(a) Prohibited signs. It is unlawful to erect or maintain the following signs:
(1) Flashing, blinking, twinkling, spinning, animated, inflatable, aerial, crane signs or lighted moving signs, including automatic color changing and rotating lamps and other moving objects that call attention to the sign. The use of rotating search lights for advertising is allowed. Permits for the same will be treated the same as the temporary signs in the Uniform Construction Code (UCC);
(2) Advertising cloth or paper banners or signs of any similar character suspended or hung on any property, except for temporary banners which may be permitted through special permission of the township to be determined by the Building Inspector and/or Code Enforcement Officer (CEO). Permits for the same will be treated the same as the temporary sign in the UCC;
(3) Wall bulletins or any other signs painted directly on the facade of a building or other structure;
(4) Curb or sidewalk signs or signs painted, attached or suspended from any outdoor bench, chair or other structure;
(5) Swinging and hanging signs;
(6) Signs, letters, posters and advertisements which are tacked, pasted, tied or otherwise affixed to poles, posts, buildings, fences or other structures located on public property or within public right-of-way in the township;
(7) A. Signs temporarily or permanently placed, erected, attached or painted on any vehicle if such a sign identifies, advertises or gives information with respect to premises or a part thereof, or any sale or special event or other circumstances.
B. A sign is permitted on a vehicle when:
1. Such sign is required by law;
2. Such sign is in transit, for a time not to exceed three days, from one location to another for permanent installation.
3. The sign is permanently painted or affixed to a vehicle and is incidental to the use of a currently licensed vehicle when that use is a means of transportation; or
4. The vehicle, capable of sheltering a use or occupancy, is used as a construction shed or is located as prescribed for buildings in the zoning provision regulating the premises and is used and occupied for a purpose permitted by the zoning regulation. In such a case, the sign shall otherwise comply with this chapter.
(8) Signs placed, inscribed or supported upon the roofline or any structure which extends above the roofline of any building.
(b) Unsafe and unlawful signs. If the Building Inspector shall find that any sign or other advertising structure regulated herein is unsafe or insecure or is a menace to the public or has been constructed or erected or is being maintained in violation of the provisions of this Zoning Code, he or she shall give written notice thereof to the permittee. If the permittee fails to remove or alter the structure so as to comply with the standards set forth herein within ten days after such notice, such sign or other advertising structure may be removed or altered to comply by the Building Inspector at the expense of the permittee or owner of the property upon which it is located. The Building Inspector shall refuse to issue a permit to any permittee or owner who refuses to pay costs so assessed. The Building Inspector may cause any sign or other advertising structure which is an immediate peril to persons or property to be removed summarily and without notice.
(c) General restrictions and standards. The following restrictions shall apply to all permitted signs.
(1) No sign shall be located, arranged or placed in a position where it will cause danger to traffic or will interfere with traffic through glare; blocking of required sight lines for streets, sidewalks or driveways; confusion with a traffic control device by reason of color, location, shape or other characteristics; or through any other means.
(2) All signs constructed or erected under the provisions of this chapter shall comply with the standards set forth in the UCC.
(3) No sign shall be erected within the right-of-way of any public street, nor shall any such sign be closer than five feet to the right-of-way line of a public street, unless specifically authorized by other ordinances and regulations of the township or other governmental bodies or agencies having jurisdiction or regulatory authority in the matter.
(4) No sign shall be designed or lighted in such a manner or placed in such a position or location that it will cause danger to traffic on a street by obstructing or hindering the view.
(5) No sign shall be designed or lighted in such a manner or placed in such a position or location where it will present an unreasonable risk of injury to persons or property.
(6) All external illuminated signs shall be turned off not later than one-half hour after closing of the business or entity which they identify or advertise.
(7) No illuminated sign shall be lighted on days when the business or permitted use is not open for business.
(8) Every sign must be constructed of durable materials and shall be solidly and firmly attached, supported and/or anchored to the supports or framework.
(9) Every sign must be kept in good condition and repair. Any sign which is allowed to become dilapidated shall be removed by and at the expense of the landowner or lessee of the property on which it is located.
(d) Double-faced signs.
(1) A sign may be double-faced providing it has two parallel surfaces that are directly opposite and matching in size and shape and are not over 24 inches apart. Should the two surfaces deviate from being parallel, the sign shall be considered as two signs.
(2) Should the faces of a double-faced sign be parallel, the sign shall be considered as one sign and only one face shall be used to calculate the total size of the sign.
(3) Each face of a double-faced sign shall be equal in size. Should the faces of a double-faced sign differ in size, then the area of both faces shall be used to calculate the size of the sign.
(e) Multi-faced signs. A freestanding sign may be multi-faced beyond two faces provided that:
(1) The combined area of all of the sign faces is no more than 50% greater than the combined area of both faces of a permitted double-faced sign in that district;
(2) No plane or planes of any multi-faced signs shall be open; and
(3) All sign faces shall be of the same dimensions.
(f) Freestanding signs.
(1) The bottom or lowest edge of any freestanding sign shall be no closer to the ground than seven feet. At least five feet of the upper portion of the seven-foot space shall be open and unobstructed. No more than two feet above the ground level can be devoted to and maintained for flowers, ground covers and low spreading shrubs. If such plantings are installed, they shall be maintained at the maximum height of two feet and shall be free of weeds, debris and other undesirable material.
(2) All single post freestanding signs shall be made of metal and be embedded in the ground at least three feet six inches unless otherwise so directed by the CEO.
(3) Freestanding signs will be permitted in residential areas only when set back a minimum distance of ten feet from the front property line.
(g) Ground signs.
(1) The top edge of a ground sign shall be a maximum of six feet above ground level and shall have an area of not more than 45 square feet.
(2) Ground signs shall be supported and permanently placed by embedding, anchoring or connecting the sign in such a manner as to incorporate it into the landscape or architectural design scheme. The base for each such sign shall be uniform for each office park or complex.
(3) Ground signs shall be permitted in Commercial, Planned Business Campus, Limited Industrial Districts, Institutional and Freestanding Business Districts, only.
(h) Projecting signs. Such signs may be erected and maintained provided that:
(1) No such sign shall project more than 12 inches beyond the building line if internally illuminated and not more than four inches if it is not internally illuminated, except that no sign shall project over a public sidewalk area;
(2) All projecting signs shall be rigidly affixed to the building and to all supporting and framing structures, attachments and hardware;
(3) No part of the projecting sign shall be less than eight feet or more than 14 feet above the ground or walkway level; and
(4) No projecting sign shall be permitted within 25 feet of any other projecting sign.
(i) Removal. Each sign shall be removed within ten days of the time when the circumstances leading to its erection no longer apply, or as provided otherwise herein. No person shall maintain or permit to be maintained on any premises owned or controlled by them a sign which has been abandoned. An ABANDONED SIGN, for purposes of this chapter, is a sign erected on and/or related to the use of a property which becomes vacant and unoccupied for a period of three months or more or any sign which was erected for a prior occupant or business or any sign which relates to a time event or purpose which is past. Any such abandoned sign shall be removed by the landowner or person controlling the property within ten days of the abandonment described above.
(j) Application to smoke stacks, water towers and other similar structures and protrusions. All sign provisions of this chapter shall apply to smoke stacks, water towers, silos and other similar structures.
(k) Off-site advertising.
(1) Except as permitted under § 1282.09, no sign advertising a business or commercial organization or the sale of a product or service not located or available on the property upon which the sign is located or associated with the record owner (majority ownership if applicable) of the parcel of land, for which money or other consideration is exchanged between the parties, is permitted for any parcel of land. This includes, but is not limited to messages displayed on a sign that:
A. Promote a political campaign or candidate for elective office;
B. Propose a commercial transaction; and
C. Propose a transaction related primarily to the economic interests of the speaker and its audience; and promote professional services.
(2) Amber alerts and community events open to the general public are excluded from this prohibition.
(3) No more than one off-site advertising sign is permitted for any parcel of land. No off-site sign shall exceed ten square feet. All other regulations contained in this chapter shall apply.
(l) Miscellaneous regulations. A sign that is not expressly permitted in any given zoning district is prohibited by this section.
(Ord. 896, passed 12-21-2011; Ord. 933, passed 3-18-2015; Ord. 947, passed 7-20-2016; Ord. 956, passed 12-21-2016)