Mahwah City Zoning Code
§ 24-6.1
General Requirements.
[Amended 10-15-2020 by Ord. No. 1916; 3-10-2022 by Ord. No. 1958]
a.
Sign Illumination: Direct illumination or back lighting shall not exceed twenty-five (25) watts of incandescent power or seventy-five (75) foot candles when measured with a standard light meter perpendicular to the face of the sign from a distance equal to the narrowest dimension for any sign.
b.
Glare: All signs shall be so designed, located, shielded, and directed so as to prevent the casting of glare or direct light from artificial illumination upon streets, driveways and surrounding property.
c.
Exempt Signs: Exempt signs as provided herein shall be exempt from permitting requirements, but must otherwise comply with the Township's regulations. Exempt signs shall be permitted within all zoning districts of the Township of Mahwah.
d.
See § 15-8 for procedures for the erection of temporary non-commercial signs within right-of-ways.
e.
Any permanent or temporary sign that is legible from the outside and is placed on the outside or inside face of a window, or mounted within two (2') feet of the inside face of the window shall not exceed twenty (20%) percent of window area.
f.
Signs Related to Service Stations.
1.
Signage used to advertise fuel prices shall comply with the required provisions of N.J.A.C. 18:19-2 Motor Fuels-Retail Sales Posted Prices: Advertising; Rebates; Allowances; Trademarks.
2.
Automatic service and/or gasoline stations may have one (1) ground, pylon or free-standing sign not to exceed the maximum area as provided where permitted in the schedule of permitted sign regulations and where not permitted, not to exceed a maximum area of fifty (50) square feet. Canopy signage may be permitted up to (4) square feet in area on each of two (2) sides of the canopy. Except as provided in the schedule of permitted sign regulations, no other signage shall be permitted.
g.
A home occupation may be permitted to display an identification sign with a maximum sign area of two (2) square feet.
h.
No part of a wall sign, where permitted, shall exceed the wall height of the structure to which it is affixed.
i.
Sign height shall be measured from the mean finished grade of the street closest to the sign to the highest point of the sign structure.
j.
All required setbacks shall be measured from the property line.
k.
Wall signs may not be located along facades not ordinarily accessed by the public.
l.
Calculation of sign area. Sign area shall be calculated as follows:
1.
Sign area shall be measured based on the smallest convex polygon that contains the entire sign, excluding those architectural embellishments and supports on which no advertising material or lighting is displayed.
2.
Where a sign is painted on a wall or other surface, the sign area shall include the entire area of the background color(s) of the sign that differentiate it from the general color of the wall or other surface.
3.
Signs on awnings shall be measured using smallest convex polygon that contains the entire sign, excluding those architectural embellishments and supports on which no advertising material or lighting is displayed.
4.
For blade or double-faced signs, the sign area shall be the area of one display face where the interior angle formed by the faces is ninety (90°) degrees or less. Otherwise the sign area shall include the area of all sign faces.
5.
Aggregate sign area shall be calculated as a percentage of the main facade of the principal structure.
(a)
The main building facade used for signage calculations shall be the largest facade of the principal structure. For the purpose of sign calculations, no building shall have more than one main facade. The area of the main building facade shall be the total area measured from side to side of the structure and from the ground level to the top of the roof on flat roof structures, excluding parapets, and to the top of the highest occupied story on peak roof structures.
(b)
For vacant land, outdoor uses without a principal structure, or properties containing multiple principal structures, the maximum aggregate sign area shall be one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage, but not to exceed the maximum area of any single sign permitted in the zone.
m.
Temporary Signs.
2.
Temporary sign types.
(a)
In addition to any other permitted sign, each residential property offered for sale or rental may display a temporary sign that is visible from the public right of way. This sign shall be removed seven (7) days after the execution of a contract or the expiration of the listing agreement. Such signs shall be set back at least fifteen (15') feet from the curbline and shall not block the vision of the driver of an automobile.
(b)
Major subdivision signs. A major subdivision that has received preliminary plot plan approval by the Board may display temporary signs that shall not exceed two (2) in number, each located on a separate lot of the major subdivision. No sign shall exceed twenty (20) square feet in area. Said signs shall be removed within ninety (90) days after the completion of construction work within the subdivision or within ten (10) days after the issuance of the last certificate of occupancy, whichever is sooner.
(d)
For new construction, remodeling or other modifications during which there is no occupancy of the building and for which fencing of the construction site is provided, screening attached to the fence may bear images or text. Such text and numbers shall occupy no more than one hundred twenty (120) square feet on each street frontage, or twenty (20%) percent of the area of the screening on a construction fence along each street frontage, whichever is larger.
(e)
Temporary window signs.
3.
Temporary signs that exceed eight (8) square feet in area shall be subject to the following:
(a)
Temporary signs and fees. There shall be a twenty ($20.00) dollar fee for a permit to erect a temporary sign except for a not-for-profit entity sponsoring an event for which a temporary sign permit is issued. For a temporary sign issued to a not-for-profit entity, the fee shall be ten ($10.00) dollars per application.
(b)
There shall be a fifty ($50.00) dollars fine imposed upon the property owner or the owner's agent or applicant for any violation of the regulations which apply to temporary signs. A fifty ($50.00) dollar fine shall be imposed for each and every day the violation continues to exist. Permits issued for temporary signs shall be issued for a period not to exceed six (6) months or when the reason for the issuance of the permit no longer exists or is otherwise described herein whichever is shorter.