A. Off-lot advertising signs shall be permitted only on properties with frontage on an arterial roadway within the HC Highway Commercial and PI Planned Industrial Zoning Districts.
B. An Off-lot advertising sign shall only be allowed if a lot does not include more than one other freestanding sign.
C. One off-lot sign may be erected on a property. Vertically or horizontally stacked signs shall not be permitted.
D. Placement of off-lot advertising signs shall be:
1. Set back from the ultimate right of way a distance equal to the height of the off-lot sign or 15 feet, whichever is greater.
2. Located no closer than 25 feet from any property line.
3. Located no closer than 50 feet from any building, structure, or on lot sign located on the same property
E. Area of off-lot advertising signs - No off-lot advertising sign shall be permitted to exceed a maximum area of 150 square feet including border but excluding supports and decorative trim that are not part of the copy content of the display.
F. Off-lot advertising signs shall not exceed a maximum height of 25 feet.
G. Spacing: Off-lot signs shall be:
1. Located no closer to another off-lot sign, on either side of the road, than designated in Table A (Section 905.E.) as measured, parallel to the cartway edge, between cross-road perpendiculars at each sign location .
2. Located no closer than 500 ft. from any intersection.
3. Located no closer than twenty five feet (25') from the ultimate right-of-way.
4. Not attached to the external wall or otherwise affixed to any part of any building and shall not extend over any public property or right-of-way.
5. Not located on sewer rights-of-way, or water, electric, or petroleum pipelines.
6. Not located on a bridge.
H. Double-Sided Off-lot Signs: Signs may be single or double-sided, in accordance with § 905.C. Sign Area.
I. Message Sequencing: Message sequencing is prohibited.
J. Construction and Maintenance.
1. All off-lot advertising signs shall be structurally sound and maintained in good condition and in compliance with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.
2. The rear face of a single-face, off-lot advertising sign shall be painted and maintained with a single neutral color.
3. Every three years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural inspection made of the billboard by a licensed engineer registered in Pennsylvania and shall provide to Springfield Township a certificate certifying that the billboard is structurally sound.
K. Identification of Sign Owner: All off-lot advertising signs shall be identified on the structure with the name, address, and phone number of the owner of such sign, legible from the ground.
L. Landscaping.
1. Landscaping shall be provided at the base of all off-lot advertising signs. Trees and shrubbery, including evergreen and flowering trees, of sufficient size and quantity shall be used to achieve the purpose of this Section.
2. Trees greater than four (4) inches in diameter removed for construction of the sign shall be replaced on-site at a ratio of one (1) replacement tree for each removed tree using native species no less than three (3) inches in diameter.
M. Additional Regulations. All off-lot advertising signs shall comply with any and all applicable zoning regulations of Springfield Township, and any and all municipal, state and/or federal regulations. In the event any other applicable regulation is in conflict with the provisions of this Section, the more restrictive regulation shall apply.
N. Application/Plan Requirements. Plans submitted for off-lot advertising signs shall show the following:
1. The location of the proposed sign on the lot with the required sign setbacks from the property line and ultimate right-of-way.
2. The location and species of existing trees.
3. The distance to the nearest existing off-lot advertising sign.
4. The distances to the nearest right-of-way, property line, building, structure, on-site sign, intersection, interchange, safety rest area, bridge, residential district, and institutional use, sewer rights-of-way, and water, electric or petroleum pipelines.
5. Site plan containing all of the applicable requirements set forth in the Springfield Township zoning ordinance, as amended.
6. Certification under the seal by a licensed engineer that the off-lot sign, as proposed, is designed in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, codes, and professional standards.
O. Illumination and Changeable Copy of Off-Lot Advertising Signs.
1. Off-lot advertising signs may incorporate manually changeable copy signs.
2. Off-lot advertising signs may be illuminated, provided that:
a. All light sources are designed, shielded, arranged, and installed to confine or direct all illumination to the surface of the off-lot advertising sign and away from adjoining properties.
b. Light sources are not visible from any street or adjoining properties.
3. External and internal illumination types shall be permitted subject to the regulations in § 905.F. Sign Illumination.
4. Off-lot advertising signs may incorporate Tri-Vision Signs.
a. The minimum length of time each message of the Tri-Vision Sign may be displayed before changing is 8 seconds.
(Ord. 191, passed 1-8-2019)