Except as otherwise provided in § 375-43 and § 375-44, no sign may be constructed, erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated or substantially altered except in accordance with the provisions of this article and in accordance with a sign permit issued by the Borough Zoning Officer. Repainting or changing the message of a sign shall not, in and of itself, be considered a substantial alteration.

Sign permit applications and sign permits shall be governed by the same provisions of this chapter applicable to zoning approval.

Unless specifically exempted in this article, a separate permit shall be required for the sign erection, structural repair or alteration of any sign regulated in this article. Each application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by a drawing to scale, showing the design proposed, the size, character and color of letters, lines and symbols, method of illumination, the exact location of the sign in relation to the building and property and details and specifications for construction. A fee in accordance with the Borough Fee Schedule,[1] as amended, and a certificate of insurance shall accompany each application.

All signs not expressly authorized under this chapter or exempt from regulation hereunder in accordance with previous sections are prohibited in the Borough. Prohibited signs shall include, but are not limited to:

No sign shall be erected in the Borough that:

One residential sign not exceeding two square feet in area that is customarily associated with residential use.

Signs erected on behalf of or pursuant to the authorization of a government body, including legal notices, identification and informational signs and traffic, directional or regulatory signs.

Official signs of a noncommercial nature erected by public utilities.

Flags or insignia of any governmental or nonprofit organization when not displayed in connection with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device.

Signs directing and guiding traffic on a public property that do not exceed four square feet in area each.

Displays, including lighting, erected in connection with the observance of holidays. Such signs shall be removed within 15 days following the holiday.

Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.

Any sign inside a structure not attached to a window or door that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the lot or site on which such sign is located.

Works of art that do not include a commercial message.

Memorial signs or tablets denoting the date of erection of a building.

Auctions, garage, or yard sale signs, provided that they do not exceed five square feet and are removed as soon as the event or activity has occurred, and provided that they shall not be permitted to be erected more than seven days prior to the event and only permitted at the site at which the event will take place.

Signs and banners erected by a governmental body or under the direction of such body.

Temporary event signs and banners announcing a nonprofit event of a civic organization for noncommercial purposes, where such sign does not exceed 32 square feet in area and for a period not to exceed 30 days prior to the start of the event and removed within three days after the conclusion of the event.

Political signs announcing candidates seeking public office.

No trespassing or no hunting signs, without limitation on number or placement, limited in area to two square feet.

Signs containing the message that the real estate on which the sign is located (including buildings) is for sale, lease or rent, together with information identifying the owner or agent. Such signs shall be removed immediately after sale, lease or rental.

Construction site identification signs not exceeding 32 square feet in area erected on the site during the period of construction which announce the name of the owner or developer, contractor, architect, landscape architect, planner or engineer. Such signs shall not be illuminated and shall be removed upon completion of construction.

Signs attached temporarily to the interior of a building window or glass door. Such signs, individually or collectively, may not cover more than 35% of the surface area of the transparent portion of the window or door to which they are attached.

One bulletin board and sign for a church, school, community or other public or semipublic institution building on the property on which the use is located, provided that the area of such bulletin board or sign shall not exceed 15 square feet in area, nor be located closer than 25 feet to any property line.

Temporary sign of mechanics, painters and other artisans, provided that such sign shall be erected only on the property where such work is being performed, shall not exceed four square feet and shall be removed promptly upon completion of the work.

Temporary signs shall be permitted to remain on the lot for no more than three thirty-day periods in any calendar year.

For the purpose of determining the number of signs, a sign shall be considered to be a single display surface or display device containing elements organized, related and composed to form a unit.

A two-sided or multisided sign shall be regarded as one sign so long as:

The surface area of a sign shall be computed by including the entire area within a single, continuous, rectilinear perimeter of not more than eight straight lines or a circle or an ellipse enclosing the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed, but not including any supporting framework or bracing that is clearly incidental to the display itself.

If the sign consists of more than one section or module, all of the area, including that between sections or modules, except air space, shall be included in the computation of the sign area.

With respect to two-sided, multisided or three-dimensional signs, the sign surface area shall be computed as described in Subsections A and B by including the total of all sides designed to attract attention or to communicate information that can be seen at any one time by a person from one vantage point. Without otherwise limiting the generality of the foregoing:

Signage on gas canopies will be computed as part of the allowable freestanding sign area.

Permitted signs associated with a land use shall be situated entirely on the same zoning lot as the land use.

No sign attached to a building wall sign may project outward more than 12 inches from the building wall, except for projecting signs.

No sign or supporting structure may be located in or over any public right-of-way, except for the following:

No sign which emits smoke, visible vapors or particles, sound or odor shall be permitted.

No sign shall be erected containing information on it which states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of this chapter in the zoning district in which the property to which the sign relates is located.

Any sign located along the right-of-way of a state or federal highway shall comply with any more restrictive requirements of the state or federal government relating thereto.

All distances provided for this article shall be measured along straight lines between signs and from the near edge to near edge of the sign or sign structure.

Signs, whether permanent or temporary, other than municipal, county or state signs or official traffic control devices, shall not be erected within or overhang any approved site easements, nor shall any sign be located so as to constitute a traffic hazard.

Advertising signs, except temporary real estate signs and legally nonconforming business signs, shall not be permitted in any residential district in the Borough.

Signs where permitted shall be erected or placed in conformity with the side and rear yard requirements of the district in which they are located.

Unless otherwise prohibited by this chapter, signs may be illuminated if such illumination is in accordance with this section.

No sign within 150 feet of a residential zone may be illuminated between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.

Lighting directed toward a sign shall be shielded so that it illuminates only the face of the sign and does not shine directly into a public right-of-way or residential premises.

Except as herein provided, internally illuminated signs are not permissible in any residential districts, and where permissible, internally illuminated freestanding signs may not be illuminated during hours that the business or enterprise advertised by such sign is not open for business or in operation. This subsection shall not apply to the following types of signs:

Subject to Subsection G, illuminated tubing or strings of lights that outline property lines, sales areas, rooflines, building walls or corners, doors, windows or similar areas are prohibited.

Subject to Subsection G, no sign may contain or be illuminated by flashing or intermittent lights or lights of changing degrees of intensity, except those portions of a sign indicating the time, date or weather conditions.

Subsections E and F do not apply to temporary signs erected in connection with the observance of holidays.

No sign may be located so that it interferes with the view necessary for motorists to proceed safely through intersections or to enter onto or exit from public streets or private roads.

Signs that revolve or are animated or that utilize movement or apparent movement to attract the attention of the public are prohibited. The restriction of this subsection shall not apply to signs indicating the time, date or weather conditions.

No sign may be erected so that by its location, color, size, shape, nature or message it would tend to obstruct the view of or be confused with official traffic signs or other signs erected by governmental agencies.

Freestanding signs shall be securely fastened to the ground or to some other supportive structure.

Electronic changeable copy signs are permitted, with the following restrictions:

A-frame or sandwich board signs are permitted to be placed on public sidewalks in the NC, C, and VC Districts during hours that the business or enterprise advertised by such sign is open for business or in operation. The sign shall not exceed 10 square feet in area and shall maintain a five-foot-wide clear pedestrian passage on the sidewalk. The business shall provide a certificate of insurance naming the Borough of East Pittsburgh as an additional insured to the Borough prior to erecting a sandwich board sign. A-frame or sandwich board signs shall be limited to one per business. Permits shall be renewed annually from the date of issue.

All signs and all components thereof, including, without limitation, supports, braces and anchors, shall be kept in a state of good repair.

If a sign other than a billboard advertises a business, service, commodity, accommodation, attraction or other enterprise or activity that is no longer operating or being offered or conducted, that sign shall be considered abandoned and shall, within 180 days after such abandonment, be removed.

If the message portion of a sign is removed, leaving only the supporting shell of a sign or the supporting braces, anchors or similar components, the owner of the sign or the owner of the property where the sign is located or other person having control over such sign shall, within 180 days of the removal of the message portion of the sign, either replace the entire message portion of the sign or remove the remaining components of the sign. This subsection shall not be construed to alter the effect of § 375-70G, which prohibits the replacement of a nonconforming sign, nor shall this subsection be construed to prevent the changing of the message of a sign.

A continuing sign permit shall lapse automatically if not renewed or if the business license for the premises lapses, is revoked or is not renewed. A sign permit shall also lapse if the business activity on the premises is discontinued for a period of 180 days or more and is not renewed within 30 days of a notice from the Borough to the last permittee, sent to the premises, that the sign permit will lapse if such activity is not renewed.

Removal of sign. The Zoning Officer may order the removal of any sign erected or maintained in violation of this article. He shall give 30 days' notice, in writing, to the owner of such signs or of the building, structure or premises on which such sign is located to remove the sign or to bring it into compliance. Upon failure to comply with this notice, the Zoning Officer or duly authorized representative may remove the sign at cost to the owner. The Zoning Officer may remove a sign immediately and without notice, at cost to the owner, if, in his opinion, the condition or location of the sign is such as to present an immediate threat to the safety of the public.

Abandoned signs.

Political signs shall comply with Chapter 309, Article I.

Political signs shall not exceed 15 square feet in area nor shall these signs exceed six feet in height and shall be set back from the street right-of-way a minimum of 10 feet.