East Norriton Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIX
Signs
§ 205-106 Regulations to apply.
Any sign erected or maintained after the effective date of this chapter shall conform to the following regulations.
§ 205-107 Additional definitions.
B. BUILDING FRONTAGE(1) (2) LOT, CORNER SIGN SIGN AREA(1) (2) (3)
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
For the purposes of calculating the allowable total sign area:
The linear footage of the building face which serves as a principal approach to a building and which building face fronts upon a public street, a shopping center driveway, parking area containing a minimum of six parking spaces or pedestrian mall or walkway.
For corner lots, such footage may be calculated separately for the principal approach and one adjacent face, if such face also fronts on a public street, a shopping center driveway, public parking area containing a minimum of six vehicle parking places, pedestrian mall or public walkway. A sign area calculated for each frontage shall be erected on that frontage only and shall not be increased by the sign area calculated for another frontage.
A lot which abuts on at least two intersecting public streets. In a shopping center district, driveways, public parking areas containing a minimum of six vehicle parking places, pedestrian malls and public walkways shall be considered public streets for the purpose of this definition. Frontage upon a service driveway to an unloading area shall not be considered in determining corner lot status.
Any name, nameplate, emblem, painting, banner, pennant, balloon, placard, billboard, poster, panel, display, illustration, structure or other device, illuminated or nonilluminated, used for visual communication which is affixed, painted or represented, directly or indirectly, upon a building or other outdoor surface or is painted or affixed to or propelled or towed by a vehicle, other than one licensed by the Public Utilities Commission, for the purpose of bringing the subject thereto to the attention of the public or advertising a business, commodity, service, product or political candidate or candidates or for identifying a business, structure or use of land. Bumper stickers of one square foot or less and vehicles used regularly in association with a specific business that have advertising affixed, painted or represented directed upon the vehicle pertaining to the business are not considered signs under this article, provided that said vehicles are operable and display current inspection and registration and are not parked within 50 feet of the curbline.
The area of the largest single face of the sign within a perimeter which forms the outside shape, including any frame, and forms an integral part of the display, but excluding the necessary supports or uprights on which the sign may be placed, subject to the following:
For double-faced signs or V-type signs, the interior angle of which does not exceed 45°, only one face shall be applicable in computing sign area.
For V-type signs, the interior angle of which exceeds 45°, both faces shall be applicable in computing sign area.
The area of an irregularly shaped sign, including signs consisting of separate modules, figures or letters, shall be deemed to be the total square footage of the smallest single square or rectangle into which all of the separate modules, figures or letters which comprise the irregularly shaped and/or modular sign would fit. The background area of a freestanding sign cannot exceed 25% of the allowable total sign area.
§ 205-108 Height.
No sign which is affixed, painted or otherwise represented upon a building shall extend above the building height as defined in § 205-5 or above 35 feet, whichever is less. No freestanding or ground sign shall extend above a height of 25 feet.
§ 205-109 Projection.
No sign shall project more than 24 inches over a public walkway, and the lower edge of any projecting sign shall not be less than 10 feet above the finished grade.
§ 205-110 Signs permitted in residential districts.
The following types of signs shall be permitted in AR Residential, MR Medium-Density Residential, BR Residential, GA Garden Apartment Residential, CR Residential, HR High-Rise Residential, RP Residential and Professional and IN Institutional Zoning Districts, as well as in any other area where the uses permitted in these districts are located:
A.
One professional, home occupation or name sign per residence, indicating the name, profession or activity of the occupant of the residence, not exceeding one square foot.
B.
One identification sign or bulletin board of a school, college, church, hospital, sanatorium, municipal building, farm, estate, club or any permitted use other than a dwelling, not exceeding 24 square feet in area.
C.
Trespassing signs indicating private ownership of a driveway or property, not to exceed one square foot in size, which signs shall be spaced at intervals of not less than 100 feet apart on street frontage and not less than 50 feet apart on other boundaries.
D.
For apartment buildings:
E.
For residential and professional and residential office district uses: one freestanding sign, not to exceed 20 square feet, which shall be placed a minimum of 10 feet from the ultimate right-of-way. Such signs may not exceed six feet in height and shall only be illuminated by an external source which shall be shielded from view in accordance with § 205-122C.
[Amended 12-23-2008 by Ord. No. 512; 4-28-2009 by Ord. No. 515]
F.
One sign identifying the name of the residential development with more than 10 dwellings is allowed not to exceed 24 square feet of total area, including only the name of the development, street address, ornamental logo, border and background, which shall be placed a minimum of 10 feet from the ultimate right-of-way. Such sign shall not exceed six feet in height and may not be interiorly or exteriorly illuminated.
§ 205-111 Temporary real estate and public auction signs.
One sign which advertises the sale, rental, auction or other conveyance of the entire premises or any portion thereof shall be permitted in all zoning districts, while a property is actually for sale, rent or auction. All such signs shall be unlighted and shall be removed promptly when the property is no longer available for sale, rent or auction, or, in the case of new construction of multiple dwelling or occupancy units, when 95% of the proposed units or floor space is no longer available for sale or rent. The following regulations apply:
C.
Real estate directional signs. Directional real estate signs will be permitted in all zoning districts, subject to the following conditions:
D.
All signs shall be placed a minimum of 10 feet behind the face of the curb or edge of pavement in noncurbed areas.
§ 205-112 Temporary contractors' signs.
Temporary signs which identify only the name, address, phone number and specialty of contractors, mechanics, painters and artisans placed on the premises where the work is performed shall be permitted in all districts, limited in size to the following:
A.
In residential districts:
(1)
For new construction, additions, renovations, etc., of individual residential properties, one sign per contractor, limited to six square feet.
(2)
For two or more contractors, signs shall be mounted on a common surface, each sign not to exceed six square feet, total sign area not to exceed 32 square feet.
B.
In all other districts:
(1)
For new construction, additions, renovations, etc., of individual, nonresidential properties, one sign per contractor, limited to 12 square feet.
(2)
For two or more contractors, signs shall be mounted on a common surface, each sign not to exceed 12 square feet, total sign area not to exceed 64 square feet.
C.
All such signs shall be unlighted and shall be promptly removed when the contractor has completed or otherwise discontinued work on the premises.
D.
All signs shall be placed a minimum of 10 feet behind the face of the curb or edge of pavement in noncurbed areas.
§ 205-113 Incidental signs.
Signs erected off the public right-of-way for the convenience or safety of the public while on the subject's private property, containing no advertising, shall be permitted in all zoning districts, subject to the following:
A.
In all residential districts, such signs shall be permitted, not to exceed one square foot in area, subject to the approval of the Zoning Officer.
B.
In all other zoning districts, such signs shall be permitted, not to exceed four square feet in area, subject to the approval of the Zoning Officer.
C.
All such signs shall be spaced no less than 50 feet apart unless special conditions warrant less separation, subject to the approval of the Zoning Officer.
§ 205-114 Business signs.
Individual business signs shall be permitted in BP, C, SC, IN, C-1, LI and I Zoning Districts, subject to the following:
A.
One sign affixed or otherwise represented upon a building, having a maximum total area of one square foot for every linear foot of building frontage, except in the case of individual businesses having less than 30 lineal feet of building frontage, which shall be allowed 25% more total sign area.
B.
On corner lots, one additional sign affixed or otherwise represented upon the additional street frontage of a building, having a maximum total area of one square foot for every linear foot of building frontage on the additional side.
D.
In the IN Institutional District, seasonal business signs measuring no larger than 24 square feet per sign and no more than 16 signs per ballfield shall be permitted for fund-raising activities with the written permission of the property owner.
§ 205-115 Ground signs.
[Amended 1-3-2011 by Ord. No. 533; 12-13-2016 by Ord. No. 570]
One individual business sign per building which is a ground or freestanding sign is permitted in BP, C, IN, C-1, LI, HI, I and SC Zoning Districts, subject to the following;
A.
The area of such signs may not exceed 25 square feet.
B.
Such signs may not exceed three feet in height, except that up to 25 feet in height may be permitted if the sign is set back a minimum of 15 feet from the street line and is a minimum of 25 feet from the nearest street access driveway.
C.
All ground or freestanding signs must be located on the property of the business which the sign is identifying.
§ 205-116 Multiple directory signs.
A sign listing the name of various industrial, commercial or business establishments within a defined contiguous area as determined by the Zoning Officer to be erected primarily as a service to the motoring or the pedestrian public shall be permitted in BP, C, SC, LI and I Zoning Districts, subject to the following regulations:
A.
Multiple directory signs shall be located on a property serviced by the sign.
B.
Such signs shall be ground signs only.
C.
If more than five businesses, firms, companies, etc., are listed on the directory, a pull-off lane shall be provided to allow vehicles to safely stop while drivers are reviewing the sign (minimum 10 feet wide, 75 feet long).
D.
Multiple directory signs may list only the name, address and primary product or service of each firm or business and may contain a graphic directory (street map) to assist in locating destinations.
E.
The respective permitted areas of information on multiple directory signs shall be limited to no more than three square feet per firm listed, no more than 10 square feet per graphic directory and no more than three square feet for a general sign title, provided that the total sign area does not exceed 36 square feet.
F.
Multiple directory signs shall be located a minimum of 10 feet from the ultimate right-of-way, except, where pull-offs are provided, multiple directory signs shall be located a minimum of five feet from the pull-off curb.
G.
Multiple directory signs shall be located a minimum of 50 feet from the nearest paved edge of any street access driveway intersection.
H.
Multiple directory signs shall not extend above a height of six feet.
I.
One such sign shall be permitted for each vehicular entrance to office or industrial developments or subdivisions, with the exception that not more than a total of three such signs may be permitted in any one development or subdivision or other permitted contiguous area.
§ 205-117 Additional signs permitted in SC Shopping Center District.
In addition to the signs mentioned above, in SC Shopping Center Districts, the following additional signs may be erected: one entrance sign identifying the shopping center, for each street frontage, and containing no advertising, provided that:
A.
Such signs are ground or freestanding signs.
B.
The vertical size of such signs measured from the top edge to the bottom edge of the sign area shall not exceed 12 feet.
C.
Total area of such signs shall not exceed 150 square feet for the primary street frontage entrance and 75 square feet for any secondary entrance.
D.
Such signs are set back a minimum of 15 feet from the ultimate right-of-way and a minimum of 25 feet from the nearest street access driveway intersection.
§ 205-117.1 Public transportation shelters.
Public transportation shelters (hereinafter referred to as "shelters") shall be permitted under this chapter as signs, so long as all criteria set forth in this section is complied with.
A.
Size and structure.
(2)
A larger sized shelter, not to exceed 140 square feet, upon application and approval of a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
The front of the shelter (which is the vertical plain closest to the street upon which the rear wall faces) shall be open and unobstructed. The rear and side walls shall be made of safety glass, such as lexan, acrylic, plexiglass or similar material. The frame of the structure shall be aluminum. The foundation/flooring shall be a concrete pad. All shelters shall be covered with a roof. All construction shall be in accordance with applicable Township, state and federal building codes, rules and regulations.
B.
Illumination. Lighting shall be provided under the roof of the shelter. Lighting shall be adequate for the safety of waiting transportation users, but shall not cast illumination or glare on adjacent roads or properties. During times of darkness, the advertisements shall be internally illuminated.
C.
Advertisements. Advertisements, maps or other informational displays may only be placed on the two surfaces of one side wall of the shelter. There shall be no advertisements for alcohol or tobacco products or of a sexually explicit or violent nature.
D.
Location of shelters.
(1)
Shelters shall be permitted in all zoning districts. If placed in the public right-of-way, a shelter shall be no less than five feet from the curbline or edge of highway. Placement upon private property shall require compliance with all of the criteria set forth herein. The installer/owner of any shelter agrees on behalf of themselves, their heirs, successors and assigns that they will record a written agreement providing for the placement and/or removal of the shelter, whether in the public right-of-way or on private property, when specifically requested to do so by the Township Supervisors, for any reason whatsoever. The form of this recorded document shall be approved by the Township.
(2)
Placement shall be at a conspicuous location with a clear sight distance in the direction of all traffic of no less than 300 feet and shall not interfere with ingress or egress to any property. Except where shelters may be on opposite sides of the same street, no shelter shall be closer to another shelter than 350 feet.
E.
Maintenance. The installer/owner of the shelter shall be responsible to maintain it in a first class, clean and safe manner. All lighting shall be regularly serviced by the installer/owner, who shall also be responsible for providing receptacles for trash and emptying them regularly.
§ 205-118 Political signs.
[Amended 12-15-2009 by Ord. No. 523]
Political signs shall not require a permit and shall not exceed 32 square feet.
§ 205-119 Temporary directional signs.
Off-site temporary directional signs providing traffic direction to the temporary location of special events will be permitted only when approved by the Township Zoning Officer, who will determine number, size, posted duration and escrow fee guaranteeing removal of such directional signs after the special event has ended.
§ 205-120 Temporary sign permit.
[Amended 12-15-2009 by Ord. No. 523]
A temporary sign permit may be granted to any person or organization in the Township to permit the erection of a temporary sign, other than those discussed in §§ 205-111, 205-112 and 205-119.
A.
A thirty-day nonrenewable permit may be issued for public or community events, charitable fund-raising events, conventions or any similar notice of general public interest, subject to the following:
B.
A seven-day temporary sign permit may be issued for business or commercial signs for advertising, on the premises, such events that are considered to be necessary for the conduct of business beyond the normal day-to-day operations, such as grand openings and going-out-of-business, bankruptcy or fire sales, subject to the following:
(1)
Such signs shall not exceed 16 square feet in area.
(2)
Such signs will be permitted on site only.
(3)
Such signs will be limited to one in number.
(4)
Such signs shall not exceed a height of six feet.
(5)
Advertising devices such as large, inflated balloons, searchlights and banners erected across public streets are prohibited in all zoning districts.
§ 205-121 Placement of signs.
All signs shall be placed with regard to the public's safety and shall be governed by the following regulations:
A.
No sign shall be erected or maintained as to prevent free ingress or egress to or from any door, window or fire escape.
B.
Only instructional signs shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
C.
No sign shall be placed in such a position as to endanger pedestrians or traffic on a street by obscuring a clear view or by confusion with official street signs or signals by virtue of position or color.
D.
No signs may be placed on property owned by the Township.
[Added 12-15-2009 by Ord. No. 523]
E.
No signs may be placed within 10 feet from the edge of any roadway.
[Added 12-15-2009 by Ord. No. 523]
§ 205-122 Restrictions and prohibitions for all signs.
[Amended 7-26-2011 by Ord. No. 538]
Where permitted, the illumination of signs shall be subject to the National Electrical Code and to the following regulations:
A.
The image, copy, or message of a sign shall not change more frequently than once per 30 seconds. The change of an image, message, copy, color or brilliance of a sign shall be instantaneous. All changeable copy shall change uniformly and completely. Once changed, the copy of any part of the sign shall not change again in less than 30 seconds.
B.
No image shall be transferred by any means beyond the perimeter of the sign face. No sign image shall be interactive, display interactive messages or three-dimensional images; nor shall any sign or portion of a billboard structure produce sound of any kind. No sign shall flash, scroll, fade, revolve, move, have intermittent lighting or movable characters or animated parts.
C.
A sign which is animated by means of flashing, scintillating, blinking or traveling lights or any other means not providing constant illumination shall be deemed to be a flashing sign and shall not be permitted. Illuminated revolving barber poles shall be permitted in conjunction with the permitted use of a barbershop in any district.
D.
Floodlighting 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 thereby.
§ 205-123 Additional signs permitted for fuel and service stations.
Gasoline service and/or filling stations, being of unique and particular significance to the driving public, shall be permitted signs as defined in §§ 205-114 and 205-115 and the following additional signs: one ground or freestanding sign per station for each building frontage for purposes of advertising current fuel prices only, subject to the following:
A.
The area of such signs may not exceed 16 square feet on each side.
B.
When fuel prices are displayed by means of changeable lettering, such lettering shall be a minimum of eight inches and a maximum of 18 inches high to allow ease of viewing by passing motorists.
C.
Both sides of such signs may be used for advertising fuel prices only.
D.
Such signs shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from the street line and a minimum of 25 feet from the nearest street access driveway.
§ 205-124 Permit required; conditions.
A.
Every sign permitted by this chapter shall be constructed of durable materials and shall be maintained in good condition and repair at all times. A sign permit shall be required for all signs unless otherwise provided. Applications for sign permits shall be filed on forms furnished by the Zoning Officer and shall be accompanied by detailed plans and specifications and any other information deemed necessary by the Zoning Officer to determine the location and details of construction of such sign.
B.
All signs for which a permit has been issued must be completely constructed within six months after the date of issuance of the permit. Upon written request, the Zoning Officer may grant one extension for an additional three-month period, provided that the applicant presents reasonable grounds for the extension request.
C.
Upon a change of use on any property, a sign must be removed or painted over within 60 days after the change in occupancy.
§ 205-125 Permit fee.
§ 205-126 Nonconforming signs.
Any lawful sign existing on the effective date of this Zoning Ordinance, which does not conform to the revisions of this chapter shall be considered a lawful nonconforming sign and may be continued. Nonconforming signs may be repaired or repainted but shall not be altered or changed in overall dimensions except to conform to the provisions of this chapter. Any nonconforming sign which is destroyed shall not be reerected.
§ 205-127 Exemptions.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to official federal, state or municipal signs erected within East Norriton Township. In addition, the trade names, emblems or directions on service facilities or product dispensers, including but not limited to gasoline pumps, telephone booths and vending machines, shall not be considered as a sign when such trade name, emblem or single group of words or symbols are not more than three square feet in area.