Parsippany Troy Hills
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXXVIII
Signs
§ 430-278 Compliance required; permit required.
A.
All signs hereafter erected or maintained, except official traffic and street signs, shall conform to the provisions of this chapter. Any signs not specifically permitted are hereby prohibited.
B.
Permits required. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, structurally alter or relocate any sign without first obtaining a permit and making payment of the required fee.
C.
Consent. No sign permit will be issued without the written consent of the landowner or the one in control of the premises.
§ 430-279 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
A sign which provides information in addition to the name and address of the occupant therein or utilizes a trademark.
A sign which has its illumination maintained at a constant intensity at the source of such illumination, and the animation is created by other means than the increase or decrease of the intensity at its source.
A roof-like cover that may be temporary or permanent in nature and projects from the wall of a building for the purposes of shielding a doorway or window or providing decorative or architectural detail for nonresidential buildings. Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, permanent awnings that cannot be retracted shall be subject to the setback requirements of the district in which the building is located.
A sign that is painted or attached to an awning. Awning signs shall be permanent in nature and not retractable.
Any lightweight plastic, fabric or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire or string, or otherwise affixed to the structure or erected in any manner on the property.
[Added 6-21-2005 by Ord. No. 2005:14]
See definition for "sign, off-premises."
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]
A sign containing directional information about public places owned or operated by federal, state or local governments or their agencies; publicly or privately owned natural phenomena, historic, cultural, scientific, educational and religious sites; and areas of natural beauty or naturally suited to outdoor recreation. Signs containing directional information whose purpose it is to regulate and control the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
To construct, build, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw or in any other way bring into being or establish, but not any of the foregoing activities when performed as an incident to the change of advertising message or normal maintenance or repair of a sign or sign structure.
A sign that is mounted on a freestanding pole or other support, made of cloth, canvas, fabric or like material, designed or intended to advertise, identify or attract attention to a business organization, service or event.
A flashing sign is a sign, the illumination of which is not kept constant in intensity at all times when in use.
Any sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on, or anchored in, the ground and that are independent from any building or other structure.
A sign designed to hang from a building canopy, awning, awning sign or a frame or other mechanical device attached to a building wall and oriented at a 90° angle from the plane of the building facade. Permitted hanging signs and associated design standards for such signs are depicted in Illustration E of this chapter.[1]
A sign, which states the name or address of the occupant therein or identifies a place or development.
Any sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs or outline illuminated by electric lights or luminous tubes or similar as a part of the sign.
Any illuminated sign whose illumination is derived from an external artificial source.
An insignia, emblem or registered trademark used to identify a company or business.
Includes replacement, without substantial change, of any parts or support of any sign, and the painting, without change of text, design or size of any sign, without removal of the sign from the wall or structure supporting it.
Any hood or awning of permanent construction projecting from the wall of a building above an entrance and extending over a thoroughfare, including signs attached thereto, the supports of which are an integral part of the original structure, and which is not retractable.
Historical tablets, cornerstones, memorial plaques and emblems which do not exceed six square feet in surface area and which are installed under the auspices of public or quasi-public bodies and religious organizations.
Any sign, other than a pole sign, place upon or supported by the ground, independent of any other structure.
A sign which states the name or address of the occupant where the sign is located.
See definition for "sign, off-premises."
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]
Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire or string, usually in a series, designed to move in the wind.
Any individual, association, partnership, firm or corporation.
A sign listing only the name and profession of each resident practitioner.
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including but not limited to signs designed to be transported by means of wheels; signs converted to A- or T-frames; menu and sandwich board signs; balloons used as signs; umbrellas used for advertising; and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business for transport.
Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of such building or wall.
A sign constructed or supported upon the roof of any building or structure.
A name, identification, description, display or illustration which is affixed to or printed, painted or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure, window or parcel of land and which directs attention to a person, institution, organization, activity, place, object or product of business, provided that the display of public notices or the flag, emblem or insignia of a nation or political unit shall not be considered signs under the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:20]
A sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service or entertainment, which is not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished at the property on which said sign is located; e.g., ”billboards” or ”outdoor advertising.” Off-premises signs are considered a principal use.
[Added 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]
A sign in connection with special events in the community.
Any structure which supports or is capable of supporting any sign or signs.
A sign which is intended to advertise community or civic projects, real estate for sale or lease, or other sale or special events on a temporary basis.
All flat signs of solid-face construction which are placed against a building or other structure and attached to the exterior front, rear or side wall of any building or other structure so that the display surface is parallel with the plane of the wall. Signs painted on an exterior or a wall shall be deemed to be "wall signs" subject to this chapter.
Includes any opening in the exterior wall or roof of any structure for the purpose of admitting air or light, whether or not covered with glass, plastic or other covering.
Shall include all signs defined herein which are situated within six feet of the window surface, and such signs shall be regulated as provided herein.
[Amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:20]
Includes the aggregate square footage of all windows on any given side and any given story of any structure, regardless of the angle or angles at which they are set. In computing window space, there shall be included all portions of any door which contains a window.
[1]
Editor's Note: Illustration E is included at the end of this chapter.
§ 430-280 Signs exempt from permit and fee requirements.
The following signs, limited to one per parcel, shall not require permits or the payment of fees, but are subject to the other provisions of this chapter.
A.
Professional nameplate and home occupation signs indicating the name and profession of the occupant of a dwelling, provided that such signs do not exceed one square foot. The signs shall not be lighted outside of posted business hours.
B.
Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments not covering more than 20% of any given window and which shall be removed within 30 days of the date of erection, which date shall be indicated thereon in a prominent manner. Where multiple windows are present along a building facade, no more than 20% of any individual window may be obstructed by such temporary sign or signs. These signs shall not unreasonably obstruct light and visibility. No additional temporary sign may be permitted for a period of 30 days following the removal of the prior temporary sign.
[Amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:20]
C.
Directional signs not exceeding 16 square feet, containing directional information about public places owned or operated by federal, state, county or local governments or their agencies; publicly owned natural phenomena; historic, cultural, scientific, educational and religious sites; and areas of natural beauty or naturally suited to outdoor recreation.
D.
Bulletin boards not over 24 square feet in area for public, charitable or religious institutions, when they are located on the premises of such institutions.
E.
Signs denoting the architect, engineer or contractor, when placed upon work under construction and not exceeding 16 square feet in area, and which are to be removed within 10 days after the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
F.
Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and dates of erection, when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other durable material, not to exceed six square feet of surface area.
G.
Any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as authorized by the fish and game laws, not to exceed two square feet.
H.
Temporary signs indicating a political preference or a political event, provided that such signs do not exceed 32 square feet in area on any one surface. The signs shall be removed within 15 days after the completion of the political function. Nothing herein shall be deemed to permit the erection or installation of any political signs upon any pole, tree or in a public right-of-way, and their erection or installation is hereby specifically prohibited. This section shall not be deemed to prohibit temporary lawn signs or street banners as set forth elsewhere in this chapter.
I.
Name and number plates, identifying the residents, on a house, apartment or mailbox, not to exceed 60 square inches.
J.
Garage sale signs located on the premises only, not exceeding two square feet, and containing the date of sale, and which sign shall be removed within 24 hours after the last day of sale.
K.
Temporary signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which it is situated, provided that such signs do not exceed four square feet, and which shall be removed when the purpose of the sign is fulfilled. Balloons may only be attached to signs permitted at the premises on weekends and legal holidays, a list of which is kept on file in the Zoning Department. Open house signs and directional signs to the open house shall also be permitted in the public right-of-way at the closest intersections to the property on weekends and legal holidays only. A violation of the open house signs and directional signs to the open house provisions, regardless of whether posted by a realtor or homeowner, shall result in a warning for the first offense. A second offense shall be punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of $250 per sign. The person or company to whom the sign belongs shall be held responsible for any and all penalties associated with the sign.
[Amended 4-11-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:03]
M.
Signs erected to control the movement of traffic on premises, provided these signs shall provide traffic directions only and shall not be used for any advertising purpose. These signs shall not exceed four square feet in area and shall have been approved by the appropriate approving authority.
N.
Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger signs and such temporary, emergency or nonadvertising signs, or signs of any governmental agency deemed necessary to the public welfare.
O.
Flags of the United States, State of New Jersey or other governmental or quasi-public agencies.
P.
Holiday decorations and lights on residential premises.
§ 430-281 Nonconforming signs.
A.
Any sign existing at the time of the passage of this chapter and which violates any provisions thereof shall be deemed a nonconforming use and may be continued, maintained and repaired upon the present premises or location; provided, however, that such sign was lawful under any prior ordinance. Any nonconforming sign to be modified in association with a change in occupancy or ownership shall be required to modify said sign to conform to the ordinance provisions provided for herein. Any sign nonconforming under the prior ordinance shall remain nonconforming unless it complies with the provisions of this chapter and there exists an issued sign-erection permit by the Zoning Officer for said nonconforming sign.
B.
In owner-occupied or one-tenant cases, no permit shall be issued for any additional sign if the property contains a nonconforming sign.
D.
All nonconforming signs with the exception of billboards shall be required to conform with the regulatory provisions of this chapter within five years of the passage of this chapter.
E.
Any sign which has been damaged to the extent that reconstruction of the original sign structure shall exceed 50% of the sign shall be deemed as destroyed, and the owner thereof shall not be permitted to erect or restore said sign except in accordance with this chapter.
§ 430-282 Prohibited sign features.
A.
No sign shall be erected, used or maintained in any way which simulates official, directional or warning signs erected or maintained by the State of New Jersey, by any county or municipality, or by any public utility or similar agency concerned with the protection of the public health or safety.
B.
No neon or similarly illuminated advertisement sign or decorative element shall be permitted, except that one illuminated sign indicating that the business is open shall be permitted. Such sign shall not exceed three square feet and shall not have flashing or blinking lights or similar forms of animation. In addition, one illuminated sign advertising and providing information on lotteries shall be permitted in businesses that sell lottery tickets, as provided for in § 430-282E.
[Amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:20]
C.
The following advertisements are specifically prohibited: any advertisement which uses a series of two or more signs placed in a line parallel to the highway or in similar fashion, all carrying a single advertisement message, part of which is contained on each sign.
D.
No sign shall have flashing lights or exposed high-intensity illumination or reflective material.
E.
No sign may obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light of ingress or egress to or from any building or structure, with the exception that 20% of any individual window may be occupied by a temporary sign or signs, provided that the sign does not unreasonably obstruct light and visibility. In addition, one permanent window sign indicating that the business is open is permitted per business establishment, and one permanent window sign providing hours of operation is permitted per business establishment. Each such permitted permanent window sign is limited to three square feet in area. Also, one permanent window sign advertising and providing information about lotteries operated in accordance with the New Jersey State Lottery Law (N.J.S.A. 5:9-1 et seq.) shall be permitted for businesses that sell lottery tickets. Such permanent window sign shall not unreasonably obstruct light and visibility, and shall not exceed four square feet.
[Amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:20]
F.
No sign may be placed in such a position to cause a danger to traffic by obscuring visibility.
G.
Exterior signs using moving parts or banners, spinners, flags and pennants, with the exception of clocks and weather information. Temporary signs in connection with special events are exempt from this requirement.
H.
No sign shall be placed, located or displayed upon any sidewalk or area between sidewalk and curb, except as provided in the B-5 Zone as regulated herein.
I.
No roof sign shall be permitted.
J.
No signs shall be erected or painted or composed of fluorescent or phosphorescent or similar material.
K.
No sign shall have more than five colors, inclusive of its background, frame, logo and decorative parts. For the purposes of this chapter, black and white shall be considered colors. Should the color be shown as a faded gradient of the same color, said color shall be considered one color.
L.
No sign or other advertising structure as regulated by this chapter shall be erected at or within a minimum distance of 25 feet of the intersection of any streets (or more if so provided anywhere in this chapter) in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision, or at any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color, it may interfere with, obstruct the view of, cause an optical illusion or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device, or which makes use of words, phrases, symbols, or characters in such manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
§ 430-283 Prohibitions.
The following shall be prohibited:
A.
Signs mounted on cars, trailers or platforms, A-type signs, sidewalk signs, sandwich signs, curb signs, portable and mobile-type signs erected on trailers, or similar advertising devices.
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]
B.
Projecting signs which extend more than 18 inches from the wall of a building and all roof signs.
C.
Signs visible from the street using the word "stop" or "danger" or any other word, phrase, symbol or character with the intent of simulating a public safety warning or traffic sign.
D.
Signs other than officially authorized signs tacked, pasted, painted or otherwise attached to poles, posts, trees, fences, sidewalks or curbs.
E.
No sign other than official traffic control devices or street signs shall be erected within or encroach upon the right-of-way of any street unless specifically authorized by other ordinances or regulations of the Township.
F.
Rotating or moving signs.
G.
Signs within 100 feet of an historic building, site or monument.
H.
Signs shall not be painted on or affixed to water towers, storage tanks, smokestacks or similar structures.
J.
Signs painted on the surface of a building.
§ 430-284 General regulations.
A.
Exempt signs. The signs referred to in § 430-280 will comply with the restrictions stated therein.
B.
Shielding of signs. Any sign which is illuminated shall be shielded in such a manner as to prevent direct rays of light from being cast beyond the property line of the site.
C.
Signs over public right-of-way. No portion of any sign shall be located within or suspended over a public right-of-way or pedestrian walkway.
D.
Setback from residential district. No sign shall be located in a required buffer area. No sign shall be located closer than 10 feet to any residential property line or closer than 20 feet if the sign is illuminated; and, further, shrubbery or another suitable device shall be provided as a visual barrier between the sign and adjoining residential properties.
E.
Directional signs. Directional signs for the convenience of the general public to identify parking areas, loading zones, entrances, exits and similar signs shall not exceed four square feet in area and shall be limited in number as deemed reasonable and appropriate by the Zoning Officer to accomplish the sign's purpose.
F.
Temporary signs. Temporary signs, exclusive of temporary window signs, shall not remain in place for a period exceeding six months, but a temporary sign may remain in place for an additional six-month period upon application to and approval by the Township Zoning Officer. No temporary sign shall be placed in such a position to cause a danger to traffic by obscuring visibility. Temporary signs shall be removed by the person owning such sign or by the owner of the structure or building or premises upon which such sign is affixed.
G.
Special events signs. The Zoning Officer shall issue permits for the erection of temporary signs for and in connection with special events in the community, as authorized by the Township Council or proclaimed by the Mayor. Any such sign shall not be erected more than 30 days prior to commencement of the event and shall be removed within 10 days after the event has taken place; and provided, further, that:
H.
Miscellaneous provisions.
(1)
No existing sign shall be enlarged, rebuilt, structurally altered or relocated except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and until a permit has been issued by the Zoning Officer. The issuance of a permit shall not relieve the owner or lessees of the premises from the duty of maintaining safely any of the structures.
(2)
No sign of any description shall be installed, erected, enlarged, constructed or maintained in such manner as to obstruct any fire escape or any window or door, nor shall any sign be attached in any manner to a fire escape.
(3)
Every sign constructed or maintained shall be plainly marked with the name of the person, firm or corporation erecting or maintaining such sign.
(4)
The area of a sign shall include every part of the sign, including moldings, frames, posts, pylons or other supporting members.
(5)
Where the face of a sign has openings, if it is an irregular shape or is composed of individual letters, the area of the sign, exclusive of supporting members, shall be considered as the total surface area including openings.
(6)
Unless otherwise provided for, all signs shall relate to the premises on which they are erected.
(7)
Only one side of a freestanding sign will be used to measure size limitations.
I.
Canopies, awnings and marquees. Awnings are permitted in all Business Districts, as regulated by § 430-288B(5). Canopies, awnings and marquees containing signage (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4 and B-5) shall be considered to be a business sign. Awnings attached to a building shall be permitted to extend a maximum of three feet into the front yard setback.
J.
Illumination.
(1)
No sign shall be an illuminated sign except as provided herein.
(2)
No monument sign shall be illuminated externally from the ground by more than two floodlights per surface of said sign. Such lighting shall be at grade and properly directed.
(3)
All signage lighting shall be shielded so as not to produce glare or offensive light off the property.
(4)
Flashing signs, highly reflective glass, or fluorescent paint (red or green) and illuminated tubing or similar outlining roofs, doors, windows or wall edges of a building, are prohibited.
(5)
No sign shall be artificially illuminated after 11:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m. unless said premises are occupied and attended.
(6)
No ground-mounted lighting shall be used for lighting a sign that exceeds eight feet in height.
K.
Banners and pennants no larger than 32 square feet shall be temporarily permitted in nonresidential districts for a maximum of four weeks per calendar year and require a permit approved by the Zoning Office prior to being erected. Banners are not permitted to be attached to the existing freestanding sign. Temporary banners and pennants shall be allowed during construction or similar activities that obstruct permanent signage, where such temporary signage is necessary to prevent long-term business disruption. These temporary banners and pennants shall not be subject to the time limit of four weeks per calendar year, but shall comply with all other applicable conditions of the zoning permit and shall be removed upon completion of the construction or removal of the signage obstruction, whichever is sooner.
[Added 5-8-2010 by Ord. No. 2010:09; amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:20]
§ 430-285 Issuance of permits; application procedure; fees; computation of sign area and height.
A.
Administration. The Zoning Officer shall only issue a permit for the erection or construction of a sign which meets the requirements of this article and, where applicable, in accordance with site plans.
B.
Filing procedure. Application.
(1)
No sign shall be erected, altered, located or relocated within the Township except upon application and issuance of a permit as hereinafter provided.
(a)
Application for a permit for residential signs. Application for a permit for a sign for premises used for residential purposes shall be made in writing to the Zoning Officer and presented together with the appropriate filing fee. Such application shall be sufficient to describe the premises and the location at which the sign is to be affixed, together with a rendering of the sign, inclusive of its dimensions, design and color. The applicant shall also be provided a statement as to the means by which said sign shall be constructed on the premises. The Zoning Officer shall act upon such application within 15 days of the receipt thereof.
(b)
Application for a permit for nonresidential signs. Any sign modification associated with a change in occupancy or ownership necessitates an application for a sign permit. Application for a permit for a permitted nonresidential sign conforming to the regulations set forth herein shall be made in writing to the Zoning Officer. Such application shall be sufficient to describe the premises and location at which the sign is to be affixed and shall include at a minimum the following: name and address of applicant and owner of premises; a statement indicating owner has consented to application, if the applicant is other than the owner; a rendering to scale of the sign, reflecting its composition, colors, dimensions, elevation from grade level and lighting; the address of the premises; specification and location of all existing signs; the sight distances, in the case of freestanding signs, with relation to accessways to the premises on which the sign is to be located and adjacent premises; the information to be stated on the sign, and the method by which said sign shall be secured.
(c)
All applications under review by the Planning or Zoning Board of the Township shall submit details of all proposed signage for review by said approving authority. Such application shall be in writing and, upon notice and a public hearing where the same is required by law, submitted at least 30 days before the next meeting preceding the succeeding public meeting date of the appropriate authority, together with a filing fee as hereinafter set forth.
(d)
Application for a permit for a sign which does not comply with the provisions of this article shall be submitted to the appropriate approving authority, including any sign associated with a change of occupancy or ownership which does not comply with the provisions set forth herein. Such application shall be in writing and, upon notice and a public hearing where the same is required by law, submitted at least 30 days before the next meeting preceding the succeeding public meeting date of the appropriate authority, together with a filing fee as hereinafter set forth.
C.
Issuance of permit.
(1)
A permit shall be issued by the Zoning Officer upon the favorable action of the approving authority, subject to any other applicable governmental regulations, or as otherwise provided herein.
(2)
A permit for the replacement of an existing sign may be issued by the Zoning Officer without the necessity of Board approval only upon satisfaction of all of the following conditions:
D.
Fee schedules.
[Amended 5-18-2010 by Ord. No. 2010:09]
(1)
At the time of the filing for a permanent sign permit, the following fee shall be paid by the applicant to the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills: $3 per square foot of surface area of the sign, computed by one side only for double-faced signs. The minimum fee shall be $35.
(2)
The applicant for a temporary sign permit shall pay a fee of $35, which may be renewed after the initial six-month period upon payment of an additional fee of $35. Temporary signs for and in connection with special events in the community will be issued permits without a fee.
(3)
The applicant for a banner/pennants permit shall pay a fee of $35. If the maximum four weeks per calendar year are not consecutive weeks, a separate permit and fee of $35 shall be required for each time period.
E.
Computation of sign area and sign height.
(1)
Computation of area of individual signs. The area of a sign face shall be computed by drawing a square or rectangle that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem, or other display, together with the sign frame and any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed, or by delineating the area established by reason of distinctive variation in background color or by borders, whichever is greater.
(2)
Computation of area of multifaced signs. The sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one point. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any one point at the same time, and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than 42 inches apart at any point, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces.
(3)
Computation of height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign.
§ 430-286 Permitted signs in the RCW, R-R, R-1, R-1M, R-2, R-2M, R-3, R-3 and 3A (RCA), R-4, R-5, AHD-1&2, APRD-2, PRD and PRD-2 Districts.
The following signs shall be permitted in the RCW, R-R, R-1, R-1M, R-2, R-2M, R-3, R-3 and 3A (RCA), R-4, R-5, AHD-1&2, APRD-2, PRD and PRD-2 Districts:
A.
Temporary signs advertising the sale, rental or development of a lot or premises shall be permitted, provided that:
B.
Other signs are permitted in accordance with the following regulations:
(1)
One residential nameplate sign, situated within the property lines and not exceeding one square foot.
(2)
One sign advertising a farm or nursery activity, situated not less than 20 feet from any street or property line and not exceeding six square feet in area on any one side.
(3)
One sign located on the premises of and identifying a public building, playground, community center, quasi-public building, church or other similar uses and not exceeding 20 square feet in area on any one surface and located not less than 10 feet from any lot line.
§ 430-287 Permitted signs in the B-1, B-2, O-1, O-2 and O-3 Districts.
A.
The following signs shall be permitted in the B-1, B-2, O-1, O-2 and O-3 Districts:
(1)
Temporary signs advertising the sale, rental and development of a site shall be permitted, provided that:
(a)
No more than one such sign shall be permitted per street frontage.
(b)
No one surface of any such sign shall exceed 24 square feet in area.
(c)
No such sign shall exceed six feet in height.
(d)
No such sign shall be located less than 25 feet from any lot line.
(e)
No such sign shall be illuminated in any manner.
(2)
Signs attached to buildings shall be permitted as follows:
(a)
No sign shall exceed 1.5 square feet in area for each one foot of linear width of the front building wall on which the sign is to be located, provided that no sign may exceed 85% of the front wall of the storefront that is occupied.
(b)
No sign shall exceed 150 square feet in total area. All signs shall be placed on the front area of the building.
(c)
Such signs shall advertise only such business as is conducted on the premises and be limited to one such sign per business.
(d)
Such signs shall not project more than 18 inches from the building facade to which they are attached; provided, however, that where a sign extends more than three inches from the face of the wall, the bottom edge of the sign shall not be less than 10 feet from the ground or have a vertical dimension in excess of five feet.
(e)
No sign shall be higher than 25 feet from the ground.
(f)
Such signs may be internally lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights and must be on and designed to be visible from the principal access frontage.
(g)
One additional identifying sign shall be permitted for a business which fronts on two or more streets, provided that the total permitted sign area is not increased.
(3)
Freestanding signs shall be permitted as follows:
(a)
No more than one such sign shall be permitted per street frontage.
(b)
No one surface of any such sign shall exceed 60 square feet in area.
(c)
Freestanding signs shall be no higher than 15 feet or the height of the principal building, whichever is the lesser, and the maximum width of any one side of the sign shall not exceed 15 feet, and the bottom of the sign shall not be closer than 10 feet from the ground level of the sign.
(d)
A freestanding sign shall be set back at a minimum distance of 15 feet from the front lot line or a distance equal to its height, but in no case less than 15 feet from the front lot line.
(e)
Such signs may be internally lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights.
(4)
Shopping centers.
(a)
The temporary sign provisions of this section shall apply to shopping centers.
(b)
Freestanding signs in shopping centers shall be permitted as follows:
[1]
One freestanding sign per main driveway entrance to identify the shopping center and the occupants therein, not to exceed 100 square feet. The total area of such signs shall not exceed 200 square feet and shall not be closer to one another than 1,500 feet.
[2]
No such sign shall exceed 20 feet in height.
[3]
Such signs shall be located so that the plane of the largest surface area of such sign is perpendicular to the road and set back at least 1/2 the distance of the required front yard depth of the zoning district in which the sign is located, and no sign shall encroach upon the side yard setbacks.
[4]
The freestanding signs herein provided for shall be in lieu of all other freestanding signs in this section.
(c)
A unified design theme shall be provided which integrates the architectural design, materials and colors of the primary structure, facade signs, freestanding signs, awnings, landscaping and lighting fixtures.
(d)
The following regulations shall apply to building-mounted signs:
[1]
Such sign shall be restricted to the front wall area.
[2]
No sign shall exceed 1.5 square feet in area for each one-foot linear width of the front building wall on which the sign is to be located, provided that no sign may exceed 85% of the front wall of the storefront that is occupied, and further provided that no sign shall exceed 150 square feet in total area.
(5)
Monument signs. Monument signs may be permitted in lieu of the freestanding signs permitted in § 430-287A(3). Monument signs shall conform to the following standards:
(a)
One monument sign identifying the development shall be permitted per street frontage.
(b)
The total area of the monument sign, including sign face and support structure, shall be limited to 50 square feet.
(c)
The height of the sign shall not exceed a height of six feet above the grade.
(d)
The monument sign shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from any property line.
(6)
Gasoline station signage is regulated as follows:
(a)
One freestanding identification sign which may include the company or brand name, insignia or emblem shall be permitted, provided that the sign not exceed 32 square feet in area on each side. The freestanding sign shall be located a minimum of ten feet from all property lines and shall not exceed 20 feet in height. The sign shall have an open area of not less than 10 feet between the baseline of the sign and the ground level. In addition, a unit pricing sign may be affixed to the freestanding sign; such sign shall not exceed 25 square feet in area.
(b)
The gasoline pump structure may include signage, which is limited to an emblem or insignia, brand name of gasoline, lead warning sign, price indicator, and other sign required by law, provided that this signage shall be limited to two square feet per pump.
(c)
One wall identification sign shall be permitted, except where a building has street frontage on more than one street; in which case, one additional sign (facing the second street) shall be permitted. The wall sign shall not project more than six inches from the building, nor be attached to the wall at a height of less than eight feet above grade. The wall sign shall be limited to 20 square feet in size.
(d)
In the event there is a canopy that is located over the pump island, one sign limited to the brand name, insignia, or emblem of the station shall be permitted per canopy side, provided that each sign does not exceed an area of 10% of the canopy face and provided that, if the canopy face fronts on a residential zone or use, no signage on that face shall be permitted.
(7)
Awnings and awning signs. Awning signs are permitted in the B-1 and B-2 Districts as regulated by § 430-288B(5).
B.
Direction/identification signs in the O-1, O-2 and O-3 Districts shall be permitted as follows:
(1)
One direction sign shall be permitted in lieu of all other signs. Said sign shall include name and identification of the building and its occupants and may not exceed 32 square feet if affixed to the building and 25 square feet if freestanding. Said freestanding sign shall not be less than five feet and no more than 10 feet from the ground and, minimally, 10 feet from the property line.
§ 430-288 Permitted signs in the B-3, B-4, B-5 and O-S Districts.
The following signs shall be permitted in the B-3, B-4, B-5 and O-S Districts.
A.
Temporary signs advertising the sale, rental or development of a lot shall be permitted, provided that:
(1)
No more than one such sign shall be permitted per street frontage.
(2)
No one surface of such sign shall exceed 16 square feet in area.
(3)
No such sign shall exceed eight feet in height.
(4)
No such sign shall be located less than 10 feet from any lot line.
(5)
No such sign shall be illuminated in any manner.
B.
Signs attached to buildings shall be permitted as follows:
(1)
One sign only shall be permitted to be attached to the main building identifying or advertising a business conducted on the premises and shall be subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Such sign shall be restricted to the front wall area.
(b)
No sign shall exceed 1.5 square feet in area for each one-foot linear width of the front building wall on which the sign is to be located, provided that no sign may exceed 75% of the front wall of the storefront that is occupied and further provided that no sign shall exceed 100 square feet in total area.
(c)
With the exception of awning signs as set forth in § 430-288B(5), such sign shall not project more than 18 inches from the building facade to which it is attached, and where a sign does extend more than three inches from the face of the wall, the bottom edge of the sign shall not be less than 10 feet from the ground.
(d)
Such sign shall not have a vertical dimension in excess of three feet.
(2)
No sign shall be higher than 25 feet from the ground.
(3)
Such sign may be internally lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights.
(4)
One additional identifying sign shall be permitted for a business which fronts on two or more streets. The second permitted sign may be no more than 75% of the size of the first permitted sign.
(5)
Awnings and awning signs.
(a)
Awning signs, as permitted herein, shall be subject to the area and dimension requirements listed in Illustration D.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Illustration D is included at the end of this chapter.
(b)
Awnings shall be limited to one solid color.
(c)
In cases of multi-tenanted buildings, all awnings shall be the same color, size and style.
(d)
Awning signs may project into the front and side yard setbacks but only to the extent provided in Illustration D.
(e)
The area permitted for awning signs shall be in addition to the total area permitted for wall signs as specified in § 430-288B(1)(b).
(f)
Awning signs shall be mounted on the wall facing the primary street frontage.
(g)
An awning sign shall not extend closer than six inches from the edge of a building, except that when a building is located at the corner of two or more streets, the awning may wrap around the corner of the building as part of a single continuous awning.
(h)
An awning shall not extend closer than four feet to the inside edge of the curb along the street.
(i)
Awning signs shall be located no higher than the first floor level of a building.
(j)
Sign text shall be permitted only on the front valance of an awning sign and company logos may be permitted on the roof of the awning as specified below:
[1]
No more than two awnings may be used for valance signs or logo signs on any building wall.
[2]
Where valance signs are used, logo signs may only be located on the awning roof that has the valance sign.
[3]
Valance signs shall display only the name of the business occupying that space as it is recorded on the certificate of occupancy.
[4]
Text for valance signs shall not exceed six inches high, and may not exceed a length of two-thirds the total length of the awning.
[5]
Logos shall not exceed six square feet in area as measured as a rectangle around the limits of the logo.
[6]
All awning signage shall be limited to two colors, exclusive of the background of the awning.
[7]
Awning signs shall not be illuminated.
[8]
All awning signs must be located on fixed, nonretractable awnings.
[9]
Awnings attached to a building shall be permitted to extend a maximum of three feet into the front yard setback.
(6)
Hanging signs.
(a)
Hanging signs are permitted in the B-5 District subject to the area and dimension requirements listed in Illustration E.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Illustration E is included at the end of this chapter.
(b)
Hanging signs may project into the front and side yard setbacks, but only to the extent provided in Illustration E.
(c)
The maximum area for a hanging sign shall be four square feet.
(d)
When attached to an awning or awning sign, the area permitted for hanging signs shall be in addition to the total area permitted for wall and awning signs as specified in § 430-288B(1)(b) and B(5)(a).
(e)
Only hanging signs that are attached to an awning or awning sign as shown in Illustration E may be located below an awning or awning sign. Hanging signs attached to the building facade may not be located below an awning or awning sign. Hanging signs are permitted above awnings or awning signs as shown in Illustration E.
(f)
One hanging sign shall be permitted for each first floor business or commercial use.
(g)
Hanging signs may not be internally illuminated.
(h)
A hanging sign may not extend beyond the front edge of any awning or awning sign.
(i)
The lettering on hanging signs shall be no more than six inches in height.
(j)
Hanging signs shall be designed and constructed as either painted signs on metal or wood, incised or carved lettering on wood background, or individual letters arranged on painted wood or metal backgrounds. Flashing, oscillating and moving signs; boxed or fluorescent signs; and formed plastic signs are not permitted.
C.
Freestanding signs shall be permitted as follows:
(1)
No more than one freestanding sign shall be permitted on any one street frontage.
(2)
No one surface of any such sign shall exceed 25 square feet in area.
(3)
Such signs shall be no higher than 15 feet or the height of the principal building, whichever is the lesser. The maximum width of any one side of the sign shall not exceed six feet, and the bottom of the sign shall not be closer than eight feet to the ground level of the sign.
(4)
No freestanding sign shall be located closer than 15 feet to any property line, with the exception of B-5 Zones, which may be 10 feet.
(5)
Such signs may be internally lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights.
(6)
Such signs shall identify or advertise only such businesses as are conducted on the premises.
(7)
There shall be a minimum frontage of 50 feet to permit a freestanding sign.
E.
Gasoline station signage. Gasoline station signage shall be permitted pursuant to the regulations set forth in § 430-287A(6).
§ 430-289 Permitted signs in the O-T, ROL, POD, COD, SED and LIW Districts.
The following signs shall be permitted in the O-T, ROL, POD, COD, SED and LIW Districts:
A.
All temporary and building identification signs as permitted in § 430-287 shall be permitted, except that only one such sign shall be permitted.
B.
Freestanding signs shall be permitted as follows:
(1)
No freestanding or monument style sign shall exceed 10 feet in height, the maximum width of any one side of the sign shall not exceed 15 feet, and such signs shall not exceed 64 square feet in area.
(2)
Such signs shall be set back 20 feet from the property line.
(3)
One such sign shall be permitted; except that one directional sign shall be permitted per site entrance road, set back 10 feet minimum from the property line, and shall not exceed four square feet, and shall be positioned at or near the subject development's site entrance road.
§ 430-290 Maintenance; additional regulations.
A.
All signs shall be kept in good repair: lettering legible, properly painted, properly illuminated and all features operable and consistent with the permit issued. No sign shall be allowed to become a danger to public health, safety or general welfare.
B.
The area surrounding ground signs shall be kept neat, clean and landscaped. The owner of the property upon which the sign is located shall be responsible for maintaining the condition of the area.
C.
Maintenance of signs. Any sign that is or shall become dangerous or unsafe or is maintained in violation of this article shall be repaired or made safe in conformity with this article or shall be removed by the owner, lessor, agent or occupant of the building, property or land upon which a dangerous or unsafe sign is located.
D.
Nonconforming signs shall be required to be maintained in accordance with this article.
E.
All signs attached to a building shall be thoroughly and rigidly secured in a manner approved by the Building Inspector and shall be repaired and maintained as necessary to keep them secure, safe and free from danger.
F.
All electrical wiring of signs shall conform to the requirements of the municipality.
G.
No sign shall obstruct access to fire escapes or required windows, doors, exits or standpipes.
§ 430-291 Issuance of notices, summonses and complaints; inspections.
A.
It shall be the responsibility of the Zoning Officer to issue notices, summonses and complaints for violations of the provisions of this chapter and to maintain a log of such notices, summonses and complaints.
B.
Any person may report an alleged violation of this sign article to the Zoning Officer. This report shall be logged and inspection of finding made within 30 days. Summonses, notices and complaints will be issued if appropriate, and the action taken by the Zoning Officer shall be duly recorded in the log.
C.
The log shall be maintained as a public record and reported periodically to the Township Council.
§ 430-292 Correction of violations; violations and penalties.
A.
Removal of certain signs. Any sign now or hereafter existing which no longer identifies or advertises the business conducted or product sold, or fulfills the purposes provided for herein, shall be removed, modified or obliterated so that the message contained thereon is no longer visible. These actions shall not relieve the owner from the responsibilities of maintenance and repair as required by this article.
B.
Notice requirements and abandonment.
(1)
The Zoning Officer shall issue a written notice to identify and require necessary action to be taken within 15 days from the date of service of the notice, or within such lesser time as shall be deemed reasonable, in any case where danger to public health, safety and general welfare is imminent.
(2)
Failure to comply with notice. Any notice of the Zoning Officer provided for herein which is not complied with within 30 days after such notice shall cause a conclusion that the sign or advertising structure has been abandoned, in which event it may not be replaced or reused, but must be removed by the owner upon issuance of a notice to remove from the Zoning Officer.
(3)
Any notice served upon the permittee, owner, lessor, agent or occupant shall be deemed notice upon all.
§ 430-293 Appeals.
Appeals in writing may be taken from the action of the Zoning Officer within 65 days after the date of such action.