Chester Heights City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVI
Signs
§ 185-99 Conformance to standards required.
Any sign hereafter erected or maintained shall conform with the provisions of this article and any other ordinance or regulations of the Borough of Chester Heights relating thereto.
§ 185-100 Signs in residential and apartment districts.
The following types of signs and no other shall be permitted in residence and multifamily districts:
A.
Official traffic signs, which should be combined or stacked on the same pole where possible.
B.
Street identification signs, which shall be uniform and approved by Borough Council. There shall be no subdivision name signs for developments of single houses.
C.
Historic homes or sites signs, which must be uniform in design, size and color and approved by Borough Council.
D.
Professional, accessory use, or identification signs indicating the name, profession, or activity of the occupant of a dwelling provided that:
(1)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed 200 square inches, not including multiple name listing signs for private residences.
(2)
Not more than one sign shall be erected for each permitted use or dwelling.
(3)
On multiple name listing signs for single dwellings, each single listing shall be limited to 125 square inches (approximately 1 1/2 inch letters).
(4)
No such sign shall be illuminated except by concealed or indirect lighting attached to the sign itself.
E.
Identification signs for schools, churches and similar permitted uses other than dwellings, provided that:
(1)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(2)
Not more than one such (double-sided) sign shall be placed on premises held in single and separate ownership, unless such premises fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage.
(3)
No such sign shall be illuminated except by concealed or indirect nonglare lighting attached to the sign itself.
F.
Real estate signs, including:
(1)
Signs advertising the sale or rental of premises provided that:
(a)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(b)
Not more than one such sign shall be erected for any property held in single and separate ownership. Such sign may be placed only on-premises and not on rights-of-way or utility poles.
(c)
No such sign shall be illuminated.
(d)
Signs indicating that a property has been sold or rented are prohibited.
(2)
On-site signs indicating the location and direction of premises in the process of development, provided that:
(a)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet [except as permitted in § 185-61C(8), Signs, of Article XI. (Planned Residential Development] and shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the street line.
(b)
Not more than one such sign shall be erected on each 500 feet of street frontage.
(c)
No such sign shall be illuminated.
(d)
All such signs shall be removed when active work on the development ceases.
G.
Trespassing sign or sign indicating the private nature of a driveway or premises, provided that the size of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet.
H.
Temporary signs of mechanics and artisans, provided that:
I.
Nonconforming signs, provided that:
(1)
The sign was conforming under the previous ordinance.
(2)
The total area of all such signs relating to a single use at the effective date of this chapter, or at the effective date of any amendment of this chapter by which any sign shall be made nonconforming, shall not be increased.
(3)
No such sign shall be changed or replaced in kind outside the limits of this article.
§ 185-101 Signs in business districts, nonresidential districts and Limited Industrial Districts; approved nonconforming uses.
[Amended 2-1-2010 by Ord. No. 185]
The following types of signs shall be permitted in business districts, nonresidential districts, Limited Industrial Districts or for approved nonconforming uses in other districts where designated and approved by the Borough:
A.
Any sign permitted in residence districts which relates to a use permitted in the district.
B.
Real estate signs advertising the sale or rental of premises, provided that:
C.
Business or related signs as follows:
(1)
Business or similar signs in conjunction with a permitted use, provided that:
(a)
The total area on one side of all signs placed on, or facing any one street frontage of any one premises shall not exceed one square foot for each lineal foot of building frontage, and provided, further, that in the case of a lot which is vacant, or one which any building is clearly incidental and accessory to the lot, the total area of all signs placed on or facing any one street frontage of any one premises shall not exceed one square foot for each two lineal feet of building frontage. In any case, no sign is to exceed 50 square feet in area. Both sides of sign containing 50 square feet may have lettering.
(b)
The total area of separate or freestanding letters used either against a wall, or as a ground sign, is calculated by the sum of the areas of the individual rectangles enclosing each letter. In any case, the area is not to exceed 50 square feet in area.
(c)
All signs shall be erected only on the premises on which the use to which the sign relates is conducted.
(d)
The area on one side of a directional sign shall not exceed nine square feet. (A directional sign serves as an aid to motorists using the parking facilities or service area of a facility and may be erected only on the premises and not itself call attention to that use).
(e)
The area on one side of any temporary, portable, or mobile sign shall not exceed 12 square feet, and not more than one such sign shall be placed on any 100 feet of street frontage on the premises for a period of more than 60 days in any twelve-month period.
(f)
No sign shall project above the parapet or roof of a building.
D.
Billboards in Limited Industrial Districts.
(1)
Purpose. It shall be the purpose of this Subsection D to permit billboards, by conditional use under Chapter 185, Article XXIV, §§ 185-137 and 185-138, and to:
(a)
Support the First Amendment rights of advertisers to promote legal products and services while retaining the sense of community and protecting the character of the Borough.
(b)
Ensure that billboards are provided for in the Borough and located safely and appropriately where they can be viewed by the traveling public with the least distraction and degradation in driving performance.
(c)
Place reasonable limits on the total number of billboards within the Borough.
(d)
Provide a timely and effective means for emergency and public service dissemination of information.
(e)
Provide quality, appearance and safety of billboards through the use of the latest technology.
(f)
Promote quality, appearance and safety of billboards within the Borough.
(2)
Billboards may only be erected or maintained on any premises in a district zoned Limited Industrial after a conditional use is granted by the Council for the Borough of Chester Heights. The conditional use, in addition to the criteria in §§ 185-137 and 185-138, shall meet the following criteria and shall be required to adhere to the following regulations:
(a)
Area, bulk and height regulations.
[1]
Billboards shall not have more than two display faces, neither of which may exceed 150 square feet. The display faces shall be back to back and shall not be more than four feet apart.
[2]
A billboard shall not be closer than a one-thousand-five-hundred-foot radius to another billboard, as measured between the closest points of each billboard, including the supporting structure.
[3]
A billboard shall not be closer than a five-hundred-foot radius to any Borough residential district.
[4]
A billboard shall not be located any closer than 150 feet to any Borough street or intersection.
[5]
The highest part of a billboard shall not exceed 35 feet in height, as measured from the base of the sign or grade of the nearest adjacent roadway, whichever is lower.
[6]
No billboard shall overhang a public or private right-of-way, nor shall it interfere with a two-hundred-foot line of sight in any direction at an intersection.
[7]
The minimum lot size for a billboard shall be two acres.
[8]
The minimum lot width at both the street line and the front yard setback line shall be 100 feet.
[9]
The minimum setback of the entire supporting structure, including the sign face(s) from the street line, shall be 35 feet, and the minimum setback from all other property lines shall be 25 feet.
(3)
In addition to the standards and criteria for approval of conditional uses set forth in §§ 185-137 and 185-138, the following standards and criteria shall apply to a billboard conditional use:
(a)
One billboard may be erected, constructed or maintained on any lot in a Limited Industrial District.
(b)
Application for a billboard shall be accompanied by a site plan and shall contain all of the applicable requirements set forth in the Chester Heights Zoning Code, as amended.
(c)
Application for a billboard shall be accompanied by a certification under seal by a professional engineer that the existence of the billboard advertising sign, as proposed, will be in accordance with all federal, state and local laws, codes and professional standards.
(d)
A billboard shall use vinyl wrap or a material of equivalent durability to display the sign copy.
(e)
The billboard and the lighting thereof shall be effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light that cause glare or impair the vision of a driver of a vehicle, or which interferes with a giver's operation of a motor vehicle, from being directed at any neighboring residential properties or at any portion of the traveled way.
(f)
No billboard shall be illuminated so that it obscures or interferes with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, device or signal.
(g)
No billboard shall be animated or utilize devices that move or create the illusion of motion.
(h)
A billboard structure shall have a minimum of one vertical support that is a minimum of 48 inches in diameter, with a one-half-inch wall or width, and without bracing or vertical supports.
(i)
A billboard sign face shall be independently supported and shall have vertical supports of metal which are galvanized or otherwise treated to prevent rust and corrosion. All billboards shall be painted in Pantone Matching System (PMS) Color 279.
(j)
One vertical support shall be capable of enabling the entire sign face to be able to withstand a minimum wind load of 100 miles per hour or meet the minimum standards and requirements as specified in the International Building Code, latest edition, whichever is greater.
(k)
The entire base of the billboard structure shall be permanently landscaped with suitable shrubbery and/or bushes of a minimum height of six feet, placed in such a manner as to screen the foundation of the structure. A landscaping plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the Code Enforcement Officer. Said landscaping shall be maintained by the owner in an attractive and healthy manner in accordance with accepted conservation practices. Landscaping shall form a base and backdrop to the billboard sign when practical.
(l)
No bare cuts are permitted on a hillside, and all cuts or fills are to be permanently seeded or planted.
(m)
No billboard structure, sign face or display shall emit noise or cause distraction, confusion, nuisance or hazard to traffic safety, aircraft or other properties.
(n)
No billboard shall be constructed within the clear-sight triangle of the public street or road on which it is situated and shall not in any manner obstruct or impede traffic safety, including ingress and egress.
(o)
Billboards must be freestanding and may not be mounted on a roof, wall or face or other part of a building or any other structure, including trees.
(p)
No billboard shall be located within the safe clear-sight distance or safe-stopping distance of a signalized intersection, which distance shall be determined in accordance with applicable Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards, and no part of a billboard shall interfere with or obstruct vehicle traffic, travel or ingress and egress to a public street.
(q)
Billboard faces shall not scroll, flash or twinkle, feature motion pictures, moving images or moving lights, or have mechanical or animated movement.
(r)
Only one advertisement, display or message may appear on a billboard face at any one time. When a billboard has two sides, each of the two sides of a billboard may contain a separate advertisement.
(s)
Changes from one advertisement, display or message to another may occur no more frequently than three times per side in any twenty-four-hour period and no more than one time per six-hour period, with transitions that do not have the effect of moving text images or lights.
(t)
Each face of a billboard shall be oriented toward the mad upon which the Billboard fronts or faces so as to cause the least visual impact upon neighboring properties.
(u)
Where billboards are visible from a residential district or use, the billboard shall be extinguished automatically, with Eastern standard time and daylight saving time control and spring or battery outage reset from 10:00 p.m. until sunrise the following day.
(v)
All utilities serving the billboard shall be located below the ground.
(w)
Billboards shall be properly and adequately secured to prevent unauthorized access.
(x)
Billboards, including support structures, shall be properly and regularly maintained and shall at all times be kept in a safe and operational manner.
(y)
There shall be no objects or other structures attached to a billboard or its support structure, except as may be necessary for the proper and safe operation and maintenance of the billboard.
(z)
A permanent means of vehicular ingress and egress to the billboard lot shall be provided.
(cc)
A bond or other security acceptable to the Borough, in a form and amount satisfactory to the Borough, shall be posted with the Borough to ensure that the billboard will be properly removed upon nonuse for a period of one year.
(ff)
Applicability of International Construction Code (ICC) standards. All sign standards herein shall exist in full force and effect in conjunction with all sign standards existing in the most recent edition of the ICC, as amended. Whenever any conflict exists between this chapter/this Subsection D and the ICC Code, the more restrictive provisions shall have precedence.
(gg)
The billboard structure shall be entirely repainted, at a minimum, every five years.
(hh)
Every three years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural inspection made of the billboard by a qualified Pennsylvania-registered structural engineer and shall provide to the Borough a certificate from the engineer or architect certifying that the billboard is structurally sound.
(ii)
Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance, and billboards found to be in violation of this Subsection D shall be brought into compliance within 30 days of notice or ordered removed upon proper notification by the Borough.
(4)
Public safety. Billboards shall include a means by which emergency service, public safety agency and other public service announcements may, without charge, be timely communicated via the billboard to alert the public on an emergency and temporary basis.
§ 185-102 Regulations applicable to all signs; permits; fees.
The following restrictions shall apply to all permitted sign uses:
A.
No sign shall be placed in such a position that it will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view.
B.
No sign, other than signs authorized by this article shall be erected within the lines of any public street or public sidewalk, or shall be closer to a curb or right-of-way than 10 feet, unless specifically authorized by other ordinances and regulations of the Borough of Chester Heights.
C.
No stringing of lights, no animated signs, nor signs that revolve, swing, or have movable parts, or have flashing lights or reflectors, shall be permitted after the effective date of this chapter, and no advertising sign, banner, pennant balance, spinners or display constructed of cloth, canvas, wall board, or other like materials shall be erected, suspended or hung on any property, except as follows: The Zoning Officer may permit the use of any such advertising signs, banners, or displays constructed of cloth, light fabric or other like materials for a period of not more than 30 days in any one calendar year, provided that:
(1)
No such sign or display shall exceed in size the area permitted for permanent signs as provided for each zoning district; and provided, further, that no sign shall be placed in such a position that it will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view; and provided, further, that no such sign or display shall be permitted within the lines of any public street or public sidewalk, or shall be closer to a curb or right-of-way than 10 feet, unless specifically authorized by other ordinances and regulations of the Borough of Chester Heights; and provided, further, that no sign or display shall be permitted to be placed across a public street or highway.
D.
No sign shall project over a public sidewalk or street unless specifically authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board.
E.
Wall signs shall not project more than 12 inches from the face of a building.
F.
Each sign must be maintained in good condition and repair. The Borough Zoning Officer is designated to periodically inspect such signs and shall require repairs when necessary within a reasonable time. Failure to comply shall be just cause for the Borough to remove the sign or take corrective action to insure the maintenance of the public safety. Enforcement of provisions of this chapter shall be the responsibility of the Zoning Officer.
G.
No commercial building, including multiple dwellings or apartments in any residential district, shall be illuminated on the exterior by flood lighting or spot lighting or similar type lighting.
H.
All ground signs shall have an open space of at least two feet between the ground and the bottom of the sign, so that this area may be maintained free of weeds and debris.
I.
Advertising signs within 400 feet of a public park or scenic area shall not be permitted to be located in such a manner as to obscure or detract from the view of such park or scenic area.
J.
All signs shall be made a part of the architectural design of a new commercial construction or major alterations of existing buildings. No sign shall protrude above the building height as defined in the district.
K.
Sign permits are required for all overhanging signs, and all other signs more than two square feet in area, except real estate signs. A fee payable to the Borough Secretary, is set by Borough Council and may be reviewed and changed from time to time. To apply for a permit, submit to the Zoning Officer a drawing showing size, layout, materials, illumination, and location on site plan. The submission will also be reviewed by the Borough's Architectural Review Committee.
L.
The Architectural Review Committee, appointed by the Council, shall consist of three members (a member of the Planning Commission, the Building Inspector and a qualified citizen not otherwise connected with the Borough government).
M.
All signs made nonconforming by this chapter, shall be altered, removed or eliminated within two years of the date of the adoption of this chapter.
N.
A fee schedule for permits is obtainable from and fees are paid to the Borough Secretary.