidance in preserving Brecknock Township's rural character. Any sign not exempt from this chapter shall adhere to the general sign standards, the standards determined by the usage classification of the sign and the standards determined by the construction classification of the sign as described in this Article. Where standards for one sign conflict, the more restrictive standard shall apply.
§ 110-83 Signs exempt from requirements.
The following signs shall not be included in the application of the sign requirements of this chapter.
A.
Incidental signs not exceeding a sign area of one square foot and not including any commercial message or logo, which carry a message to identify rest rooms, entrances and exits, telephone locations, an on-site direction, on-site warnings or anything similar.
B.
Government signs such as official traffic and street name signs and identification, informational or directional signs required by government bodies or their agencies.
C.
Flags, badges or insignia of any government, government agency, civic organization, charitable organization or religious organization.
D.
Property identification signs which do not exceed two square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, post box numbers, names of occupants or premises or other identification not having commercial connections.
E.
Integral decoration or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving parts or moving lights.
F.
Private traffic signs which guide traffic and direct parking on private property, but bear no advertising matter.
§ 110-84 Sign standards determined by use of sign.
All signs shall be divided into classifications based on the use of the individual sign. Each sign shall adhere to the following specific sign standards for their respective classifications:
B.
Home occupation or name signs indicating the name, profession or activity of the occupant of the dwelling shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of three square feet.
(2)
Signs shall not project more than six inches from a wall when attached to a building.
(3)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
(4)
The sign shall be limited to the name, address, occupation or activity and a logo or trademark.
(5)
There may be no illumination, except that a sign for a medical office or emergency service may be illuminated when the business is open.
C.
Identification signs identifying schools, churches, hospitals or similar institutions and for fraternal clubs, lodges, farms, residential developments and public parks and recreation areas shall comply with the following:
D.
Contractor signs. Temporary signs of contractors, architects, mechanics, artisans and similar professions shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs must be set back at least 10 feet from the road right-of-way line or at the building face, whichever is less. If attached parallel to the building face, it may extend 12 inches.
(2)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of six square feet.
(3)
Signs shall be displayed only while the actual work of the profession is in progress.
(4)
Signs shall be removed within 30 days after completion of the project.
(5)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
E.
Special event signs. A temporary sign or banner advertising a sale or providing information about a special event sponsored by a legally recognized institutional, public, civic, charitable or religious organization shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 16 square feet, and banners shall have a maximum sign area of 32 square feet.
(2)
Signs and banners shall be permitted for a maximum of 60 days.
(3)
Signs and banners shall be removed within five days after the event.
(4)
Banners crossing a street shall be a minimum of 16 feet above the cartway. No part of the banner shall be more than 25 feet in height. Banners utilizing utility poles for their suspension must provide proof from the utility company such erection has been approved.
F.
Real estate signs. A sign advertising the sale, rental, leasing or development of the premises shall comply with the following:
G.
Election signs. A sign directing attention to a candidate, political party or a ballot issue shall comply with the following:
H.
Advertising sign. A sign relating to a commercial, industrial, private, recreational, public utility or other similar business conducted on the premises in which the sign is located shall comply with the following:
(1)
Wall signs which are part of the architectural design of a building shall be restricted to an area not more than 15% of the wall area, including windows and doors, of the wall upon which such sign is affixed or attached, and such sign shall not protrude above the structural wall of which it is a part. A wall advertising sign shall have a maximum sign area of 100 square feet. Where such sign consists of individual lettering or symbols attached to a building or wall, the area of the sign shall be considered to be part of the smallest rectangle or other regular geometric shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
(2)
Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of 18 feet from ground level to the top of the sign and shall not exceed a height of 20 feet to the top of the sign support. The freestanding sign shall have a maximum sign area of 32 square feet.
(3)
A window sign consisting of individual letters or symbols shall not exceed 30% of the total glass area of the building front.
(4)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
(5)
Freestanding signs shall not be located within 10 feet of any right-of-way line or 10 feet of any property line.
(6)
Advertising signs are only permitted in Neighborhood Commercial (NC), Highway Commercial (HC), Light Industrial (LI) and Mineral Recovery (MR) Zoning Districts.
[Amended 10-11-1994 by Ord. No. 101]
(7)
A single, nonilluminated, advertising sign is permitted for agricultural uses within any zoning district when proposed in conjunction with the display and sale of locally produced food and agricultural products as described in § 110-38A(6).
[Added 5-11-2010 by Ord. No. 171]
I.
Center sign. A business sign which provides identification at the entrance to a complex such as a shopping center, office complex or industrial park shall comply with the following:
(1)
The sign shall devote no less than 50% of the total sign area to advertisement of the center's name.
(2)
A center sign shall have a maximum size of 32 square feet.
(3)
Individual uses within the center may be identified on the center sign, provided that no more than one sign per entrance is proposed and the size of such sign for the individual use shall not exceed four square feet.
(4)
A center sign shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet from street right-of-way line.
(5)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the premises to which the sign relates.
J.
Billboards. A sign advertising a product or service other than those which are found on the premises on which the sign is located shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall only be permitted in the Highway Commercial, Light Industrial and Agricultural-2 Zoning Districts.
(2)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 300 square feet.
(3)
No sign shall be erected within 600 feet of existing residential dwellings.
(4)
A minimum distance of 1,000 feet shall be maintained between a proposed billboard and any other proposed or existing billboard. The minimum distance shall be measured radially from the farthest extension of any proposed or existing panel type sign.
(5)
No part of the sign shall be more than 25 feet in height.
(6)
All signs shall be set a minimum distance of 30 feet from any street or road right-of-way line.
(7)
Lighted signs shall use nonglare lighting fixtures designated and approved for outdoor use.
K.
Business directional signs. A sign containing only the commercial, industrial, private recreational, religious or other similar business or use, name and an arrow or other directional symbol indicating the route to the business shall comply with the following:
(1)
The sign shall have a maximum sign area of three square feet.
(2)
The top of any sign shall be no more than six feet from the ground surface immediately underneath.
(3)
No single use or business establishment shall erect, place, install or maintain more than six such signs with the Township.
(4)
No such sign may be erected, placed, installed or maintained without the permission of the landowner of the premises on which the sign is to be located.
L.
Garage/yard sale signs. A temporary sign advertising the sale of personal goods on a property shall comply with the following:
M.
All other signs which cannot be divided into one of the other classifications defined in this section shall be permitted only by a special exception granted by the Zoning Hearing Board. The Board may specify such appropriate conditions and safeguards as may be required to keep such signs consistent with the intent of this chapter.
§ 110-85 Sign standards determined by construction of sign.
All signs shall be divided into classifications based on the construction of the individual sign. Each sign shall adhere to the following specific sign standards for their respective classifications.
A.
Area. The area of a sign shall be the area of the smallest rectangle, triangle or circle that will encompass all elements of the sign, such as letters, figures, symbols, designs or other display.
(1)
When the sign is a separate unit, the area shall include any borders, framing, trim, decorative attachments, background and space between elements; it shall not include any supporting structure unless the structure is illuminated, is in the form of a symbol or contains advertising elements.
(2)
When a sign is applied to a wall or otherwise has no definable edges, the area shall include all color artwork or other means used to differentiate the sign from the surface upon which it is placed.
(3)
When a single sign structure has more than two faces with the same message and the sign faces are more than three feet apart at any point, the area shall be computed by determining the greatest total area of all sign faces visible from any single location.
B.
Height. The sign height shall be measured from the finished grade to the highest point of the sign. The grade shall not be altered for the purpose of altering the elevation of the sign.
C.
Ground signs. Signs which are stationary but not supported by a part of a building or which are erected on an independent structure (legs or base), so that the structure is the main support of the sign, shall comply with the following:
D.
Flat wall signs. Signs which are erected or displayed on or parallel to the surface of a building shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall not project more than 12 inches from the building wall.
(2)
In any case where projection from the wall is greater than three inches, the sign shall be a minimum of eight feet above grade.
(3)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the wall area on which the sign is mounted or a maximum sign area of 100 square feet.
E.
Wall projecting signs. A sign which is mounted upon a building so that the principal face is at right angles to the building wall shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall be located so that the lower edge of the sign is a minimum of eight feet above grade.
(2)
Signs shall project a maximum of 10 feet from the building wall; provided, however, that no sign shall project within the road right-of-way.
(3)
No sign shall extend higher than the top of the wall to which it is attached.
(4)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the wall upon which they are mounted or a maximum sign area of 100 square feet, whichever is less.
F.
Roof signs. A sign which is erected or displayed upon the roof of any building shall comply with the following:
(1)
No sign shall be placed upon the roof of any building so as to prevent the free passage from one part of the roof to the other or to interfere with any openings in the roof.
(2)
No sign erected upon the roof of any building shall project beyond the edges of the roof in any direction.
(3)
Roof signs may extend no higher than the building height limit for the zoning district, measured at ground level.
(4)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the front wall area or a maximum sign area of 100 square feet, whichever is less.
(5)
No roof sign parallel to a building shall extend in length a distance greater than 2/3 of the length of the wall to which it is parallel.
G.
Other signs not permanently attached at all points or which utilize air motion, sound, direction lights or mechanical parts for effect shall be permitted only by a special exception granted by the Zoning Hearing Board. The Board may specify such appropriate conditions and safeguards as may be required to keep such signs consistent with the intent of this chapter.
§ 110-86 General sign standards.
The following standards shall apply to all signs, except that they shall be superseded by any more specific or conflicting regulations elsewhere in this Article.
A.
All signs shall reflect the general character of the neighborhood.
B.
No sign shall be maintained within the Township in such a state of disrepair as to have the appearance of complete neglect or which is rotting or falling down, which is illegible or has loose parts separated from original fastenings.
C.
If a sign becomes unsafe, the Zoning Officer shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on which the sign is located that the sign must be made safe or removed within five days.
D.
The areas surrounding all signs shall be maintained in a neat, clean and attractive condition.
E.
All signs shall be removed within six months if the purpose for which they were erected no longer exists.
F.
No temporary signs shall be permitted except as authorized elsewhere in this Article.
G.
No permanent sign shall be located within a street right-of-way, except a government sign, a public utility sign, a nonprofit organization sign or another sign approved by the governing body or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
H.
No sign shall be located within the clear sight triangle of any street intersection or any other position where it could endanger vehicular or pedestrian traffic by obstructing vision.
I.
Any sign within a floodplain must receive approval as a special exception.
J.
No sign shall be erected or located so as to prevent free ingress and egress from any window, door or fire escape.
K.
No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct ventilation or light from a building.
L.
No overhead sign shall have a clearance of less than eight feet between any pedestrian walk at the lowest part of the sign.
M.
No sign which is parallel to the face of a building shall project more than 12 inches over a public sidewalk; no sign which is perpendicular to the face of a building shall project more than 48 inches over a public sidewalk.
N.
No sign shall be permitted which imitates or which might be confused with an official traffic sign or signal, such as by containing the words "Stop" or "Danger" or by including red, green or yellow lights.
O.
No sign or window display shall include a revolving beam or beacon of light resembling an emergency vehicle or facility.
P.
No sign shall advertise activities or products which are illegal under federal, state or local municipal laws or regulations.
Q.
No sign shall include statements, words or pictures which are considered to be vulgar, obscene or pornographic.
R.
No animated, sequential, intermittent, flashing, rotating or oscillating signs shall be permitted except for time-and-temperature signs.
S.
No sign shall emit smoke, visible vapors, particles, sound or odor.
T.
No sign shall be placed on an automobile, truck or other vehicle when that vehicle is used primarily for displaying a sign.
U.
No open flames shall be permitted as part of a sign or in any other way to attract attention.
V.
Advertising painted or displayed upon a barn or other structure shall be considered a sign and shall comply with the regulations of this Article.
W.
Any sign which has been authenticated as historically significant and accurate for its specific location, whether original or a replica, shall be exempt from the regulations of this Article.
X.
The light from any illuminated sign shall not adversely affect safe vision of operators of vehicles moving on public or private streets or parking areas, any residential district or any part of a building or property used for residential purpose.
Y.
Business signs in other than commercial and industrial districts shall not be illuminated when the business is closed.
Z.
All electrically illuminated signs shall be constructed to the standards/listing of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and so labeled.
§ 110-87 Sign permits.
The following signs shall be permitted to be erected without the requirement of a zoning permit:
§ 110-88 Nonconforming signs.
Nonconforming signs may continue to be displayed, as long as there is compliance with the following limitations and conditions:
A.
There may be no expansion or increase in the nonconformity in any way.
B.
Any maintenance and repair is limited to replacement of less than 50% of the sign and its supporting structure, and repair must be completed within six months of the damage occurring.
C.
The sign must be brought into conformity if the message is changed to reflect a new business or occupant.
D.
The sign must be brought into conformity if, for a period of at least six months, the message has no longer applied to an activity on the premises.