Franklin Township City Zoning Code
§ 90-59
Signs.
[Amended 5-24-1993 by Ord. No. 93-4; 11-29-1993 by Ord. No. 93-7]
A.
General regulations.
(1)
No sign shall be erected until a permit has been obtained from the Zoning Officer and, if necessary, from the Construction Official.
(2)
The term "sign" shall not apply to a religious symbol, unaccompanied by lettering, when applied to a cornice, tower or spire of a place of worship.
(3)
Signs may only identify a use conducted on the premises.
(4)
No sign shall be located within any required sight triangle area.
(5)
No sign, by reason of its position, shape, color, device or content, shall interfere in any way with vehicular or pedestrian traffic or driving vision or interfere with, resemble or be designed to be confused with any traffic directional, identification or emergency control signs.
(6)
No sign, by reason of its position, shape, color, device or content, shall interfere in any way with the view by vehicular or pedestrian traffic of any other sign on the same property or nearby property.
(7)
No sign visible from vehicular traffic shall use arrows, "go," "stop," etc., as part of its structure or message.
(8)
All signs shall be constructed in such a manner and of such materials so as to withstand a wind pressure of at least 40 pounds per square foot.
(9)
Signs shall be maintained in good condition and not allowed to become dilapidated.
(10)
No signs shall be illuminated by lighting of intermittent or varying intensity.
(11)
No illuminated signs shall be made of combustible material.
(12)
No signs shall cause objectionable glare or light intensity anywhere within viewing distance.
(13)
No signs shall have a surface lighting intensity of more than 50 footcandles when measured one foot from the sign's face.
(14)
No sign shall use neon, xenon and other tube-type lighting unless it is located in a commercial zone district.
(15)
No signs attached to buildings shall project more than eight inches beyond the vertical wall of the building or above the roofline or the top of any parapet wall.
B.
Prohibited signs. The following signs shall be prohibited:
(1)
Animated signs or flashing or illusionary signs using mechanical, electrical or other devices to revolve, flash or display movement or the illusion of movement.
(2)
Signs attached to utility poles.
(3)
Silhouetted and/or three-dimensional signs which do not have opaque backgrounds.
(4)
Signs which are mounted upon a vehicle and parked upon a public highway for advertising purposes.
(6)
All off-site commercial advertising signs.
C.
Permitted signs. The following signs shall be permitted, subject to the stated conditions:
(1)
All zone districts.
(a)
No more than one sign advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which the sign is placed. Such sign shall be removed within 48 hours after closing of title or change of possession.
[1]
For individual residential properties, the sign shall be no more than six square feet in area.
[2]
For residential major subdivisions, commercial properties and vacant land, there may be one sign not exceeding 32 square feet in area for each 1,000 feet of road frontage, which sign shall be set back at least 15 feet from the road right-of-way line or any property line and shall not be located in any sight triangle.
[3]
All signs advertising the sale of lots in a major subdivision shall be removed as required above unless a homeowners' or property owners' association is in existence, and such association has agreed to maintain a suitably constructed permanent sign identifying the name of the subdivision.
(b)
A professional, identifying or historical nameplate no greater than two square feet in area. Such signs are limited to one per lot and may be attached to a front wall of a building or to a suitable post in the yard, provided that said sign shall be not less than 10 feet from the side lot line and not less than 10 feet from the front lot line. Name or announcement signs for dwellings may be illuminated by not more than 40 watts.
(c)
One temporary sign advertising functions of religious or charitable or fraternal organizations, located upon the premises and not exceeding eight square feet in area, provided that said sign shall be located outside any required sight triangle.
(d)
A sign identifying civic, public or quasi-public buildings located upon the premises and not exceeding 32 square feet in area, provided that said sign shall not be less than 25 feet from the side lot line at the established setback line and not less than 10 feet from the front lot line and located outside any required sight triangle.
(e)
Temporary signs identifying construction sites, which signs shall not exceed eight square feet in area and are to be removed upon completion of work.
(f)
Signs relating to traffic, municipal events, legal notices, dangers or other events, when placed or approved by the governing body or other appropriate legal authority.
(g)
Signs not exceeding 120 square inches prohibiting trespassing or hunting.
(h)
A permitted home occupation or home professional office may have one attached or freestanding identifying sign. If the lot fronts on a state highway, the sign area shall not exceed 12 square feet. On all other lots, the sign area shall not exceed six square feet.
(i)
Political campaign signs which shall be removed within one week after the election at which the sign is directed.
(j)
Commercial uses accessory to agricultural uses and preexisting nonconforming commercial or industrial uses may erect signs in conformity with those permitted in the commercial and industrial zone districts.
[Amended 12-30-1994 by Ord. No. 94-8]
(2)
Commercial and industrial zone districts.
(a)
The total area of all signs shall not exceed 10% of the facade of the building. If more than one facade of the building is visible from the street, signs may be placed on each facade, provided that there shall be signs on no more than three facades.
(b)
All signs shall be attached to the building, except as provided elsewhere in this section, and shall not project more than eight inches beyond the sides and front of the building or above the roofline or the top of any parapet wall.
(c)
Where a building requires several different signs, they should be similar in size, materials, colors and lettering.
(d)
For shops, stores and offices, recommended signage is a graphically consistent system of darker-colored traditional-style letters, routed or applied to a neutral background.
(e)
Signs necessary for traffic regulations and parking and loading area shall be permitted in accordance with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) or other engineering standards as approved by the Land Use Board during the site plan approval process.
[Amended 12-9-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-14]
(f)
One freestanding sign identifying the business or businesses, which is no greater 64 square feet in area, not exceeding 20 feet in height and not closer than 10 feet to the front or side property line, shall be permitted. If the lot is larger than five acres, the freestanding sign may be no greater than 128 square feet in area.
(g)
A gasoline filling station may have:
[1]
One customary freestanding identification sign not more than 80 square feet in area. Any such sign shall be no more than 30 feet in height, shall be set back at least 30 feet from the street line and shall not rotate, being completely stationary at all times.
[2]
Not more than three A-frame signs advertising services or products.
(h)
One portable sign is allowed on a premises containing a commercial use upon receipt of a permit and subject to the following regulations:
[Added 12-30-1994 by Ord. No. 94-8]
[1]
One portable sign shall be permitted on a lot for a maximum of 90 days per calendar year. The ninety-day period may be consecutive or nonconsecutive. If nonconsecutive, its period of use shall be in thirty-day increments. The signs shall be removed and stored out of sight from any location off the lot where the sign is located during any time period that it is not in use. The time limits set forth in this subsection shall not apply to any and all nonprofit and/or charitable organizations.
[Amended 3-1-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-4]
[2]
Portable signs may be lighted, provided that the sign face is white or opaque and the lettering is black. Blinking lights on portable signs are not permitted.
[3]
Portable signs shall be located outside of the public right-of-way and outside of sight triangles and shall be situated so as not to impede the line of sight for traffic entering and exiting the property.
[4]
Portable signs shall not exceed 32 square feet.
[5]
The permit for a portable sign to be used during a calendar year shall be obtained from the Zoning Officer within the first month of the calendar year. The applicant for a portable sign shall specify in the permit application the designated dates when the portable sign will be used.
(3)
HC Highway Commercial Zone District.
(a)
The following sign types and placement per each store, shop or office use are permitted:
[1]
Building facade signs placed below the lower cornice or above or on the transom or lintel of windows and doors.
[2]
Hanging signs not exceeding six square feet in area and which do not interrupt the line of the facade. The treatment of the sign and the decorative bracket must complement the building.
[3]
Signs on canopies or awnings, with letters two feet high or less.
(b)
A sign shall not obscure, conflict with or cover any architectural detail (i.e., cornice) and must be aligned with major building elements, such as windows, trim and structure lines.
(c)
Businesses located on the upper floor of buildings shall place their identifying signs on the ground level of the building, not to exceed two square feet in area.
(d)
One freestanding sign per lot is permitted. It shall not exceed 64 square feet in sign area or a height of 20 feet.
(e)
As an alternative to the standards contained or referred to herein, the applicant may submit, for Land Use Board approval, a Sign and Graphics Standards Manual containing specific design, including location, type, size, color and lettering, for all signs. If approved by the Land Use Board, the Sign and Graphics Standards Manual shall apply to the mixed-use development.
[Amended 12-9-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-14]
(4)
PD Planned Development Option District.
(a)
The following signs are permitted:
[1]
One sign at each entrance of the development leading from a public street which is not more than 32 square feet in area.
[2]
Traffic and directional signs and signs attached to dwelling units identifying the unit.
[3]
During the period of initial sales of dwelling units, one sign shall be permitted in front of each model unit, either attached to or directly in front of such model unit, no larger than four square feet, identifying the model and a sign identifying the sales office, no larger than four square feet.