For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ANIMATED SIGN. Any sign that uses movement or intermittent flashes of light or change of lighting to depict action or create a special effect or scene.
BANNER. Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire, or string, usually in series.
BEACON. Any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere or directed at one or more points not on the same lot as the light source; also, any light with one or more beams that rotate or move.
BOROUGH. The Borough of Bedford, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
BOROUGH COUNCIL. The Council of the Borough of Bedford; the Sign Committee of the Borough Council; the Borough Manager; the Zoning Officer; or any other committee of the Borough Council or any other agent of the Borough Council authorized by the Borough Council to act on its behalf with regard to the rights or duties set forth in this subchapter.
BUILDING MARKER. Any sign indicating the name of a building and date and incidental information about its construction, which sign is cut into a wood or masonry surface or made of bronze or other permanent material.
BUILDING SIGN. Any sign attached to any part of a building, as contrasted to a freestanding sign.
CANOPY SIGN. Any sign that is a part of or attached to an awning, canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area. A marquee is not a CANOPY.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN. A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters, or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged without altering the face or the surface of the sign. A sign on which the message changes more than eight times per day shall be considered an animated sign and not a CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN for purposes of this subchapter. A sign on which the only copy that changes is an electronic or mechanical indications of time or temperature shall be considered a “time and temperature” portion of a sign and not CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN for purposes of this subchapter.
COMMERCIAL MESSAGE. Any message or symbol intended to advertise goods, wares, or services, and the like.
DOOR OPENING. Any opening in the exterior wall of a building that enables physical access, by humans, animals, or objects, to the interior of the building. A DOOR OPENING may or may not also allow outside light to enter the interior part of a building.
FLAG. Any fabric or similar material or bunting containing distinctive colors, patterns, or characters used as a symbol of a government, a political subdivision, or other governmental entity. A permit is not required for a FLAG.
FREESTANDING SIGN. Any sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on, or anchored in, the ground and that are independent from any building or other structure.
HOME OCCUPATION. A business of commercial activity administered or conducted as an accessory use which is clearly secondary to the use as a residential property. The business or commercial activity must satisfy the following requirements:
(1) Is clearly incidental, accessory, and subordinate to the property’s residential use;
(2) The business activity shall be compatible with the residential use of the property and surrounding residential uses;
(3) The business shall employ no employees other than family members residing in the dwelling thereon;
(4) There shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling or inventory of a substantial nature;
(5) There shall be no outside appearance of a business use, including, but not limited to, parking;
(6) Creates no greater traffic volumes or parking demands than would normally be expected in its neighborhood in the borough;
(7) The business activity may not use any equipment or process which creates noise, vibrations, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical or electronic interference, including interference with radio or television reception, which is detectable in the neighborhood;
(8) The business activity may not generate any solid waste or sewage discharge, in volume or type, which is not normally associated with residential use in the neighborhood;
(9) Is not a nursery school, dancing school, exercise or health center, day care center, funeral homes, mortuary, eating or drinking establishment, animal kennel, animal hospital, veterinarian office, boarding house, medical or dental clinic, transportation vehicle repair or rental facility, theater, or other commercial recreation facility; and
(10) The business may not involve any illegal activity.
INCIDENTAL SIGN. A sign, generally informational, that has a purpose secondary to the use of the lot on which it is located, such as “no parking,” “entrance,” “loading zone,” “telephone,” and other similar directives. No sign with a commercial message legible from a position off the lot on which the sign is located shall be considered INCIDENTAL.
MARQUEE. Any permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a building or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of the building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather.
MARQUEE SIGN. Any sign attached to, in any manner, or made a part of a marquee.
NONCONFORMING SIGN. Any sign that does not conform to the requirements of this subchapter.
PENNANT. Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, or flag of any institution or business, which is fastened to a pole that is attached to a building. Government, political subdivision, or other governmental entity flags shall not be considered PENNANTS and shall not require permitting.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels; signs converted to A or T-frames; menu and sandwich board signs; and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING. The building in which is conducted the principal use of the lot on which it is located. Storage buildings, garages, and other clearly accessory uses shall not be considered PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS.
PROJECTING SIGN. Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of such building or wall.
ROOF SIGN. Any sign erected and constructed as an integral or essentially integral part of a normal roof structure of any design, such that no part of the sign extends vertically above the highest portion of the roof and such that no part of the sign is separated from the rest of the roof by a space of more than six inches.
SETBACK. The distance from the property line to the nearest part of the applicable building, structure, or sign, measured perpendicularly to the property line.
SUSPENDED SIGN. A sign that is suspended from the underside of a horizontal plane surface and is supported by such surface; also referred to as SHINGLE-TYPE SIGN.
TEMPORARY SIGN. Any sign that is used only temporarily and is not permanently mounted.
WALL SIGN. Any sign attached parallel to, but within six inches of, a wall, painted on the wall surface of, or erected and confined within the limits of an outside wall of any building or structure, which is supported by such wall or building, and which displays only one sign surface.
WINDOW OPENING. Any opening in the exterior wall of a building or a door that allows outside light to enter the interior part of a building or any exterior wall of a building made of a transparent material.
WINDOW SIGN. Any sign, pictures, symbol, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale, or service, that is placed inside a window or upon the window panes, or glass, and is visible from the exterior of the window.
(Ord. 04-2004, passed 12-6-2004; Ord. 2014-01, passed 10-6-2014)