Wanaque City Zoning Code

"Sign" shall mean any rigid or semirigid material, with or without advertisement displayed thereon, situated upon or attached to real property outdoors, primarily or principally for the purpose of furnishing a background or base or support upon which an advertisement may be posted or displayed. Such sign may be in the form of writing, printing, a picture, painting, an emblem, drawing or similar device intended to invite or to draw the attention of the public to any goods, merchandise, property, business, services, entertainment or amusement.

Area measurement. The area of any sign shall be computed as a product of the largest horizontal width and the largest vertical height of the lettering, illustration, display or background. This shall not be construed to include the supporting members of any sign. If the letters, illustration, display or background are attached directly to the face of the building, the height or width of the sign shall be the height or width of the largest letter, illustration, display or background, whichever is the greater. For signs with two display faces, the maximum area requirement shall be permitted on each side.

General prohibitions. The following types and uses of signs are prohibited in all districts:

Height.

Maintenance. All signs shall be maintained in good repair. Lack of proper maintenance shall be considered abandonment and such signs shall be removed upon notification by the Building Inspector.

Structurally unsafe. Whenever a sign becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of the building or the public, the Building Inspector shall order such sign to be made safe or to be removed. Such order shall be complied with within 10 days of the receipt thereof by the person, firm or corporation owning or using the sign or the owner of the building or premises on which such unsafe sign is affixed or erected. The Building Inspector may cause any sign which is an immediate peril to persons or property to be removed summarily and without notice.

Directional signs (on site). Directional signs shall give vehicular and pedestrian movement instructions on site. No off-site directional or advertising signs shall be permitted. Direction signs, e.g., entrance-exit, one-way, etc., shall not exceed two square feet in area and are exempt from total sign area limits. Such signs must be at least two feet from front property lines and at least five feet from side property lines.

Ground signs. Any sign supported by one or two uprights or braces upon the ground and not attached to any building shall be considered a ground sign. 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.

Illuminated signs. All illuminated signs shall be indirectly lighted above or below. No sign shall be lighted by means of flashing or intermittent illumination except for the intermittent illumination necessary to show time and temperature changes on signs intended for the purpose. All light used for the illumination of any use or building or the area surrounding them or for the illumination or display of merchandise or products of business establishments shall be completely shielded in such a manner that it is not visible from the street or adjoining property. 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 light above the height of the highest elevation of the illumination wall of the building.

Pole signs. Any freestanding sign which is not attached to any building or structure and is erected on one or more poles or pylons shall be considered a pole sign. Pole signs shall advertise only the permitted use, products or services conducted on the premises and shall be only internally illuminated.

Temporary signs. All temporary signs erected for a special event, such as an election or sale, shall be removed by the property owner when the event shall have taken place. No permit is required for such temporary signs, provided that they do not exceed 32 square feet in the commercial and industrial zones and nine square feet in residential zones. No temporary sign other than election signs shall remain in place for more than four weeks. Election signs may be posted or erected for periods not exceeding 45 days and must be removed 14 days after elections. However, each candidate must post bond for removal of all signs following election. This provision shall not include signs for the sale or rental of real property.

Wall signs. Any signs placed against the exterior wall of any building or other structure so that the display surface is parallel with the plane of the wall shall be deemed to be wall signs. They shall advertise only the permitted use, products or services on the premises on which they are displayed.

Window signs. All signs painted or pasted permanently on windows, shall comply fully with area requirements.

Nameplate and professional signs. A professional sign or nameplate sign, indicating the name and/or address of the occupant, shall not be larger than six inches by 18 inches and shall not be illuminated. A permitted home occupation may be included with the name of the occupant and occupation. Only one sign per dwelling unit is permitted.

Sales or rental signs.

Institutional signs. Schools, colleges, churches or other institutions of a similar public or semipublic nature may erect and maintain ground signs and billboard-type signs, provided that:

Setback. None of the signs permitted in the residential zones shall be erected within 10 feet of any property line, provided that a nameplate sign not more than one square foot in area as regulated above may be placed anywhere in the front yard.

Trespassing signs. Customary warning, no-hunting or no-trespassing signs may be erected, provided that such signs do not exceed an area of one square foot.

Wall sign subject to the following conditions:

Awning sign subject to the following conditions:

Window sign subject to the following conditions:

Pole sign subject to the following conditions:

Ground sign subject to the following conditions:

Gas station or automotive service station signs. Gas stations or automotive service stations may display, in addition, the following signs, which are deemed customary and necessary to their respective business:

Temporary help wanted signs for all business districts.

Wall sign subject to the following conditions:

Window sign subject to the following conditions:

In the Redevelopment 1 (RD-1) District only the following pole/pylon shall be permitted, subject to the following conditions:

In the Redevelopment 2 (RD-2) District only the following pole sign is permitted, subject to the following conditions:

Ground sign subject to the following conditions:

Wall signs. Signs attached to a building are permitted as regulated in Subsection C(1).

Ground signs. One ground sign is permitted, provided that:

No billboards shall be allowed or permitted within the Borough of Wanaque except as hereinafter provided.

No billboards shall be erected in any zone in the Borough of Wanaque except the Regional Commercial Zone.

No billboards shall exceed 25 feet in height, nor shall any such billboard be less than 10 feet from ground level.

No sign shall be erected and no sign or display allowed which employs the use of flashing or blinking lights, colored lights, projections, noise-producing effects, smoke-producing effects, or be of such a nature as to cause obstructions to traffic, impair traffic sight lines, and pedestrian sight lines, or be a hazard to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

No billboard shall be erected within 1,000 feet of the intersection of Ringwood Avenue and Union Avenue in the Borough of Wanaque.

No billboard shall be erected within 1,000 feet of any hospital, nursing home facility, church, school, municipal or governmental building or structure used for public purposes, fire house, ambulance or rescue squad, parks or recreation areas, lake or recreational facilities. Any signs that are illuminated shall be so illuminated so as to not allow light to migrate beyond a reasonable distance from the sign, and not be of such a nature so as to affect any other property owners or structures located thereon, or adversely affect traffic or pedestrian travel.

Approval for the erection of such signs shall be made by application to the Borough of Wanaque Planning Board. The applicant shall provide a survey of the property upon which the sign sought to be erected is contained, together with all structures within a radius of 1,000 feet. It shall further provide a key map setting forth the area in which the sign shall be located. Permission of the property owner must be appended to any application for the erection of such billboard. In considering applications for the erection of signs, the Borough of Wanaque Planning Board shall be guided by § 114-17 of the Code of the Borough of Wanaque, together with the Municipal Land Use Law, and concerns for the safety and well-being of the residents of the Borough of Wanaque, as well as other appropriate zoning and planning laws and concepts. Each applicant shall set forth his name and address, and shall identify all persons who have an interest of 10% or greater in the organization or company seeking to erect such billboard. All applications shall be accompanied by a sketch and elevation depicting the sign in detail and a site plan showing its proposed installation on the property to be utilized. The fee for such application shall be in the sum of $250 payable to the Borough of Wanaque.

No political sign shall be displayed within the Borough of Wanaque unless in compliance herewith.

Any person, political party, or organization wishing to erect or display political signs must make application therefor with the Wanaque Borough Clerk and provide the following:

No person, political party, or organization shall erect more than five four-foot by eight-foot signs per candidate, party or platform issue. No signs of greater dimension than these shall be permitted. This shall not prohibit, however, such signs as may be displayed on an existing or previously approved billboard.

All other political signs shall be allowed.

No political signs shall be displayed on private property without the consent of the owner or lessor thereof.

No political signs shall be displayed on any property owned or leased by the Borough of Wanaque or by any other governmental agency.

No sign shall be erected or displayed in such a manner so as to obscure traffic sight lines or so as to impede or impair vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

No sign shall be erected with flashing illumination or be illuminated in any manner so as to create a nuisance, shine on neighboring residences or structures, or create a driving or pedestrian hazard.

All signs provided for hereunder shall be removed within 14 days after the election for which they were posted. In the event that such signs are not so removed by the person, political party, or organization making application therefor, the deposit of $200 shall be forfeited to the Borough of Wanaque to defray the expenses of such removal by municipal employees.

No person, political party or organization shall, without authorization, tamper with, destroy, deface, remove or knock down any political signs erected hereunder.

Any person, political party or organization violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500 and/or by imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days and/or by a term of community service not to exceed 90 days.

Signs erected in the Borough of Wanaque shall be maintained by the owner or operator of such establishments and/or the owner or lessor of the property so that such signs shall remain in good repair, substantially as when originally erected.

The Building Inspector or his duly authorized representative is authorized and empowered to notify the owner or operator of a business establishment and/or the property owner or lessee when a sign, because of wear and tear over a period of time, lack of maintenance or otherwise, has fallen into such state of disrepair that it constitutes a safety hazard or an eyesore. Notice shall be by certified mail to said owner, operator, property owner, or lessee, at the last known address. Repairs shall be made within 10 days after date of such notice. Where a sign is not capable of repair or it has been detached from its original mounting, or abandoned, the Building Inspector or his duly authorized representative shall notify the owner, operator, or lessor of the business establishment or property owner or lessor and direct removal of such sign. Notice shall be by certified mail to the owner, operator, property owner or lessor at the last known address. Said sign shall be removed within 10 days after the date of such notice.

Violations or penalties. The owner or operator of a business establishment, or a property owner or lessee, who fails to repair or remove a sign within the dine prescribed by notice given pursuant to this section shall be liable to a fine, upon conviction, not exceeding the sum of $500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days, or both. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.

Front yards. No fence shall be erected to a height greater than four feet. Fences located in front yards shall not be more than 50% solid. Corner lots shall be considered as having two front yards. For the purpose of installing fences, only the owner of a corner lot shall have the privilege of specifying which street line shall be deemed the front yard, and a fence up to six feet in height shall be permitted along the second street property line along the side and/or rear yard.

Side or rear yards. No fence shall be erected to a height greater than six feet.

All fence facing shall have the front (finished) surface or finished side exposed to the street or property line.

All fences shall be erected on the owner's side of the property line.

Fence posts may exceed the maximum permitted fence height by up to one foot.

Fence height shall be measured from normal grade. Normal grade shall be construed to be the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, excavating or curbing which alters the grade at the base of the fence from the grade in the general vicinity of the fence.

For fences located at the top of retaining walls, fence height shall be measured from the top of the wall.

For fences located on sloping grade, all fences shall follow the grade elevations and are not permitted to staircase or have a stepping effect.

Shed permits. Wanaque Borough shed permits are required. The fee for sheds not in excess of 100 square feet and not in excess of 10 feet in height shall be $50.