Loyalsock Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Signs
§ 215-30 Applicability of regulations.
Signs may be erected and maintained only when in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and all other ordinances and regulations relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance of signs and similar devices.
§ 215-31 Definitions.
For the purposes of the interpretation of Article V only, the following definitions shall apply.
A sign with electrically or mechanically powered action or motion or flashing or color changes. This includes signs with wind actuated elements.
Those boards which direct the motorist or pedestrian to a business establishment or call the attention of the motorist or pedestrian to a product, place or activity that exists or occurs at locations other than the location upon which the board is erected.
Signs or boards that are directly oriented to activities that occur at the same premises upon which the board or sign is erected.
A sign designed to guide or direct pedestrians or vehicular traffic. Said signs may not exceed four feet in height nor be more than four square feet in area. The business name or trademark may be placed on a directional sign but said name or trademark may not exceed more than 50% of the area of said sign. These signs shall not be considered business identification signs.
A sign capable of displaying text, graphics, symbols, or images that can be electronically or mechanically changed by remote or automatic means, and which directs attention to a business, activity, product, commodity, service, entertainment or communication.
[Added 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
OFF-PREMISES ELECTRONIC SIGNA sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, entertainment, institution or other use which is offered at a location other than upon the premises on which the sign is located.
ON-PREMISES ELECTRONIC SIGNA sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, entertainment, institution or other permitted use which is offered on the same premises where the sign is located.
A sign which is affixed to an architectural projection of the wall of a building or structure or to a canopy or marquee or any other projected surface.
A sign supported vertically by one or more uprights placed in or on the ground.
A sign used to advertise the products offered for sale on the premises where it is erected and designed to be movable.
A sign supported by a roof of a building. The highest point of a roof sign shall not exceed the building height limit for the district in which it is erected. The maximum area of a roof sign shall not exceed 200 square feet.
Flags, pennants, special promotional devices or displays intended to be erected for a limited period of time.
A sign attached to the underside of an architectural projection.
A sign attached to, or a part of, the wall of a structure.
§ 215-32 General regulations for all signs.
The following regulations shall apply to all permitted sign uses:
A.
No sign shall be placed in such a position that it will cause danger to traffic on street by obscuring the view.
B.
No sign, other than an official traffic sign, shall be erected within the right-of-way lines of any street.
C.
No sign shall project over a public sidewalk area or public right-of-way.
D.
No sign shall be painted on a tree, stone, cliff or other natural object.
E.
Signs shall not attempt to direct the movement of traffic or interfere with, imitate or resemble any official signs, signal or device.
F.
Signs shall not prevent the driver of a vehicle from having a clear and unobstructed view of approaching or merging traffic.
G.
No sign or portion thereof, including lights, shall be permitted in any district when, by reason of its design, content, intensity, color, location or movement, it may interfere or cause confusion with traffic lights, signals or other controls or otherwise interfere with the operation of vehicles upon a public thoroughfare. Signs may be internally or externally illuminated except as further restricted by this chapter.
H.
A permit shall be required for the erection or structural alteration or structural modification of all billboards or signs except as specified in § 215-33 of this article.
I.
All signs shall be removed by the owner when the circumstances leading to its erection no longer apply.
J.
All signs with a clearance of less than six feet above grade shall be a minimum of 20 feet from the face of any curb abutting a street or 10 feet from the property line abutting any street right-of-way, whichever distance is less restrictive.
[Amended 3-27-2012 by Ord. No. 347]
K.
No wall sign shall extend above the top of the wall, nor beyond the left or right extremity of the wall to which it is attached nor shall it extend or project more than 18 inches from the wall upon which it is attached.
L.
A fascia sign shall have its copy area parallel to the structure or building and shall not extend from the surface of the architectural projection more than as follows:
§ 215-32.1 Electronic signs.
[Added 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
Electronic signs are permitted on-premises in the (C-N) Commercial Neighborhood, (C) Commercial, (A-O) Apartment-Office and (I) Industrial Districts, provided that such signs conform with the following as applicable:
A.
Such sign may be a portion of a building sign or freestanding sign, or may comprise the entire sign area.
B.
All signs shall have automatic dimming controls via software settings, in order to bring the lighting level at night into compliance with sign illumination standards.
C.
Each message on the sign must be displayed for a minimum of three to eight seconds.
E.
In the (A-O) Apartment-Office and (C-N) Commercial Neighborhood Districts, the following electronic sign features are prohibited: continuous scrolling and/or traveling, flashing, spinning, rotating, and similar moving effects, and all dynamic frame effects or patterns of illusionary movement or simulating movement.
F.
In (C) Commercial and (I) Industrial Zones, all electronic display features and functions are permitted, with the exception of a) flashing, which is prohibited, and b) full-motion video or film display. Full-motion and video shall only be permitted by the Board of Supervisors.
§ 215-33 Signs in residential districts.
The following types of signs and no others shall be permitted in residential districts except as further provided for by this chapter. No zoning permit is required for the erection of these signs when erected in a residential district.
A.
Signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which they are erected, when erected by the owner or broker of any other person interested in the sale or rental of such premises, shall be permitted, provided that:
B.
Signs advertising the sale or development of the premises upon which they are erected, when erected in connection with the development of the premises by a builder, contractor, developer or other person interested in such sale or development, shall be permitted as follows:
C.
Signs indicating the location and direction of premises available for or in process of development, but not erected upon such premises and having inscribed thereon the name of the owner, developer, builder or agent, provided that:
D.
Construction signs, including signs of mechanics, painters and other artisans may be erected and maintained during the period such persons are performing work on the premises on which such signs are erected, provided that:
E.
Trespassing signs or signs indicating the private nature of driveway or property, provided that the size of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet in area.
F.
Signs of schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, sanitariums or other institutions of a similar nature and signs identifying housing developments, provided that:
H.
Signs advertising home occupations shall be not larger than six square feet in area.
I.
Auctions, garage or yard sales signs may be permitted provided that:
(1)
Such signs shall not exceed six square feet in area.
(2)
Such signs shall not be erected more than two days prior to the event or activity, without the express consent and approval of the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
Such signs shall be removed within 24 hours following the date of the event or activity.
J.
Electronic signs must be on-premises and must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
[Added 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
§ 215-34 Billboards or advertising sign boards.
Billboards or advertising sign boards visible from the highway may be erected in C Commercial and I Industrial Districts, provided as follows:
A.
Billboards or advertising sign boards shall be spaced not less than 1,000 feet apart, measured radially.
[Amended 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
B.
Such boards shall not exceed 300 square feet in area in a C Commercial District or 672 square feet in area in an I Industrial District.
C.
Such boards shall not exceed 12 feet in height nor 25 feet in length in the C Commercial District or 14 feet in height nor 48 feet in length in the I Industrial District, inclusive of all trim and border area but exclusive of bases, aprons, supports and other structural members.
D.
Such boards shall be set back from any property line abutting a limited access highway a distance of 30 feet and a minimum of 10 feet from a property line abutting any other street.
E.
Such boards shall have no portion exceeding a height of 35 feet above ground level at the curb or edge of pavement.
F.
Such boards shall not be less than 500 feet from an interchange with a limited access highway measured from the point of widening of pavement at the entrance to and/or exit from the main traveled way and extending 500 feet in both directions along the highway and on both sides of the highway.
G.
Billboards and advertising sign boards must conform with Act 160, the Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, as amended, except as further controlled by this section.
§ 215-35 Business identification signs.
Signs bearing the name of the occupant, products manufactured, processed, sold or displayed and services available may be erected and maintained on the premises in C-N Commercial Neighborhood, C Commercial, A-O Apartment-Office and I Industrial Districts, provided that such signs conform with the following as applicable:
A.
A zoning permit is issued by the township.
B.
No more than two ground- or roof-mounted signs may be erected or maintained on any premises at any one time, except when a building is located on a corner lot and has a public entrance on two or more public ways; or when a building has both a front and rear public entrance, one additional sign may be erected. A double-faced sign shall count as a single sign. A three- or four-faced sign shall count as two signs.
C.
Height. Signs shall not exceed 20 feet in height when erected within 10 feet of the right-of-way line of a street, road or highway adjoining the premises.
D.
Area.
(1)
Single business on one lot. The total sign area of pole-mounted or roof-mounted signs per premises shall not exceed four square feet per one linear foot of property frontage upon a street. No business shall be limited to less than 32 square feet of total sign area nor exceed more than 300 square feet of sign area.
(2)
More than one business on one lot. The total sign area of pole-mounted or roof-mounted signs per premises shall not exceed four square feet per one linear foot of frontage of the portion of the building occupied by the occupant of said premises. No business shall be limited to less than 32 square feet of total sign area nor exceed more than 200 square feet of sign area.
E.
Shopping center (more than six individual businesses). A sign advertising the premises shall not exceed 300 square feet in area. Signs identifying the individual businesses within the shopping center may be attached to the shopping center sign structure. Such identification signs shall not exceed an aggregate area of 300 square feet and is in addition to the 300 square feet in area provided for in Subsection D(2).
F.
Apartment-office building and apartment-office complex, including office building and office complex signs shall conform to all general provisions applicable, and be limited to:
(1)
One ground sign for each single office building, apartment or office-apartment combination.
(2)
One ground sign for each office complex, or combination office complex and apartments.
(3)
Each occupant of an office building or an office complex may have one wall sign or fascia sign not exceeding 25 square feet in area.
G.
Business identification signs shall not be utilized as a billboard or advertising sign board.
[Amended 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 360]
§ 215-36 Portable signs.
On existing lawful uses, nonilluminated movable ground signs advertising the product offered for sale on the premises may be erected and maintained. Such signs shall be limited to one double-faced sign and shall be included in the total number of permitted signs for the use category. Such signs shall not be greater than 12 square feet in area per side and shall not be more than six feet in height above the ground. All portable signs shall be anchored, weighted, spring-loaded or otherwise designed to resist wind action.
§ 215-37 Temporary signs.
Flags, pennants, special promotional devices or displays or similar type signs shall be permitted in C Commercial and I Industrial Districts only, provided that:
A.
The signs or displays shall not endanger the public or be located in the right-of-way of any state or township road without the prior approval of the Board of Supervisors.
C.
An individual business shall be limited to one temporary sign at any one time per street the business fronts on.
D.
A single side or face of a temporary sign shall not exceed 25 square feet.
E.
Temporary signs shall be permitted for a period not exceeding 30 days in any six-month period or such additional time as may be authorized by the Board of Township Supervisors.
F.
A zoning permit has been issued.
G.
Temporary signs must be removed immediately upon the expiration of the permit for its erection or as soon as torn or damaged.
§ 215-38 Political signs.
Political signs are permitted in any zoning district, provided that:
A.
The sign shall not endanger the public or be located in the right-of-way of any state or township road.
C.
A zoning permit is required for the erection of signs.
D.
The application for a permit for the erection of political signs must be accompanied with a list of locations of said signs.
E.
The application for a permit for the erection of political signs must be accompanied by a fee, as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, for each 10 signs or portion thereof. Said fee is refundable upon said removal of these signs.
F.
Signs may be erected 60 days prior to the election date and must be removed within 10 days after said election day.
H.
Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area per sign face and shall not have more than two faces per sign.
I.
The township shall have the right to enter upon any premises and remove signs that are not in compliance with these regulations without notice.