Sandyston City Zoning Code
ARTICLE X
Signs
[Amended 3-5-2002 by Ord. No. 1-02; 11-1-2005 by Ord. No. 10-05; 12-13-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-08]
§ 150-49 Permit required; exceptions; definitions.
A.
Exceptions: No sign, temporary sign or portable sign shall be constructed or displayed unless a permit shall have first been obtained from the Land Use Administrator, but excluding:
(1)
Official public notices and notices posted by public officers in the performance of their duties.
(2)
Governmental signs for the control or direction of traffic and other regulatory purposes.
(3)
Flags or emblems of the United States, the State of New Jersey or their political subdivisions. A flagpole may not exceed 30 feet above ground level, and the pole shall be set back from all property lines at least the height of the pole. Residential, nongovernmental flags, not exceeding 15 square feet.
(4)
Temporary signs for a period not to exceed 30 days, totaling not over seven square feet of surfaces area on any lot, appertaining to campaigns, drives or events of civic, philanthropic, education or religious organization.
(5)
Signs posted in conjunction with doorbells or mailboxes, none exceeding 36 square inches in surface area.
(6)
Small, nonilluminated instructional signs, none exceeding 1 1/2 square feet in surface area.
(7)
Address signs, not more than one for each street frontage of each principal use on a lot, and none exceeding 72 square inches in surface area, showing only the numerical address designations of the premises upon which they are situated. All address signs shall be prominently displayed and written in contrasting colors to the color of the structure or background against which said signs are placed in order to facilitate emergency identification for public service employees.
(8)
Decals, numerals names, addresses, hours, credit information, etc., attached to doors or windows and all of which occupy a total area of one square foot or less.
(9)
Signs identifying or urging voter support for a particular election issue, political party, or candidate for public office.
(10)
No trespassing signs, no hunting signs no larger than one square foot in area.
B.
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
FREESTANDING SIGN
Any sign not affixed or attached to any building or structure.
OFF-PREMISE DIRECTIONAL SIGN
Any off-premise sign indicating the location of or directions to a business or farm related business, church, community event, historic property, farm, school or other place of public assembly located in Sandyston Township.
[Added 5-8-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]
OFF-PREMISE SIGN
Any sign used for the purpose of displaying, advertising, identifying or directing attention to a business, farm related business, activity or place in Sandyston Township including products, or services sold or offered for sale on premise other than on the premises where such sign is displayed.
[Added 5-8-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]
PORTABLE SIGN
A sign that is not permanently affixed to a building, structure or the ground.
SIGN
Any identification, description, illustration or device which is visible from any public place, whether located on private property or public property, which directs attention to a product, location, service, place, activity, person, institution or business, any exterior-situated merchandise or any emblem, paint, banner, pennant, or placard designed to direct customers to or advertise, identify or convey information. For the purpose of this section, signs may also include sign structures.
TEMPORARY SIGN
A portable sign or banner that is used in connection with a situation, circumstances or event that is designed, intended or expected to take place or to be completed within a reasonably short period of time after the erection of such sign, or is intended to remain on location where it is erected or placed for a period of not more than 90 days per year.
§ 150-50 Sign area measurement.
The area of a sign shall be computed as the total square foot content of the background, upon which the lettering, illustration or display is presented. If there is no background, the sign area shall be computed as the product of the largest horizontal dimension and the largest vertical dimension of the lettering, illustration or display. When there is no well-defined frame or edge, the area shall be that defined by a projected, enclosed, four-sided geometric shape (straight sides) which most closely outlines the sign. This shall not be construed to include the supporting members of any sign which are used solely for such purpose. For signs with two sides, the maximum area requirement shall be permitted on each side. Signs with more than two sides or revolving signs are prohibited.
§ 150-51 General regulations.
A.
No signs shall be placed so as to interfere with or be mistaken for a traffic light or similar safety device. Reflective signs are prohibited with the exception of required signs.
B.
All illuminated signs shall be either indirectly lighted or diffused-type or LED lighting with automatic ambient adjustment control. No sign shall be lighted by means of flashing illumination. All lights used for the illumination of any use or building or the areas surrounding them or for the illumination or display of merchandise or products of business establishments shall be completely shielded from the view of vehicular traffic using the road or roads abutting such business properties. Floodlights used for the illumination of said premises or of any sign thereon, whether or not such floodlights are attached to or separate from the building, shall not project above the highest elevation of the front wall of the building or more than 18 feet above the street level of the premises, whichever is less. All sign illumination will be designed to eliminate all light glare onto adjacent properties.
C.
No sign, as permitted, shall extend or project above the highest elevation of the wall to which it is attached or above the height of the building, as defined in this chapter.
D.
Gasoline service stations and public garages, where permitted only, may display, in addition, the following signs which are deemed customary and necessary to their respective business:
(1)
One freestanding or pylon sign advertising the name of the station or garage and the principal products sold on the premises, including any special company or brand name, insignia or emblem, provided that such sign shall not exceed 35 square feet in area on a side and shall be hung within the property line and not less than 10 nor more than 20 feet above the ground. Said sign shall not obstruct drivers' line of sight in any way.
(2)
One temporary sign located inside the property line and specifically advertising special seasonal servicing of automobiles, provided that said sign does not exceed seven square feet in area.
(3)
Directional signs or lettering displayed over individual entrance doors or bays, consisting only of the words "washing," "lubrication," "repairs," "mechanic on duty" or other words closely similar in import, provided that there shall be not more than one such sign over each entrance or bay, the letters thereof shall not exceed 12 inches in height and the total area of each such sign shall not exceed six square feet.
(4)
Customary lettering on, or other insignia which are a structural part of, a gasoline pump, consisting only of the brand name of gasoline sold, a lead warning sign, a price indicator and any other sign required by law, and not exceeding a total of three square feet on each pump.
E.
Temporary signs.
(1)
Permit required. Any owner or operator of an existing business located on nonresidential property shall be permitted, in addition to any other signs permitted under this chapter, upon issuance of a permit, to erect an additional temporary sign or banner. No more than one temporary sign will be allowed per site regardless of single or multiple tenants. The owner or applicant, with the owner's written consent, shall submit a sketch of the proposed location and design of the sign and banner showing its dimensions to the Land Use Administrator. All temporary sign applications must be accompanied by the fee required in Chapter 69 of this Code. The fees to be collected for the application review and permit shall be paid to the Sandyston Township Land Use Administrator and/or department.
(2)
Maintenance. All signs/banners including supports, braces, hooks, anchors, and similar fastening devices shall be of substantial and sturdy construction, shall be kept in good repair and shall be painted or cleaned as often as necessary to maintain a clean, neat, safe and orderly appearance. If the Land Use Administrator determines that any sign/banner has fallen into a state of disrepair, has become dilapidated, or constitutes a safety hazard, the sign owner and property owner shall be given written notice to correct the condition within seven days.
(3)
Size. The maximum area of any temporary sign or banner shall not exceed 48 square feet.
(4)
Location and placement. No sign shall be closer than five feet from any right-of-way, and such sign shall not interfere with sight distance. Signs or banners that receive prior approvals may be displayed over a roadway.
(5)
Illumination. No temporary sign/banner shall be internally illuminated.
(6)
Grand openings. A newly established business shall be permitted to erect, in addition to all other permitted signs, additional temporary signs, banners, and pennants indicating a grand opening of the business, subject to the following conditions.
(a)
Additional temporary signs/banners and pennants shall not interfere with the sight distances of vehicles or persons entering or exiting the property or building.
(b)
Additional temporary signs/banners or pennants shall be permitted for a maximum of three weeks.
(c)
If at any time the Land Use Administrator finds a hazard exists as a result of additional grand opening temporary signs, the sign/banner or pennant shall be removed immediately.
(d)
Temporary signs/banners and pennants for grand openings shall be erected or placed only upon application and receipt of a permit pursuant to this section.
(7)
Penalties for violation. Any person, firm or corporation who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects, or refuses to comply with, or who resists the enforcement of, the provisions of this section, or any order, decision or determination by the Land Use Administrator or his designee, and who refuses to abate said violation within five days after written notice has been served upon him either by registered mail or by personal service shall, for each and every violation of this section, be subject to a penalty, upon conviction, of one or more of the following: a fine not exceeding $1,000, and/or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 90 days, or to a period of community service not exceeding 90 days at the discretion of the Municipal Court Judge (N.J.S.A. 40:495). Each and every successive day that such violation continues after such notice shall be considered a separate and specific violation of this section without the service of additional notice.
F.
Off-premise sign; off-premise directional sign. Permit required. Any owner or operator of an existing business or farm related business located on nonresidential property in Sandyston Township shall be permitted, in addition to any other signs permitted under this chapter, upon issuance of a permit, to erect up to three off-premise signs or off-premise directional signs. The applicant, with the owner's written consent, shall submit a sketch of the proposed location, setbacks, height, dimensions, square footage of the sign and any other data the Land Use Administrator may determine is necessary for review of the application. All off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign applications must be accompanied by the fee required and listed in this chapter and also in Chapter 69 of this Code. The fees to be collected for the application review and permit shall be paid at the time the application is submitted to the Land Use Administrator.
[Added 5-8-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]
(1)
Permit duration. The duration of an off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign shall be 180 days.
(2)
Fee. The fee for the application of up to three off-premise signs or off-premise directional signs shall be $50, in total.
(3)
Maintenance. All off-premise signs or off-premise direction signs including supports, braces, hooks, anchors, and similar fastening devices shall be of substantial and sturdy construction, shall be kept in good repair and shall be painted or cleaned as often as necessary to maintain a clean, neat, safe and orderly appearance. If the Land Use Administrator determines that any off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign has fallen into a state of disrepair, has become dilapidated, or constitutes a safety hazard, the sign owner and property owner shall be given written notice to correct the condition within seven days.
(4)
Size.
(a)
The maximum area of any off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign shall not exceed 16 square feet.
(b)
A maximum of two faces per sign structure is allowed, positioned either back-to-back or V-shaped, such that only one face is allowed per side. Both sides of a double-faced or V-shaped sign shall be of equal size. In no case shall there be more than one face per directional flow of traffic.
(5)
Location and placement.
(a)
No sign shall be closer than five feet from any right-of-way, and such sign shall not interfere with sight distance.
(b)
No business establishment shall be permitted to display an off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign on their premises.
(c)
The minimum distance between the off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign shall be one mile on either side of the same street, road or highway.
(d)
No off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign shall be located within 100 feet of any bridge.
(e)
No off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign shall be located within 20 feet of the intersection of two or more streets, roads or highways.
(f)
Off-premise signs and off-premise directional signs shall be permitted in the following zones:
[1]
Residential Zones, A, B, C, D; Conservation Zones E, W; V-1 Highway Village Zone and V-2 Neighborhood Village Zone
(6)
Illumination. No off-premise sign or off-premise directional sign shall be internally or externally illuminated.
§ 150-52 Signs in residential zones.
In residential zones, only the following signs shall be permitted:
A.
One customary professional sign or nameplate sign not more than two square feet in area, which may be illuminated, provided that the direct source of light is shielded in such a manner that it is not visible from the street or any adjoining residential property, unless a porch light or lamppost light.
B.
A nonilluminated temporary sign pertaining to the lease or sale of the premises upon which it is placed, not exceeding eight square feet in total area, provided that it shall be removed within seven days after the signing of the contract of sale or the signing of a sale transaction or the execution of a lease.
C.
Subdivision developments involving six or more residential lots may contain signs advertising the sale of the dwellings contained therein, as approved by the Planning Board, provided that:
(1)
One nonilluminated sign no larger than 30 square feet is permitted at each entrance of the development. In addition, customary nonilluminated trade or professional signs no larger than four square feet are permitted on lots being developed.
(2)
All signs permitted under this subsection shall be removed within seven days after the signing of the contract of sale or the signing of a sale transaction or the execution of a lease of the last house in the development.
D.
A sign deemed necessary to the public welfare by the governing body and signs required by federal and state governments.
E.
A sign not more than 20 square feet in area advertising the name of a church on the premises, its pastor and its coming activities.
F.
Agricultural uses permitted in the residence zones may display, in addition to the foregoing:
(1)
Customary warning, trespassing and posted signs.
(2)
No more than three signs advertising the sale and price of seasonal and farm produce, provided that the total area of such signs does not exceed six square feet.
(3)
One identification sign of not more than 10 square feet, which may be illuminated, stating the name of the agricultural use, the address and the name of the owner.
G.
None of the signs permitted in the residential districts shall be erected nearer any street or road than half the setback required for the principal building to be erected on the plot, provided that a nameplate or farm sign not more than two square feet in area, as regulated above, may be placed anywhere within the front yard.
§ 150-53 Signs in village zones.
In the village zones, no sign shall be permitted which is not accessory to the business conducted on the property. Signs may only be erected provided all of the following requirements are met:
A.
No business establishment shall be permitted a total of more than three attached signs; provided, however, that corner lots may display four attached signs. The total sign area for the sign or signs permitted on the face of any wall shall not exceed 10% of the area of the face of the wall upon which such sign or signs are attached.
B.
No sign shall extend farther than 15 inches from the face of the building upon which it is attached; provided, however, that where a sign extends more than three inches from the face of said wall, the bottom of said sign 1shall not be closer than 10 feet from the ground level below said sign.
C.
The maximum height of any single sign area shall not exceed five feet, and the maximum width shall not exceed 90% of the width of the wall to which the sign is attached.
D.
In addition to the above regulations, all signs permitted in the residential zones are also permitted in the village zones.
E.
One of the permitted signs may be freestanding, with the following restrictions:
(1)
The height shall not be more than 10 feet.
(2)
Setback from the street right-of-way shall be at least five feet and perpendicular thereto.
(3)
The area shall not exceed the limitations as follows:
(a)
V-1 Highway Village: 40 square feet per side;
(b)
V-2 Neighborhood Village: 20 square feet per side;
(c)
V-3 Lakeside Village: 40 square feet per side.
(4)
It must not occupy side yards of principal buildings.
