Any sign hereafter erected or maintained shall
conform with the provisions of this article and any other ordinance
or regulations of the Borough of Chester Heights relating thereto.
The following types of signs and no other shall
be permitted in residence and multifamily districts:
A.
Official traffic signs, which should be combined or
stacked on the same pole where possible.
B.
Street identification signs, which shall be uniform
and approved by Borough Council. There shall be no subdivision name
signs for developments of single houses.
C.
Historic homes or sites signs, which must be uniform
in design, size and color and approved by Borough Council.
D.
Professional, accessory use, or identification signs
indicating the name, profession, or activity of the occupant of a
dwelling provided that:
(1)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed 200
square inches, not including multiple name listing signs for private
residences.
(2)
Not more than one sign shall be erected for
each permitted use or dwelling.
(3)
On multiple name listing signs for single dwellings,
each single listing shall be limited to 125 square inches (approximately
1 1/2 inch letters).
(4)
No such sign shall be illuminated except by
concealed or indirect lighting attached to the sign itself.
E.
Identification signs for schools, churches and similar
permitted uses other than dwellings, provided that:
(1)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed 20
square feet.
(2)
Not more than one such (double-sided) sign shall
be placed on premises held in single and separate ownership, unless
such premises fronts on more than one street, in which case one such
sign may be erected on each street frontage.
(3)
No such sign shall be illuminated except by
concealed or indirect nonglare lighting attached to the sign itself.
F.
Real estate signs, including:
(1)
Signs advertising the sale or rental of premises
provided that:
(a)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed four
square feet.
(b)
Not more than one such sign shall be erected
for any property held in single and separate ownership. Such sign
may be placed only on-premises and not on rights-of-way or utility
poles.
(c)
No such sign shall be illuminated.
(d)
Signs indicating that a property has been sold
or rented are prohibited.
(2)
On-site signs indicating the location and direction
of premises in the process of development, provided that:
(a)
The size of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet [except as permitted in § 185-61C(8), Signs, of Article XI. (Planned Residential Development] and shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the street line.
(b)
Not more than one such sign shall be erected
on each 500 feet of street frontage.
(c)
No such sign shall be illuminated.
(d)
All such signs shall be removed when active
work on the development ceases.
G.
Trespassing sign or sign indicating the private nature
of a driveway or premises, provided that the size of any such sign
shall not exceed two square feet.
H.
Temporary signs of mechanics and artisans, provided
that:
I.
Nonconforming signs, provided that:
(1)
The sign was conforming under the previous ordinance.
(2)
The total area of all such signs relating to
a single use at the effective date of this chapter, or at the effective
date of any amendment of this chapter by which any sign shall be made
nonconforming, shall not be increased.
(3)
No such sign shall be changed or replaced in
kind outside the limits of this article.
[Amended 2-1-2010 by Ord. No. 185]
The following types of signs shall be permitted
in business districts, nonresidential districts, Limited Industrial
Districts or for approved nonconforming uses in other districts where
designated and approved by the Borough:
A.
Any sign permitted in residence districts which relates
to a use permitted in the district.
B.
Real estate signs advertising the sale or rental of
premises, provided that:
C.
Business or related signs as follows:
(1)
Business or similar signs in conjunction with
a permitted use, provided that:
(a)
The total area on one side of all signs placed
on, or facing any one street frontage of any one premises shall not
exceed one square foot for each lineal foot of building frontage,
and provided, further, that in the case of a lot which is vacant,
or one which any building is clearly incidental and accessory to the
lot, the total area of all signs placed on or facing any one street
frontage of any one premises shall not exceed one square foot for
each two lineal feet of building frontage. In any case, no sign is
to exceed 50 square feet in area. Both sides of sign containing 50
square feet may have lettering.
(b)
The total area of separate or freestanding letters
used either against a wall, or as a ground sign, is calculated by
the sum of the areas of the individual rectangles enclosing each letter.
In any case, the area is not to exceed 50 square feet in area.
(c)
All signs shall be erected only on the premises
on which the use to which the sign relates is conducted.
(d)
The area on one side of a directional sign shall
not exceed nine square feet. (A directional sign serves as an aid
to motorists using the parking facilities or service area of a facility
and may be erected only on the premises and not itself call attention
to that use).
(e)
The area on one side of any temporary, portable,
or mobile sign shall not exceed 12 square feet, and not more than
one such sign shall be placed on any 100 feet of street frontage on
the premises for a period of more than 60 days in any twelve-month
period.
(f)
No sign shall project above the parapet or roof
of a building.
D.
Billboards
in Limited Industrial Districts.
(1)
Purpose. It shall be the purpose of this Subsection D to permit billboards, by conditional use under Chapter 185, Article XXIV, §§ 185-137 and 185-138, and to:
(a)
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 Borough.
(b)
Ensure that billboards are provided for in the Borough and located
safely and appropriately where they can be viewed by the traveling
public with the least distraction and degradation in driving performance.
(c)
Place reasonable limits on the total number of billboards within
the Borough.
(d)
Provide a timely and effective means for emergency and public
service dissemination of information.
(e)
Provide quality, appearance and safety of billboards through
the use of the latest technology.
(f)
Promote quality, appearance and safety of billboards within
the Borough.
(2)
Billboards may only be erected or maintained on any premises in a district zoned Limited Industrial after a conditional use is granted by the Council for the Borough of Chester Heights. The conditional use, in addition to the criteria in §§ 185-137 and 185-138, shall meet the following criteria and shall be required to adhere to the following regulations:
(a)
Area, bulk and height regulations.
[1]
Billboards shall not have 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.
[2]
A billboard shall not be closer than a one-thousand-five-hundred-foot
radius to another billboard, as measured between the closest points
of each billboard, including the supporting structure.
[3]
A billboard shall not be closer than a five-hundred-foot radius
to any Borough residential district.
[4]
A billboard shall not be located any closer than 150 feet to
any Borough street or intersection.
[5]
The highest part of a billboard shall not exceed 35 feet in
height, as measured from the base of the sign or grade of the nearest
adjacent roadway, whichever is lower.
[6]
No billboard shall overhang a public or private right-of-way,
nor shall it interfere with a two-hundred-foot line of sight in any
direction at an intersection.
[7]
The minimum lot size for a billboard shall be two acres.
[8]
The minimum lot width at both the street line and the front
yard setback line shall be 100 feet.
[9]
The minimum setback of the entire supporting structure, including
the sign face(s) from the street line, shall be 35 feet, and the minimum
setback from all other property lines shall be 25 feet.
(3)
In addition to the standards and criteria for approval of conditional uses set forth in §§ 185-137 and 185-138, the following standards and criteria shall apply to a billboard conditional use:
(a)
One billboard may be erected, constructed or maintained on any
lot in a Limited Industrial District.
(b)
Application for a billboard shall be accompanied by a site plan
and shall contain all of the applicable requirements set forth in
the Chester Heights Zoning Code, as amended.
(c)
Application for a billboard shall be accompanied by a certification
under seal by a professional engineer that the existence of the billboard
advertising sign, as proposed, will be in accordance with all federal,
state and local laws, codes and professional standards.
(d)
A billboard shall use vinyl wrap or a material of equivalent
durability to display the sign copy.
(e)
The billboard and the lighting thereof shall be effectively
shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light that cause glare
or impair the vision of a driver of a vehicle, or which interferes
with a giver's operation of a motor vehicle, from being directed at
any neighboring residential properties or at any portion of the traveled
way.
(f)
No billboard shall be illuminated so that it obscures or interferes
with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, device or signal.
(g)
No billboard shall be animated or utilize devices that move
or create the illusion of motion.
(h)
A billboard structure shall have a minimum of one vertical support
that is a minimum of 48 inches in diameter, with a one-half-inch wall
or width, and without bracing or vertical supports.
(i)
A billboard sign face shall be independently supported and shall
have vertical supports of metal which are galvanized or otherwise
treated to prevent rust and corrosion. All billboards shall be painted
in Pantone Matching System (PMS) Color 279.
(j)
One vertical support shall be capable of enabling the entire
sign face to be able to withstand a minimum wind load of 100 miles
per hour or meet the minimum standards and requirements as specified
in the International Building Code, latest edition, whichever is greater.
(k)
The entire base of the billboard structure shall be permanently
landscaped with suitable shrubbery and/or bushes of a minimum height
of six 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 owner in an attractive and healthy manner in accordance
with accepted conservation practices. Landscaping shall form a base
and backdrop to the billboard sign when practical.
(l)
No bare cuts are permitted on a hillside, and all cuts or fills
are to be permanently seeded or planted.
(m)
No billboard structure, sign face or display shall emit noise
or cause distraction, confusion, nuisance or hazard to traffic safety,
aircraft or other properties.
(n)
No billboard shall be constructed within the clear-sight triangle
of the public street or road on which it is situated and shall not
in any manner obstruct or impede traffic safety, including ingress
and egress.
(o)
Billboards must be freestanding and may not be mounted on a
roof, wall or face or other part of a building or any other structure,
including trees.
(p)
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 Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation standards, and no part of a billboard shall interfere
with or obstruct vehicle traffic, travel or ingress and egress to
a public street.
(q)
Billboard faces shall not scroll, flash or twinkle, feature
motion pictures, moving images or moving lights, or have mechanical
or animated movement.
(r)
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.
(s)
Changes from one advertisement, display or message to another
may occur no more frequently than three times per side in any twenty-four-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.
(t)
Each face of a billboard shall be oriented toward the mad upon
which the Billboard fronts or faces so as to cause the least visual
impact upon neighboring properties.
(u)
Where billboards are visible from a residential district or
use, the billboard shall be extinguished automatically, with Eastern
standard time and daylight saving time control and spring or battery
outage reset from 10:00 p.m. until sunrise the following day.
(v)
All utilities serving the billboard shall be located below the
ground.
(w)
Billboards shall be properly and adequately secured to prevent
unauthorized access.
(x)
Billboards, including support structures, shall be properly
and regularly maintained and shall at all times be kept in a safe
and operational manner.
(y)
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.
(z)
A permanent means of vehicular ingress and egress to the billboard
lot shall be provided.
(cc)
A bond or other security acceptable to the Borough, in a form
and amount satisfactory to the Borough, shall be posted with the Borough
to ensure that the billboard will be properly removed upon nonuse
for a period of one year.
(ff)
Applicability of International Construction Code (ICC) standards. All sign standards herein shall exist in full force and effect in conjunction with all sign standards existing in the most recent edition of the ICC, as amended. Whenever any conflict exists between this chapter/this Subsection D and the ICC Code, the more restrictive provisions shall have precedence.
(gg)
The billboard structure shall be entirely repainted, at a minimum,
every five years.
(hh)
Every three years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural
inspection made of the billboard by a qualified Pennsylvania-registered
structural engineer and shall provide to the Borough a certificate
from the engineer or architect certifying that the billboard is structurally
sound.
(ii)
Annual inspections of the billboard shall be conducted by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance, and billboards found to be in violation of this Subsection D shall be brought into compliance within 30 days of notice or ordered removed upon proper notification by the Borough.
(4)
Public safety. Billboards shall include a means by which emergency
service, public safety agency and other public service announcements
may, without charge, be timely communicated via the billboard to alert
the public on an emergency and temporary basis.
The following restrictions shall apply to all
permitted sign uses:
A.
No sign shall be placed in such a position that it
will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view.
B.
No sign, other than signs authorized by this article
shall be erected within the lines of any public street or public sidewalk,
or shall be closer to a curb or right-of-way than 10 feet, unless
specifically authorized by other ordinances and regulations of the
Borough of Chester Heights.
C.
No stringing of lights, no animated signs, nor signs
that revolve, swing, or have movable parts, or have flashing lights
or reflectors, shall be permitted after the effective date of this
chapter, and no advertising sign, banner, pennant balance, spinners
or display constructed of cloth, canvas, wall board, or other like
materials shall be erected, suspended or hung on any property, except
as follows: The Zoning Officer may permit the use of any such advertising
signs, banners, or displays constructed of cloth, light fabric or
other like materials for a period of not more than 30 days in any
one calendar year, provided that:
(1)
No such sign or display shall exceed in size
the area permitted for permanent signs as provided for each zoning
district; and provided, further, that no sign shall be placed in such
a position that it will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring
the view; and provided, further, that no such sign or display shall
be permitted within the lines of any public street or public sidewalk,
or shall be closer to a curb or right-of-way than 10 feet, unless
specifically authorized by other ordinances and regulations of the
Borough of Chester Heights; and provided, further, that no sign or
display shall be permitted to be placed across a public street or
highway.
D.
No sign shall project over a public sidewalk or street
unless specifically authorized as a special exception by the Zoning
Hearing Board.
E.
Wall signs shall not project more than 12 inches from
the face of a building.
F.
Each sign must be maintained in good condition and
repair. The Borough Zoning Officer is designated to periodically inspect
such signs and shall require repairs when necessary within a reasonable
time. Failure to comply shall be just cause for the Borough to remove
the sign or take corrective action to insure the maintenance of the
public safety. Enforcement of provisions of this chapter shall be
the responsibility of the Zoning Officer.
G.
No commercial building, including multiple dwellings
or apartments in any residential district, shall be illuminated on
the exterior by flood lighting or spot lighting or similar type lighting.
H.
All ground signs shall have an open space of at least
two feet between the ground and the bottom of the sign, so that this
area may be maintained free of weeds and debris.
I.
Advertising signs within 400 feet of a public park
or scenic area shall not be permitted to be located in such a manner
as to obscure or detract from the view of such park or scenic area.
J.
All signs shall be made a part of the architectural
design of a new commercial construction or major alterations of existing
buildings. No sign shall protrude above the building height as defined
in the district.
K.
Sign permits are required for all overhanging signs,
and all other signs more than two square feet in area, except real
estate signs. A fee payable to the Borough Secretary, is set by Borough
Council and may be reviewed and changed from time to time. To apply
for a permit, submit to the Zoning Officer a drawing showing size,
layout, materials, illumination, and location on site plan. The submission
will also be reviewed by the Borough's Architectural Review Committee.
L.
The Architectural Review Committee, appointed by the
Council, shall consist of three members (a member of the Planning
Commission, the Building Inspector and a qualified citizen not otherwise
connected with the Borough government).
M.
All signs made nonconforming by this chapter, shall
be altered, removed or eliminated within two years of the date of
the adoption of this chapter.
N.
A fee schedule for permits is obtainable from and
fees are paid to the Borough Secretary.
