Whitemarsh Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXVIII
Signs
§ 116-205 Signs permitted in residential districts.
In all residential districts, the following signs shall be permitted and no others:
A.
Official street and traffic signs, and any signs required by law.
B.
Professional, accessory use, home occupation or name signs on the same lot with and indicating the name, profession or activity of the occupant of the dwelling, provided that the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet, and provided that not more than one such sign shall be erected for each permitted use or dwelling.
C.
Sign for a school, church, hospital, sanatorium, club or other institution of a similar nature, on the same lot therewith, for the purpose of displaying the name of the institution and its activities or services, provided that the area of one side of such sign shall not exceed 15 square feet, and provided that not more than one such sign shall be erected on any one street frontage of any property in single and separate ownership.
D.
Trespassing signs and signs indicating private ownership of roadways or other property, on the same premises therewith, provided that the total area on any one side of such sign shall not exceed one square foot and shall be spaced at intervals of not less than 100 feet of street frontage.
E.
Real estate signs, as follows:
(1)
For advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which the sign is erected, provided that the total area of any side of such sign on any one street frontage of any property in single and separate ownership shall not exceed six square feet.
(2)
For advertising on the premises, the sale or development of homes within a subdivision, the recorded plan of which contains less than 10 lots, provided that the area of any one side of such sign shall not exceed 15 square feet, and provided that not more than one such sign shall be erected within any such subdivision.
(3)
For advertising on the premises the sale or development of homes within a subdivision or the initial sale, contract to occupy, or other like conveyance of independent living units in a continuing-care retirement community, the recorded plan of which contains 10 or more lots or dwelling units, provided that the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed 35 square feet, and provided that not more than two such signs shall be erected within any such subdivision or land development.
[Amended 5-16-2002 by Ord. No. 755]
(4)
Signs as permitted in Subsection E(2) and (3) above shall be permitted only for a period of one year from the date of issuance of a permit, or until the date of sale of the last lot, whichever first occurs; such signs may be maintained thereafter but only upon granting of a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, but in no event shall the Board be permitted to grant a total period longer than two years from the date of the original permit.
F.
Signs in connection with the identification, operation or protection of any public utility or municipal activity, on the same lot therewith, provided that the total sign area on any one street frontage of any property in single and separate ownership shall not exceed eight square feet.
G.
For the sale of agricultural products, grown or produced on the premises, signs on the same lot therewith indicating the name of the owner or occupant and the product sold, provided that the total sign area on any one street frontage of any property in single and separate ownership shall not exceed 16 square feet.
H.
Temporary signs of a contractor, erected and maintained on the premises where the work is being performed, provided that the area of any one such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet and provided that the area for all such signs erected by all contractors at any property in single and separate ownership shall not exceed 36 square feet and provided that such signs shall be removed upon completion of the work.
[Amended 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662]
J.
For an apartment house or continuing-care retirement community development, one sign identifying the name of the development and the name of the owner or manager, not exceeding 16 square feet on face and 32 square feet total area, may be permitted at each regular permanent entrance serving the development.
[Amended 5-16-2002 by Ord. No. 755]
K.
One sign on each separate apartment building, or congregate building within a continuing-care retirement community, identifying the building, provided that the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed eight square feet.
[Amended 5-16-2002 by Ord. No. 755]
§ 116-206 Signs permitted in CR Commercial District.
[Amended 10-28-1982 by Ord. No. 444; 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662; 3-28-2013 by Ord. No. 925]
A.
In CR Commercial Retail Districts, the following signs shall be permitted and no other:
(1)
Any sign permitted in any residential district, provided that the use to which it refers is permitted in a CR Commercial Retail District.
(2)
Any property with uses permitted in the district may erect signs under one of the following provisions:
(a)
One sign may be erected for a property in single and separate ownership where such sign is not connected with the building. The total area of the face of any such sign shall not exceed 25 square feet.
(b)
One or more signs may be attached to or mounted on the building front, provided that the total area of such sign or signs does not exceed 35 square feet plus one additional square foot of sign for each two feet of setback in excess of the minimum required for such districts.
(3)
Any property with uses permitted in the district may erect signs which are contained totally within the building, including advertising and window displays of merchandise sold on the premises; provided, however, that signs and/or merchandise cannot cover more than 50% of the glazed area of each window.
(4)
Any property which has two or more uses permitted in the district shall be permitted an additional directory sign attached to a building listing only the name, address and primary products or services for each firm or business. Each business in single and separate ownership shall be entitled to not more than a three square feet of signage, and the total area of all the directory sign shall not exceed 30 square feet per building.
B.
(Reserved)
C.
Special events. In CR Commercial Retail Districts, each business in single, separate ownership may erect temporary signs upon issuance of a zoning permit by the Zoning Officer for a period not to exceed 14 days, subject to the following:
(1)
Such signs shall not exceed 25 square feet in area.
(2)
Such signs may only be used to advertise events considered to be beyond the day-to-day operation, such as "grand opening," "going-out-of-business," "bankruptcy" and "fire sales."
(3)
Each sponsoring business is limited to no more than two temporary sign permits per calendar year.
§ 116-207 Signs permitted in Limited Industrial and Industrial Districts.
[Amended 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662]
In Limited Industrial and Industrial Districts, the following signs shall be permitted and no others:
A.
Any sign which may be permitted in any residential district, provided that the use advertised by such sign is permitted as a legal use in the Limited Industrial or Industrial District.
B.
In addition, one or more ground, facial or projecting signs for the purpose of identifying the use or occupancy of such property, provided that the total sign area of all such signs does not exceed one square foot of area for each one foot of building frontage along the street on which such said signs are displayed or 200 square feet, whichever is less, and further provided that not more than 50 square feet of the permitted sign may be on signs located within the required minimum front yard.
§ 116-207.1 Signs permitted in Village Commercial District.
[Added 9-25-2008 by Ord. No. 863]
A.
In the Village Commercial District, the following signs shall be permitted and no others:
(1)
Any sign that may be permitted in any residential district, provided that the use advertised by such sign is permitted as a legal use in the Village Commercial District.
(2)
Historic identification signs may be installed to identify and explain the historic significance of particular structures, areas, objects or events in the district. These signs shall be no larger than three square feet and shall not be counted toward signage area limits described elsewhere in this section.
(3)
Permanent building signs. A maximum of two of the following shall be permitted per use for VC-1 and VC-3 permitted and conditional uses; only one of the following shall be permitted for VC-2 permitted and conditional uses:
[Amended 12-22-2011 by Ord. No. 912]
(a)
Projecting signs. No portion of a projecting sign may extend more than four feet from the building facade. A clear space of not less than eight feet shall be provided below all parts of the projecting sign. The sign may be no greater than six square feet.
(b)
Signs painted on shop windows or other types of window graphics are permitted, provided they do not take up more than 30% of the clear window area, but in no event shall they exceed 25 square feet. Total window area is the aggregate area of all windows within a building/space utilized for a specific use.
(c)
Wall signs are permitted, provided:
[1]
They do not exceed 5% of the wall area, but in no event shall they exceed 25 square feet; provided, however, for a parcel with a lot area of five acres or greater, the size of the wall signs shall not exceed 5% of the wall area, but in no event shall they exceed 35 square feet.
[2]
They do not extend past the roof eaves.
[3]
They do not block windows or hide cornices and other trim.
(4)
Fire-resistant canvas awnings may be used for signs, provided the text is located on the vertical face of the awning flap.
(5)
Temporary signs. One temporary and moveable sidewalk sandwich board sign shall be permitted in addition to the above signs, provided:
(a)
The sign face shall be no larger than four square feet per side.
(b)
The sign shall be located directly in front of the store and may only be located along the sidewalk during business hours.
(c)
The sign shall not create an obstruction to pedestrian traffic; the sign must also conform to ADA accessibility standards.
(6)
Freestanding and directory signs.
[Amended 3-28-2013 by Ord. No. 925; 10-25-2018 by Ord. No. 988]
(a)
One freestanding sign shall be permitted on each street on which a property fronts, and said sign shall be a monument sign. The area of a freestanding sign shall be no larger than 25 square feet per side, with a maximum height of 10 feet. The base of a monument sign shall be landscaped, and the sign may be accented with indirect lighting.
(b)
A directory sign shall be permitted in lieu of a freestanding sign. A directory sign shall be a low, pedestrian-oriented, monument sign no higher than 10 feet and with an area no greater than 25 square feet per side. The base of a directory sign shall be landscaped, and the sign may be accented with indirect lighting.
(7)
Signs giving credit to the donor of an amenity installed in a public space in the VC District shall be permitted, provided no such sign shall exceed 36 square inches. Only one such sign shall be permitted for any amenity.
B.
General provisions (for VC-1, VC-2 and VC-3).
[Amended 12-22-2011 by Ord. No. 912]
(2)
Signs shall be designed and constructed to give the appearance of natural materials and be complementary in their use of shape.
(3)
Signs shall not be internally illuminated or use neon lights; provided however, that window graphics as permitted herein may be neon.
(4)
Signs shall not hide architectural features of the associated buildings.
(5)
Signs shall use colors that are vivid, varied and interesting, and be legible, while compatible with the colors of the building.
(6)
The combined square footage of all signs associated with one VC use shall not exceed 25 square feet; provided, however, for parcels with an area of five acres or greater, the combined square footage of all signs associated with one use shall not exceed 35 square feet. That includes the aggregate area of all permanent building signs and all freestanding signs; provided however, that in a multiuse development each use may have twenty-five-square-foot permanent building signs; for parcels with an area of five acres or greater, said limit shall be 35 square feet. In addition, the entire development may have only one freestanding sign or directory sign as defined herein for each street the development fronts on. For parcels with an area of five acres or greater, the regulations for freestanding or directory signs as defined herein shall apply, except that the area for either sign type shall not exceed 35 square feet.
§ 116-208 Signs permitted in any district.
[Amended 9-25-1981 by Ord. No. 421; 8-26-1993 by Ord. No. 647; 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662]
The following signs are permitted in all districts and are exempted from the requirements of this chapter except those specifically provided for herein:
A.
Interior property parking and traffic control signs not exceeding four square feet, where such signs are authorized by the Zoning Officer on the advice of the Police Department. The sign shall not contain the name of the business or describe any products of the business.
B.
Special information signs, including the following: "men," "women," "rest rooms," "hours of operation," "credit cards accepted," "state inspection station," gasoline pump identification and gallonage register. Such signs shall be permitted only where attached to the building or equipment. No letter in excess of four inches of vertical height shall be permitted in such signs. The total area of such signs shall not be included in calculating permitted sign areas.
C.
Temporary signs, banners, flags or advertising matter pertaining to activities or events proposed to take place within Whitemarsh Township sponsored by any nonprofit organization incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and qualified as tax-exempt pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, or of any agency of Whitemarsh Township, where a permit is issued for such signs by the Zoning Officer, provided that:
[Amended 3-28-2013 by Ord. No. 925]
(1)
Temporary banners, signs, flags or advertising matter shall not be erected or posted more than 30 days prior to the occurrence of the activity or event and must be removed within three days after the date of the occurrence of the event.
(2)
Each sponsoring agency shall be limited to no more than four temporary sign permits per calendar year.
(3)
When permitted to be located in the public right-of-way, the applicant agrees in writing to indemnify, defend and hold the Township harmless for any ensuing damages or claims which may occur on the standard form provided by the Township. Further, for signs located in a right-of-way, the applicant must provide written proof of permission by the property owner in front of whose property the sign is located.
(4)
Such signs shall not be placed upon trees or utility poles within any street rights-of-way.
D.
The legal display of the flag of the United States of America, the flag of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the flag of Whitemarsh Township and the flag of any recognized governmental authority shall be exempt from these regulations.
E.
A sign with an area not exceeding one square foot bearing only property number, street address, post box numbers or the names of the occupants in residential districts.
F.
A governmental insignia, public monument, historic identification signs or plaques and municipal identification signs.
G.
A legal notice.
H.
One or more signs applied to a windowpane, giving store hours or the name or names of credit or charge institutions, when the total area of all such signs does not exceed two square feet.
I.
A sign which is a permanent architectural feature of a building or structure, such as a cornerstone or identifying letters carved into or embossed on a building, provided that the letters are not made of a reflective material and do not contrast in color with the building.
J.
An emblem, logo, insignia or badge displayed to signify membership in or affiliation with any trade association, craftsman group, labor union, civic or fraternal group or similar organization, and not to exceed one square foot.
K.
Off-site real estate signs for the purpose of directing and identifying the location of homes for sale can be placed on private property with the owner's permission on the day of an open house. These signs must be removed within one hour after the event.
§ 116-209 General sign regulations for all districts.
[Amended 9-25-1981 by Ord. No. 421; 10-28-1982 by Ord. No. 444]
In all districts, the following general sign regulations shall apply, in addition to those regulations contained in § 116-24:
A.
Obstruction. No sign shall be so located or arranged that it interferes with traffic through glare, through blocking of reasonable sight lines for streets, sidewalks or driveways, through confusion with a traffic control device (by reasons of color, location, shape or other characteristics), or through any other means.
B.
Number of signs. Not more than one sign shall be permitted on any residential lot held in single or separate ownership. Not more than one sign shall be permitted for any one nonresidential use or establishment. If any primary use has walls fronting on two or more streets, one sign may be permitted on each frontage. The area for each sign for each street frontage shall be computed separately.
C.
Yard requirements. Except for residential and professional name signs, residential real estate signs, official street and traffic signs, public service signs and temporary signs, no portion of a sign shall be located closer to any street line than 1/2 the distance required of the front yard. If this requirement cannot be met, then signs shall be attached to or mounted on the building front or signs may be permitted within the ROW if approved by the Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 9-25-2008 by Ord. No. 863]
D.
Zoning information. No sign shall be erected containing information which states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance in the zoning district in which the property to which the sign relates is located.
E.
No sign or portion of any sign shall project more than 24 inches over a public walkway, and the lower edge of such projecting sign shall be not less than 10 feet above the walk level.
F.
No sign shall project above the roofline of a building unless it has been screened so as to be visible only from the street on which the building fronts.
G.
Moving signs. No sign shall be erected upon any property or within any building which contains flashing, revolving, moving, sound-producing or animated parts, with the exception of a sign that displays time and/or temperature exclusively or barber poles.
[Amended 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662]
H.
In lieu of erecting temporary signs under § 116-208C, nonprofit organizations such as schools, churches and governmental entities may erect one additional permanent bulletin-board-type sign along each street frontage for the purposes of announcing organization events. Such signs shall not exceed 20 square feet and shall not be subject to the setback limits of Subsection C above; provided, however, that such signs shall not be located within a right-of-way and must conform to the vision obstruction provisions of § 116-21 of this chapter.
[Added 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662]
§ 116-210 Illumination.
A.
In all residential districts, the following permitted signs may be illuminated and no other:
(1)
Professional sign of a physician, dentist and such other person whose services in emergency are customarily considered essential to the public health, safety and welfare, provided further that the total illumination for any such sign shall not exceed the equivalent of that given by a twenty-five-watt incandescent light source.
(2)
Sign of a school, church, hospital, sanatorium, club or other institution of a similar nature, continuing-care retirement community, laboratory or municipal building, provided that the illumination is white light only, and provided further that the total illumination for any such sign shall not exceed the equivalent of that given by a sixty-watt incandescent light source.
[Amended 5-16-2002 by Ord. No. 755]
(3)
Signs for regulation of traffic or marking of hazards.
B.
In apartment and nonresidential districts, any permitted sign may be illuminated.
C.
Any permitted illumination of signs in any district shall be subject to the following regulations:
(1)
There shall be no illumination of a flashing, intermittent or moving type.
(2)
Floodlighting shall be so shielded that the source of light shall not be visible from any point of the lot on which the sign, building or structure being illuminated is erected, and so that only the sign is directly illuminated.
§ 116-211 Permits.
§ 116-212 Removal of signs.
[Amended 7-21-1994 by Ord. No. 662]
A.
Repair or replacement of signs. Once an existing sign is removed for any reason other than maintenance or repair, including repair as a result of an act of God or an accident, the replacement sign must comply with all the provisions of this chapter. Modernization or changes in graphics, format or copy in the sign exceeding 50% shall require that the sign conform to the provisions of this chapter.
B.
Dangerous or hazardous signs. Any sign or its support shall be immediately removed from a property upon notification from the Zoning Officer that the sign has become dangerous and/or hazardous to public health or safety.
C.
Nonpermitted signs. Any sign which violates the provisions of this chapter and which does not have a valid zoning permit issued by the Zoning Officer shall be made to conform to the provisions of this chapter or removed.
D.
Legally nonconforming signs.
(1)
Any sign which violates the provision of this chapter but which has a valid zoning permit issued by the Zoning Officer shall be deemed legally nonconforming and shall be removed within five years of July 21, 1994, unless its continued use beyond that date is permitted as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board.
(2)
Any legally nonconforming sign that is located on or related to the use of a property which becomes vacant and unoccupied for a continuous period of 12 months or more, or any sign which was erected for an occupancy or business unrelated to the present occupancy or business or any sign which relates to a time, event or purpose which is passed, shall be deemed to have been abandoned. An abandoned sign is prohibited and shall be removed immediately by the owner of the sign or owner of the property.
§ 116-213 Gasoline price signs.
At every gasoline service station one two-faced sign may be erected and maintained at the station upon the following conditions:
B.
Each sign shall be posted not more than 10 feet from the street line.
C.
Each such sign shall be perpendicular to the street line. If such street line is not straight, the angles formed by extending the sign's plane to the street line shall be equal.
D.
The face of each sign shall be 14 inches in height for each grade of gasoline dispensed at the station and 16 inches in width, unless the price indicated is more than $0.99, in which event the width may be increased to a maximum of 18 inches. The signs shall be rectangular.
E.
The numbering and lettering of all signs shall be clear.
(1)
Numbers denoting price to the left of a decimal shall be eight inches in height and four inches in width, except for the number "1" which shall be at least 1/2 inch in width.
(2)
Numbers denoting price to the right of a decimal shall be four inches in height and two inches in width, except for the number "1" which shall be at least 1/4 of an inch in width.
(3)
Only capital letters shall be used, and all letters shall be two inches in height.
(4)
Any number or letter may vary a maximum of 1/2 inch from the aforesaid dimensions.
F.
The bottom edge of each sign shall be not less than one foot nor more than two feet from the ground, and each sign shall be erected in such a manner that the view of the sign shall be unobstructed from the street nearest to the sign.
G.
If any gasoline service station has frontage on more than one street, it may have one complete set of signs, as above described, for each street upon which it has frontage.
§ 116-213.1 Off-site outdoor advertising signs.
[Added 7-13-1995 by Ord. No. 681; amended 1-14-2010 by Ord. No. 889]
Off-site outdoor advertising signs (also known as "billboards") shall be permitted only on those properties zoned CLI-X Campus Limited Industrial – Modified District or Institutional (Overlay) District, and which abut Route I-276 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike), subject to the following regulations:
A.
Sign area. The sign area of an off-site outdoor advertising sign shall be a maximum of 672 square feet.
B.
Height. An off-site outdoor advertising sign shall not exceed 40 feet in height from the elevation of Route I-276 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) closest to the location of the sign's support structure, to the highest point of the sign.
C.
Distance between signs. Each off-site outdoor advertising sign shall be located not less than 1,000 feet from any other off-site outdoor advertising sign on the same side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, not less than 500 feet from any other off-site outdoor advertising sign on the opposite side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and not less than 500 feet from a residential zoning district within the Township.
D.
Commonwealth requirements. All requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and any of its agencies that have jurisdiction over the location and placement of off-site outdoor advertising signs along Route I-276 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) shall be met, and proof thereof shall be submitted to the Township prior to the issuance of a permit for an off-site outdoor advertising sign.
E.
Landscaping. In addition to all other landscaping, buffering and berming requirements under this chapter, an off-site outdoor advertising sign visible from any residential zoning district shall be landscaped in order to shield its visibility from such residential district(s).
F.
Digital display. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, digital off-site outdoor advertising signs shall be permitted subject to compliance with the following operating standards:
(1)
All messages/displays shall remain unchanged for a minimum of five seconds;
(2)
The time interval to change from one complete message/display to the next complete message/display shall be a minimum of one second;
(3)
There shall be no appearance of a visual dissolve or fading, in which any part of one electronic message/display appears simultaneously with any part of a second electronic message/display;
(4)
There shall be no appearance of any flashing or sudden burst of light and no appearance of animation, movement or flow of the message/display;
(5)
Any illumination intensity or contrast of light levels shall remain constant; and
(6)
Any operating standards or regulations adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or other governmental entity with appropriate jurisdiction.