Marple Township City Zoning Code

Ensure that signs are designed, constructed, installed and maintained so that public safety and traffic safety are not compromised.

Allow and promote positive conditions for meeting sign users' needs while, at the same time, avoiding nuisances to nearby properties and promoting an attractive environment.

Reflect and support the desired character and development patterns of the various districts.

Allow for adequate and effective signs in commercial and industrial districts while preventing signs from dominating the visual appearance of the area.

Allow for adequate and multiple types of signs for a site, although the provisions do not necessarily assure or provide for a property owner's desired level of visibility for the signs.

Signs inside a building, not visible from a right-of-way, private or public road or other private property.

Building street address numbers.

Signs carved into or part of materials that are on an integral and permanent part of the building, noting the name of the building and its date of erection.

Garage or yard sale signs no larger than six square feet, displayed for a maximum duration of 48 hours per year.

Public and/or government signs, including traffic or similar regulatory devices.

Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with a commercial promotion.

Nonilluminated warning, private drive, posted or no trespassing signs, not exceeding two square feet per face.

Temporary, nonilluminated "For Sale," "For Rent," real estate signs concerning the premises upon which the sign is located, subject to the provisions of § 300-100D(2).

Nonilluminated window signs and posters not exceeding 10% of the window surface.

One temporary sign for a seasonal roadside stand selling agricultural produce grown on the premises, provided that such sign shall not exceed six square feet in area, shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from any property line and shall remain on the site only for that portion of the year that the stand is in active use.

Nonilluminated, on-premises directional signs for the convenience of the general public, such as those identifying public parking areas, fire zones and entrances and exits, not exceeding four square feet per face and no more than six feet above the ground.

Signs placed or painted on a vehicle or vehicle trailer and parked with the primary purpose of providing a sign for a business, use, event or similar function.

A sign that copies or imitates or in any way approximates an official highway sign or carries the words "STOP," "DANGER," "GO SLOW," "CAUTION," "WARNING" or similar terms.

Any sign in or projecting into a public right-of-way.

A sign or illumination that causes any direct glare into or upon any building or street, other than the building to which the sign may be accessory.

Abandoned signs, defined as those on-premises signs that advertise an activity, business, product or service no longer conducted or available on the premises.

Any off-premises sign advertising activities, services, products or uses not located, made, sold, used or served on the premises displaying such sign unless permitted under § 300-95.1 of this chapter.

Roof signs or signs on dormers or balconies.

Inflatable signs.

Strobe lights and signs containing strobe lights.

Animated signs, defined as having moving parts or lighting that creates the illusion of moving parts, except those portions of a sign indicating time and/or temperature.

Signs that emit smoke, visible vapors, particles, sound or odors.

Signs consisting of pennants, spinners or streamers, except as short-term temporary on-site commercial event signs as permitted in this article.

Any sign that impairs or causes confusion to vehicular or pedestrian traffic in its design, color or placement, as determined by the Police Department of Marple Township.

Any sign mounted or attached to a tree or utility pole in the public right-of-way.

Any sign within 500 feet of an interstate highway.

Any sign located in a rear yard.

Any sign that is not included under the types of signs permitted in specific district regulations or in this article.

Sign face area.

Height of signs. The overall height of a sign or sign structure shall be measured from the grade directly below the sign to the highest point of the sign or sign structure.

The lawful use of a sign or signs existing at the time of adoption of this article may be continued, even though the sign does not conform to the regulations and limitations of this article, until one or more of the following occurs:

Ordinary maintenance and repairs may be made to any nonconforming sign, provided that the structure, advertising display matter, lettering, color scheme or accessories are not altered, modified, changed, reconstructed or moved and provided that such ordinary maintenance and repairs do not exceed 20% of the value of the sign in any one year period.

Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to require any change in the plans or construction of any sign upon which actual construction was lawfully initiated prior to the effective date of this article. Actual construction is hereby defined as the actual placing of the sign and/or structure materials in their permanent position in compliance with the previously obtained approval and permits.

Where more than one sign is permitted for the same activity, all signs should be coordinated with respect to color, letter style, illumination and other graphic features.

In multiple owner/tenant occupancies, the various signs required for identification of different activities should be coordinated with respect to placement on the building facade, legibility and illumination and should express integration of design and a harmonious appearance.

All signs should be legible and visible for the purpose and circumstances in which they are used.

Sign(s) shall be considered a site plan and architectural feature of the proposed development and as such, should be coordinated in size, height, color, illumination, location, graphic design and finish detailing with the building(s), landscaping, area lighting and vehicular and pedestrian circulation and shall be shown on drawings with and considered in conjunction with uses where land development approval is required.

Where different uses are permitted side-by-side or on adjoining properties, signs permitted for one property or tenancy should not adversely affect the identification and reasonable use of the neighboring property or tenancy.

Where signs are to be placed near residential uses, sign height, size, location and illumination shall be adjusted to ensure minimum impact on the residential uses.

Illumination. Where illumination of signs is permitted, such illumination shall only be between sundown and 11:00 p.m. (or later as permitted under § 300-10B of Article I). Illumination shall be of an even intensity at all times. Illumination may be direct (giving forth light from the interior of the sign through translucent material) or it may be indirect (when the light source is not visible form any adjoining property or street and is directed upon the sign). Direct lighting shall illuminate the letters, characters or graphics on the sign but not its background. In addition:

All nontemporary signs installed after the effective date of this article shall have attached to the sign a durable metal nameplate giving the sign permit number and the name and address of the owner, person or corporation responsible for the general requirements and maintenance as outlined herein.

All internally illuminated signs shall be constructed in conformance with the Standards for Electric Signs (U.L. 48) of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., and bear the seal of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. If such a sign does not bear the Underwriters' Laboratories label, the sign shall be inspected and certified by a fire underwriting agency.

All transformers, wires and similar items shall be concealed. All wiring to freestanding signs shall be underground.

All signs, including attached wall, projecting and suspended wall signs, shall be securely anchored and shall not swing or move in any manner.

All signs, sign finishes, supports and electric work shall be kept clean, neatly painted and free from all hazards such as, but not limited to, faulty wiring and loose supports, braces, guys and anchors.

All signs shall be painted and/or fabricated in accordance with generally accepted sign industry standards.

All signs and sign structures shall be erected and attached totally within the site.

Sight triangle area. No sign may be located within a sight triangle area, as described below. No support structure(s) for a sign may be located in sight triangle area unless the combined cross-sectional area is 36 square inches or less.

Vehicle area clearances. When a sign shall extend over an area where vehicles travel or are parked, the bottom of the sign shall be at least 14 feet above grade. Vehicle areas shall include, but are not limited to, driveways, alleys, parking lots and loading and maneuvering areas.

Pedestrian area clearances. When a sign shall extend over sidewalks, walkways or other spaces accessible to pedestrians, the bottom of the sign shall be at least 8 1/2 feet above grade.

Off-premises signs shall be permitted as of right in the Industrial (I) District, provided that such signs meet the following criteria:

Off-premises signs shall be permitted by special exception in the Business-1 (B-1) Zoning District in accordance with § 300-136 of this chapter, subject to the following additional standards and conditions:

Off-premises signs shall be permitted as an accessory use to an approved public convenience, such as a bus stop shelter or public trash receptacle, where located within the public right-of-way, provided that such signs meet the following criteria:

A billboard sign face shall be independently supported and have vertical supports of metal which are galvanized or otherwise treated to prevent rust and corrosion. All billboards shall be painted in PMS Color 279.

One vertical support shall be capable of enabling the entire sign face to be able to withstand a minimum one-hundred-mile-per-hour wind load.

The entire base of the billboard structure shall be permanently landscaped with suitable shrubbery and/or bushes of minimum height of six feet placed in such a manner as to screen the foundation of the structure. A landscaping plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the Code Enforcement Officer. Said landscaping shall be maintained by the owner in an attractive and healthy manner in accordance with accepted conservation practices. Landscaping shall form a base and backdrop to the billboard sign when practical.

No bare cuts are permitted on a hillside, and all cuts or fills are to be permanently seeded or planted.

No billboard structure, sign face or display shall emit noise, cause distraction, confusion, nuisance or hazard to traffic safety, aircraft or other properties.

No billboard shall be constructed within the clear sight triangle of the public street or road on which it is situated and shall not in any manner obstruct or impede traffic safety, including ingress or egress.

Billboards may not be mounted on a roof, wall or face or other part of a building or any other structure, including trees.

Applicability of International Construction Code (ICC) standards. All sign standards herein shall exist in full force and effect in conjunction with all sign standards existing in the most recent edition of the ICC, as amended. Whenever any conflict exists between this chapter and the ICC Code, the more restrictive provisions shall have precedence.

Illumination of any and all sign faces shall be shielded to prevent the light source from being seen from any direction.

No illumination of any sign shall occur between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Multiple message signs are prohibited.

Signs which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent, scrolling or moving light or lights are prohibited.

All freestanding off-premises signs (billboards) shall be approved by the Township Engineer. Applicants must submit a plan, sealed by a structural engineer, showing the proposed construction.

All sign structures shall comply with all other applicable Township codes and ordinances.

The billboard structure shall be entirely repainted, at a minimum, every five years.

Every three years the owner of the billboard shall have a structural inspection made of the billboard by a qualified Pennsylvania-registered structural engineer and shall provide to the Township a certificate from the engineer or architect certifying that the billboard is structurally sound.

Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the Township Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance, and billboards found to be in violation of this section shall be brought into compliance within 30 days of notice or ordered removed upon proper notification by the Township.

Any abandoned sign must be removed within 30 days after notice. If the owner fails to remove an abandoned sign within 30 days the Township may remove the sign at the owner's expense.

Attached wall sign. Any sign posted, painted or constructed, attached and parallel to the plane of the building wall, facade, marquee or porch of any structure shall:

Suspended wall sign. Any sign that is suspended from a building wall, facade, marquee or porch by means of brackets, hooks, chains, etc., and whose face is parallel to the plane of said building wall, facade, marquee or porch shall:

Projecting sign. A sign that is attached to a building wall, facade, marquee or porch and that extends more than 12 inches from the face of such building wall, facade, marquee or porch shall:

Window sign. A nonpermanent sign applied or attached to the interior of a window or located in such manner within a building that it can be seen from the exterior of the structure through a window, shall not exceed 50% of the area of the window.

Awning sign. A sign mounted or painted on or attached to an awning or canopy shall:

Where the sign(s) are at the building setback line, the maximum sign area shall be 30 square feet.

For every additional three feet that the sign(s) are set back beyond the building setback line, an additional one square foot of area above the thirty-square-foot maximum shall be permitted, to a maximum area of 7 1/2% of the wall area on which the sign(s) are attached, suspended or projected, including window and awning signs.

Be located not less than 15 feet from any street ultimate right-of-way, front or side property line or equal to the height of said sign, whichever is greater.

Be located not more than 200 feet from any street ultimate right-of-way.

Be located not less than 10 feet and not less than 50 feet from the intersection of a signalized access driveway and external roadway.

Be located no closer than 1,000 feet from any other such freestanding sign on the tract.

Not be placed so as to impair the vision of motorists.

Where practicable, be located within a landscaped area or be located within an area of pavers in a sand setting bed with permeable joints or a similar partly pervious surface treatment.

Total tract freestanding signage area shall not exceed the lowest of the following basic measures:

The maximum area of any individual freestanding sign shall be determined by its setback from the street ultimate right-of-way:

The maximum height of any freestanding sign shall be determined by its setback from the street ultimate right-of-way:

Development/neighborhood identification sign. In conjunction with an existing development or neighborhood, on-site development or neighborhood identification signs may be placed subject to the following conditions:

Multiple-family development identification signs. In conjunction with an existing multiple-family development having 20 units or more, on-site multiple-family identification signs may be placed subject to the following conditions:

Religious and quasi-public institutions. In conjunction with religious institutions, libraries, colleges, other educational institutions and hospitals, signs may be placed subject to the following regulations:

Long-term temporary signs.

Short-term temporary signs.

One nonilluminated attached wall, suspended or freestanding sign identifying a professional office may be placed on the premises subject to the following conditions:

Permit required. Except for the following, no person may erect, alter or relocate within the Township any sign without first obtaining a sign permit:

Permit applications. Each sign being applied for shall require the filing of a separate permit application. Applications for sign permits shall be submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer on forms prescribed and provided by the Township and shall contain or have attached thereto the following information:

Issuance of permits. Upon the filing of an application for a sign permit, the Code Enforcement Officer shall examine the plans, specifications and other submitted data and the premises upon which the sign is proposed to be erected or affixed. If it appears that the proposed sign is in compliance with all the requirements of this article and other applicable ordinances of the Township and if the appropriate permit fee has been paid, the Township shall, within 30 days, issue a permit for the proposed sign. The issuance of a permit shall not excuse the applicant from conforming to the other laws, ordinances or regulations of the Township. If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within 90 days after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void, but may be renewed within 15 days prior to the expiration, for good cause shown, for an additional 90 days, upon payment of 1/2 of the original permit fee.

Permit fees. At the time of filing a sign permit application, it shall be accompanied by an appropriate application fee. Application fees shall be in accordance with the Fee Schedule established by the Board of Commissioners.

Nonrequested inspections. The Code Enforcement Officer or his authorized representative shall have the authority, without a formal request, to inspect any sign for the purpose of identifying those signs that are not in compliance with the provisions of this article.

Requests for inspections. Any person may file a written request with the Code Enforcement Officer requesting an inspection of one or more existing signs as identified in the request. In each such instance, the Code Enforcement Officer shall promptly inspect such sign(s) to determine compliance with the provisions of this article. Following the inspection, the Code Enforcement Officer shall make a written report indicating the findings of the inspections to both the owner of the inspected sign and to the person filing the request for inspection.

Notice of violation. The Code Enforcement Officer shall notify in writing each owner of an existing sign found to be in violation of any provision of this article pursuant to inspections made under Subsections A and B above. The notice shall specifically refer to each section of this article under which a violation has been found to exist and thereupon describe the features of the inspected sign found to be deficient.

Effect of notice. Upon receipt of a notice of violation for an existing sign, the owner of said sign shall have 15 days to correct the violation(s). If the violation(s) is not corrected after the conclusion of such fifteen-day period, the Code Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to cause the sign to be removed or repaired forthwith at the expense of the owner of the building or premises on which such sign is located.

Nonconforming signs. If the Code Enforcement Officer shall find that any nonconforming sign, except for those legal nonconforming signs as specified in § 300-93, is displayed, he shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on which such sign is located. Removal of the sign shall be effected within 15 days after receipt of the notice. If such sign is not removed after the conclusion of such fifteen-day period, the Code Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to cause the sign to be removed forthwith at the expense of the owner of the building or premises on which such sign is located.

Obsolete signs. A sign, whether existing on or erected after the effective date of this article, that advertises a business no longer being conducted or a product no longer being offered for sale in or from the premises on which the sign is located shall be removed within 120 days upon cessation of such business or sale of such product by the owner of the building or premises on which such sign is located. The sign in this case shall include the sign face or message area but may exclude the standard, frame or cabinet, which may remain provided that they are in good repair. Any electrical components, including but not limited to ballasts, sockets and lamps that may become exposed as a result of removal of the message area, shall be concealed by means of an opaque insert installed in the frame or cabinet.

Unsafe signs. If the Code Enforcement Officer shall find that any sign is unsafe, insecure or is a menace to the public, he shall give written notice to the owner of the building or premises on which such sign is located. Correction of the condition that caused the Code Enforcement Officer to give such notice shall be effected within 15 days after receipt of the notice. If such condition is not corrected after the conclusion of such 15 day period, the Code Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to cause the sign to be removed forthwith at the expense of the owner of the building or premises on which such sign is located.