Ringwood City Zoning Code
§ 40-8.7
Signs. 1
[1985 Code § 22-6.2.7; Ord. No. 2017-07]
a.
No advertising, flashing, moving or roof sign shall be permitted in any zone in the Borough except upon Borough-owned property as shall be authorized by ordinance.
b.
No part of the sign area of a free-standing sign shall be within 10 feet of the ground surface or located within any sight triangle, as defined in subsection 40-2.2, which is formed by the intersection of street lines or the intersection of a street line and a driveway side line as regulated in subsection 40-5.1b herein, except that directional or informational signs not higher than 2 1/2 feet from the ground surface may be located within sight triangles. The minimum and maximum heights shall be adjusted to effect the sight distances required on a horizontal land surface.
c.
All illuminated signs shall be either indirectly lighted or of the diffused lighting type. No sign shall be lighted by means of flashing or noncontinuous illumination. Sources of sign illumination shall be completely shielded from the view of vehicular traffic using abutting roads and from adjoining land uses. No illuminated sign shall diminish or detract in any way from the effectiveness of any traffic signal or warning device.
d.
Directional or informational signs shall be permitted in all zones. No directional sign shall exceed three square feet in area.
e.
Temporary signs shall be permitted in any zone in the Borough provided a permit to erect such sign has been issued by the Construction Official of the Borough of Ringwood. Such signs may include wall or free-standing signs, banners, streamers or bunting. In no case shall any sign or banner exceed 32 square feet in area. Free-standing signs shall not be closer than 10 feet to any property line or street line, nor be higher than 15 feet from the ground surface. Temporary signs, banners, streamers or bunting shall be positioned so as not to interfere with any sight distance of any vehicle or pedestrian or with the visibility of an official traffic control device. All temporary signs shall comply with the following:
1.
Temporary signs shall not be posted or erected for a period of time exceeding 30 days.
2.
All applications for the erection of a temporary sign shall be filed with the Construction Official and shall be signed by the owner of the property upon which the sign is to be erected or by an officer of the civic, charitable or similar organization sponsoring the function for which the sign draws attention.
3.
Before such permit is issued, there shall be deposited with the Finance Department an administrative fee of $25 which is non-refundable and sufficient security to cover any costs the Borough may incur in the removal of any signs. The required security deposit shall be in the amount of $5 for each sign less than 10 square feet in area and $25 for each sign of 10 square feet in area or larger.
4.
Where a sign permit application is required by an individual or organization which does not own or lease the property upon which the signs are to be erected or posted, written permission from the owner for the erection or posting of the signs shall be supplied with the sign permit application.
5.
All signs for which the permit is applied shall be removed within five days after expiration of the aforementioned thirty-day period. Upon failure to remove the signs, the security on deposit for same shall be forfeited.
6.
Request for refund of any security on deposit shall be made by the applicant to the Construction Official, accompanied by an affidavit that the signs have been removed within 30 days after expiration of the aforementioned thirty-day period. Upon failure to make this request within the time period specified, the security on deposit for same shall be forfeited.
7.
Grand opening signs must comply with the above and shall be permitted to be placed only on the property which the approved new business is located.
f.
No streamers, banners, bunting or similar devices shall be permitted in any zone in the Borough of Ringwood except that temporary streamers, banners or bunting may be permitted as provided in paragraph e above.
g.
All business and real estate signs shall comply with Schedule 5, Schedule of Permitted Business and Real Estate Signs, attached to this chapter.
h.
No signs shall be erected in such places or in such a manner as will contravene existing laws of the State of New Jersey.
i.
All permitted portable A-frame or permitted portable freestanding signs shall comply with the following:
1.
Such signs shall not be permitted to be placed in the vehicular traveled way or within any parking area located within the street right-of-way.
2.
Maximum quantity.
(a)
Not more than one sign shall be permitted for each business establishment. For purposes of administering this provision, a business establishment shall be construed to be a commercial operation and all accessory or subsidiary operations at a single location.
3.
Dimensions.
(a)
Height. All signs shall have a minimum height of 36 inches and a maximum height of 42 inches, with the height measured vertically from the sidewalk or other surface located beneath the base of the sign. If the point of height measurement is at a different level than the surface of the traveled way, the height shall be measured from the public level of the traveled way.
(b)
Width. The maximum width of the sign panel shall be 24 inches.
(c)
Depth at base of sign. The maximum depth of the sign and supporting structure shall be 30 inches.
The following diagrams illustrate the maximum sign dimensions: |
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4.
Obstructions prohibited.
(a)
Such signs shall not obstruct ingress or egress to/from buildings, driveways, access aisles, parking spaces, or other locations that require access by vehicles or pedestrians.
(b)
For the purpose of ensuring adequate pedestrian movements, such signs shall be required to be located so as to maintain a minimum clear traveled way width of 48 inches.
5.
Placement restrictions.
(a)
Such signs shall not be permanently affixed, and shall be capable of being removed on a daily basis.
(b)
Such signs shall not be chained, cabled, tied or otherwise attached or connected to any tree, pole, hydrant, planter, container, chair, bench, table or other item, but shall be wholly self-supporting.
(c)
Such signs shall be internally ballasted/weighted in such manner, so as not to create or present a hazard to pedestrian safety and to be secure in windy conditions and to prevent accidental relocation by other means.
(d)
Such sign shall be placed within 10 feet of the main building entrance to the business establishment and in no case shall a sign be placed in front of a different business establishment.
6.
Removal during weather events.
(a)
Such signs shall be removed in the event of a weather forecast for high winds, snow or ice. The signs may be returned to their compliant location after the weather event has passed and, in the case of snow, once snow removal from the street, sidewalks and other paved areas in the immediate vicinity are complete.
7.
Prohibited content and design. The following content and features shall be prohibited:
[1]
Editor's Note: See Schedule 5, Schedule of Permitted Business and Real Estate Signs, included as an attachment to this chapter.