Signs may be erected and maintained only when in compliance with the provisions of this article and all other ordinances and regulations relating to the erection, alteration, or maintenance of signs and similar devices.
A. 
Signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which they are erected by the owner or broker or any other person interested in the sale or rental of such premises, may be erected and maintained, provided:
(1) 
The area of one side of the sign shall not exceed six square feet.
(2) 
Not more than one sign is placed upon any property in single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event one such sign may be erected on each frontage.
(3) 
Signs shall be removed within seven days of final sale or rental.
B. 
Signs advertising the sale or development of the premises upon which they are erected, when erected in connection with the development of the premises by a builder, contractor, developer, or other person interested in such sale or development, may be erected and maintained, provided:
(1) 
The area of one side of the sign shall not exceed 32 square feet.
[Amended 3-6-2012 by Ord. No. 60]
(2) 
Not more than one sign is placed upon any property in single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event one such sign may be erected on each frontage.
C. 
Signs indicating the location and direction of premises available for or in process of development, but not erected upon such premises, and having inscribed thereon the name of the owner, developer, builder, or agent, may be erected and maintained, provided:
(1) 
The area of one side of the sign shall not exceed six square feet, and shall not exceed four feet in length.
(2) 
Not more than one such sign is erected on each 500 feet of street frontage, with a maximum of five such signs.
D. 
Signs bearing the word "sold" or the word "rented," with the name of the person effecting the sale or rental, provided the conditions in § 138-86A hereof are complied with.
E. 
Signs of mechanics, painters, and other artisans during the period such persons are performing work on the premises on which such signs are erected, provided:
(1) 
The area of one side of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(2) 
Such signs are removed promptly upon completion of the work.
F. 
Signs indicating the private nature of a driveway, or trespassing signs, provided that the area of one side of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet.
G. 
Signs of schools, churches, sanitariums, or other institutions of a similar nature provided:
(1) 
The area of one side of any such sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(2) 
Not more than one sign is placed on property in single and separate ownership, unless such property fronts upon more than one street, in which event one such sign may be erected on each frontage.
H. 
Identification signs for authorized home occupations, provided:
(1) 
Such signs shall be placed only on the property for which the home occupation has been authorized.
(2) 
The area of one side on any such sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(3) 
Not more than one such sign shall be placed on any property.
(4) 
Such signs may be illuminated if such lighting is shielded or indirect; however neon signs shall not be permitted.
I. 
On- and/or off-premises signs necessary for the direction, regulation and control of traffic; street name signs; legal notices; warnings at railroad crossings; and other official signs which are similarly authorized or erected by a duly constituted governmental body. Such signs may be illuminated only as necessary or customary for traffic control or safety.
J. 
Public utility signs required in connection with the identification, operation, or protection of public utility, provided the area of one side of any such sign shall not exceed eight square feet.
K. 
Signs indicating direction may be erected along streets to direct vehicles or pedestrians to premises or businesses not located on such streets, but the access to which is from such streets. The following regulations shall apply:
(1) 
Directional signs shall be ground signs with a maximum area of six square feet on a single-faced or 12 square feet on a double-faced sign.
(2) 
The content of directional signs shall be limited to the name of the establishment and direction and distance information.
(3) 
Directional signs shall not be located more than 500 feet from an entrance or other street leading to the advertiser and shall be located in advance of such street or entrance and on the same side of the road as the advertiser's premises.
L. 
Business identification signs. One business identification sign may be permitted for each property with an approved business or a preexisting nonconforming business with the following standards:
[Added 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 44]
(1) 
One wall sign not to exceed 32 square feet in area; or
(2) 
One freestanding sign not to exceed 32 square feet in area.
A. 
All signs permitted in the Conservation/Forest, Agricultural, and Residential Districts (§ 138-86) may be erected and maintained.
B. 
Business identification signs.
(1) 
One business identification sign may be permitted for each property on the Village District with the following standard:
(a) 
One wall sign to a property, provided it is attached more than 12 inches therefrom, is not less than 10 feet above the sidewalk and occupies not more than 10% of the total area of the front of the principal building. It shall not project above the roof line or parapet wall; or
(b) 
One projecting sign to the building front beyond a vertical plane not to exceed three square feet.
(2) 
One freestanding sign not to exceed 32 square feet in area.
[Added 6-20-2000 by Ord. No. 42]
(3) 
Identification signs for home occupations.
[Added 6-20-2000 by Ord. No. 42; amended 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 44]
(a) 
Such signs shall be placed on the property for which the home occupation has been authorized.
(b) 
The area of one side on any such sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(c) 
Not more than one such sign shall be placed on any property.
(d) 
Such signs may be illuminated if such lighting is shielded or indirect; however neon signs shall not be permitted.
C. 
Nonilluminated and indirectly illuminated business signs are permitted, provided no objectionable glare or illumination are created on adjacent uses. Directly illuminated signs are not permitted within the Village District.
D. 
Temporary nonilluminated signs advertising exhibits, shows or events may be erected, subject to the following requirements:
[Amended 3-6-2012 by Ord. No. 60]
(1) 
Signs shall not exceed 32 square feet in area.
(2) 
Signs shall not be posted earlier than two weeks before the occurrence of the event to which they relate and shall be removed within one week after the date of the exhibit, show or event.
(3) 
Street banners are prohibited, except in the case of civic or charitable nonprofit organizations. When permitted, such banners are exempted from the size restrictions of Subsection D(1) above but must fully comply with time limits for display set forth in Subsection D(2) above.
A. 
Any sign authorized in Conservation/Forest, Agricultural, and Residential Districts shall be permitted in the Commercial and Industrial Districts.
B. 
Business identification signs. One of the following types of signs may be permitted for commercial and industrial properties within the Commercial and Industrial Districts:
(1) 
One wall sign to a property, provided it is attached to the wall of a building and projects horizontally not more than 12 inches therefrom, is not less than 10 feet above the sidewalk and occupies not more than 20% of the total area of the front of the principal building. It shall not project more than three feet above the roof line or parapet wall.
(2) 
One projecting sign, provided it shall not project beyond a vertical plane five feet inside the lot from the street line.
(3) 
One freestanding sign not to exceed 100 square feet in area. It shall not extend beyond a vertical plane five feet inside the lot from the street line and shall not exceed a height of 35 feet.
C. 
Shopping centers (for the purpose of this chapter, a "shopping center" is defined as a group of three or more stores on a single parcel of ground) may have the following displays as provided:
(1) 
One of the following types of signs may be permitted for each use in the shopping center, provided the type of sign is the same for each use.
(a) 
One wall sign to a property, provided it is attached more than 12 inches therefrom, is not less than 10 feet above the sidewalk and occupies not more than 10% of the total area of the front of the principal building. It shall not project above the roof line or parapet wall; or
(b) 
One projecting sign to the building front beyond a vertical plane not to exceed three square feet.
(2) 
In addition, one ground sign identifying the shopping center and uses may be erected on each street frontage. The area of one side of any sign shall not exceed 75 square feet, and the location and orientation of such a sign shall be designated on, or in connection with, the required land development plan.
Off-premises advertising signs shall be permitted in the Township and are subject to the following:
A. 
Off-premises advertising shall be located only in the following districts: R-2 Residential District, C Commercial District and I Industrial District, where such areas are located along a major arterial street as defined in the Carroll Township Comprehensive Plan. For the purposes of this chapter, those streets are PA Route 34 and portions of PA Route 850.
[Amended 3-6-2012 by Ord. No. 60]
B. 
Advertising signs shall not be placed closer than 300 feet to a dwelling which is located on the same side of the street as the sign nor closer than 2,500 feet to another billboard.
C. 
Such sign shall be placed no closer than 50 feet from any street right-of-way and may not exceed 300 square feet in area.
In addition to the sign regulations set forth in §§ 138-86 through 138-89 above, the following signs shall be permitted:
A. 
Temporary signs advertising home garage sales, yard sales, and the like, as differentiated from signs advertising established commercial enterprises, may be erected in any zoning district subject to the following provisions:
(1) 
The sign may be erected only on the property on which the sale is going to be held.
(2) 
The area of one side of any such sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(3) 
Only one such sign may be erected on any one piece of property, unless such property fronts on two streets, in which case one sign is authorized on each street frontage.
(4) 
The sign shall be installed no earlier than one week prior to the sale and shall be removed within one day after the activity. In no case shall such signs be permitted to remain on the property in excess of 10 days.
B. 
Temporary signs advertising public auctions or sales, as differentiated from signs advertising established commercial enterprises, may be erected in any zoning district subject to the following provisions:
(1) 
Such signs shall be subject to the same provisions as in Subsection A.
(2) 
Such signs may be erected no earlier than one month prior to the date of the sale and shall be removed no later than two days after the sale or auction.
C. 
Temporary political signs advertising political parties or candidates for election may be erected, provided:
(1) 
The area of any one side of such sign shall not exceed six square feet.
(2) 
Such sign shall not be erected earlier than 30 days prior to the election to which they pertain and shall be removed no later than seven days after the date of the election.
D. 
Holiday decorations displayed for recognized holidays shall be exempted from the provisions of this chapter except as they may cause glare, interfere with traffic safety or in any other way become a public safety hazard.
[Amended 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 44]
The following signs shall not be permitted, erected, constructed or maintained in any zoning district. Such signs which are prohibited shall be removed or brought into conformity with the provisions of this part within three years after this chapter is enacted.
A. 
Signs which incorporate in any manner any flashing or moving illumination, or with illumination which varies in intensity or color, and signs which have any visible revolving parts or visible mechanical movement of any description, or other apparent visible movement achieved by electrical pulsation or by actions of normal wind currents. Hanging signs which simply swing in the wind and clock, time or temperature signs and barber poles shall not be considered as a prohibited sign as long as it complies with the other provisions of this article.
B. 
Light sources which cast light on signs shall be shielded by opaque material so that the bulbs, floodlights or tubes are not visible off the property on which the signs are located.
C. 
Signs advertising activities that are illegal under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances as applied to the location of a particular sign or the location of such activities.
D. 
Signs which by reason of size, location, movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination obstruct the vision of drivers either when leaving or entering a public street from another street or driveway, and/or obstruct or detract from the visibility or effectiveness of any traffic control device or traffic sign on a public street.
E. 
Signs which make use of words such as "stop," "look," "one-way," "danger," "yield," "go slow," "caution," or any similar words, phrases, symbols, lights or characters in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic or which imitate an official traffic sign or signal.
F. 
Signs which advertise an activity, business, product or service no longer produced or conducted. In such case, such sign shall be removed within 30 days after the same is no longer produced or conducted,
G. 
Signs which are placed or located within the public right-of-way, except as provided elsewhere in this chapter.
H. 
Signs painted on, pasted or attached to or supported by utility poles, trees, fences, a stone cliff or other natural object.
I. 
Signs which consist of pennants, spinners, banners, streamers or search lights, except for occasions such as grand openings and then only with permission of the Building Inspector for a use limited to a period of 15 days.
J. 
String lights other than temporary holiday decorations or special events or function of public service, charitable, religious, educational, and civic organizations which are unshielded from off the premises on which they are located.
K. 
Signs which obstruct free ingress to or egress from a fire escape, door, window or other exitway.
L. 
Signs which are structurally unsafe or in a state of disrepair.
The following regulations shall apply to all sign uses:
A. 
Computation of sign area.
(1) 
The area of a sign shall be construed to include all lettering, wording and accompanying designs and symbols, together with the background whether open or enclosed, on which they are displayed, but not including any supporting framework and bracing incidental to the display itself.
(2) 
Where the sign consists of individual letters or symbols attached to a building, wall or window, the area shall be considered to be that of the smallest rectangle or other regular geometric shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
(3) 
In computing square foot area of a double-face sign, only one side shall be considered, provided both faces are identical. If the interior angle formed by the two faces of the double-faced sign is greater then 45º, then both sides of such sign shall be considered in calculating the sign area.
B. 
Sign must be constructed of durable materials, maintained in good condition, and not, allowed to become dilapidated.
C. 
Signs projecting beyond the property lines shall be not less than 10 feet above the public sidewalk areas.
D. 
Signs shall not project above the height limit permitted in any district in which they are located.
E. 
All signs erected within the right-of-way of a state highway shall be in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
F. 
Except for home occupations and permitted business identification signs, a permit shall not be required for the erection, alteration or maintenance of any signs permitted in the CF Conservation Forest, R-A Residential-Agricultural District, R-1 Residential District, and R-2 Residential District.
[Amended 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 44]
G. 
A permit shall be required for the erection, structural alteration or reconstruction of billboards or advertising signboards.
[Amended 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 44]
H. 
All signs shall be removed when the circumstances leading to their erection no longer applies.
I. 
All nonconforming signs, or advertising sign boards, including poster panels, bulletins, and the like, shall be made to conform to all pertinent regulations or be removed within three years after the effective date of this chapter, except that business identification signs on legal nonconforming uses may be continued and maintained as a part of the legal nonconforming use.