Hanover City Zoning Code

A separate structure consisting of a face or faces upon which information is portrayed, including its supporting structural elements.

A structure or device erected in the form of a symbol or trademark.

A structure or device attached or fastened to another structure, such as on the wall or roof of a building.

A surface of a structure or device upon which lettered, pictorial, or other visual information is placed.

Advertising sign. A sign which directs attention to a business, product, service, or activity, sold or conducted at a location other than upon the premises where the sign is located.

Animated sign. A sign with action or motion, flashing lights, or color changes requiring electronic or manufactured sources of supply, but not including wind actuated elements such as flags, banners, or pennants.

Awning - canopy or marquee. Any structure made of cloth, metal, wood, or substitute material with a frame or rigid form attached to a building and projecting out from the building.

Business sign. A sign which announces or directs attention to a business, product, service, or activity sold or conducted on the premises where such sign is located.

Directional sign. A sign which is for directing patrons or attendants to an establishment off the main traveled thoroughfare or to service clubs, churches, or other nonprofit organizations.

Ground sign (free-standing). A sign which is supported by uprights, columns, etc., in or upon the ground and not attached to any building.

Home occupation sign. A sign depicting a use which is incidental or secondary to the residential use of a dwelling.

Identification sign. A sign which identifies only the occupant of the premises, the profession of the occupant, and/or the name of the building upon which the sign is placed.

Illuminated sign. A sign incorporating a source of light in order to make the message readable. Included are internally and externally lighted signs.

Projecting sign. A sign which is attached to a building or other structure and extends beyond the line of said building or structure.

Public service sign. A sign erected or located by a public agency providing information or instructions.

Roof sign. A sign erected upon or above the roof or parapet wall of a building and which is wholly or partially supported by said building.

Street clock. A timepiece used as a sign upon or in a frame or structure placed or located upon the sidewalk by a person or business for the convenience of the public and which also serves as a business sign.

Temporary sign. A sign placed or erected for a limited time only.

Trespassing sign. A sign indicating the private nature of a driveway or property.

Wall sign. A flat sign which is affixed in any manner against or parallel to any exterior wall of a building or structure and which does not extend above the parapet, eaves, or facade of the building to which it is attached.

Buntings, pennants, banners, and similar materials. Are temporary signs announcing changes and/or openings for businesses and industry, and events concerning charitable, civic, and religious organizations.

Sandwich board signs. A sign constructed of at least two boards joined at the top, erected on the ground or a surface so as to form a triangular shape.

Mobile billboards. A sign constructed on a moveable framework, which can be moved from location to location. The sign has no permanent foundation in the form of footers or slab, in the ground.

No sign shall be erected that by reason of position, shape or color may interfere with, obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device.

Except for a sign or lettering painted or placed directly on a door, store window, door or window frame or building trim identifying the occupant or activity of a building or structure, no sign shall be painted directly on any surface which is not in itself the sign structure.

Under no circumstance shall any sign or part thereof project over or extend beyond a point two feet inside the curb line or edge of street pavement.

No part of any sign shall project or extend over any pedestrian walkway for a distance of more than four feet, and every such sign projecting out for more than two feet shall have a clear space of at least eight feet below all projecting parts.

In computing the area upon which information or copy can be placed, only that face or faces which can be seen from any one direction at one time shall be counted.

No signs shall be attached to or placed on any public utility pole or tree located within any public right-of-way.

Illumination of any sign shall be indirect, shielded or otherwise arranged to prevent glare.

All signs shall be constructed of durable materials and shall be kept in good condition and repair.

All signs shall be erected or located so that they will permit free ingress to or egress from any window, door or fire escape.

Indecent or obscene sign matter shall not be displayed in any manner.

Every sign for which a permit is required shall have its assigned number clearly displayed on the sign face or front.

Any sign erected prior to the adoption of this chapter or as amended that does not conform if damaged to an extent of 1/2 its replacement value shall not be rebuilt. However, the normal maintenance, repainting or posting of these signs or structures shall not be a factor in determining the replacement costs.

The total aggregate square footage of sign area permitted for a single business or activity located or conducted on a single property (or individual store or shop in a shopping center) shall not be more than two square feet for each lineal foot of primary property street frontage (or individual store or shop frontage in a shopping center). Under no circumstances, however, shall the total permitted aggregate sign area for any such individual business or activity exceed 200 square feet per street frontage.

Identification signs, provided that:

Trespassing sign. No more than one such sign shall be permitted for each driveway or property.

All temporary signs have a 45-day time limit unless otherwise provided for by this chapter.

Billboard signs shall only be permitted in the Industrial (I) district. Billboard signs are regulated as a conditional use and must be the principal use to which the property is devoted. There shall be no more than one Billboard sign on any premises at any one time.

In said District, a billboard shall be located within 100 feet of the center line of an arterial street as identified by the Borough, as defined by this chapter.

Billboard signs shall be freestanding, ground-mounted, single-column post-supported displays which have no structural contact with any building or other structure.

The maximum surface area of the sign shall be 200 square feet. This area includes both sides if it is a two sided sign.

The maximum height of the sign shall be 22 feet, measured from the ground to the top of the sign.

Billboard signs that are not located at the grade of the arterial street they are located along shall be located so as to be no higher than 40 feet above the curb of the street from which they are intended to be viewed.

No Billboard shall be placed within 500 feet of any property within a Residential District classification or any public or private school property, park, library or place of worship when the display face to the Billboard will be visible therefrom. This required distance shall be measured along the frontage of the street or highway on which the Billboard is located.

No part of any Billboard shall be located closer than 15 feet to any street right-of-way. Billboard shall be subject to the side yard and rear yard setback requirements of the Industrial District unless otherwise determined by Subsection G above.

No Billboard shall be erected closer than 1,000 feet to any other existing or proposed Billboard.

Billboard shall be either non-illuminated or indirectly illuminated, provided that all lighting is shielded and directed in a downward direction from the top of the sign toward the ground. No LED Digital Billboards are permitted.

The location of a Billboard shall not obstruct visibility of any other business sign nor shall it obstruct visibility for traffic entering or leaving any property or traveling on any street.

Landscaping requirements.