Slippery Rock City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XX
Signs
§ 375-129 Purpose.
The purpose of this article is to permit such signs that will not, by their size, location, construction or manner of display, obstruct the vision necessary for traffic safety or otherwise endanger public health, safety and morals and to permit and regulate signs in such a way to support and complement Slippery Rock Borough's community character and advance the community objectives set forth in the Borough Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, the purposes of the Borough's sign regulations are to:
A.
Encourage the effective use of signs as a means of identification and communication.
B.
Maintain and enhance the Borough's unique community aesthetic and character.
C.
Promote pedestrian and vehicular safety and prohibit the erection of signs in such numbers, sizes and designs and locations that may create a hazard to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
D.
Minimize adverse effects of signs on nearby public and private property.
E.
Promote and protect the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the Borough.
F.
Promote the installation of signs that are complementary to the buildings they serve and consistent with the general character of the surrounding development.
G.
Provide adequate identification for locations within the Borough while minimizing sign clutter and confusion.
H.
Avoid the uncontrolled proliferation of signs.
I.
Promote legibility, reduce the time needed to read signs, and reduce vehicular driver distraction.
J.
Restrict signs that overload the public's capacity to receive information or that increase the probability of traffic congestion and accidents by distracting attention or obstructing vision.
K.
Avoid potential hazards to motorists and pedestrians using the public streets, sidewalks, and rights-of-way.
L.
Control public nuisances created by signs.
§ 375-130 Definitions.
The following definitions shall be used for the purpose of this article and for all articles of this chapter:
A marker, not more than two square feet in size, indicating the address and/or name of a residential property or indicating the address of a commercial property.
A sign painted or incorporated into a roof-like cover, often made of fabric, metal or glass, designed and intended for protection from the weather or as a decorative embellishment, which projects from a wall or roof over a window, walk or door.
An off-premises sign that conveys information regarding an establishment, an activity, a person, a product, or a service that is unrelated to or unavailable on the premises on which the sign is located.
A sign is a name, identification, description, display (including electronic) or illustration which is affixed to, or painted, or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure, or piece of land and which directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, persons, institution, organization, or business. The definition of "sign" does not include the display of any official court or public office notices, nor any official or municipal traffic control or parking sign or device, nor shall it include the flag, emblem or insignia of a nation, state, county, municipality, school, or a religious group. A sign shall not include a name, identification, description, display or illustration that is located completely within an enclosed building.
Any sign or part of a sign or sign face that changes physical position or light intensity by any movement or rotation or that gives the visual impression of such movement or rotation of the sign or sign face.
The entire sign face (one side only), or, where the sign consists of raised letters or symbols, or a sign face of irregular shape, the sign area shall include the area of the smallest rectangle, circle or oval that can encompass the letters, symbols, or irregularly shaped sign face.
Any sign intended to be hung, either with or without frames, of lightweight material such as paper, plastic, or fabric of any kind. National flags, state or municipal flags or the official flag of any institution or business shall not be considered banners.
A sign attached to any part of a building, including a sign projecting from a part of a building.
A sign attached to a roof extension of a building, with or without support, but not walls.
A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters, or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged, mechanically or electronically, without altering the face or the surface of the sign.
A sign, no greater than five square feet in size, that provides on-site directional assistance or instruction to vehicular or pedestrian traffic relative to parking area, entrances and exits. Such sign shall contain no advertising other than the business name or logo and shall provide directional information, such as "No Parking," "Entrance," "Exit," "One Way," "Loading Only," "Telephone," and other similar directives. Directional incidental signs shall be located only in conjunction with site drive entrances and/or internal traffic drive aisles.
A sign that is supported from the ground and not attached to a building. The sign may be attached to a pole, mast, frame or other structure that is not itself an integral part of, or attached to, a building.
Any sign or portion thereof that displays electronic images, graphics, or pictures, with or without textual information, using LEDs (light-emitting diodes), fiber optics, light bulbs, or other illumination devices or combination thereof within the display area and where a static message change sequence is accomplished immediately or by means of fade, repixilation, dissolve or other such modes, devices, processes, products, applications or technologies from a proximate or remote location. Such signs include computer-programmable and microprocessor-controlled electronic displays.
A sign attached to a permanent structure, other than a roof, attached to, supported by, and projecting from a building, and providing protection from natural elements.
A freestanding sign in which a solid structure, the width of which is equal to or greater than the width of the sign face, is used to mount the sign area on, in or as an integral part of such structure.
A sign mounted to Borough-owned streetlights.
A temporary sign directly associated with any national, state, or local government election.
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure or designed to be transported.
Any sign painted on or adhered directly to a wall of a building.
§ 375-131 Permits; inspections; removal.
A.
No sign or sign structure shall be erected, displayed, altered, or relocated, except as provided for herein, until a sign permit has been issued by the Zoning Officer. A separate permit shall be required for each sign requiring a permit.
(1)
Regular, routine, and customary maintenance, including the repainting of an existing sign, where no change in lettering size, no new graphic elements or new content of any kind is contemplated, shall not require a sign permit.
(2)
Repairs to damaged sign faces or sign structures shall not require a sign permit.
(3)
Replacement of a sign face with an identical sign face utilizing identical materials shall not require a sign permit.
B.
Applications for a permit shall be submitted on a form provided by the Borough and a fee paid as set forth by the Borough fee schedule, as amended from time to time.
C.
Provided the application is in order, applicable fees are paid, and the requirements of this article are met, the Zoning Officer shall issue a building permit for the erection of the sign. Such permit shall expire 12 months from the date of issuance. If construction or erection of the sign is not completed within this time frame, the permit shall be deemed null and void.
D.
Inspections by the Zoning Officer shall be made to determine compliance with these regulations and specifications. Any discrepancies shall be identified, in writing, citing the irregularities and the action(s) required to address the requirements. If no action has been taken by the sign owner within 30 days, the sign shall be deemed in violation, and the permit shall be revoked, the sign may be requested to be removed, and legal actions may be undertaken.
E.
The Zoning Officer may remove, or order the removal of, any sign erected or placed in violation of this article, at the expense of the sign owner.
F.
Signs that are found to present an immediate hazard to the public may be ordered removed immediately by the Zoning Officer, without notice, and the cost assessed to the sign owner.
§ 375-132 Exempt signs.
The following types of signs shall not require the issuance of a sign permit:
A.
Address markers.
B.
Signs erected by a public agency or utility providing warning or information to the public, and any signs erected by the Borough or under direction of the Borough.
C.
Signs denoting the availability of property for lease or sale, a maximum of 12 square feet in area and a maximum of one sign per property. Such signs shall be permitted only if the property on which the sign is located, or a building thereon, is for lease or sale. No such sign shall be located within the public right-of-way.
D.
Political signs. Such signs shall be removed within seven days after the political event for which they were intended.
§ 375-133 Temporary signs.
A.
Banner signs may be erected, provided that such signs are permitted to be hung across Main Street using existing light poles owned by the Borough and shall be permitted only by permission of the Borough to utilize the Borough light poles. Such signs shall be installed and maintained in a manner as defined by the Borough and permitted for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days. No banner sign shall be installed without the review and approval of a banner sign permit and without payment of the required fee pursuant to the Borough fee resolution.
B.
Pennant signs may be erected, provided that such signs are permitted to be installed on Borough-owned light poles along Main Street only as approved by the Borough. Such signs shall be installed and maintained by the sign permit applicant in a manner as defined by the Borough.
C.
Temporary event signs and banners announcing a nonprofit event of a civic organization for noncommercial purposes may be erected, provided that there is only one sign per property and the sign shall not exceed 32 square feet in area, and the sign shall be erected for a period not to exceed 30 days prior to the start of the event and removed within three days after the conclusion of the event.
D.
Signs announcing special events, including but not limited to auctions, grand openings, new management, going-out-of-business and similar special, limited-time events of a defined duration, may be erected, provided that such signs shall be displayed for a maximum of 14 consecutive days per special event and there shall be only one sign per occupied tenant space. The sign permit application for such signs shall define the special event duration and dates.
E.
The following temporary signs may be erected without a sign permit:
(1)
Portable sign (excluding changeable letter signs), including A-frame, sandwich board or tent signs, provided that:
(a)
The sign has a maximum of two sign faces.
(b)
Such signs are permitted only on property within the Main Street Corridor Overlay District.
(c)
The sign shall be located within the sidewalk frontage of a nonresidential or mixed-use building, provided that only one temporary sign is permitted per building and the sign shall be placed on the sidewalk immediately in front of the building with which the sign content is associated.
(d)
The sign face size shall be a maximum of five square feet per sign face of the sign.
(e)
Such signs shall be removed at the end of the business day and during non-business-operating hours.
(f)
Such signs shall not obstruct pedestrian traffic.
(2)
Signs announcing new building or construction projects and identification of the contractors associated with the projects, provided the sign is erected after the beginning of the construction activity and removed upon completion of the construction project or issuance of an occupancy permit, if required.
§ 375-134 General regulations.
A.
Prohibited signs.
(1)
Animated signs are not permitted.
(2)
Signs illuminated by a flashing, pulsating or intermittent internal or external light source are not permitted. Internal illumination that changes intensity with a frequency of less than 15 seconds shall be considered flashing.
(3)
Signs that create glare on adjacent properties or any adjacent street are not permitted.
B.
Setbacks and location.
(1)
Signs shall be placed no closer than 10 feet to any property line or any right-of-way line, measured horizontally from the sign edge, except in the Main Street Corridor Overlay District, and shall not project within an existing street right-of-way.
(2)
Monument signs shall be placed no closer than five feet to the closest property line and 18 inches from an abutting street right-of-way line.
(3)
No sign shall be erected in such a manner or location that would obstruct vision, ingress and/or egress or interfere with safe traffic flow.
(4)
No sign shall be located so as to block doors, operable windows or fire escapes, or access to them, nor shall a sign be attached to a fire escape.
(5)
Such sign shall extend vertically past the roofline of the building upon which the sign is located.
(6)
No sign shall project over a street, alley, or driveway, nor be closer than two feet from the closest perpendicular edge of the curb or paved edge of any such vehicular way.
C.
Lighting.
(2)
Signs in residential zoning districts shall be illuminated externally from concealed light fixtures, and the illumination shall be directed to the sign face only to minimize light spillover beyond the edges of the sign face.
(3)
Signs in commercial and mixed-use zoning districts may be illuminated internally, provided that only the sign face is illuminated (not the top, bottom, or side edges) and only the name and official logo of the business or entity are illuminated on said face of the sign, except that automobile service station signs may be fully internally illuminated. Lighting on externally illuminated signs in commercial and mixed-use zoning districts shall be directed to the sign face to minimize light spillover beyond the edges of the sign face.
[Amended 11-12-2019 by Ord. No. 711]
(4)
No sign lighting shall be installed in a manner or of such a brightness as to create excessive glare on adjacent property or uses such that such lighting inhibits the use and enjoyment of the adjacent property or uses.
(5)
Flashing signs and signs with flashing lights are not permitted.
§ 375-135 Residential district signs.
The following signs are permitted in residential zoning districts:
A.
Building signs for identification of home occupations or no-impact home-based businesses shall be permitted, provided that such sign is a maximum of five square feet and shall not be illuminated.
B.
Monument signs identifying a residential development or neighborhood, provided that the maximum sign area shall be 18 square feet per sign face and the sign shall not exceed four feet in height.
C.
Signs displaying name, activities and/or functions for public institutions (churches, public schools, accredited private schools, and publicly owned or operated buildings), provided that:
(1)
One monument sign is permitted on a property.
(a)
The maximum sign area shall not exceed 30 square feet per sign face, and there shall be a maximum of two sign faces.
(b)
Changeable copy/lettering and LED signs are permitted, provided that they do not comprise more than 50% of the total sign area. Except as to permitted location, all other requirements of this chapter for LED signs shall be met.
(c)
The maximum height shall be four feet.
(d)
No monument sign shall be located in such a manner as to obstruct traffic sight visibility.
(2)
One building sign is permitted per building.
(3)
The maximum sign area shall be 15 square feet, and the sign shall meet all other building sign requirements of this chapter.
§ 375-136 Nonresidential and mixed-use zoning districts.
A.
In nonresidential and mixed-use zoning districts, all of the following signs are permitted:
[Amended 11-12-2019 by Ord. No. 711]
(1)
One freestanding sign for each building in the Main Street Corridor Overlay District and two freestanding signs for each building in all other nonresidential and mixed-use zoning districts.
(2)
Building, awning, canopy, wall or marquee signs for each building, as follows:
(3)
One additional building, awning, canopy, wall or marquee sign for each building tenant, for which a Borough occupancy permit is issued or otherwise required.
(4)
The total square footage of all building, awning, canopy, wall or marquee signs on a property shall not exceed 120 square feet.
(5)
Directional signs, a maximum of five square feet in size per sign face, up to a maximum of four signs on a property.
B.
All signs shall meet the following requirements, unless otherwise specified:
(1)
A sign shall have a maximum of two sign faces.
(2)
Freestanding signs.
(a)
Each sign face of a freestanding sign shall have a maximum of 40 square feet of sign area.
(b)
The maximum height of any freestanding sign shall be 10 feet.
(c)
Where two or more buildings are located on the same lot or under common ownership, the maximum freestanding sign area shall be 50 square feet of sign area per sign face, provided that a total of only one freestanding sign is permitted for all buildings under common ownership.
(d)
All freestanding signs on parcels within the Main Street Corridor Overlay Zoning District shall be monument signs.
(3)
All freestanding monument signs shall meet the following requirements:
(a)
The maximum square feet of sign area per sign face shall be 40 square feet.
(b)
No monument sign shall have more than two sign faces.
(c)
The maximum sign height, measured from ground level to the top of the sign, including sign face and structure, shall be six feet.
(d)
The sign face of a monument sign shall not be elevated from the ground level more than two feet measured to the bottom of the sign face, except where the sign sits on a foundation, the width of which shall be equal to or greater than the width of the sign face width, constructed of solid materials such as stone, masonry, brick, or other like materials, and the bottom of the sign face shall rest on the foundation.
(e)
No monument sign shall be located in such a manner as to obstruct traffic sight visibility.
(4)
Any building, wall, canopy, awning, or marquee sign shall meet the following criteria:
[Amended 11-12-2019 by Ord. No. 711]
(a)
The sign shall not project above the wall, roofline, or surface to which it is mounted, nor obstruct building windows.
(b)
The sign shall not encroach upon any road right-of-way, nor shall it in any way interfere with normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
(c)
No sign shall not extend below a point measured from grade to a height of nine feet. In all instances, signs must comply with the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Accessibility Guidelines on protruding objects and headroom.
(d)
The sign shall not project more than five feet from the building facade to which it is attached.
(5)
LED signs are permitted in nonresidential and mixed-use zoning districts, except that they are not permitted within the Main Street Corridor Overlay Zoning District.
(a)
All LED sign images, messages, and graphics displayed on the sign face must be static. Animation and video displays are prohibited.
(b)
The transition from one static display on the LED sign face to another must be instantaneous without any special effects, including but not limited to flashing, spinning, revolving transition methods, scrolling from left to right or top to bottom, slot machine, splice, mesh, radar, kaleidoscope, spin, or any other animated transition.
§ 375-137 Billboards.
A.
Billboards are permitted only on property that meets one of the following criteria:
B.
Billboards shall be set back a minimum of 250 feet from an existing residential structure, such that no part of the billboard or support structure is within 250 feet of an existing residential structure.
C.
Billboards shall be set back a minimum of 500 feet from any existing billboard or the location of a billboard for which a sign permit is approved or pending.
D.
All billboards shall be maintained in good repair, even when there is no occupied sign area within or on the billboard structure.
E.
The sign area of all billboards shall be a maximum of 300 square feet.
F.
The maximum height of the structure and sign face of any billboard shall be 15 feet.
G.
The illumination of any billboard shall be from exterior light fixtures; internal illumination of the sign area or any portion of the billboard, including LED technology, is not permitted. The billboard lighting shall be directed only to the sign face of the billboard and shall be provided by sharp cutoff, shielded light fixtures to minimize illumination spillover beyond the sign face.
H.
All billboards shall be considered abandoned after a period of 12 months during which there is no occupied sign area within or on the billboard structure, excluding announcement that the billboard is available for rental. Abandoned billboards are prohibited.
§ 375-138 Nonconforming signs.
Any physical change or alteration to the structure of an existing, nonconforming sign, excluding regular maintenance and in-kind replacement of the sign face, requires compliance with the requirements of this chapter.