In all zoning districts within the Township
of Hatfield, signs may be erected, altered, maintained, used, or moved,
but only when in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
A.
Only materials as permitted by the applicable sections
of the BOCA Basic Building Code, as last revised, shall be used in
the manufacture of signs within Hatfield Township. The design and
construction of electrical signs shall be in accordance with requirements
set forth by the National Electrical Code, as last revised.
B.
Signs and sign structures will be designed and constructed
to resist wind forces as specified in the BOCA Basic Building Code,
as last revised, and shall be further constructed to resist seismic
forces as specified in the BOCA Basic Building Code, as last revised.
C.
All electrical wiring shall be contained in rigid
conduit, or enclosed in poles or raceways. All electrical sign components,
connections, and insulators shall conform to the specifications of
the National Electrical Code, and the Underwriters' Laboratories.
Every electrical sign must bear the seal of the Underwriters' Laboratories
prior to installation.
A.
Prohibitions. The following types of signs will not
be permitted in Hatfield Township:
B.
Obstructions. No signs shall be placed in such a position
as to endanger traffic on a street by obscuring a clear view, or by
confusion with local street signs, or signals, by virtue of position
or color. A clear sight triangle of 25 feet inward from the edge of
the paving, in the case of a private exit, and in the case of a public
road or highway, a clear sight triangle of 25 feet inward from the
right-of-way of both intersecting streets is required. In addition,
no sign shall be so located or arranged so that it interferes with
traffic through glare, through blocking of reasonable sight lines
for streets, sidewalks, or driveways, confusion with traffic control
devices by reason of color, location, shape, or other characteristics,
or through any other means.
C.
Public right-of-way.
(1)
No sign, other than official street signs, shall
be erected, or maintained, within the street right-of-way of any public
road in Hatfield Township.
(2)
No sign shall project more than 48 inches over
a public walkway, and the lower edge of such a projecting sign shall
not be less than 10 feet above the walk level.
D.
Maintenance. All signs permitted by this article must
be constructed of durable materials and must be kept in good condition
and repair. Any sign which, in the opinion of the Hatfield Township
Zoning Officer, is allowed to become dilapidated or unsafe, shall,
after 30 days' notification to the owner, be removed by the Township
at the expense of the owner or the lessee of the property on which
it is located.
E.
Nonconforming signs. Once removed for repair, replacement,
or any other reason, a nonconforming sign shall not be replaced unless
with a conforming sign; however, nonconforming signs may be repainted
or repaired in place provided that such repainted or repaired sign
does not exceed the dimensions of the existing sign.
F.
Vehicular signs. Any vehicle to which a sign is affixed
in such a manner that the carrying of such sign, or signs, no longer
is incidental to the vehicle's primary purpose, but becomes a primary
purpose in itself, shall be considered a freestanding sign, and as
such, shall be subject to the provisions regarding freestanding signs
in the district in which the vehicle is located.
G.
Yard requirements. No portion of any freestanding
sign, business sign, or advertising sign may be located closer to
a different zoning district than the combination of both the required
buffer zone and the required side yard in the district in which the
sign is located, but in no case, shall a sign be located closer than
50 feet to a different zoning district. In addition, the sign shall
be so designed so that light will not reflect or shine off of the
subject premises onto adjacent lots.
H.
Changeable-copy signs shall be operated and maintained
such that the sign copy is not changed at a rate greater than once
per hour.
[Added 6-27-2007 by Ord. No. 561]
I.
The intensity of illumination of all signs shall be
subject to the periodic review of the Code Enforcement Officer of
Hatfield Township, and adjustments shall be made at his/her direction.
[Added 6-27-2007 by Ord. No. 561]
The Building Department of Hatfield Township
shall have the authority to require the removal and/or demolition
of signs under the following circumstances:
A.
When it is determined by the Zoning Officer of Hatfield
Township that a sign has deteriorated to the point of becoming a danger
to the public.
B.
When a sign does not comply with the provisions as
outlined by this article.
C.
When an owner or lessee vacates a building or premises
for a period of over 45 days.
A.
General provisions.
B.
Residential district provisions: ER, RA-1, RA-2 Residential
Districts; B Residential Districts; BA Residential Districts; and
BB Residential Districts.
(1)
On-premises signs. In the above indicated residential
zones, no on-premises sign shall be permitted except as follows:
(a)
One nonilluminated, or indirectly illuminated
sign, for home occupations or accessory offices indicating only names
of persons and their occupations, provided that the area of any such
sign shall not exceed two square feet.
(b)
One nonilluminated, or indirectly illuminated,
sign in connection with a lawfully maintained nonconforming use, provided
that the area of any such sign shall not exceed six square feet.
(c)
One nonilluminated sign advertising the sale
or rental of the premises on which the sign has been erected, or one
sign indicating the said premises has been sold or rented providing
that the area of any such sign shall not exceed six square feet and
such sign shall be removed within 20 days after the agreement of sale
or rental has been entered into.
(d)
One temporary, nonilluminated sign erected in
connection with the development or proposed development of a premises
by a builder, contractor, or developer, or other persons interested
in such sale or development provided the area of any such sign shall
not exceed 32 square feet and that the sign shall be removed within
20 days after the last structure has been initially occupied or upon
expiration of the building permit, whichever is sooner.
(e)
Temporary, nonilluminated signs of mechanics
or artisans may be erected and maintained during the period such persons
are performing work on the premises on which the signs are erected,
providing that the total area of all such signs shall not exceed 24
feet.
(f)
Signs announcing "no trespassing" indicating
the private nature of a road, driveway, or premises, provided that
the area of any such sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(2)
Off-premises signs. No off-premises signs are
permitted in the above mentioned residential districts except as follows:
(a)
Signs necessary for the direction, regulation,
and control of traffic, street name signs, legal notices, warnings
at railroad crossing, and other official signs which are singularly
authorized or erected by duly constituted governmental bodies.
(b)
Temporary signs advertising political parties
or candidates for elections may be erected or displayed and maintained
provided that:
(c)
Temporary, nonilluminated signs directing persons
to temporary exhibits, shows, or events may be erected subject to
the following requirements:
[1]
Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area.
[2]
Signs shall not be posted earlier than seven
days before the occurrence of the event to which they relate and must
be removed within seven days after the date of the exhibit, show,
or event, or sale.
[3]
Temporary signs for any one exhibit, show, event,
or use shall be limited to two events per year. Each event shall be
no more than 15 days in duration.
[4]
Nonilluminated signs used for directing patrons,
members, or an audience to service clubs, churches, or other nonprofit
organizations, providing that signs indicate only the name of the
organization and place, date and time of meeting and shall not exceed
four square feet in area.
C.
Provisions for garden apartments, Townhouse Districts,
Multifamily-Elderly Districts and mobile home developments.
(1)
On-premises signs. On-premises signs in the
above mentioned residential districts shall not be permitted except
as follows:
(a)
Signs displayed for the direction, safety or
convenience of the public including signs which identify rest rooms,
public telephone booths, parking areas, entrances or exits, freight
entrances or the like provided that the area of any such sign shall
not exceed four square feet.
(b)
Flags representing governmental units, which
shall fly no more than 20 feet in height.
(c)
One nonilluminated sign or indirectly illuminated
sign, displaying only the name and address of the premises, or complex,
provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed 20 square
feet.
(d)
One nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated
sign, bulletin board, or announcement board, or an identification
sign for a permitted building or use provided that the area of any
such sign shall not exceed 20 square feet.
(e)
One temporary, nonilluminated sign erected in
connection with the development or proposed development of the premises
by a builder, contractor or developer, or other persons interested
in such sale or development, provided that the area of any such sign
shall not exceed 24 square feet, and that the sign shall be removed
within 20 days after the last structure has been initially occupied
or upon the expiration of the building permit, whichever is sooner.
(2)
Off-premises signs. Off-premises signs in the
above designated residential districts are not permitted except as
follows:
(a)
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.
(b)
Temporary nonilluminated signs directing persons
to temporary exhibits, shows or events may be erected subject to the
following requirements:
[1]
Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in the
area.
[2]
Signs shall not be posted earlier than seven
days before the occurrence of the event to which they relate and must
be removed within seven days after the date of the exhibit, show,
event or sale.
[3]
Temporary signs advertising political parties
or candidates for elections may be erected or displayed and maintained
provided that:
D.
Signs in Limited Professional Office Districts.
(1)
On-premises signs. In Limited Professional Office
Districts, no on-premises signs shall be permitted except as follows
and in no case shall more than one permanent freestanding sign be
permitted on each property:
(a)
All on-premises signs permitted in Subsection B(1) and provided that in no case shall more than one temporary sign be permitted on each property.
(b)
Freestanding business signs, provided that:
[1]
Only one such sign shall be permitted on each
property which sign may be directly or indirectly illuminated, provided
that no sign shall be lighted after office hours.
[2]
The area of such sign shall not exceed eight
square feet. The street number of the property on which the sign is
located, as assigned by the Building Department, shall be displayed
as an integral part of the sign utilizing a minimum of 72 square inches
of the area of such sign with numerals not less than six inches in
height.
[3]
The maximum height of such sign shall not exceed
six feet and the lowest portion of the sign shall not be higher than
two feet above the ground level. The space between the sign area and
ground level shall be landscaped to shield the supporting elements
of the sign area from view.
[4]
Signs shall only contain the name of the professional
occupying the premises, or his firm or studio name and his professional
occupation, and educational degrees.
[5]
All sign areas shall be rectangular in shape
with the length of the longest dimension not exceeding 2 1/2
times the length of the shortest dimension. The color utilized within
the sign area and any supporting elements thereof, including all forms
of illumination shall be muted whites, blacks, grays, and browns with
compliance in this respect to be subject to the approval of the zoning
officer and appeal therefrom shall be with the Zoning Hearing Board.
A.
On-premises signs. No on-premises signs shall be permitted
in the above captioned district except as follows:
(1)
All on-premises signs permitted in § 282-180B(1) and C(1), except as otherwise provided in this section.
(2)
Parallel and projecting business signs.
(a)
The total area of all parallel and projecting
signs for each establishment shall not exceed 1 1/2 square feet
for each foot of length of the front building wall or length of that
portion of such wall which is devoted to such establishment. In no
case shall the total sign area for a single establishment exceed 60
square feet.
[Amended 11-24-2003 by Ord. No. 513]
(b)
If such establishment does not occupy any floor
area on the ground floor level of the building other than an entryway,
the maximum area per foot of length of the front building wall, or
portion thereof, shall be only one square foot.
(c)
Signs painted on or affixed to the inside or
outside of windows shall be included in this computation if their
combined area exceeds 25% of the area of the window which they occupy.
(d)
In no case, however, may the total area of parallel
and projecting signs, and any signs affixed to the inside or outside
of windows, exceed 10% of the area of the wall, including windows
and door areas and cornices, to which they are attached.
(3)
Freestanding business signs.
(a)
Only one such sign shall be permitted on each
property for each street frontage.
(b)
The area of any one such sign shall not exceed
1/2 square foot for each one foot of lot frontage or 100 square feet,
whichever is smaller.
[Amended 6-27-2007 by Ord. No. 561]
(c)
The maximum height of freestanding business
signs shall not exceed 14 feet.
B.
Off-premises signs. All off-premises signs permitted in this district shall comply with the standards herein prescribed for off-premises signs in § 282-180B(2) and C(2).
A.
On-premises signs. In industrial districts, no on-premises
signs shall be permitted, except as follows:
(1)
All on-premises signs permitted in § 282-180B(1) and C(1) and § 282-181A, and the standards prescribed therein.
(2)
Parallel business signs subject to the following
provisions:
(a)
The total area of any parallel signs shall not
exceed two square feet for each foot of length of the front building
wall or length of that portion of such wall which is devoted to such
establishment, or 50 square feet, whichever is less.
(b)
No parallel sign shall be painted on or affixed
to the inside or outside of windows in such districts.
(3)
Freestanding signs, provided that:
[Amended 6-27-2007 by Ord. No. 561]
B.
Off-premises signs. All off-premises signs permitted in §§ 282-180B(2) and C(2) and 282-181B, above, pursuant to the standards prescribed herein are permitted in the LI Light Industrial District and the LIRC Light Industrial Restricted Commercial District. Additional off-premises signs will be permitted in the LI Light Industrial District only in accordance with the provisions of Subsection D, below.
[Amended 11-24-2003 by Ord. No. 513]
C.
Industrial parks. In addition to the signs permitted
above for individual establishments, there shall be permitted one
sign indicating the name of the industrial park, provided that such
sign shall not exceed five feet in height and 12 feet in length.
D.
Off-premises signs in the LI Light Industrial District
by special exception. Off-premises signs are permitted in the LI Light
Industrial District by special exception, provided all of the following
criteria are satisfied, in addition to any other applicable criteria
set forth elsewhere in this chapter:
[Added 11-24-2003 by Ord. No. 513]
(1)
No portion, foundation, and/or support for any
such sign shall be placed on, in, or over any private property without
written consent of the property owner.
(2)
No such sign shall exceed 150 square feet in
area.
(3)
All such signs shall be constructed in accordance
with industry-wide standards established by the Outdoor Advertising
Association of America and the Institute of Outdoor Advertising.
(4)
No such sign shall be located within 1/2 mile
of any other such sign on the same street, road, highway, or alley,
as measured along the center line of the abutting cartway.
(5)
No such sign shall be located within 1,000 feet
of any interchange, overpass, underpass, bridge, street intersection,
residential use, or residential zoning district.
(6)
No such sign shall be located within 250 feet
of any other freestanding sign.
(7)
No such sign shall be located less than six
and/or more than 40 feet from any street right-of-way line.
(8)
The maximum height of any such sign shall be
20 feet.
(9)
Illumination of such signs shall be by external
illumination only. No flashing, intermittent, rotating, and/or oscillating
lights are permitted. No direct light shall extend beyond the face
of the sign. Such signs shall not be illuminated in any manner beyond
the hours of dusk till 12:00 midnight.
(10)
The rear side of such signs shall be of one
neutral color.
(11)
All such signs shall be identified on the structure
with the name and address of the owner of such sign. Such signs within
any area regulated by Title 67, Chapter 445, of the Pennsylvania Code
shall be further identified with a permit number or tag issued by
the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
(12)
All such signs shall conform with any and all
other applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.
Signs shall be permitted in recreational areas
only when authorized by the Board of Commissioners and regulated as
follows:
A.
One nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated on-premises
sign, which names and gives pertinent information pertaining to the
recreation facility, and other official signs which are similarly
authorized or erected by a duly constituted governmental body.
B.
Temporary parallel advertising will be permitted on
the backfield fences facing the backstop in baseball fields in open
recreation areas. Such signs shall not extend above the fences to
which they are attached and shall be erected no sooner than one week
prior to the initial municipally sanctioned league baseball game of
the season, and shall be removed no later than one week after the
final such game of the season.
A.
In all residential districts, the following permitted
signs may be directly illuminated and no other:
(1)
Professional sign of a physician, dentist, healer,
justice of the peace and such other persons whose services in emergency
situations are customarily considered essential to the public health,
safety, and welfare, provided that the illumination is white light
only, and provided further that the total illumination for any such
sign shall not exceed the equivalent of that given by a 25 watt incandescent
light source.
(2)
Signs of a school, church, hospital, sanitarium,
club, or other institution of similar nature, or municipal building,
provided that the illumination is white light only, and provided further
that the total illumination for any such sign shall not exceed the
equivalent of that given by a 60 watt incandescent light source.
(3)
Signs for regulation of traffic, marking of
hazards and the like.
A.
Sign permits. It shall be unlawful to erect, construct,
or alter any sign which exceeds eight square feet in area in the Township
of Hatfield without first filing with the Zoning Department of Hatfield
Township an application in writing in order to obtain a formal permit.
B.
Application form. An application for a permit for
the erection, construction, or alteration of a sign in the Township
of Hatfield shall be submitted on such forms as prescribed by the
Zoning Department of Hatfield Township. The application shall contain
the affidavit of the owner of the premises authorizing the application
and the work described herein.
C.
Plans to accompany application. Applications for permits
for the erection, construction or alteration of signs shall be accompanied
by a site plan, drawings of the proposed work, zoning district in
which the sign is located, and structural details of the sign, all
of which are to be drawn to scale and any such other details as may
be required by the Zoning Department of Hatfield Township.
D.
Fees. All applications for permits for the erection,
construction, or alteration of signs shall, at the time of making
application, be paid to the Building Department of Hatfield Township,
in accordance with the respective fee schedule to be established from
time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners of Hatfield
Township.[1] In addition thereto, any engineering fees incurred by
the applicant must also be paid in accordance with the fee schedule
to be established from time to time by resolution of the Board of
Commissioners.
