For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall
be defined and applied as follows:
A-FRAME SIGNS
A single- or double-faced sign used on a temporary or permanent
basis, and more commonly known as a "sandwich board."
BILLBOARDS or ADVERTISING SIGNBOARDS
Boards which direct the motorist or pedestrian to a business
establishment or call the attention of motorists or pedestrians to
a product, place or activity that is available, exists or occurs at
a location other than the location upon which the board is erected.
Billboards are freestanding structures and are differentiated thereby
from wall signs which are attached to the wall of a building. "Billboard,"
as used herein, shall refer to a sign with a single-face area greater
than 32 square feet.
BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION SIGNS
Signs or boards that are directly oriented to activities
that occur on the same premises as the sign or board. Such signs may
be either freestanding or attached to a wall of a building.
GROUND POLE SIGNS
A sign supported vertically by one or more uprights placed
in or on the ground but designed to be movable. Such a sign advertises
products or items offered for sale or is directly related to the premises
upon which it is located, e.g., a business identification sign.
OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITY
These facilities shall include outdoor activities such as
golf courses and country clubs, riding academies and commercial stables,
parks, tennis courts, skiing facilities, primitive tent campsites
and other similar uses.
POLITICAL SIGNS
Signs or boards directing attention to or promoting a particular
individual or group of persons running for office in a public election.
PREMISES
The area occupied by a single business, professional office
or other public enterprise or home. When more than one business, office
or home occupies a single building on the ground floor, each business
area shall be considered a separate premises. Businesses, homes or
other enterprises which occupy space on other floors shall be considered
separate premises.
ROOF SIGNS
Any sign erected and maintained on or above the roof of any
building.
SIGN AREA
The area of the smallest triangle, rectangle or circle which
can wholly enclose the surface area of a sign. All visible faces of
a multifaced sign shall be counted separately and then totaled in
calculating the sign area.
TEMPORARY SIGNS
Flags, pennants, ground signs or special promotional devices
intended to be erected to call attention to a legally permissible
special event for a period of 30 days or less.
WALL SIGNS
Signs attached to a wall or part of a wall of a building
or structure, not including billboards as defined above, which advertise
products sold or directly related to the premises on which they are
located, e.g., a business identification sign.
The following signs shall not be erected, permitted or maintained
in any district, notwithstanding anything else contained in this chapter
or elsewhere.
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 moving part, visible revolving parts or visible
mechanical movement of any description or other apparent visible movement
achieved by electrical pulsations or by actions of normal wind currents,
except when not visible from motor vehicles traveling on public roadways.
Hanging signs which simply swing in the wind, clocks, time-and-temperature
signs and barber poles may be exempted, provided that they comply
with the other provisions hereunder. However, promotional and advertising
flags are prohibited.
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 or premises on which the signs are located.
C. Any sign or sign structure which constitutes a hazard to public safety
or public health.
D. Signs which by reason of size, location, content, coloring or manner
of illumination obstruct the vision or impair the concentration of
drivers or obstruct or detract from the visibility or effectiveness
of any traffic sign or control device on public streets and roads.
E. Any sign which obstructs free ingress to or egress from a fire escape,
door, window or other required exitway.
F. Signs which make use of words such as "STOP," "LOOK," "ONE WAY,"
"DANGER," "YIELD" or any similar words, phrases, symbols, lights or
characters in such a manner as to interfere with, confuse or mislead
traffic.
G. Any obsolete sign (including the structural members of the sign)
which advertises a business no longer being conducted or a product
no longer sold.
H. Signs on public property or public right-of-way unless erected by
a governing body or unless required to be so located by order of a
governing body. No sign erected on public property or on a public
right-of-way shall contain any commercial content.
I. Signs painted on, attached to or supported by a utility pole, tree, stone or rock outcropping or similar object, except temporary signs as permitted by §
163-3B(1)(i) above.
J. String lights, other than temporary holiday decorations, which are
unshielded from off of the premises on which they are located.
K. Searchlights, pennants, banners, spinners and streamers, except for
occasions such as grand openings and similar events and then only
through obtaining a temporary sign permit from the Code Enforcement
Officer. Use shall be limited to 15 days.
L. Except as specifically permitted herein, the erection, placing and construction of ground pole signs, commonly known as billboards or advertising sign boards, and as defined in §
163-2 above, off of the premises where the product or service advertised is to be found, shall be prohibited in all districts. No alteration in either length, height or width shall be permitted nor shall any single-faced billboard be converted into a two-faced billboard.
These regulations shall apply to all signs, commercial and otherwise,
where such signs are not more specifically regulated herein. In the
case of conflict between any two provisions of this chapter, the more
stringent shall apply.
A. Signs in historic areas. These regulations shall apply to any property
listed on the National Register of Historic Places or to any property
or portion thereof within 500 feet of such historic property:
(1) No ground pole sign shall exceed a height of 10 feet, measured from
grade level immediately below the sign to the highest part of the
sign.
(2) Signs illuminated by other than direct incident lighting are prohibited.
B. Height of signs. No sign or any part thereof shall exceed a height
of 15 feet as measured from grade level directly below the face of
the sign to the highest part of the sign.
C. Location. Signs must be located on the premises which they advertise,
except as specifically permitted herein. When located off the premises,
written permission of the property owner must be obtained. Signs may
not be placed within a public or private right-of-way or driveway.
D. Area.
(1) The total area of signs erected hereunder shall not exceed 32 square
feet on a single-sided sign or 64 square feet on a double-sided sign,
per sign.
(2) The total area of all signs that may be erected or maintained on
any single premises shall not be greater than 96 square feet. The
total area of all signs that may be erected or maintained by any person
or single business or corporate entity off the premises shall not
exceed an additional 96 square feet.
E. Number. No more than four signs may be erected or maintained on any
one premises at any one time. No more than three additional signs
may be erected or maintained off the premises.
F. Licensing. All signs shall be subject to the permit provisions of
this chapter unless otherwise noted.
G. Projection signs. No projecting sign shall project more than five
feet beyond the building line in the direction of the street. No portion
of any projecting sign shall be any lower than 10 feet above grade
level. No single face of any projecting sign shall exceed 15 square
feet in sign area. No projecting sign shall exceed 15 square feet
in sign area. No projecting sign shall have a vertical dimension greater
than five feet. No more than one projecting sign is permitted per
premises, unless said premises is located on a corner lot; in which
case two projecting signs shall be permitted, one erected for and
towards each public way.
H. Wall signs. No wall sign shall project above the top or to the left
or to the right of the wall to which it is attached. No wall sign
or any part thereof shall project more than one foot from the wall
on which it is mounted. If external lighting is used, reflectors must
be not less than 10 feet above grade, and no part may extend further
than two feet from the wall of the building. Reflectors must be shielded
to prevent glare from leaving the premises or interfering with motorists.
I. Ground pole signs.
(1) All ground pole signs and all parts, braces and supports thereof
shall be located entirely behind the property line and any appropriate
setback lines and shall not project over any setback line, property
line, public right-of-way or adjoining land.
(2) No ground pole sign shall be larger than 32 square feet in area on
a single-faced sign or 64 square feet in combined area for both sides
on a double-faced sign. No ground pole sign shall exceed 12 feet in
any dimension of the sign face.
(3) A premises may erect one ground pole sign or one projecting sign,
but not both. No individual business or other enterprise within a
planned retail, commercial or industrial development hereunder may
erect or maintain a ground pole sign except off of the premises of
the development.
J. Roof signs. No more than one roof sign per premises.
K. Indoor signs. No indoor sign shall be considered a sign for purpose
of this chapter, nor shall any indoor sign be subject to the regulations
hereunder.
L. Outdoor recreational facilities. Signage on outdoor recreational
facilities shall be removed and stored between November 1 and April
1 of each year. Each placard or advertisement shall have its own permit.
A permit shall be obtained for a new placard or advertisement erected,
and a new permit shall be obtained for any change or alteration to
an existing placard or advertisement.
All signs shall be classified as either temporary or permanent
and shall be subject to the following regulations.
A. Permanent signs; general provisions.
(1) Prior to placing a sign not otherwise exempt hereunder, an application
shall be submitted to the Township Code Enforcement Officer on a form
provided by the Township. If the application is approved, the applicant
shall pay a permit fee as set forth below and may place or erect his
sign.
(2) Any sign altered structurally or moved will be considered a new sign
and will be subject to the application and permit requirements hereof.
(3) Permit fees hereunder shall be set by resolution of the Potter Township
Board of Supervisors from time to time.
(4) An
annual fee will be set by the Board of Supervisors as part of the
annual fee schedule for off-premise commercial advertising.
[Added 7-19-2021 by Ord. No. 04-2021]
B. Temporary signs; general provisions.
(1) Prior to placing a sign not otherwise exempt hereunder, an application
shall be submitted to the Township Code Enforcement Officer on a form
provided by the Township. If the application is approved, the applicant
shall pay a permit fee as set forth below and may place or erect his
sign.
(2) After the sign is in place, the Code Enforcement Officer shall inspect
the sign and, if it complies with all applicable Township rules, regulations
and ordinances, will prepare a sign permit. The sign permit fee shall
then be paid and the permit will be issued for a thirty-day period.
The permit can be renewed thereafter upon payment of permit fee, but
in no case shall renewal be granted more than three times.
(3) Size, content and location of a temporary sign may be varied at any
time so long as the variations remain within the restrictions of this
chapter.
(4) Permit fees hereunder shall be set by resolution of the Potter Township
Supervisors from time to time.
C. County and state regulation. All applicable provisions of county
and state regulations and ordinances must be adhered to. The applicant
should be aware of the restrictions imposed by the Pennsylvania Outdoor
Advertising Act of 1971.
Every sign and all parts thereof, including framework, supports,
background, anchors and wiring systems, shall be constructed and maintained
in compliance with the Building, Electrical and Fire Prevention Codes,
as they now exist or may hereafter exist. All signs and all parts
thereof shall be kept in good repair and maintenance.
A. Enforcement.
(1) The Code Enforcement Officer shall examine all applications for permits
for erection of new signs and issue permits for new signs.
(2) The Code Enforcement Officer shall make an annual inspection of all
signs in the Township and make such report to the Supervisors as may
be necessary or as they may require. An inventory of all nonconforming
signs may be made by the Code Enforcement Officer and, if able, a
copy submitted to the Township Secretary.
(3) The Code Enforcement Officer shall record and file all applications
for sign permits with any accompanying plans or documents.
(4) Violations and penalties.
(a)
Whenever the Code Enforcement Officer determines that there
has been a violation of any provision of the chapter, the Officer
shall initiate enforcement proceedings by sending a written notice
stating the alleged violation and the location of the property. When
such notice has been served by the Code Enforcement Officer, the violation
shall be discontinued immediately.
(b)
Penalties and remedies for violations of this chapter are stipulated
in §§ 617 and 617.2 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code, as amended.
B. Waivers and exceptions. An appeal board, which shall be made up of
the current members of the Zoning Hearing Board, may, but is in no
manner whatsoever obliged to, grant waivers or exceptions to the regulations
herein. The procedure shall be as follows:
(1) The applicant shall file a letter of appeal with the Township Secretary,
stating the waiver or exception being requested and the reasons therefor.
(2) The appeal shall be heard at the next regularly scheduled meeting
of the Zoning Hearing Board.