Denville Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXVIII
Signs
§ 600-180 Building permits.
No sign shall be constructed or displayed unless a building permit shall have first been obtained from the Building Inspector provided, any sign as permitted or regulated in § 600-185A, B, C and D will not require a building permit. When occupant vacates from a business location, all nonconforming signs pertaining to that business are to be removed and the new tenant to comply with the requirements of this article. If such sign is not removed within 30 days after such vacation or termination of use, the Building Inspector shall, upon 10 days' notice, in writing, to the landlord, cause such sign to be removed and the cost of such removal shall be a lien on such premises.
§ 600-181 Sign area measurement.
The area of a sign shall be computed as the total square foot content of the background upon which the lettering, illustration or display is presented. If there is no background, the sign area shall be computed as the product of the largest horizontal width and the largest vertical height of the lettering, illustration or display. This shall not be construed to include the supporting members of any signs which are used solely for such purpose. For signs with two display faces, the maximum area requirement shall be permitted on each side. Signs with more than two display faces are prohibited.
§ 600-182 Sign height measurement.
The largest vertical height of the background upon which the lettering, illustration or display is presented. This shall not be construed to include the supporting members of any signs which are used solely for such purpose. If the letters, illustration or display are attached directly to the face of a building, the height of the sign shall be the height of the largest letter, illustration or total display, whichever is the greater.
§ 600-183 General sign provisions.
[Amended by Ord. No. 18-05; Ord. No. 16-07]
A.
Signs, whether portable, permanent or temporary, other than municipal, county or state signs, shall not be erected within the right-of-way of any street or approved sight easements, nor shall any sign be located so as to constitute a traffic hazard or to interfere with or be mistaken for a traffic light or similar safety device.
B.
All illuminated signs shall be either indirectly lighted or of the diffused lighting type. No sign shall be lighted by means of flashing or intermittent illumination. All lights used for the illumination of any use or building or the areas surrounding them, or for the illumination or display of merchandise or products of business establishments, shall be completely shielded from the view of vehicular traffic using the road or roads abutting such business properties. Floodlights used for the illumination of the premises or of any sign thereon, whether or not such flood lights are attached to or separate from the building, shall not project above the highest elevation of the front wall of the building, or more than 18 feet above the street level of the premises, whichever is less. There shall be no illumination of any pylon sign or structure after the business to which the sign is related is closed to the public for the business day of that particular business.
C.
No sign as permitted shall extend or project above the highest elevation of the wall to which it is attached.
D.
All signs shall be neat, constructed of durable materials and maintained at all times in safe condition and good repair by the owner. The Township may require necessary repair and painting of any sign which has been neglected.
E.
Any semipermanent structures, i.e., awning or canopy, which has lettering or logo on it and is therefore functioning as a sign, shall meet the requirements of this article.
F.
No sign shall be permitted which shall rotate upon a fixed base, provide for movement in any other manner or create the illusion of movement.
G.
Electronic signs shall be permitted in the B Business Districts only provided the following standards are complied with.
(1)
Maximum one electronic sign per business establishment.
(2)
Shall be located interior to an exterior window. Exterior locations on building facade are prohibited.
(3)
Sign may not exceed 2.5 square feet in area, nor 10 inches in height, nor 36 inches in width.
(4)
A minimum of 15 minutes between message changes are permitted. No electronic sign shall blink, scroll or rotate except as permitted at the time of message change.
H.
Within all zone districts, neon signs shall be prohibited with the exception of the B Business Districts, where one neon sign shall be permitted provided that the following standards shall be met:
(1)
A neon sign shall not exceed 5% of the area of the window in which it is displayed nor more than four square feet.
(2)
A neon sign shall contain no more than two colors, including white.
(3)
Neon signs shall not be operated with flashing or intermittent illumination.
(4)
The message or wording of the sign shall be limited to the words of information or direction, such as, "open," "closed," "entrance," and the like.
I.
Neon tubing is prohibited where used as an accent to building facades, roof and/or window treatment accent.
§ 600-184 Signs in the residential districts.
In all the residential districts, only the following signs shall be permitted.
A.
One customary professional sign or nameplate sign not more than two square feet in area and if illuminated the direct source of light shall be shielded in such a manner that it is not visible from the street or any adjoining residential property, unless a porch light or lamp post light.
B.
One single-faced sign not more than 12 square feet in area for conditional uses.
C.
A sign deemed necessary to the public welfare by the Township Council.
D.
A sign not more than 12 square feet in area advertising the name of a church on the premises, its pastor and its coming activities.
E.
None of the signs permitted in the residential district shall be erected nearer any street or road than half the setback required for the principal building to be erected on the plot, provided that a nameplate sign not more than 72 square inches in area as regulated above may be placed anywhere within the front yard.
§ 600-185 Signs in the Business District.
In the business zones, signs are permitted as regulated in § 600-185A and B and in addition other business signs as hereinafter regulated are permitted, provided no sign shall be permitted which is not accessory to the business conducted on the property and then only if the following requirements are complied with:
A.
No business establishment shall be permitted a total of more than three signs. The total sign area for the sign or signs permitted on the face of any wall shall not exceed 10% of the area of the face of the wall upon which such sign or signs are attached, provided, where the building wall sets back a distance of 75 feet or greater from the nearest parallel street line, the sign shall not exceed 20% of the exposed area of the building wall upon which such sign is attached.
B.
All signs permitted by this section shall be erected parallel to the face of the building and shall not extend further than 15 inches from the face of the building, provided that where a building has a permanent canopy or marquee constructed as an integral part of said building, a sign as required in this subsection may be placed on the top of the marquee provided no part of the sign extends beyond the front edge of the canopy or marquee. For the purpose of administering this section, the area of the sign on the marquee or canopy shall be determined by the area of the wall from which said canopy or marquee extends.
C.
The maximum height of any single sign shall not exceed five feet and the maximum width shall not exceed 90% of the width of the wall to which the sign is attached.
D.
Freestanding signs. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, one freestanding pylon or tower sign which is accessory to the business conducted on the premises shall be permitted if the business building sets back at least 75 feet from the street right-of-way. Any freestanding sign as permitted by this subsection must meet all of the following requirements:
(1)
The height of the pylon or freestanding sign shall not exceed 20 feet and no part of the sign illustration shall be less than 10 feet above the ground.
(2)
No freestanding sign shall be nearer than 10 feet from any abutting street right-of-way or property line.
(3)
The area of the sign shall not exceed 30 square feet in area on each side.
(4)
In the event there is more than one tenant in the business building, each tenant is entitled to one nameplate sign on the pylon below the principal name of the building or shopping center, provided, however, each such nameplate sign shall be of uniform dimensions and lettering and no nameplate sign shall exceed four square feet in area.
(5)
All elements of the sign shall be of the trans-illuminated type. The illumination shall be of continuous (non-intermittent) nature and of a uniform color value.
(6)
There shall be no illumination after the business to which the sign is related is closed to the public for the business day of that particular business.
E.
Public garages and service stations may display in addition the following signs which are deemed customary and necessary to their respective business:
(1)
One freestanding or pylon sign advertising the name of the station or garage and for the principal products sold on the premises, including any special company or brand name, insignia or emblem, provided that each such sign shall not exceed 35 square feet in area on a side and shall be hung within the property line and not less than 10 nor more than 20 feet above the ground.
(2)
One temporary sign located inside the property line and specifically advertising special seasonal servicing of automobiles, provided that the sign does not exceed seven square feet in area.
(3)
Directional signs or lettering displayed over individual entrance doors or bays, consisting only of the words, "washing," "lubrication," "repair," "mechanic on duty" or other words closely similar in import, provided that there shall be not more than one such sign over each entrance or bay, the letters thereof shall not exceed 12 inches in height, and the total of each such sign shall not exceed six square feet.
(4)
Customary lettering on or other insignia which are a structural part of a gasoline pump, consisting only of the brand name of gasoline sold, lead warning sign, a price indicator, and any other sign required by law, and not exceeding a total of three square feet on each pump.
F.
In addition to the above regulations, all signs permitted in the residential districts are also permitted in the business districts.
§ 600-186 Signs in the O-B Districts.
In the O-B Districts, each building is permitted one sign not more than eight square feet in area provided all of the following requirements are complied with:
A.
If lighted, the direct source of light shall be shielded in such a manner that it is not visible from the street or any abutting residential use.
B.
Only flood lights shall be used for illumination.
C.
The sign shall be attached parallel to the face of the building and shall not extend more than 12 inches from the face.
D.
Each tenant in the building is permitted a professional sign as regulated in the residential zones.
§ 600-187 Signs in all industrial zones.
No signs shall be permitted which are not related to the use on the premises and then only if the following requirements are complied with:
A.
Signs attached to a building may be permitted as regulated in the business zone.
B.
One freestanding sign is permitted provided no sign structure, including the supporting members, shall exceed 13 feet in height or 25 feet in length and shall not be placed in the required side yard or the front 1/2 of the required front yard. The area of the sign shall not exceed one square foot for each linear foot of front yard setback of the principal building.
C.
In addition to the above regulations, all signs permitted in the residential districts are also permitted in the industrial districts.
§ 600-188 Temporary signs.
[Amended by Ord. No. 23-10; Ord. No. 27-10]
Temporary signs are permitted as hereinafter regulated, provided a bond is posted with the Township Council in the form of a certified check drawn on a bank which is a member of the federal Reserve System payable to the Township in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of removal of such signs as estimated by the Zoning Officer, to ensure the prompt removal of such temporary signs.
A.
Construction signs. One temporary construction sign announcing construction on the premises is permitted in any district, provided such sign does not exceed 32 square feet in area, is properly maintained to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer and is removed from the premises prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the use of the structure on the premises.
B.
Directional signs. Temporary directional signs not to exceed three square feet in area are permitted in any district for a period of up to 90 days, which period is renewable upon application to the Zoning Officer.
C.
Real estate signs. Real estate signs are permitted in all districts, provided they comply with all of the following requirements:
(1)
One such sign per street frontage of a lot shall be permitted.
(2)
Such signs shall not be illuminated.
(3)
Such signs shall pertain only to the lease or sale of the lot upon which they are placed.
(4)
Such signs shall not exceed nine square feet in area in residential districts, nor 12 square feet in area in nonresidential districts.
(5)
Such signs shall be removed within seven days after the consummation of the lease or sale transaction.
(6)
All temporary residential real estate open-house signs are subject to the following conditions:
(a)
Size. The total face area of the signs shall not exceed 24 inches in size.
(b)
Height. The vertical distance measured from the ground level to the highest point of such sign or sign structure or other support shall not exceed three feet.
(c)
Local address. Signs shall only advertise a residence in the Township of Denville.
(d)
Limit. No more than four signs per property for sale, lease or rent shall be posted within the public rights-of-way.
(e)
Type. Signs shall be mounted either on stakes placed in the ground or with an A-frame support of sufficient weight so that the sign remains upright when mounted. Signs and any supporting structures shall be maintained in good condition at all times and shall be constructed out of quality materials normally used in professional signage.
(f)
Time. Signs shall only be displayed during the "open house" and only on Saturdays or Sundays (or federal or state holidays) not earlier than 9:00 a.m. the day of the open house with removal occurring no later than 6:00 p.m. of the same day.
D.
Political signs. Campaign signs for public office, or other noncommercial political signs may be posted on a private premises, either residential and/or commercial, provided that the following standards shall be met:
(1)
The total area of all such signs posted may not exceed 16 square feet;
(2)
Any campaign signs for public office shall be removed within five days after the day of election;
(3)
Consistent with the intent of the sign ordinance to reduce sign clutter in order to promote an attractive visual environment for all citizens of the Township, while leaving open adequate channels of communication for Township residents to freely express their political and other noncommercial viewpoints, the Township encourages, but does not require that residents limit the posting of campaign signs for public office to a thirty-day period prior to the election.
E.
Other temporary signs.
(1)
Additional temporary sign regulations — prohibited signs.
(a)
Banner-type signs except where in celebration of public events or to call attention to dates of holidays of public significance and, in such cases, only when erected by the Township itself or authorized by the Township Council.
(b)
Signs erected or located on, within, or over any public right-of-way except when erected by the governmental agency having jurisdiction or authorized by said governmental agency and except for signs or awnings as hereinafter regulated.
(c)
Except as otherwise permitted in this section, signs which are not accessory to a use located on the premises.
(d)
Signs painted on a building wall.
(e)
Signs attached to trees or utility poles except for warnings, statements or language required or installed by the utility.
(f)
Signs located in sight triangle easements.
(g)
Signs located within a municipal road right-of-way, and county, state and interstate highway rights-of-way.
(2)
Temporary noncommercial signs. Annual activities or temporary events sponsored by charitable, religious or civic organizations or by government agencies shall be permitted, provided that each sign shall not exceed a total of 16 square feet in area, nor a height of six feet. The sign may be erected no sooner than 30 days prior to the event and must be removed within seven days after the event. Signs shall not interfere with traffic visibility and shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the street curbline. Sandwich boards and freestanding sign styles are permitted. Signage under this section shall be exempt for obtaining a temporary sign permit from the building department.
(3)
Temporary commercial signs. Contractors and home service providers shall be permitted to erect one temporary business advertising sign on-site during the progress of work. Only one sign per contractor or home service provider shall be permitted at any one time. Signs shall remain in place on site only while the contractor or home service provider is active at the site, but in no case more than 30 consecutive days in any twelve-month period. No sign shall exceed six square feet in size nor three feet in height. Signs shall not be illuminated nor in any way interfere with driver visibility. Signs shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the street curbline.
§ 600-189 Shingle signs in the Business Improvement District.
[Added 9-4-2018 by Ord. No. 21-18]
A.
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
GUY WIRE
A tensioned cable designed to add stability to a freestanding structure.
SHINGLE SIGN
A sign that hangs from a canopy or awning, or from the roof of an arcade or passageway, or projects from the building facade.
B.
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to identify and promote businesses located within the Business Improvement District (BID) to pedestrians and to serve as a graphic and design enhancement to the area.
C.
Applicability. This section is applicable to any commercially utilized property located within the BID.
D.
Design and construction.
(1)
Dimensions.
(a)
Shall not exceed 12 inches in height and 34 inches in width; or
(b)
If the design of the shingle sign is in the form or shape of a product sold or icon for the business, the total square footage of the sign shall not exceed 408 square inches.
(2)
Shingle signs shall be perpendicular to the business building wall.
(3)
Shingles signs shall not be internally or externally lit.
(4)
Shingle signs shall not be less than 1/2 inch and not more than one inch thick.
(5)
Brackets and decorative mounting features may exceed the thickness requirements as reasonably required to create an attractive graphic or design element. Guy wire cables and similar stabilization methods shall not be permitted.
(6)
Shingle signs shall be limited to no more than two sign faces.
(7)
The following color palette shall be utilized:
(a)
Font color: black, white, gold, and/or silver.
(b)
Shingle: hunter green, burgundy, or wood (walnut, cherry, maple, oak).
(8)
The material of the shingle must be wood or synthetic wood or any other material whose design bears a resemblance to wood.
(9)
The bracket for the shingle must be ornamental in nature and must be made of metal.
E.
Content.
(1)
Shingle signs shall not display the business phone number, address, website, or merchandise pricing information. Symbols or logos used to identify the business are encouraged.
(2)
Corporate logos shall be discouraged unless such logo is an integral part of the store identification.
(3)
Logo size shall be limited to four inches by four inches.
(4)
Logos shall be to the left of any lettering.
F.
Location and dimensions.
(1)
Shingle signs shall be attached to a wall or the underside of an awning, canopy, marquee, or building overhang.
(2)
Shingle signs shall be located as close as practical to the storefront entrance.
(3)
No portion of a shingle sign shall maintain less than a ten-foot horizontal separation from any other shingle sign.
(4)
No portion of a shingle sign shall maintain less than an eight-foot vertical clearance over the pedestrian walkway.
(5)
No portion of a shingle sign shall exceed a height of 15 feet above the pedestrian walkway.
(6)
On a two-story building, a second shingle sign shall be permitted to be attached to the bottom of the first shingle sign.
(7)
A shingle sign shall not project more than four feet from the building and shall not be closer than two feet from the face of the curb.
(8)
A shingle sign attached to the underside of an awning, canopy, marquee, or building overhang shall not extend out beyond the outer edge of the element to which it is attached.
(9)
A shingle sign shall not be mounted in such a manner as to obstruct vehicular traffic in any passageway, alleyway, or designated loading/unloading area.
(10)
No portion of a shingle sign shall project above the top of an eave or parapet.
G.
Approvals.
(1)
Brackets and colors require Zoning Officer approval.
