Codorus Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE X
Signs
§ 250-83 Outdoor signs.
A.
General regulations applying to all signs.
(1)
Existing signs. Any sign which lawfully existed and was maintained at the effective date of this chapter may be continued, provided such sign is constructed of durable materials and is kept in good condition and repair.
(2)
Determination of size:
(a)
The size of the sign shall refer to the area of the sign facing, including any border framing or decorative attachments. In the case of open signs made up of letters, figures and designs, the space between such letters, figures and designs shall be included. When such sign consists only of letters, designs or figures engraved, painted, projected or in any manner affixed on a wall, the total area of which such sign consists shall be considered the area of said sign.
(b)
Where a sign has two or more faces, the area of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign, except that where two such faces are placed back to back and at no point more than three feet from one another, the area of the sign shall be taken as the area of one face if the two faces are of equal area, or as the area of the larger face if the two faces are of unequal size. Structural members and supports required by Building Codes and not bearing advertising matter shall be excluded from the sign area.
(c)
The part of a canopy which does not contain any advertising or promotional material shall not be included in the area of the sign. The width of the canopy may not exceed the width of the sign by more than one foot. The highest part of the canopy may not exceed the highest part of the sign by more than three feet.
B.
Location/projection of signs:
(1)
Signs must be located so that they do not interfere with any clear sight triangle as defined by this chapter.
(2)
For all uses, an advertising sign and a business sign must be at least 60 feet apart, and no sign exceeding 30 square feet in area may be located within 75 feet of a residential district.
(3)
No sign may project over a public sidewalk area or over a public highway or street.
(4)
No sign shall project more than 35 feet above the ground except for an attached sign, which may not project above the roof of the building.
(5)
No sign shall be placed within a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation right-of-way without written approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
C.
Illumination of signs:
(1)
Flashing, rotating and intermittent lights are not permitted.
(2)
Signs permitted in residential and agricultural districts shall be illuminated only by indirect lighting and shall not be illuminated between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
(3)
A sign may be illuminated only if the lighting is so screened that it is not directed or reflected toward any residence within 100 feet or so it does not obstruct the vision of motorists.
(4)
Signs which are illuminated in the colors red, green, or amber, either by colored bulbs or tubing, or in high reflection by the use of special preparations such as fluorescent paint or glass, may not be located within a radius of 200 feet of a highway traffic light or similar safety device or from the center of any street intersection.
D.
Miscellaneous general sign provisions:
(1)
Advertising painted upon or displayed upon a barn or other building or structure shall be regarded as an advertising sign board and the regulations pertaining thereto shall apply.
(2)
Nothing in these regulations shall be construed as prohibiting signs intended for viewing principally from within a building or signs temporarily attached to the inside face of a display window announcing a sale or similar feature. Such signs shall be permitted in addition to any of the specific sign types designated on the charts to follow.
(3)
Buntings and pennants. Buntings, pennants and similar objects are permitted only in the General Commercial District to announce the opening of a new business or industry or in connection with a civic event and must be removed after 30 days.
(4)
Construction and maintenance. Signs must be constructed of durable materials, maintained in good condition and not allowed to become dilapidated.
(5)
Termination of enterprise. Upon termination or abandonment of a use, all signs pertaining to the use must be removed.
(6)
Traffic signs may be placed only by the state or by the Township.
(7)
Advertising signs erected or displayed at recreational facilities such as parks and ball fields owned or operated by Codorus Township shall be exempt from the provisions and regulations of this chapter; provided, however, that no advertising signs shall be erected or displayed at recreational facilities without the express written permission of Codorus Township.
E.
Signs permitted and extent of uses:
Type, Location and Size of Sign | ||
|---|---|---|
Type of Sign | Where Permitted | Maximum Size (square feet) |
Traffic | Any district | |
Home occupation or bed-and-breakfast inn | Any district | 9 |
Trespassing | Any district | 1 |
Utility | Any district | 2 |
For sale, rent, sold and rented | Any district | 6 |
Work sign of builders, painters and other artisans while performing work on the premises | Any district | 6 |
Directional | Any district | 3 |
Identification and information of churches, schools and other nonprofit institutions | Any district | Name on building plus 2 signs, neither to exceed 40 |
Sign for sale of agricultural and horticultural products and for construction projects | Any district | 9 |
Business, except for agricultural and horticultural products | Any district | A District: 2 signs, neither to exceed 30 square feet in size RR and RS Districts: 1 sign not to exceed 16 square feet in size GC District: 1 parallel business wall sign to a property, provided it is attached to the wall of a building and projects horizontally not more than 12 inches therefrom, is not less than 10 feet above the sidewalk and occupies not more than 20% of the total area of the front of the principal building; in addition, a maximum of 2 signs, each with a maximum height of 20 feet measured from the ground, with neither sign to exceed 100 square feet in size Where the nature of the business and its location require such long-range visibility of signs that the above dimensions are inadequate to reasonably attract business, the maximum size may be increased by special exception to the extent necessary to provide reasonable visibility |
Advertising | GC District | 150 |
Permanent residential development signs, including apartment/townhouse complex signs, at major entrances designed to identify a residential subdivision (no commercial advertising shall be permitted) | RR and RS Districts | Signs shall be designed substantially consistent with the drawing in Exhibit A attached at the end of this chapter[1] |
Political signs | Any district | 9 |
Temporary sign for special events | Any district | 3 |
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit A is on file in the Township office.
G.
Directional signs. Every business establishment, service club, church or other nonprofit organization located in the Township may request one directional sign from the Township which, upon approval, will be located by the Township on a Township street sign post at a street intersection as requested by the applicant. In the event there is no Township street sign post at the street intersection, or in the event such signpost is within the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation right-of-way, the sign must be placed by the applicant on a post provided by the applicant and approved by the Township, and at a location approved by the Township. The applicant must furnish the Township written authorization signed by the owners of the property where the sign will be located stating the period of time for which the authorization is applicable, together with a fee in an amount sufficient to defray the Township's cost in procuring the directional sign and placing it on the post with the exact amount of such fee to be established by the Township Board of Supervisors. The Township will approve the directional sign only if the installation of such sign will not cause more than three such signs to be located at a single intersection and if the proposed sign location is reasonably likely to be effective in directing traffic to the applicant's place of business or other activity. The Township will remove any directional sign if it is determined that the business or other activity on account of which the sign was installed is no longer in operation, or upon expiration of the authorization period. If the sign becomes substantially damaged, the owner of the business or other activity will be given 30 days' notice by the Township of its intent to remove the sign. If during such thirty-day period the owner pays to the Township the required fee for a new sign, the sign may be replaced. Otherwise, the Township will remove the sign and the space will become available for another applicant's directional sign.
H.
Political signs. The owner of the property where any sign is located must remove such sign within 30 days following the election on account of which the sign was placed. There is no limit on the number of such signs.
I.
Temporary signs for special events. Only one such sign is permitted. Such sign may remain in place for no more than eight weeks in any calendar year.