Hatfield City Zoning Code

Recognize that signs perform an important function in identifying businesses, services, residences, events, and other items of public interest.

Encourage signs which are attractively designed in order to enhance the visual character and property values of the Borough, while encouraging the redevelopment of an attractive, economically vital Core Commercial District.

Control the size, number, location, and illumination of signs to reduce potential hazards to motorists and pedestrians caused by glare or obstruction of visibility; to reduce visual clutter which results from competition among signs, and to prevent unsightly signage which has a detrimental effect on residential and commercial areas.

Set standards to ensure that signs are compatible with the size and scale of surrounding buildings and appropriate to the type of activity to which they pertain in the districts in which they are permitted.

Animated or Moving Sign. A sign with action or motion, including the appearance of movement, graphics or words, flashing, or changing due to holographic effects, or color changes requiring electrical energy, light emitting diodes (LED) displays or electronic elements, but not including wind actuated elements such as flags, banners or specialty items. No signs in the Borough may include video, streaming video or moving pictures.

Awning Sign. A sign that is mounted or painted on, or attached to, an awning with no internal or background illumination. Such sign shall not be backlit in any way, and lettering shall be limited to the vertical portion of the awning.

Banner Sign. Any temporary sign intended to be hung either with or without frames, possessing characters, letters, illustration or ornamentations applied to fabric or similar material that is applied to a pole or building. National flags, state or municipal flags, or those containing decorative illustrations shall not be considered a banner for the purposes of this Part unless its use or purpose is that of advertising a business.

Bench Sign. A sign located on any part of the surface of a bench or seat placed on or adjacent to a public right-of-way.

Billboard Sign. A freestanding, off-premises, commercial outdoor advertising sign.

Business Sign. An on-premises sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to a business, commodity, service, industry or other activity which is sold, offered or conducted, other than incidentally, on the premises upon which the sign is located, or to which it is affixed.

Bus Shelter Sign. A sign or signage incorporated into the design and construction of a plexiglass or other shelter for persons waiting for public transit, to advertise an unrelated business or product, and not including schedules or information related to transit.

Changeable Copy Sign. A sign designed so that characters, letters panels or illustrations can be and are changed or rearranged manually without altering the face or the surface of the sign, no more frequently than once per day.

Construction Sign or Development Sign. Any temporary sign giving the name or names of principal contractors, architects, and lending institutions responsible for construction on the site where the sign is placed together with other information included thereon with such sign to be limited to the duration of construction.

Contractor Sign. A sign advertising the name and identity of a contractor currently working on the premises to which it is temporarily attached.

Directional Sign. An on- or off-premises, incidental sign designed to guide or direct pedestrians or vehicular traffic. Such signs shall not include logos, insignia, commercial symbols, etc.

Directory Sign. A sign on which the names, uses and locations of a single building are given. This shall include office buildings and church directories.

Freestanding Sign. A self-supporting sign resting on or supported by means of poles or standards in the ground.

Group Sign. A business sign for use by multiple properties or buildings which identifies names, uses and locations on a single sign.

Identification Sign. A sign which identifies only the name and address of a single occupant.

Illuminated Sign. A sign in which a source of light is used in order to make the message readable. This shall include internally and externally lighted signs.

Marquee Sign. Any sign attached to, or constructed in, a roof-like structure or awning projecting over an entranceway.

Monument Sign. A free standing sign support primarily by an internal structural framework or solid support framework designed to be integrated into a landscaped area.

Nameplate Sign. A nonbusiness sign which announces only the name and/or address of the occupants of a residence.

Nonstationary Sign. A sign which, by means of some mechanical device, or wind or solar or electric power, changes its position constantly or at regular intervals by rotating around an axis, or shifting in horizontal or vertical alignment.

Off-Premises Sign. A sign which advertises, or otherwise directs attention to, an activity not on the same lot.

On-Premises Sign. A sign which advertises, or otherwise directs attention to, an activity on the same lot.

Parallel Sign. A sign painted or mounted parallel to a wall or other vertical building surface, but not extending beyond the edge of any wall, roof line or other surface to which it is mounted not projecting more than 12 inches from its mounting surface.

Projecting Sign. Any temporary sign mounted perpendicular to a wall or other vertical building surface.

Restaurant and Menu Sign. A sign used to display food and beverage offerings at the restaurant.

Real Estate Sign. Any sign which is used to offer for sale, lease or rent the property upon which the sign is placed.

Revolving Sign. A sign which revolves 360°.

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

Snipe Sign. Sign of any material whatsoever that is attached in any way to a utility pole, tree or any similar object located or situated on public property within the public right of way, except as specifically authorized by Borough Council.

Street Banner Sign. Any off-premises temporary banner sign which is stretched across and hung over a public right-of-way.

Temporary or Special Event Sign. A sign which is intended to advertise special events, sales, general elections, community or civic projects, construction projects and real estate for sale or lease on a temporary basis. A sign of this type may include wind activated flags or banners, plastic, floating or inflatable elements.

Time and Temperature Sign. A display containing numerals flashing alternately to show only the temperature and time.

Trailer Sign. Any sign which is erected upon a structure having wheels, rollers, or similar devices facilitating movement and is capable of being moved from one location or another.

Under Marquee Sign. A lighted, or unlighted, display attached to the underside of a marquee protruding over a public or private sidewalk or right-of-way.

Vehicular Sign. Any vehicle to which a sign is affixed in such a manner that the carrying of such sign, or signs, no longer is incidental to the vehicle's primary purpose, but becomes a primary purpose in itself, shall be considered a freestanding sign, and as such, shall be subject to the provisions regarding freestanding signs in the district in which the vehicles is located.

Wall or Fascia Signs. Any parallel sign which in any manner is painted, etched, incorporated into or affixed to any exterior wall of the building or structure and which does not project more than 12 inches from the building or structure. No such sign shall exceed the height of the roof line, or extend beyond the wall.

Window or Door Sign. A sign which is fastened to or placed on the inside area of a window or a door window or within 12 inches of a window which advertises or otherwise directs attention to an activity conducted on the same lot or premises and which can be seen from outside.

Sandwich Board Sign. A freestanding, temporary, one- or two-sided sign that advertises the menu and/or specials at an eating place.

Any signs not specifically permitted herein, including, but not limited to, snipe signs affixed to trees, fences, utility poles, or upon rocks or other natural features, with the exception of "No Trespassing" or similar warning signs.

Vehicular or trailer signs; all other temporary signs except as provided under § 27-1105, Subsection 1.D.

Revolving signs, nonstationary signs, blinking, flashing, changing intensity lighting, strobe lights, search lights, beacons, changeable copy signs, animated signs or beacons, or signs with flashing, intermittent, animated, or revolving illumination, with the exception of animated or changeable copy signs as stated in § 27-1106.

Signs with illumination that is more intense than is necessary to read the sign.

Off-premises signs except as specifically permitted elsewhere in this Ordinance.

Banner signs except as permitted elsewhere in this ordinance.

Trailer signs and portable signs. Signs that are transported on wheels or on the back of flatbed trucks and which are not attached to the ground or a building.

All permitted signs shall be placed within the front or side yard of the property, outside of the right-of-way of any street. All free-standing signs shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the curbline or outer edge of the shoulder.

No signs shall be placed within the right-of-way of any street or on any public property except with the express permission of the Borough Council.

No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress and egress to or from any door, window, or fire escape.

No signs shall be placed in such a position as to endanger pedestrians or traffic on a street by obscuring sight triangles, as specified in § 22-410, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 22), or by causing confusion with official street signs due to color or location.

All signs shall be constructed of durable materials, using noncorrosive fastenings, shall be structurally safe and erected or installed in strict accordance with the Borough Building Code (Chapter 5), and shall be maintained in a safe condition and good repair at all times.

Signs may be illuminated, unless otherwise specified herein, only to the extent necessary to allow them to be seen and read at night at a distance not to exceed 500 feet for signs of 20 square feet or more in area; and 100 feet for signs less than 20 square feet in area.

Where permitted, the illumination of signs shall be subject to the National Electrical Code (Chapter 5). External lighting of any sign must be so shielded that the source of light shall not be visible from any point outside the lot on which the sign is located.

Computation of Area of Individual Signs. The area of a sign face (which is also the entire sign area of a wall sign or sign with only one face) shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle, or combination thereof that will encompass 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, bracing, or decorative fence or wall on a monument sign or when such fence or wall otherwise meets zoning code regulations and is clearly incidental to the display itself.

Computations of Area of Multifaced Signs. The sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces separated by a 30° angle. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces.

Computation of Height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the lower of (1) existing grade prior to construction or (2) the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely for the purposes of locating the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public street or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the zone lot, whichever is lower.

Name Plates and Identification Signs.

Institutional Signs. The following signs are permitted for institutional use:

Trespassing signs and signs indicating private ownership of roadways or other property, not to exceed one square foot in area, to be spaced at intervals of no less than 75 feet of street frontage.

Temporary Signs.

Bus Shelter Signs. Bus shelter signs shall be permitted in all districts by conditional use for good cause shown. The Borough Council shall consider:

Sign Formula. In addition to the sign types permitted under § 27-1105, each property in the C, CC, I, and R-3 Districts is permitted a total maximum sign area and number of signs based on the following formula:

Wall Sign and Parallel Sign Requirements.

Free Standing and Monument Sign Requirements.

Projecting Sign Requirements.

Window Sign Requirements. Sign area shall not exceed 25% of the area of the window.

Awning Sign Requirements.

Roof Sign Requirements.

Animated Sign Requirements.

Gasoline Station Signs. In addition to the total permitted sign area specified in Subsection 1.A, above, gasoline and/or filling stations shall be permitted one additional freestanding sign per property for purposes of advertising current fuel prices only, not to exceed 16 square feet in size. Such signs shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet from the nearest access driveway.

Billboard or Commercial Outdoor Advertising Signs. Permitted only in the Industrial Zone, only one commercial outdoor advertising sign may be erected per premises fronting onto a public right-of-way, provided that:

Sign Area Bonus. If a freestanding sign or wall sign has the appearance of relief-cut wood, and if Zoning Officer (based upon review and recommendation by Borough Council) determines that the proposed sign would have an attractive appearance consistent with the historic character of the Borough, then the Zoning Officer may authorize an increase in the maximum sign area for such sign of 20% beyond what would otherwise be allowed. All such signs shall be maintained in good condition.

Street signs, traffic signs, other government signs.

Legal notices.

Public monument, plaque, historical marker.

Public service and information signs advertising the availability of public rest rooms, telephones, or similar public conveniences, but not including bus shelter signs.

Name plates and identification signs for private residences, not exceeding two square feet in area.

Contractor's signs and temporary real estate signs (except construction or development signs), open house signs, artisan's signs, political signs, private property signs, trespassing signs, or other incidental signs not exceeding the size limitations of this Part.

Other temporary signs advertising sale of vehicles, yard sales, and so on, not exceeding two square feet in area.

Temporary advertising signs posted in the interior of stores.

Signs that are an integral part of vending machines.

Name and address of applicant.

Name of owner of the premises whereon the sign is to be erected, constructed, or altered.

Name of person or firm engaged to erect, construct, or alter such sign.

Zoning district.

Type of sign proposed, construction material of sign.

Approximate value of sign.

The proposed location of the sign in relation to the boundaries of the lot.

Dimension of the sign and, where applicable, dimension of the wall surface to which it is to be attached.

Proposed location of the sign in relation to the face of the building, in front of which or on which it is to be erected.

Linear feet of building frontage for each building face where a sign is to be erected.

An elevation drawing of the proposed sign, showing all dimensions, caption, color, and design.

Structural details of construction, as required by the Borough Building Code (Chapter 5).

Location and size of existing signs on property.

Inspections. The Code Enforcement Officer shall make inspections periodically for each sign displayed in the Borough to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Part.

Maintenance. All signs and components thereof shall be kept in good repair and in safe, neat, clean and attractive condition.

Removal of Sign. Any sign which is defaced; has internal illumination exposed; or whose face, frame and/or supports are chipped, peeling or otherwise damaged shall be deemed in disrepair. The Code Enforcement Officer shall give 30 days' written notice for the removal of any sign erected or maintained in violation of this Part. Upon failure to comply with this notice, the Code Enforcement Officer shall remove or cause to be removed the sign with the cost of such action charged to the property owner and proceed with enforcement as provided by law. The Code Enforcement Officer and/or building inspectors without notice may remove temporary signs erected or maintained in violation of this Part. The Code Enforcement Officer and/or building inspectors shall be allowed to remove any sign that presents an immediate threat to the safety of the general public and there is no attempt by the owner(s) to correct the situation. Any removal of such signs shall be at the expense of the property owner.

Obsolete and Abandoned Signs.