Collegeville City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXIII
Signs
§ 680-173 Declaration of legislative intent.
It is recognized that signs perform an important function in identifying properties, businesses, services, residences, events, and other matters of interest to the public. It is hereby found and declared, however, that control of signs is necessary to promote the health, safety, and general welfare by:
A.
Lessening hazards to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
B.
Preserving property values.
C.
Preventing unsightly and detrimental development which has a blighting influence upon residential, business, and industrial areas.
D.
Preventing signs from reaching such excessive size that they obscure one another to the detriment of all concerned.
E.
Securing certain fundamentals of design for the Borough.
§ 680-174 Definitions.
As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
A sign, or any portion of a sign with a fixed or changing display/message that may be changed through electronic means. This definition includes television screens, plasma screens, digital screens, flat screens, video boards, LED displays, fiber-optic displays, holographic displays, or other technologies of a similar nature. Such signs shall include the following modes of operation:
[Added 6-6-2007 by Ord. No. 531]
STATICSigns which shall include no animation or effects simulating animation.
FADESigns where static messages are changed by means of varying light intensity, where the first message gradually reduces intensity to the point of not being legible and the subsequent message gradually increases intensity to the point of legibility.
DISSOLVESigns where static messages are changed by means of varying light intensity or pattern, where the first message gradually appears to dissipate and lose legibility simultaneous to the gradual appearance and legibility of the subsequent message.
TRAVELSigns where the message is changed by the apparent horizontal movement of letters or graphic elements of the message.
SCROLLINGSigns where the message is changed by the apparent vertical movement of the letters or graphic elements of the message.
A structure, building wall, or other outdoor surface, or any device used for visual communication which is used for the purpose of bringing the subject thereof to the attention of the public, or to display, identify, and publicize the name and product or services of any person, exclusive of supporting members that bear no message.
The area of a sign shall mean the area of all lettering, wording, and accompanying designs, logos, and symbols, together with the background on which they are displayed (whether such background is open or enclosed), but excluding any supporting framework and bracing which are solely incidental to the display itself provided the same do not contain any lettering, wording, or symbols.
Where the sign consists of individual letters, designs or symbols attached to a building, awning, wall, or window, the area shall be that of the smallest rectangle which encompasses all of the letters, designs, and symbols.
Where a sign consists of a double face, only one side shall be considered in the calculation of area.
The distance from the highest portion of the sign to the mean grade at the base of the sign.
ADVERTISING SIGNAn off-premises sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to a commodity, business, industry, home occupation, or other similar activity which is sold, offered, or conducted elsewhere than on the lot upon which the sign is located.
ANIMATED SIGNA sign with action or motion, flashing, or color changes requiring electrical energy, but not including window displayed computer monitors or wind-actuated elements such as flags, banners, or novelty items.
AWNING SIGNA sign painted on, printed on, or attached flat against the surface of an awning.
BUSINESS SIGNAn on-premises sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to a business, commodity, service, industry, or other activity which is sold, offered, or conducted, other than incidentally, on the premises upon which the sign is located, or to which it is affixed.
DIRECTORY SIGNA sign on which the names and location of the occupants or the use of a building is given, including office building and church directories.
FREESTANDING SIGNA self-supporting sign resting on or supported by means of poles or standards, either on the ground or on the roof of a building.
IDENTIFICATION SIGNA sign whose copy is limited to the name of a building, institution, or person and/or to the activity or occupation being identified.
INCIDENTAL SIGNA directional sign of a public service nature which contains no advertising.
MARQUEE SIGNAny sign attached to or supported by a marquee structure.
OBSCENE SIGNAny sign or symbol which displays or contains obscene matter. The matter shall be considered obscene if:
The average person, applying contemporary community standards would find the sign or symbol, taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest;
The sign or symbol depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable state law; and/or
The sign or symbol, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
OFF-PREMISES SIGNA sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service, or entertainment, which is sold, produced, manufactured, or furnished at a place other than on the property on which said sign is located; a sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to an activity not on the same lot where the sign is located, e.g., billboards, outdoor advertising, subdivision directional sign, and real estate sign.
ON-PREMISES SIGNA sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to an activity on the same lot where the sign is located.
PAINTED WALL SIGNAny sign which is applied with paint or similar substances on the face of a wall.
PARALLEL WALL SIGNA sign mounted parallel to a wall or other vertical building surface, but does not extend beyond the edge of any wall, roofline, or other surface to which it is mounted, and does not project more than 10 inches from the surface to which it is mounted.
PERSONAL EXPRESSION SIGNA sign which displays an individual's political, religious or personal belief, provided such sign is not considered obscene or offensive to an individual race, gender, or religious beliefs.
PROJECTING WALL SIGNAny sign mounted to a wall or other vertical surface other than a parallel sign, but does not project more than seven feet from the surface to which it is mounted, nor project above the wall, roofline, or surface to which it is mounted, nor in any way interfere with normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
REVOLVING SIGNAny sign which revolves 180° or more.
ROOF SIGNA sign erected upon or above a roof or parapet wall of a building, and which is wholly or partly supported by that building.
SNIPE SIGNA permanent or temporary sign or poster affixed to a tree, fence, utility pole, or upon rocks or natural features.
TEMPORARY SIGNA sign which advertises community or civic projects, construction projects, real estate for sale or lease, or other special events on a temporary basis. The following types of signs shall be considered temporary signs:
BANNER SIGNA temporary sign intended to be hung either with or without frames, possessing characters, letters, illustrations or ornamentations applied to paper, plastic, or fabric of any kind. National flags, flags of political subdivisions, and symbolic or decorative flags of any institution, residential use or business shall not be considered banners for the purpose of this chapter.
CONSTRUCTION SIGNAny sign giving the name or names of principal contractors, subcontractors, architects, and lending institutions responsible for construction on the site where the sign is placed.
DEVELOPMENT SIGNAn on-premises sign on a building or lot which announces the nature, purpose, or name of the prospective building/enterprise.
POLITICAL SIGNA temporary sign used in connection with a local, county, state, or national election or referendum.
PORTABLE SIGNAny sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels, signs converted to A- or T-frames, menu and sandwich board signs, balloons used as signs, umbrellas used for advertising, and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business. Portable signs shall not be illuminated unless a conditional use is granted by the Borough.
REAL ESTATE SIGNA temporary sign which advertises the sale, lease, or rent of the property on which the sign is placed. Open house signs for property which is for sale shall be considered real estate signs.
SPECIAL EVENT SIGNSOn-premises window signs, banners, or commemorative flags which advertise a grand opening or other special event.
STREET BANNER SIGNAny banner sign which is stretched across and hung over a public right-of-way.
SUBDIVISION SIGNAn on-premises or off-premises directional sign advertising to the public the name of the subdivision project and the nature of the product offered.
WINDOW SIGNAny temporary sign affixed to or visible through a window or within 12 inches of the surface of the window facing the outside which is to be used for advertising purposes and intended to be viewed from the outside.
TRAILER SIGNAny sign which is erected upon a structure having wheels or rollers facilitating movement from one location to another.
VEHICULAR SIGNAny vehicle to which a sign is affixed in such a manner that the carrying of the sign is no longer incidental to the vehicle's purpose but becomes a primary purpose in itself an example is an empty tractor trailer with advertising painted on its side, left for an extended period of time in front of the business premises that is advertised on the trailer.
WINDOW SIGNAny sign affixed to or visible through a window or within 12 inches of the surface of the window facing the outside which is to be used for advertising purposes.
§ 680-175 Applicability.
Any sign erected after the effective date of this chapter shall conform to the following regulations.
§ 680-176 Administration.
A.
Sign permits. Unless listed in Subsection B, below, it shall be unlawful to erect, construct, or significantly alter any sign which requires a sign permit without first filing with Collegeville Borough an application, in writing, in order to obtain a formal permit.
B.
Exempt signs. The following signs are allowed in any district and do not require a permit from Collegeville Borough. Signs not requiring sign permits and are permitted in any zoning district:
(1)
Government signs (i.e., traffic signs, parking signs, etc.).
(2)
Legal notices.
(3)
Public monument, plaque, historic identification sign erected by a government agency.
(4)
Government flag, insignia, or decorative banners.
(5)
Public service and information signs advertising availability of public restrooms, telephones, or similar public conveniences, not exceeding three square feet in area.
(6)
Address signs not exceeding two square feet.
(7)
Name plates and identification signs, provided that characters do not exceed three inches in height and an area not exceeding two square feet.
(8)
Vending machine signs where a product name is an integral component of the vending machine.
(9)
Incidental signs, provided that the aggregate area of incidental signs on a property does not exceed four square feet; incidental sign area in excess of four square feet shall be included in the calculation of a property's permitted sign area.
(10)
Home security signs not exceeding one square foot.
(11)
Real estate signs.
(12)
Yard sale signs, provided that they are not erected earlier than seven days before the date of the event and shall be removed within two days after the event.
(13)
Personal expression signs, provided that they either are freestanding, wall or window signs. Such signs may not exceed six square feet and, in the case of freestanding signs, six feet in height. They also cannot be illuminated or placed within the legal right-of-way or clear sight triangle of a road.
(14)
Political signs provided that they are not erected earlier than 30 days before the of the election and shall be removed within seven days after the election date.
C.
Sign permit review. The Zoning Officer shall either approve or deny the application or refer the application back to the applicant in any instance where insufficient information has been submitted.
D.
Fees. All applications for permits for the erection, construction, or alteration of signs shall, at the time of making application, be paid to the Borough in accordance with the respective fee schedule adopted by the Borough Council from time to time.
§ 680-177 General sign regulations for all districts.
In all districts, the following sign regulations shall apply:
A.
Prohibited signs. The following types of signs or illumination of signs shall be prohibited in the Borough:
B.
Permitted signs. The following types of signs are permitted throughout the Borough and shall obtain a sign permit in accordance with § 680-176A:
(1)
Trespassing signs and signs indicating private ownership of roadways or other property on the same premises therewith, provided that the total area of any one side of such sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(2)
Real estate signs as follows:
(a)
For advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which the sign is erected, provided that the total area on any one side of such signs on any one street frontage of any property in single or separate ownership shall not exceed four square feet.
(b)
For temporary advertising, on the premises, the sale or development of homes within a subdivision, provided that the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed 35 square feet, and provided that not more than two such signs shall be erected within any such subdivision.
(3)
Directional subdivision signs (off-premises), provided that the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed six square feet, and provided that such signs shall be spaced at intervals of not less than 500 feet of street frontage. A maximum of three off-premises directional signs shall be permitted for one development. Permission must be obtained in advance from the property owner where the sign is to be placed. Signs shall not be erected more than 60 days prior to the beginning of the actual construction of the project, and shall be removed within 10 days after the date of the sale or rental of the final unit in such development.
(4)
Temporary signs of contractors, mechanics, painters and artisans erected and maintained on the premises where the work is being performed during the period in which such work is being performed, provided that the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed six square feet, and provided that not more than one such sign shall be erected on any property in single and separate ownership, and provided that such sign shall be removed upon completion of the work.
(5)
Construction sign, provided that the area of any one side of the sign not exceed 35 square feet and that the height is no more than eight feet 15 feet. One such sign per street frontage is permitted. Signs shall not be erected more than 60 days prior to the beginning of the actual construction of the project and shall be removed 10 days after the date of the sale or rental of the final unit in the development.
(6)
For sale of agricultural products, signs indicating the name of the owner or occupant and the product sold, provided that the total sign area shall not exceed 16 square feet.
(7)
Open house signs (on- and off-premises). There shall be a maximum of one on-premises open house sign for each property line of street frontage.
(a)
A maximum of two off-premises directional open house signs shall be permitted for each home or development.
(b)
Signs shall not exceed four square feet per side, and may not be illuminated.
(c)
Off-premises directional signs must have permission in advance from the property owner where the sign is to be placed. Signs cannot be placed in the legal right-of-way.
(d)
Freestanding open house and directional signs shall not exceed a height of six feet.
(e)
All open house signs are allowed only on the day of the showing and must be taken down immediately after the showing.
(8)
Signs which advertise public auctions for the disposal of real estate, property, or merchandise.
(a)
Signs shall not exceed nine square feet in area, at a maximum height of six feet, and shall be placed only on the property where the stated auction is being conducted.
(b)
Signs may be erected not earlier than 60 days prior to the advertised auction, and shall be removed within 10 days after the auction.
(9)
Political signs. Political signs may be erected not earlier than 15 days before the date of the election. All political signs shall be removed within seven days after the election date.
(10)
Special event signs or banners. Special event signs or banners for public or quasi-public events shall comply with the following standards:
(a)
Regulations for all public event signs or banners. Signs or banners shall not be posted earlier than one month prior to the event and must be removed with seven days after the day of the event.
(b)
Special event banners.
[1]
Such banners shall be affixed to a building or some other appropriate sturdy structure.
[2]
The permitted size and height of any street banner shall be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer. The highest point of any special event banner sign shall not exceed 20 feet in height.
[3]
If the banner is to be strung across a state-owned road, the sponsoring organization must receive necessary approvals from the PennDOT.
(c)
Special event signs. Off-premises directional signs not exceeding 10 square feet in area and six feet in height shall be permitted for any special event, provided that permission has been obtained from the property owner where the sign is to be placed.
(11)
Official street and traffic signs and any signs required by law.
(12)
Incidental signs for the convenience and safety of the public (for example, signs identifying parking areas, telephones, restrooms, loading docks, etc.), provided that they contain no advertising.
C.
No sign shall be placed in such a position as to endanger traffic on a street by obscuring a clear view or by confusion with official street signs or signals.
D.
No sign, other than official municipal street or directional signs, street banner signs, or political signs shall be erected or maintained within the legal street right-of-way.
E.
No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress and egress to or from any door, window, or fire escape.
F.
No sign shall be placed on utility poles.
G.
Property owners shall assume the cost of relocating any sign within the ultimate right-of-way of a street which is widened.
H.
All signs shall be constructed of durable materials and shall be maintained in good condition and repair at all times.
I.
Illumination standards.
(1)
Signs may be illuminated, unless otherwise specified herein. Illumination of any sign shall be so shielded that the source of the light shall not be visible from any point off the lot on which the sign is erected and so that only the sign is directly illuminated. No more than 1/2 footcandle of light shall be detectable along the boundary of any adjacent property. Illumination of signs shall be subject to the National Electrical Code.
(2)
The source of light must be concealed by translucent covers.
J.
Sign location requirements. No freestanding sign can occupy a designated parking area or intended parking area, walkway, cartway, driveway, or area designated for any other use.
K.
Any sign which does not so conform with the provisions of this section at the time of adoption of the chapter is hereby declared a nonconforming sign.
L.
Removal of signs.
(1)
The Borough shall have the authority to require the removal and/or demolition of signs under the following circumstances:
(2)
In all of the above circumstances, the removal procedure will be initiated by a letter to the owner or lessee by the Zoning Officer requiring the removal of such sign within 30 days.
(3)
Owner or lessee's remedial action for each circumstance.
M.
Interior signs. Any sign located entirely within an enclosed building is exempt from the standards of this chapter, provided its location does not pose a safety risk or hazard.
N.
Development sign. A ground-mounted freestanding sign identifying the name of a residential development. Such a sign cannot exceed 50 square feet.
O.
Unless otherwise described in this article, the maximum height of any sign shall not exceed 25 feet, including balloons used as signs.
§ 680-178 Signs permitted in residential districts.
The following number and types of signs are permitted for any one lot located in the R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 Districts:
B.
Professional, accessory use, home occupation or name signs on the same lot with, and indicating the name, profession, or activity of the occupant of the dwelling, provided that the area of any one side shall not exceed two square feet, and provided that not more than one such sign shall be erected for each permitted use or dwelling. Unless otherwise described in this article, the maximum height of any sign in a residential district shall not exceed six feet.
§ 680-179 Signs permitted in MSC, R-O, V-1 and V-2 districts.
The following number and types of signs are permitted for any one lot located in the MSC, R-O, V-1 and V-2 Districts:
B.
Residential uses. Residential uses are allowed any of the signs permitted in § 680-178 of this article. Unless otherwise described in this article, the maximum height of any sign for a residential use shall not exceed six feet.
C.
D.
Dimensional standards for signs in the MSC, VI, V2 and R-O districts.
(1)
Total signage for any nonresidential use: 35 square feet to be divided up between one or more signs.
(2)
Additionally, window signs are permitted, provided they do not exceed 30% of the glazed area of any window which faces a public street.
(3)
Properties with multiple tenants are allowed one directory sign which must be mounted on the building and each tenant is allowed a sign of no more than three square feet with the total sign area not to exceed 24 square feet.
(4)
No projecting sign shall project more than seven feet from the surface to which it is mounted, nor project over the wall, roofline, or surface to which it is mounted.
(5)
The outermost portion of a projecting sign shall project no closer than five feet from a curbline or shoulder of a public street.
(6)
There shall be a minimum clearance of 10 feet between the bottom of the projecting sign and a public sidewalk or walkway.
(7)
No sign shall be placed within five feet of a property line.
(8)
Special event signs, banners, portable signs or commemorative flags for businesses announcing a grand opening, going out of business sale or other special promotional event shall comply with the following standards:
(a)
The property or business shall display only one special event sign, banner, portable sign or commemorative flag at any one time.
(b)
A special event sign, banner or commemorative flag for a business shall be displayed no more than four times during the calendar year for periods of time not exceeding 30 calendar days. Portable signs may be displayed for a period of time not exceeding 60 days per calendar year.
(9)
Unless otherwise described in this article, the maximum height of any sign in a nonresidential district shall not exceed the following:
§ 680-180 Signs permitted in GC, C-O, and M&I Districts.
Regardless of those signs permitted under § 680-177B, the following number and type of signs are permitted for any one lot or building located in the GC, C-O, and M&I Districts:
C.
Gas stations are allowed one additional freestanding sign per street frontage for advertising gas prices, provided this sign is attached to a freestanding sign and does not exceed 16 square feet.
D.
Dimensional standards for signs for uses other than a convenience store in the GC, C-O, and M&I Districts.
[Amended 6-7-2017 by Ord. No. 583]
E.
Shopping centers are permitted one freestanding center sign, provided it does not exceed 70 square feet per side and is not more than 25 feet in height.
F.
A convenience store shall be permitted the following signage:
[Added 6-7-2017 by Ord. No. 583]
§ 680-181 Signs permitted in SC Shopping Center District.
The following number and type of signs are permitted for any one lot or building located in the SC District:
C.
Center sign. One freestanding center sign, not to exceed 150 square feet per side. This sign may not exceed 25 feet in height.
D.
Individual industrial businesses are permitted wall signs, window signs, projecting signs and awning signs, provided they meet the following:
(1)
Storefronts up to 30 feet: 35 square feet, to be divided up between one or more signs.
(2)
Storefronts over 30 feet: 50 square feet, to be divided up between one or more signs.
(3)
Stores containing over 20,000 square feet but not more than 35,000 square feet: 80 square feet, to be divided up between one or more signs.
(4)
Stores over 35,000 square feet: 100 square feet, to be divided up between one or more signs.
(5)
Stores who do not front on a public street are allowed one additional freestanding or wall sign, provided it does not exceed 15 square feet and is placed on the shopping center's property.
(7)
Projecting or hanging signs shall be at least eight feet above the sidewalk, not project more than seven feet from the wall of a building and shall be located so it does not interfere with any pedestrian or traffic movements.
§ 680-182 Signs permitted for Institutional Overlay District.
B.
One freestanding or wall sign per street frontage, provided that it does not exceed 55 square feet and in the case of a freestanding sign, 10 feet in height.
C.
Identification signs for an individual building are exempt from this article provided they are attached or adjacent to the building they identify.
§ 680-183 Off-premises advertising signs.
Off-premises advertising signs are permitted only in the M&I District as a special exception pursuant to the special exception regulations, § 680-20 of this chapter, and the following:
A.
If the provisions with respect to location, use, size or height of signs are more restrictive in the building code adopted by the Collegeville Borough or any Acts of Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, those restrictions shall take precedence over the regulations and conditions as set forth in this chapter.
B.
An off-premises advertising sign may be double faced with two advertising surfaces. However, both surfaces shall be the same size and shape, and the total length of the sign structure shall not exceed 20 feet and the total height of the copy areas shall not exceed 18 feet, with a total copy area not exceeding 100 square feet.
C.
Off-premises advertising signs may not be attached or painted on a building.
D.
Off-premises advertising signs shall be located 15 feet from the ultimate right-of-way, or 20 feet from any property line.
E.
An open space of not less than four feet shall be maintained between the lower edge of the off-premises advertising sign display surface and the ground.
F.
No portion of the supporting structure shall be visible above any advertising display area.
G.
No off-premises advertising sign shall be located closer than 500 feet to the nearest off-premises sign on the same side of the roadway, regardless of the size of the sign.
H.
No off-premises advertising sign shall be allowed within 100 feet of the nearest public or private elementary, middle, or high school or religious institution.
I.
All off-premises advertising signs shall be erected on permanent footings or support structures designed by a registered structural engineer.
J.
The applicant for any sign permit shall present a written statement from the owner of the property, that the applicant has the right to use the property to erect a sign as well as maintain the sign during the time that the sign is erected. The owner must further verify in writing that it will, at its sole cost and expense, cause the sign to be removed at such time as there is no further use of the sign.
§ 680-184 Nonconforming signs.
A.
Signs legally in existence at the time of the adoption of this article which do not conform with the requirements of this article shall be considered nonconforming signs.
B.
All such nonconforming signs shall be removed or altered so as to be in conformity with the standards contained herein at such time when:
(1)
Collegeville Borough approves an application for a sign permit in cases where the nonconforming sign is to be significantly altered. Changes to the sign copy or the replacement of a sign panel of an existing establishment's nonconforming sign shall not be considered a significant alteration. If more than 50% of a sign is damaged, it shall be repaired to conform with this article.
(2)
The property in which the nonconforming sign is located undergoes a change of land use requiring the issuance of either a use and occupancy permit or a change of use and occupancy permit by Collegeville Borough.
C.
To determine the legal status of existing signs, in each of the two cases listed in Subsection B, the applicant shall submit the following information to the Borough Zoning Officer:
(1)
Type(s) of existing sign(s) located on the property.
(2)
The area and height of all signs.
(3)
For freestanding signs, the distance the outermost portion of the sign is set back from the legal right-of-way.
(4)
Type of sign illumination.
(5)
The material of which the sign is constructed.
(6)
The building length along public street frontage.
D.
Prior to the events listed in Subsection B, nonconforming signs may be repainted, repaired up to 50%, the sign copy may be changed, or sign panels may be replaced, provided that such actions do not increase the dimensions of the existing sign, nor in any way increase the extent of the sign's nonconformity.