Lancaster Township City Zoning Code

To provide for signs as a means of effective visual communication.

To promote adopted comprehensive planning and zoning objectives.

To assure compatibility of signs with land uses and buildings in the vicinity of the signs and in the community as a whole.

To improve the safety of pedestrians, vehicular traffic, and property.

To enhance the economic value of the community.

To enhance the aesthetic environment.

To minimize adverse effects of signs on nearby property.

To otherwise promote the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community.

To regulate the use of signs through a sign permitting process.

To enable the fair and consistent enforcement of these sign regulations.

Sign area. The area of a sign shall be the area of the smallest rectangle, triangle, or circle that will encompass all elements of the sign, such as letters, figures, symbols, designs, or other display.

Sign height. The height of a sign shall be measured from the average ground level beneath the sign to the highest point of the sign. The ground level shall be the lower of the ground level existing at the time of construction or the ground level existing prior to construction and prior to any earth disturbance at the site. This prior ground level may be established by any reliable source, including, without limitation, existing topographic maps, aerial photographs, photographs of the site, or affidavits of people who are personally familiar with the site. No person(s) shall artificially increase the maximum height of a sign by altering the grade at the base of the sign by any means.

All signs shall reflect the general character of the neighborhood.

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

When a sign becomes unsafe, the Zoning Officer shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on which the sign is located that the sign must be made safe or removed immediately.

The areas surrounding all signs shall be maintained in a neat, clean, and attractive condition.

All signs shall be removed within three months if the purpose for which they were erected no longer exists.

Each property which displays one or more permanent freestanding signs and which is in an area where street addresses have been assigned must prominently display the address on one permanent freestanding sign visible from the street. The address must include the street number; the street name is optional. The address must be of a size and design which is easily identifiable and legible from moving traffic in the street at a distance of 100 feet (three-inch-high lettering/numerals with a three-quarter-inch stroke). The area taken up by the address does not count as part of the sign area. Center signs are exempt from this requirement.

No temporary signs shall be permitted except as authorized elsewhere in this Article XII.

No sign shall be located within a street right-of-way, except a government sign, a public utility sign, a sidewalk sign, a nonprofit organization sign, or another sign approved by the governing body or PennDOT.

No sign shall be permitted within the clear sight triangle as required in § 280-1617 of this chapter.

No signs shall be painted, pasted, nailed, stapled, or otherwise attached to utility poles, trees, fences, fire hydrants, or in an unauthorized manner to walls or other signs, except insofar as such signs comply with generally applicable rules, regulations, or policies formally adopted by the governing body.

Any freestanding sign within a floodplain must receive approval as a special exception.

No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct any door, stairway, window, fire escape, or other means of egress or ingress.

No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct ventilation or light from a building.

No overhead sign shall have a clearance of less than eight feet between any pedestrian walk and the lowest part of the sign.

No sign that is parallel to and attached to the face of a building shall project more than 18 inches over a public sidewalk.

No sign that is perpendicular to and attached to the face of a building shall project more than 48 inches from the building.

No sign shall have lights or other illuminating devices that constitute a public safety or traffic hazard.

No sign shall be permitted which imitates or which might be confused with an official traffic sign or signal, such as:

No sign or window display shall include a revolving beam or beacon of light resembling an emergency vehicle or facility.

No sign shall advertise activities or products which are illegal under federal, state, or local municipal laws or regulations.

No sign shall include statements, words, or pictures that are considered to be vulgar, obscene, or pornographic.

No streamers, pennants, spinners, reflectors, ribbons, tinsel, or similar materials shall be displayed outside a building. (See § 280-1206N of this chapter for regulations which apply to banners used as special events signs.)

In addition to any other signage permitted by this Article XII, each commercial or industrial property may display one flag, not to exceed 35 square feet, with a company or corporate identification logo on premises on an approved, standard flagpole.

No animated, sequential, intermittent, flashing, rotating, or oscillating signs shall be permitted except for time-and-temperature signs.

No sign shall emit smoke, visible vapors, particles, sound, or odor.

No sign shall be placed on an automobile, truck, or other vehicle if that vehicle is being used primarily for displaying such sign.

No inflatable signs shall be permitted.

No open flames shall be permitted as part of a sign or in any other way to attract attention.

Advertising painted upon or displayed upon a barn or other structure shall be considered a sign and shall comply with the regulations of this Article XII.

Any sign which has been authenticated as historically significant and accurate for its specific location, whether original or a replica, shall be exempt from the regulations of this Article XII.

Signs may be interior lighted with nonglaring lights; signs may be externally lighted by lights which are shielded so there is no direct light transmitted to other properties or public rights-of-way.

The light from any illuminated sign shall not adversely affect:

No lighting shall be permitted to outline buildings or structures, or parts thereof, through the use of exposed neon tubing, strings of lights, or other means, with the exception of customary holiday decorations, that may be installed 30 days prior to and be removed not later than 21 days after the holiday.

Business signs in other than commercial zoning districts or industrial zoning districts shall not be illuminated when the business is closed.

All electrically illuminated signs shall be constructed to the standards/listing of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and the most-recent version of the National Electrical Code, as part of the most-recent version of the Lancaster Township Building Code, as amended.

Permitted signs and sign permit requirements. Tables 12-1 indicate, for each zoning district, which types of signs are permitted and not permitted and which types of signs require permits. Table 12-1-A applies to signs on residential properties; Table 12-1-B applies to signs on nonresidential properties. In those parts, an "N" indicates that the sign is not permitted; a "P-Y" indicates that the sign is permitted and a permit is required; a "P-N" indicates that the sign is permitted and a permit is not required. Table 12-1-C applies to signs in rights-of-way; these are approved through special processes rather than through the regular permit procedure.

Permitted number, area, height, and setback for signs. Tables 12-2 indicate, for each zoning district, information about the permitted number, maximum area, maximum height, and minimum setback for each type of sign. Table 12-2-A has standards for the following types of signs: business signs (except center signs), home occupation signs, and identification signs (except development signs and public use signs). Table 12-2-B has standards for other types of signs.

Billboards.

Business signs. Business signs are generally regulated in accordance with Table 12-1-B and Table 12-2-A. Business signs for individual businesses which are permitted by Table 12-2-A must be located so that they are identified with the individual business, i.e., rather than being at the lot (street) frontage of a large center, away from the business they are advertising. One specific type of business sign is regulated in accordance with Tables 12-1-B and 12-2-B.[2]

Center signs. Center signs are allowed for centers such as shopping centers, office complexes, and industrial parks which meet at least two of the following three minimums:

Contractor signs.

Garage/yard sale signs. Garage/yard sale signs may be placed no more than 48 hours before the sale and must be removed before the end of the day of the sale. Signs that are not removed within the time limit may be removed and impounded by the Township, and the municipality may recover a fee equal to the cost of removal and storage. No off-premises garage/yard sale signs are permitted.

Home occupation signs. A home occupation sign may include a name, an address, an occupation or activity, and a logo or trademark. There may be no illumination, except that a sign for a medical office or emergency service may be illuminated when the business is open.

Identification signs. Identification signs are generally regulated in accordance with Tables 12-1 and Table 12-2-A. However, two specific types of identification sign are regulated in accordance with Table 12-2-B: development signs and public use signs.[3]

Development signs. Development signs are allowed for residential developments. They may include only the name of the development and may not include any commercial advertising.

Incidental signs. Incidental signs must have a setback of 10 feet from the right-of-way, unless they are 30 inches or less in height, in which case no setback is required.

Nonprofit organization signs. Nonprofit organization signs may be placed in street rights-of-way with the approval of the Township. The governing body may require that they be placed at designated entrances to the community or on common display panels.

Open house signs. Open house signs must include the words "open house," the day and time of the open house, and the name of the realtor. They may be displayed no more than 72 hours in advance of the open house and must be removed within two hours of the end of the open house. The open house must be attended by the seller or his representative during the entire advertised time of the open house. Signs that are not removed within the time limits may be removed and impounded by the Township, and the Township may recover a fee equal to the cost of removal and storage. There may be no more than two off-premises open house signs for each open house, with not more than one sign per intersection. Open house signs shall be limited to use for six days per month per lot. The placement of open house signs may not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic and must comply with all applicable general regulations in § 280-1204 of this chapter.

Real estate signs. Real estate signs must be removed within five days of the completion of the activity that they advertise. Signs that are not removed within the time limits may be removed and impounded by the Township, and the Township may recover a fee equal to the cost of removal and storage. No off-premises real estate signs are permitted.

Sidewalk signs. Sidewalk signs shall not be more than 24 inches wide and 48 inches high if placed next to the curb; if placed next to buildings having obstructions such as steps, they shall not be more than 42 inches wide and 72 inches high. The distance between sidewalk signs shall be at least 15 feet. A minimum of four feet of unobstructed walkway shall be maintained.

Special event signs. Special event signs shall comply with any generally applicable rules, regulations, or policies of the governing body; and, if a special event has a specific date, signs for that event may be displayed no more than 21 days in advance. All special event signs must be removed within five days of the end of the event. Signs that are not removed within the time limits may be removed and impounded by the Township, and the Township may recover a fee equal to the cost of removal and storage.

There may be no expansion or increase in the nonconformity in any way.

Maintenance and repair of the sign are permitted; if necessary, up to 50% of the sign and its supporting structure may be replaced in the event of damage; any such replacement must be completed within six months of the damage occurring.

The sign must be brought into conformity if, for a period of at least three months, the message has no longer applied to an activity on the premises (this does not apply to billboards).[1]