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Montgomery Lycoming County
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VII

Signs

§ 475-57 Applicability of regulations.

Signs may be erected and maintained only when in compliance with the provisions of this article and all other ordinances and regulations relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance of signs and similar devices.

§ 475-58 Definitions.

For the purposes of the interpretation of Article VII only, the following definitions shall apply:
ANIMATED SIGN
A sign with electrically or mechanically powered action or motion or flashing or color changes. This includes signs with wind actuated elements.
BILLBOARD or ADVERTISING SIGN BOARD
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.
BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION SIGNS
Signs or boards that are directly oriented to activities that occur at the same premises upon which the board or sign is erected.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN
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.
FASCIA SIGN
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.
GROUND SIGN
A sign supported vertically by one or more uprights placed in or on the ground.
PORTABLE SIGN
A sign used to advertise the products offered for sale on the premises where it is erected and designed to be movable.
ROOF SIGN
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.
TEMPORARY SIGN
Flags, pennants, special promotional devices or displays intended to be erected for a limited period of time.
UNDER CANOPY SIGN
A sign attached to the underside of an architectural projection.
WALL SIGN
A sign attached to or a part of the wall of a structure.

§ 475-59 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 modification of all billboards or signs.
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, whichever distance is more restrictive.
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:
(1) 
Eighteen inches out from surface.
(2) 
Two feet up from top of surface.
(3) 
Two feet down from bottom of surface.
(4) 
Zero feet from side of surface.

§ 475-60 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. 
Sign 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:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of six square feet, and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are placed upon any property, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which case two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
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:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of 32 square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are placed upon any property, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which case, two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
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:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of 12 square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than one such sign is erected on each 500 feet of street frontage.
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:
(1) 
The size thereof is not in excess of 20 square feet; and
(2) 
Such signs are removed upon completion of the work.
E. 
Trespassing signs or signs indicating the private nature of a 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:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of 16 square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are placed on a property in a single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which case, two such signs may be erected on each frontage.
G. 
Signs advertising the sale of farm products when permitted by this chapter, provided:
(1) 
The size of any such sign is not in excess of six square feet; and
(2) 
Not more than two signs are used; and
(3) 
The signs shall be displayed only when such products are on sale.
H. 
Signs advertising home occupations shall be not larger than six square feet in area.
I. 
Auctions, garage or yard sale signs may be permitted, provided:
(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 Borough Council; and
(3) 
Such signs shall be removed within 24 hours following the date of the event or activity.

§ 475-61 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 and I Districts, provided such signs conform with the following as applicable:
A. 
A zoning permit is issued by the Borough.
B. 
No more than two ground or wall-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.
C. 
Height. Signs shall not be placed more than 24 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 wall-mounted signs per premises shall not exceed four square feet per one lineal 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 120 square feet of sign area.
(2) 
More than one business on one lot. The total sign area of pole-mounted or wall-mounted signs per premises shall not exceed four square feet per one lineal 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 120 square feet of sign area.
E. 
Shopping center consisting of more than four individual businesses. A sign advertising the premises shall not exceed 120 square feet in area. Signs identifying 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 120 square feet and is in addition to the 120 square feet in area.
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.

§ 475-62 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.

§ 475-63 Temporary signs.

Flags, pennants, special promotional devices or displays or similar type signs shall be permitted in C and I 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 Borough Council.
B. 
All general regulations, § 475-59, shall apply.
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 Borough Council.
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.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 707, Political Signs, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 6-10-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-02.