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Reading, PA Code of Ordinances
READING, PA CODE OF ORDINANCES
PREFACE
Chapter C HOME RULE CHARTER
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 5 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 14 AUTHORITIES
Chapter 23 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Chapter 36 FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Chapter 51 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Chapter 62 PENSIONS
Chapter 70 PERSONNEL
Chapter 77 POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 91 SALARIES AND COMPENSATION
Chapter 120 ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 127 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Chapter 141 ANIMALS
Chapter 166 CABLE TELEVISION
Chapter 173 COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY CODE
Chapter 180 CONSTRUCTION CODES
Chapter 185 CONVERSION THERAPY
Chapter 188 CURFEW
Chapter 201 ELECTRIC SERVICE
Chapter 212 FEES
Chapter 219 FIREARMS
Chapter 225 FIREWORKS
Chapter 231 FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS
Chapter 237 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
Chapter 251 FOOD CODE
Chapter 272 GRAFFITI
Chapter 288 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 295 HISTORICAL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
Chapter 302 HOUSE NUMBERING
Chapter 308 HOUSING
Chapter 317 INVASIVE PLANTS AND NOXIOUS WEEDS
Chapter 325 LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chapter 328 LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
Chapter 332 LIBRARY
Chapter 339 LICENSES AND PERMITS
Chapter 346 LITTER AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Chapter 353 LOITERING AND PANHANDLING
Chapter 364 MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Chapter 378 MUNICIPAL CLAIMS AND LIENS
Chapter 387 NOISE
Chapter 396 PARKS AND RECREATION
Chapter 403 PAWNBROKERS
Chapter 410 PEDDLING AND SOLICITING
Chapter 424 POLES
Chapter 431 PROPERTY SALES
Chapter 433 PUBLIC ART
Chapter 438 RAIN BARRELS
Chapter 442 RECORDS, PUBLIC ACCESS
Chapter 453 SALES
Chapter 460 SCRAP METAL DEALERS
Chapter 467 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Chapter 473 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES
Chapter 479 SIDEWALK CAFES
Chapter 485 SIGNS
Chapter 496 SOLID WASTE
Chapter 502 STORAGE FACILITIES
Chapter 505 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Chapter 508 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter 515 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 521 SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 536 TAMPERING WITH PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter 540 TATTOO AND PIERCING ESTABLISHMENTS
Chapter 543 TAX ABATEMENTS
Chapter 546 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
Chapter 549 TAXATION
Chapter 555 TREES
Chapter 564 VEHICLE NUISANCES, STORAGE OF
Chapter 570 VEHICLE REPAIR SHOPS
Chapter 576 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 583 VENDING MACHINES
Chapter 600 ZONING
Chapter A610 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY
Chapter A611 BOND ISSUES AND LOANS
Chapter A612 FRANCHISE AND SERVICES
Chapter A613 GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Chapter A614 PLAN APPROVAL
Chapter A615 PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter A616 SEWERS
Chapter A617 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter A618 WATER
Chapter A619 ZONING; PRIOR ORDINANCES
Chapter DT DERIVATION TABLE
Chapter DL DISPOSITION LIST
§ 600-1717. Billboards and other off-premises signs.
   A.   General. See the definition of "off-premises signs" in § 600-2205.
      (1)   No part of any billboard or other off-premises sign shall be located more than 100 feet from the nearest street line of any traffic route and no billboard or other off-premises sign shall be oriented primarily toward any street other than a traffic route as defined herein.
   B.   Regulations. Billboards and other off-premises signs, including those painted on building walls, shall conform to the following regulations, in addition to other applicable requirements:
      (1)   Exemptions. A sign that includes occasional public service messages shall not by itself be considered an off-premises sign. Signs that are authorized by PennDOT or the City of Reading to direct persons to visitor attractions shall not be considered off- premises signs.
      (2)   Location.
         (a)   Billboards and other off-premises signs shall be permitted only along "traffic routes," as defined in § 600-2205 in the MU, H-M and C-H Zoning Districts. An off-premises sign in the C-H, MU and H-M Districts shall not exceed 300 square feet on each of a maximum of two sides.
         (b)   Billboards and other off-premises signs shall be located to conform with all yard and special setback requirements of this chapter.
         (c)   Any such sign located adjacent to a building, on another lot, containing windows facing such billboard or other off-premises sign shall be located a minimum of 50 feet from such windows. Any billboard or off-premises sign that is illuminated or more than 50 square feet in sign area shall be located a minimum of: 300 feet from an existing dwelling in a residential district; and 500 feet from any City-recognized Historic Preservation District or any public park, primary or secondary school or hospital in any direction.
         (d)   No billboard structure shall be located on or over the roofs of buildings situated on the same lot. No billboard structure shall be located on or adjacent to another billboard structure at the same site, with the exception of two billboard sign areas that are approximately back-to-back.
      (3)   (Reserved)
      (4)   Height. The maximum height of any off-premises free standing sign shall be 35 feet above grade. When the topography is such that the point at which a billboard must be erected is lower in grade than the fronting street or highway, the elevation of the street or highway shall be considered grade.
      (5)   No two billboard sign structures shall be spaced less than 1,200 feet apart along any City street. The distance between sign structures shall be measured along the nearest edge of the pavement between points directly opposite the signs along the same side of traveled way. The spacing requirement applies to signs located on both sides of the street. The distance between billboard signs shall be measured radially from the base of the sign structure nearest to the base of any other billboard sign structure along the same street, regardless of whether the relevant sign structures are on the same or opposite sides of the street.
      (6)   Lighting. See § 600-1714.
      (7)   Billboards and other off-premises signs may be single-faced, double-faced, or V- shaped structures. Double-faced and/or V-shaped billboard structures shall not exceed 300 square feet per display area regardless of street frontage or length of building wall.
   C.   Landscaping requirements.
      (1)   Single-faced billboards with the rear viewable from a public right-of-way or other public property shall have three equally spaced eight-foot tall evergreen trees planted in the rear of the billboard and the reverse side of the sign shall be of one color.
      (2)   All landscaping surrounding signage shall be maintained in a neat, attractive and clean condition.
   D.   Other off-premises sign provisions. In addition to the provisions of Subsection B hereof, the following provisions shall apply to other off-premises signs:
      (1)   A business may have one directional off-premises sign within one mile distance from its business location, provided such sign contains not over 32 square feet of surface area which shall be included within the surface area permitted by Subsection B hereof, and is located in either the CH, M-C or H-M Zones.
      (2)   Any off-premises sign exceeding 32 square feet in surface area shall be deemed a billboard.