(a) Purpose.
(1) It is the intent of this section to recite the purposes of permitting billboards as conditional uses in the LI District subject to the area and bulk regulations, conditional use standards and criteria for approval of billboards as set forth herein.
(2) The purposes are:
A. To support the First Amendment rights of advertisers to promote legal products and services while retaining the sense of community and protecting the character of the township;
B. To ensure billboards are provided for in the township and located safely and appropriately where they can be viewed by the traveling public with the least distraction and degradation in driving performance;
C. To place reasonable limits on the size and total number of billboards within the township; and
D. To promote quality, appearance and safety of billboards through the use of the latest digital technology.
(b) Location.
(1) Billboards are permitted in the Limited Industrial (LI) District only, as a conditional use.
(2) The said billboard shall be the principal use of the parcel on which it is located and be subject to the area and bulk regulations set forth herein in subsection (c) below.
(c) Area and bulk regulations.
(1) The minimum lot size for a billboard shall be 20,000 square feet.
(2) Only one billboard shall be permitted on any one lot. The lot shall be free from all other buildings, structures and improvements, except those required for the operation, maintenance and security of the billboard.
(3) A billboard structure shall have a maximum height above the curb or a roadway, from which it is intended to be of 35 feet; provided, however, that the height of a billboard structure oriented to a depressed roadway shall be measured from the grade at the base of the billboard.
(4) The minimum lot width at both the street line and the front yard setback line shall be 100 feet.
(5) The minimum setback from the street line shall be 35 feet, and the minimum setback from all other property lines shall be 25 feet.
(6) Billboards shall have no more than two display faces, neither of which may exceed 150 square feet. The display faces shall be back to back and shall not be more than four feet apart. The sign area for billboards shall be calculated including all trim and border area but shall exclude the main supporting structure, base, and apron.
(7) No billboard shall be located closer than 1,000 feet to any other billboard, measured in all directions.
(8) No billboard may be located closer than 100 feet from the boundary line of any residential district. The required distance shall be measured from a point perpendicular to the centermost point of the billboard structure along the front line parallel to the centerline of the roadway to which the sign is erected.
(9) Billboards are not permitted on sewer rights-of-way, including water, electric, gas or petroleum pipelines, and floodplain areas or within 500 feet of a bridge crossing.
(10) Billboards may not be mounted on a roof.
(d) Standards and criteria. In addition to standards and criteria for approval of conditional uses set forth in Chapter 1290, the following standards and criteria shall apply to billboard conditional use.
(1) No billboard may be constructed within the clear sight triangle of the public street or road on which it is situated and shall not in any manner impede traffic safely including ingress or egress.
(2) No billboard may be erected in such a manner as to block the view from the road, street of any existing business sign, logo sign, residential or nonresidential structure or limit, or reduce the lighting and ventilation requirements under the township Building Code.
(3) No billboard shall be located within the safe clear sight distance or safe stopping distance of a signalized intersection, which distance shall be determined in accordance with applicable State Department of Transportation standards.
(4) All billboards shall be stationary and utilize digital technology to produce static images which may be changeable. Billboards shall not flash, twinkle, feature motion pictures, moving images, moving lights or have mechanical or animated movement.
(5) Only one advertisement, display or message may appear on a billboard face at any one time. When a billboard has two sides, each of the two sides of a billboard may contain a separate advertisement.
(6) Changes from one advertisement, display or message to another may occur no more frequently than three times per side in any 24-hour period and no more than one time per six-hour period, with transitions that do not have the effect of moving text images or lights.
(7) Each face of a billboard shall be demonstrated to be oriented toward the road upon which the billboard fronts or faces to cause the least visual impact upon neighboring properties.
(8) The billboard shall not be used to advertise, display, or otherwise direct attention to a product activity, message or business within the LI District where in the billboard is located, except where the advertisement, display, attention or message is not for the local product, activity, message or business but is part of an off-site regional or national campaign or program.
(9) All billboards shall be internally lit. No exterior lighting shall be permitted, except in connection with safety or maintenance and as approved by the township. Illumination of billboard signs shall, at a minimum, follow the standards and requirements of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and shall be subject to review and approval by the township.
(10) All billboards shall have an automatic light output adjustment to minimize light output or brightness to necessary levels for surrounding ambient light conditions. Light intensity shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles above ambient lighting, as measured by a foot-candle meter.
(11) Where billboards are visible from a residential district, use of the billboard shall be extinguished automatically by a form of programmable controller, with eastern standard time and day light savings time control and spring or battery outage reset, from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. on the following day.
(12) Billboards shall be freestanding and self-supporting. No part or portion of a billboard shall be attached or connected to any other building or structure. All utilities serving the billboard shall be located below the ground.
(13) A billboard structure shall have a maximum of one vertical support without bracing, which shall have a minimum diameter of 48 inches with one-half inch wall or width.
(14) A billboard sign face shall be independently supported and have vertical supports of metal which are galvanized or otherwise treated to prevent rust or corrosion.
(15) Billboards must comply with all applicable federal and state regulations concerning permissible wind pressure and construction.
(16) The entire base of the billboard structure shall be permanently landscaped with suitable shrubbery and/or bushes of minimum height of three feet placed in such a manner as to screen the foundation of the structure. A landscaping plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the Code Enforcement Officer. Said landscaping shall be maintained by the sign owner in an attractive and healthy manner. Landscaping shall form a base and backdrop to the billboard sign when practical.
(17) Billboards shall be properly and adequately secured to prevent unauthorized access.
(18) There shall be no objects or other structures attached to a billboard or its support structure except as may be necessary for the proper and safe operation and maintenance of the billboard.
(19) The provisions of the township’s subdivision and land development ordinance, as amended, shall apply.
(20) A bond or other security acceptable to the township in form and amount satisfactory to the township shall be posted with the township to ensure that the billboard will be properly removed upon termination of use for a period of one year.
(21) Billboards shall require a building permit and related permits and shall be constructed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Township Building Code and Uniform Construction Code.
(22) To the extent of any conflict between the provisions of this section and any other section of the Zoning Code, the provisions of this section shall be controlling as to billboards.
(e) General billboard regulations.
(1) The billboard structure shall be entirely repainted every three years.
(2) Every five years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural inspection made of the billboard by a qualified state registered engineer or architect and shall provide to the township a certificate from the engineer or architect certifying that the billboard is structurally sound.
(3) Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the Township Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance, and billboards found to be in violation of this section shall be brought into compliance within 30 days of notice or ordered to remove upon proper notification by the township. The cost of such inspection shall be borne by the billboard owner.
(Ord. 896, passed 12-21-2011)