Zelienople Butler County
City Zoning Code

Signs of a duly constituted governmental body, including traffic or similar regulatory devices, legal notices or railroad warning signals;

Federal, state, or Borough flags;

Signs bearing the name and address of the occupant on the lot of a residential dwelling unit up to three square feet, excepting that only one such sign is exempted for a building housing multifamily units;

Memorial signs or tablets;

Signs denoting engineer, architect or contractor when placed on a construction site, not exceeding 25 square feet in area;

Small signs displayed for the direction or convenience of the public, including signs which identify landmarks, parking areas, rest rooms, or the like, surface area not exceeding three square feet on any one lot;

Construction signs specified by state or federal government funding agencies that are located at, or in proximity to, construction sites and public works projects, for the purpose of acknowledging loans and/or grant funds in support of said construction or project;

Political signs not exceeding four square feet of sign area per sign for a period of 12 weeks before an election and five days after;

Window signs and display of merchandise;

Signs advertising events held by or on behalf of nonprofit organizations based in the Borough that do not exceed four square feet for a period not to exceed 21 days prior to the commencement of the event advertised and removed within two days after the end of said event;

Any sign as authorized by separate municipal ordinance within public rights-of-way within the Borough.

Wall or freestanding signs advertising the sale, rental or development of property, not to exceed six square feet.

Small announcement or professional wall signs designating professional offices or home occupations provided such signs or announcement does not exceed two square feet in area.

The following shall be authorized for nonresidential establishments in all districts: One temporary sign no greater than 12 square feet in sign area may be displayed for a period not more than 30 days after the opening of an establishment nor 30 days before; one temporary sign, no greater than 30 square feet, advertising an on-site promotional event for an establishment and may be placed at a establishment two times per year, not to exceed 30 days each time except that such may not be used simultaneously with a sandwich board sign as authorized by Chapter 208, Signs; temporary window signs may have a total combined sign area of no more than four square feet; temporary signs shall not include pennants, flags as not otherwise authorized, and any suspended or attached pennant that blows in the wind or a spinner which spins in the wind.

Borough Council may authorize, by resolution, the installation of temporary signs or banners placed on Borough property and rights-of-way for nonprofit organizational events limiting the timing of display to one week and one display per year for each per nonprofit organization. The resolution, where adopted, shall define specific locations where such is authorized.

Two menu boards may be authorized for drive-through facilities for restaurants in the C-3 and C-1 Districts. Menu boards shall not exceed more than 50 cumulative square feet and eight feet in height and shall conform to the same setbacks required for the principal structure.

A residential plan or more than six principal single-family buildings or two or more multifamily buildings shall be authorized one monument sign at each entrance not exceeding 15 square feet in sign area or five feet in height, excepting an additional foot for decorative elements.

Automatic changeable copy signs shall be authorized for all nonresidential principal structures for walls or frontage bordering or facing Main Street as an accessory to and part of the sign area of a freestanding sign, where freestanding signs are otherwise authorized in this part, and shall not exceed 50% of the authorized sign area; and where not authorized, may be placed as a wall sign not to exceed 50% of the area available, as per this part, for use as wall signage. Automatic changeable copy signs shall display only amber colored lettering or numerals on a black background advertising products sold or services provided on site. Additionally, each message shall take no more than one second to complete its display such that no animation or impression of movement is created. Each message display shall begin to change more than once every five seconds.

Wall signs are authorized and shall not exceed 10 square feet in sign area and shall be affixed to the wall comprising the building line.

One freestanding sign is authorized in the front yard and shall not exceed eight square feet in sign area. Freestanding signs shall not exceed four feet in height and shall be set back at least five feet from adjoining rights-of-way.

No sign shall be internally illuminated.

Manual changeable copy signs shall be authorized as an accessory to and part of the signs area of a wall or freestanding sign and shall not exceed 50% of the authorized sign area.

Lots within the I District shall be subject to the above standards except that maximum sign sizes allotted shall be increased to 16 square feet for a freestanding sign and 20 square feet for a wall sign.

Wall signs shall be authorized per building commensurate with the sizes and standards authorized under § 280-902B, Central Business District standards, except that each wall sign may bear a sign area up to 150 square feet.

One freestanding sign shall be authorized at a rate of 1/4 square foot per foot comprising the frontage of the property to be placed within the front yard of the property. The side yard area of a corner lot fronting on a street and comprising the side lot line may bear a secondary sign if an access road or driveway from the property onto said street exists, up to 24 square feet. Freestanding signs shall be placed at least eight feet from the adjoining right-of-way and shall not exceed 12 feet in height and 50 square feet in area.

Manual changeable copy signs shall be authorized as an accessory to and part of the signs area of a wall or freestanding sign and shall not exceed 50% of the authorized sign area.

Automatic changeable copy signs shall be authorized as an accessory to and part of the signs area of a freestanding sign and shall not exceed 50% of the authorized sign area. Automatic changeable copy signs shall display only amber colored lettering or numerals on a black background advertising products sold or services provided on site. Additionally, each message shall take no more than one second to complete its display such that no animation or impression of movement is created. Each message display shall begin to change more than once every five seconds.

While one freestanding sign is authorized per lot or parcel, commercial centers that are planned as an integrated unit with shared parking and access, including outparcels that access a common drive or parking area, shall be considered as one lot for purposes of freestanding sign authorization.

Billboards. Billboards are authorized as a conditional use as follows in the C-3 Heavy Commercial District on otherwise vacant parcels of land.

The creation of a safety hazard.

Vacancy of the subject business structure for more than 90 days.

Legal transfer of ownership of the business that involves change of name or business activity.