Franklin Township City Zoning Code
PART 20
SIGNS
§ 27-2001 General.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1900; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
The following regulations shall apply to all districts:
A.
No sign shall be erected within the lines of a street right-of-way except street name signs associated with traffic.
B.
No sign which may have a distracting effect on motorists on adjacent highways shall be permitted including those which flash, move, oscillate or rotate.
C.
No sign shall be erected which emits smoke, visible vapors or particles, sound or odor.
D.
No sign shall be erected which uses an artificial light or reflecting device which may be mistaken for a traffic signal.
E.
No sign shall be erected containing information which implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of this chapter.
F.
No roof sign shall be permitted and no sign shall project above the main cornice line of a building to which a sign is affixed.
G.
Floodlighting of any sign shall be arranged so that the source of light is not visible nor glare is detected from any property line or vehicular access.
H.
A freestanding sign and projecting sign shall not be utilized together to identify the same establishment on the same street frontage unless for multiple uses on a single lot where the freestanding sign collectively denotes a number of uses.
I.
No sign, except removable political signs and temporary removable yard or garage sale signs, shall be placed on any tree, utility pole or upon rocks or natural features.
§ 27-2002 Construction and Maintenance.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1901; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
Every permitted sign shall be constructed of durable materials and kept in good condition, safe from hazards, nuisances and collapse. Any sign which is allowed to become dilapidated, the owner shall receive notice by the Township Zoning Officer to remedy the situation within 30 days. Should the remedy not occur within this time frame, the Township shall remove the dilapidated sign at the expense of the owner or lessee of the property on which it is located.
§ 27-2003 Exempt Signs.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1902; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
No permit shall be required before erecting any of the following signs, provided they conform to all the provisions established under §§ 27-2001 and 27-2008.
A.
Information or public service signs including those for public telephones, public conveniences and signs advertising meeting times and places of nonprofit service or charitable organizations, not exceeding four square feet in area.
B.
Official traffic signs.
C.
Trespassing signs.
D.
Signs indicating the private nature of a drive.
E.
Temporary real estate sales or rent signs, not exceeding six square feet in area, provided they are removed within 14 days of the signing of an agreement.
F.
Memorial or historic markers not exceeding six square feet in area.
G.
Temporary yard or garage sale signs not exceeding four square feet in area and are removed within 48 hours of the completion of the sale.
H.
Temporary contractor signs for work being performed not exceeding six square feet, provided they are removed within 14 days of the work completion date.
I.
Temporary political signs not exceeding six square feet, provided they are removed within 14 days of the applicable election date.
§ 27-2004 Temporary Signs.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1903; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
The following regulations shall apply to all districts:
A.
Temporary signs shall be displayed for less than 60 days. Flags, banners, and streamers shall only be allowed for 30 days. See Subsection 1B(1) below.
B.
Temporary signs shall comply with the following:
(1)
A permit must be obtained before erecting each temporary sign.
(2)
Display of signs for 60 days or longer shall require a renewal permit or conversion to permanent sign status.
(3)
Signs shall be removed immediately upon expiration of an approved permit.
(4)
The site or building on which the sign was erected shall be restored to its original condition upon removal of a sign.
C.
Temporary signs shall not exceed 24 square feet in area.
D.
Any freestanding temporary sign shall be located at least 10 feet from any lot line.
E.
Temporary signs do not require permanent foundations.
§ 27-2005 Sign Calculations.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1904; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; and Ord. 2011-10, 12/21/2011, § 3]
1.
Distances. All distances provided for this Part shall be measured along straight lines between signs and from the rear edge to near edge of the sign or sign structure. Distances shall apply in all cases, including locating new signs in relationship to currently existing nonconforming signs.
2.
Sign Area. The area of a sign shall be calculated in accordance with the definition for sign area in § 27-202.
3.
Window Signs. Unless further restricted by district regulations, window signs shall not exceed 15% of the total glass area of the building front. This is to include all incidental signage.
4.
Projecting Signs. Projecting signs mounted to a wall or other vertical building surface by a post shall project no more than two feet. No part shall be less than nine feet nor more than 12 feet above the ground or walkway. There shall be a limit of one projecting sign per store and shall be limited to six square feet.
5.
Freestanding Signs and Directories. The height of freestanding signs shall be measured from the ground level to the topmost portion of the structure. Freestanding signs and directories shall not exceed 32 square feet in area unless otherwise specified herein. The maximum height of freestanding ground signs shall be six feet. Freestanding pole signs shall have a minimum height of seven feet above grade at the lowest point, and a maximum height of no greater than 12 feet above grade, except as provided for in § 27-2008. Permanent freestanding signs shall require building permits.
6.
Incidental Signs. Signs that provide additional information, such as store hours, credit cards, notice of services shall not total more than eight signs in number, and total area for all incidental signs is not to exceed two square feet.
7.
Double-faced signs. A double-faced sign shall be considered as one sign and only one face shall be used to calculate the sign area and size of the support structure. Should the two surfaces deviate from being parallel, exceed 12 inches between the parallel surfaces, or differ in size or shape, the sign shall be considered as two signs and not a double-faced sign.
§ 27-2006 Signs in Agricultural and Residential Districts.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1905; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; and by Ord. 2011-10, 12/21/2011, § 4]
1.
In any agricultural or residential district, the following signs and no other shall be permitted. No sign shall be illuminated directly and indirectly. Only one sign shall be permitted on a premises for each permitted use.
A.
Name and address signs of residents, farm or home occupation not exceeding two square feet in area.
B.
Temporary signs in conjunction with the sale of farm products not exceeding 12 square feet in area.
C.
Signs denoting a winery that is accessory to an agriculture use shall not exceed 24 square feet in area.
D.
Public utility identification signs relative to the identification, operation or protection of any public utility.
E.
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection 1E, regarding signs denoting a winery, was repealed by A.O.
F.
Freestanding pole signs shall not be permitted in the Agricultural and Residential Districts.
G.
Support structures for signs in Agricultural and Residential Districts shall be made of or built with natural materials or the technological equivalent.
H.
The size of the structure supporting a freestanding ground sign shall be limited to 100 square feet in vertical area and a maximum thickness of 30 inches. Where the support structure is an existing freestanding wall or retaining wall that is not part of or connected to a building, such support structure shall be exempt from this requirement.
§ 27-2007 Signs in Village Districts.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1906; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
In the Village District, the following signs and no other shall be permitted:
A.
Name and address signs of residents or home occupation not exceeding two square feet in area.
B.
Temporary signs in accordance with § 27-2004 but not to exceed 12 square feet.
C.
For all permitted commercial uses in the Village District, one freestanding sign up to 10 square feet plus one of the following:
(1)
One wall sign mounted flush on wall up to six square feet.
(2)
One wall sign (when part of the architectural design of the building) consisting of individual letters or symbols not to exceed 15% of wall area.
(3)
One window sign in accordance with § 27-2005.
D.
If a building fronts on more than street, one additional sign in accordance with Subsection 1A, B, or C above may be permitted on each street frontage.
[Amended by A.O.]
E.
Directional signs of three square feet or less are permitted for traffic control purpose, provided such signs do not contain advertising copy.
2.
Where lighting is proposed, signs shall be illuminated only through indirect methods.
3.
Sign Bonuses in the Village District.
A.
Intent. Sign bonus provisions in exchange for satisfying specific conditions have been established to promote and protect the attractiveness and convenience of the Village District.
B.
Procedure. The Board of Supervisors may authorize a modification of the provisions of this section when an application for the installation of a sign is deemed to be in compliance with the eligibility criteria of Subsection 3D below.
C.
Modification. Modifications shall take the form of zoning bonuses conditioned upon specific approval of the application and granted only in return for specific action on the part of the applicant. A bonus of 10% additional square feet for the sign shall be allowed. The modifications authorized by the Board of Supervisors shall be affixed to the building permit issued for a particular sign. Bonuses shall not be transferred from one sign to another.
D.
Eligibility Criteria. To become eligible for bonuses, an application shall provide any of the following to warrant consideration by the Board of Supervisors:
(1)
Create a sign design which complements the architecture of the village and the site.
(2)
Create an artistic sign of natural products which reflects the character of a village setting.
(3)
Provide additional setback for proposed signs from all road rights-of-way.
(4)
Include indirect lighting with a concealed lighting source which create no glare and complies with the lighting provisions of this Part.
(5)
Bring all existing signs into conformity with the provisions of this Part.
§ 27-2008 Signs in Commercial Districts.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1907; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; and by Ord. 2011-10, 12/21/2011, § 5]
1.
In any commercial district, the following signs and no other shall be permitted:
A.
Any sign permitted under § 27-2003 and this section.
B.
Business signs, accessory to a permitted commercial use, provided that the following conditions are met:
(1)
Wall-mounted signs shall not exceed two square feet in area for each linear foot of building wall. Wall-mounted signs shall not exceed 25 feet in width and four feet in height or 64 square feet in area. Their maximum height shall be 12 feet above ground level, and shall not exceed the eave line of the building.
(2)
Freestanding signs not exceeding 32 square feet. The maximum height of freestanding signs shall be 16 feet. The maximum width shall be eight feet. The supports or feet of the sign shall inhibit plant growth for at least a six-inch radius. Acceptable inhibitors are mulch, stone, and concrete. Permanent freestanding signs shall require building permits.
(3)
Projecting signs shall not exceed six square feet in area. Refer to § 27-2005.
C.
Window signs. Unless further restricted by district regulations, window signs shall not exceed 15% of the total glass area of the building front. This is to include all incidental signage. See § 27-2005, Subsection 6.
D.
Business signs and directory relating to a group of stores or business establishments on a single lot or adjacent lot.
E.
Outdoor Advertising Signs.
(1)
A maximum of one outdoor advertising sign is permitted per lot or contiguous lots under single and separate ownership.
(2)
No outdoor advertising sign shall be located within 100 feet of a residential use or district, school, designated historic structure, house of worship, or public recreation facility.
(3)
Outdoor advertising signs shall have a maximum sign area of 40 square feet.
(4)
Outdoor advertising signs shall have a maximum height of 30 feet or the maximum height of buildings permitted in the district, whichever is less.
(5)
Outdoor advertising signs shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from any property line.
§ 27-2009 Signs in Limited Industrial Districts.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1908; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
In any Limited Industrial District, the following signs and no others shall be permitted:
A.
Any sign under § 27-2003.
B.
Business or industrial signs, accessory to a permitted use, provided that the following conditions are met:
(1)
Wall-mounted signs shall not exceed 120 square feet in area.
(2)
Freestanding signs shall not exceed 75 square feet in area. The maximum height of freestanding signs shall be 25 feet.
(3)
Directional signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area.
(4)
Industrial park sign and directory relating to a group of industrial activities within a unified development.
§ 27-2010 Sign Location.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1909; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
The following provisions apply to all districts:
A.
No sign other than official traffic signs shall be permitted in the right-of-way of any public street.
B.
All signs, other than official traffic signs and temporary yard and garage sales, shall be located on the tract or lot with which they are associated.
C.
Signs shall not be spaced closer together than a distance equal to 10 times the height of the sign having the largest dimension.
D.
Freestanding signs shall be erected only within the limits of the yard of the property to which they pertain.
E.
Directories will be the only type of sign allowed at the entrance or front of a commercial or business uses. Directories shall be limited to identification and shall not contain advertising material. See § 27-2005, Subsection 5, for design standards.
§ 27-2011 Sign Permits, Inspection and Fees.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1910; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; and by Ord. 2008-04, 11/19/2008, § 1]
1.
Applications. Applications for sign permits shall be filed in duplicate on forms furnished by the Township. Applications shall be accompanied by detailed plans and specifications that include:
A.
Size, color, method of illumination, location, material and information on sign.
B.
Company or person who will be mounting the sign.
C.
Total weight.
D.
Voltage requirements.
E.
Sketch or sample of the material (photographs may be acceptable) and such other information deemed necessary by the Zoning Officer to determine the location and details of construction.
F.
Construction.
G.
The colors shall be limited to three and must match the background or trim of the building.
H.
Materials must be natural, specifically, wood, masonry, stone, stucco, wrought iron, antiqued metal.
I.
Letters must be painted or stained or nonreflecting raised metal.
J.
Roofs may be made of copper or standing seam metal.
K.
Metal frames are allowed on signs.
2.
Inspection. All signs shall be subject to annual inspections by the Zoning Officer.
3.
Temporary Sign Permits. A temporary sign permit shall be validated for 60 days from the date of issuance. Three permits may be issued for a single sign on a consecutive basis.
4.
Permit Fees. No permit to erect a sign shall be issued until the appropriate fee has been paid. The fee schedule for Franklin Township shall be adopted by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. The fee schedule shall be made available to the public upon request.
5.
Installation procedures must conform to the Uniform Construction Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 5, Code Enforcement, Part 1, Uniform Construction Code.
§ 27-2012 Temporary Off-Site Directional Signs.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1911; as amended by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
Temporary directional signs shall be permitted in the AR Agricultural/Residential District, LDR Low-Density Residential District, MDR Medium -Density Residential District and HDR High-Density Residential District under the following conditions:
A.
Each user of a temporary directional sign desiring a permit shall make application for a temporary sign permit. If the sign is to be located on property other than the property owned by the person desiring the temporary directional sign, the owner of the property shall jointly apply for the sign permit.
B.
A sign permit shall be issued upon payment of a sign permit fee as established by the Board of Supervisors by resolution and shall include the escrow fee guaranteeing removal of the off-street directional sign which fee shall be set by the Board of Supervisors of Franklin Township by resolution.
C.
No more than three off-site signs shall be permitted to provide direction to any site. In the case of a subdivision, the entire subdivision shall be considered to be a single site.
D.
The temporary directional signs shall be in place only on Saturdays and Sundays between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
E.
Each sign for which a permit is given shall not exceed four square feet as measured on one face. Each sign shall be limited to two faces. Maximum height of the sign shall be 36 inches above the ground.
§ 27-2013 Signs Prohibited in Commercial, Limited Industrial, Special Use, and Village Districts.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1912; as added by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; and as amended by Ord. 2011-10, 12/21/2011, § 6]
1.
Signs on sides of buildings. The building front is considered to contain the main entrance and exit for customers or clients.
2.
Any signs with messages that contain obscene matter or hate messages according to community standards.
3.
Neon signs.
4.
Illuminated awnings.
5.
Wall panel signs.
6.
Box signs.
7.
Illuminated channel letters.
8.
Directly illuminated signs.
9.
Mobile standing signs.
10.
Balloons or other inflatables are not allowed for advertising or any other purpose.
11.
Bulletin boards on outside of buildings.
§ 27-2014 Special Signs.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1913; as added by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; as amended by Ord. 2008-04, 11/19/2008, § 1 and by Ord. 2011-10, 12/21/2011, § 7]
1.
Signs for physicians, dentists, Magisterial District Judges or others for emergency services that protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents may be illuminated beyond the hours stipulated. They shall conform with glare ordinances [§ 27-1607].
2.
Flags in the Commercial, Limited Industrial, or Special Use Districts. Only flags listed in Subsection 2A through D below may be flown on freestanding poles. Any freestanding pole with any item, other than flags permitted by this subsection, connected thereto shall be considered a freestanding sign and shall be required to meet the requirements stated herein. The following flags may be flown, provided they are no higher than the flags at the county seat:
A.
United States of America.
B.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
C.
County.
D.
Township.
§ 27-2015 Special Purpose Signs.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1914; as added by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
Theaters, cinemas, exhibition centers are allowed signs that have a maximum of 100 square feet. They are allowed six square feet per screen or auditorium. Letters must be six inches in height or less.
2.
Menu Boards.
A.
Only one board per establishment is allowed.
B.
Boards must be 12 square feet or less.
C.
Numbers or letters must be three inches or smaller in height.
D.
For establishments that face a road, menu boards must be displayed in back or side unless the sign is shielded from traffic by screening, berms, fences, other buildings or other permanent means.
As described above, menu boards are not considered signs and do not require permits. If outside, they must be removed at the end of the business day. Menu boards shall be considered double-faced signs if joined at the top. |
3.
Double-Faced Signs. A sign is considered to be double-faced if lettering and advertising is the same on both sides and the sides are six inches or less apart.
4.
Directional Signs. On the premises, signs shall only be posted for traffic control at the discretion of the Township. Off-premises, they are not allowed.
5.
Holiday Decorations. Special decorations are allowed six weeks prior to a holiday and two weeks after. If they contain advertising or logos, they are considered signs and must conform to ordinances.
§ 27-2016 Informational Signs.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1915; as added by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
These signs may only be used if painted on driveway surface. These signs include, but are not limited to, no parking, drive-through, exit and entrance.
2.
Vehicles. Trucks, cars, trailers or other vehicles that advertise a business must be parked out of sight. If not, it is considered a sign and must conform to all ordinances.
§ 27-2017 Hours of Illumination for Freestanding Signs and Directories.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1916; as added by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1]
1.
Monday through Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
2.
Signs may only be illuminated during business hours.
§ 27-2018 Lighting to Agree With Lighting Ordinances.
[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 1917; as added by Ord. 2001-02, 10/12/2001, § 1; and as amended by Ord. 2011-10, 12/21/2011, § 8]
1.
All lighting of signs must agree with lighting ordinances. See § 27-1607.
A.
Sign, Directly Illuminated. A sign designed to give forth light though transparent or translucent material from a source of light from within the sign.
B.
Sign, Indirectly Illuminated. A sign with illumination derived from a lighting fixture external to the sign.
