[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1700; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
"Sign" shall mean and include any permanent or temporary structure
or part thereof, or any device attached, painted, or represented directly
or indirectly on a structure or other outdoor surface, that shall
display or include any letter, word, insignia, flag, or representation
used as, or which is in the nature of, an advertisement, announcement,
visual communication, direction, or is designed to attract the eye
or bring the subject to the attention of the public. Symbols or other
clearly decorative items not conveying a message as defined above
shall not be construed to be signs and shall not be subject to the
requirements of this Part.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1701; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
As used in this Part, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
A sign that moves or has an optical illusion of moving, such
as the movement of any illumination or the flashing or varying of
light intensity to depict action or create a special effect or scene,
or a sign that has changing messages, provided that the following
types of signs shall not be considered animated signs:
A sign that displays electronic, static images, static graphics
or static pictures, with or without text information, defined by a
small number of matrix elements using different combinations of light-emitting
diodes (LEDs), fiber optics, light bulbs or other illumination devices
within the display area where the message change sequence is accomplished
immediately. Digital/electronic signs shall include computer-programmable,
microprocessor-controlled electronic or billboard digital displays.
A sign that directs attention to a person, profession, business,
service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered at a location
other than the premises on which the sign is located. This definition
includes commercial advertising signs otherwise known as "billboards."
A sign which directs attention to a person, business, profession,
or home occupation conducted on the same lot. A "For Sale" or "For
Rent" sign relating to the lot on which it is displayed shall be deemed
an "on-premises" sign.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1702; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
1.
For a sign, the area 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 or bracing which is incidental to the display
itself.
2.
For a sign painted upon or applied to a building, the area shall
be considered to include all lettering, wording, and accompanying
designs or symbols, together with any backing associated with the
sign.
3.
Where the sign consists of individual letters or symbols attached
to or painted on a surface, buildings, wall, or window, the area shall
be considered to be that of the smallest rectangle or shape which
encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
4.
In computing square foot area of a double-faced sign, only one side
shall be considered, provided that both faces are identical. If the
interior angle formed by the two faces of the double-faced sign is
greater than 45°, both sides of such sign shall be considered
in calculating the sign area.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1703; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
1.
Signs displaying the street number or name of the occupancy of the
premises, or both, provided that the area on any one side of any such
sign shall not exceed two square feet. Such sign may include identification
of permitted accessory uses, including a customary home occupation
or a roadside stand.
2.
One bulletin or announcement board or identification freestanding
sign for a permitted nonresidential building or use, provided that
the area of any one side of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square
feet. One additional sign may be attached to a building face. Total
area of that sign shall not exceed 15% of that building face area.
3.
One sign in connection with a lawfully maintained nonconforming use,
provided that the area on any one side of any such sign shall not
exceed two square feet.
4.
Real estate "For Sale" or "For Rent" signs, provided that the area
on any one side of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet.
Such signs shall be removed on date of settlement or rental of the
property.
5.
Temporary contractors', developers', architects', or builders' signs,
provided that the area on any one side of any such sign shall not
exceed 32 square feet. Such signs shall be maintained on the premises
to which they relate and shall be removed upon completion of the work.
6.
Signs announcing no trespassing; signs indicating the private nature
of the road, driveway, or premises; and signs controlling fishing
or hunting on the premises, provided that the area on any one side
of such sign shall not exceed four square feet.
7.
Temporary signs for residential garage sales or for the sale of personal
property at an individual's residence, provided that the area on any
one side of any such sign shall not exceed nine square feet. Such
signs shall be removed upon completion of the sale event but in any
case shall not be present for more than 14 continuous days.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1704; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
No sign or other on-premises device shall be permitted except
as follows:
B.
Signs advertising permitted nonresidential uses, provided that for
all signs to be viewed from without any building, the following requirements
shall apply:
(1)
The total area of signs attached to a building shall not exceed
20% of the building face to which said signs are attached.
(2)
Not more than one freestanding sign shall be placed on any single
property or unless such premises fronts upon more than one street,
in which event one sign may be erected on each frontage. The area
on any one side of any freestanding sign shall not exceed 100 square
feet. Freestanding signs shall not exceed 20 feet in height.
(3)
Maximum sign size may be exceeded on a case-by-case basis if
approved by the Board of Supervisors following the following general
guidelines:
(a)
The sign is required for use on the property by a national franchising
agency.
(b)
The sign will not interfere with the traveling public by attracting
unnecessary attention.
(c)
The sign does not cause glare or offensive light to shine onto
adjacent properties.
(d)
The Board of Supervisors may attach any reasonable conditions
necessary to protect the public welfare.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1705; as
amended by Ord. 2002-02, 2/14/2002, § 2; and by Ord. 2014-02,
3/25/2014]
1.
Off-premises signs which are used for directing persons to principal
uses located in Allen Township, but not for principal uses located
in other municipalities, are permitted in all districts. Such signs
may be erected subject to the following requirements:
A.
A sign may indicate only the name, principal use, and direction of
the principal use.
B.
Only one sign shall be erected prior to each intersection during
movement necessary to reach such principal use and not more than 50
feet from the nearest intersection of street right-of-way lines, outside
of any required yard.
C.
No more than four directional signs shall be erected in the Township
for any one principal use.
D.
Signs in nonresidential districts shall not exceed 12 square feet
in area. Signs in residential districts shall not exceed four square
feet in area.
E.
Signs shall not exceed 10 feet in height.
2.
Temporary nonilluminated signs directing persons to temporary exhibits,
shows, or events located in the Township may be erected, in all zoning
districts, subject to the following requirements:
3.
Temporary signs for residential garage sales or for the sale of personal
property at an individual's residence are permitted in all zoning
districts subject to the following provisions:
A.
The area on any one side of any such sign shall not exceed nine square
feet.
B.
Such signs shall be removed upon completion of the sale event but
in any case shall not be present for more than 14 continuous days.
C.
No more than four off-premises signs may be erected within Allen
Township for any single sale.
4.
Billboards are permitted subject to the following regulations:
A.
District. A billboard is only permitted in the Industrial Commercial
and the Highway Commercial Zoning Districts on properties with frontage
along Nor-Bath Boulevard (PA Route 329).
B.
Location. A billboard shall only be located within 100 linear feet
of the existing right-of-way of Nor-Bath Boulevard (PA Route 329)
as identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Placement
of billboard shall not adversely impact the right-of-way of any other
roadway nor be located within the ultimate right-of-way of any other
roadway. Billboards may be located within the side or rear yard, provided
that they are set back a minimum distance that equals the total height
of the billboard.
C.
Size. A billboard may be two-sided, and each sign face may have a
maximum sign area of 300 square feet inclusive of any border and trim.
Extension, projections, and add-ons beyond the perimeter face of the
sign are prohibited.
D.
Illumination. Billboards may be illuminated in a manner such that
no direct rays of light are visible elsewhere on the property on which
the billboard is located. In addition, rays of light shall not be
permitted to spill onto any adjacent roadway.
E.
Spacing. A billboard shall not be located closer than 1,000 feet
on the same side of the roadway or 1,000 feet on the opposite side
of the roadway from another billboard, as measured along the right-of-way
line. A billboard shall be located a minimum of 300 feet from an existing
dwelling or residential zoning district.
F.
Height. The maximum total height of any billboard shall be 30 feet
above the center line of the adjacent roadway.
G.
A billboard shall be located, constructed and maintained in accordance
with all applicable Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regulations.
H.
An engineering certificate shall accompany any application for a
billboard. The certification shall indicate under seal of a professional
engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that the sign
has been designed in accordance with acceptable engineering practices.
All billboards shall be subject to the design and construction requirements
of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.
I.
Audio or pyrotechnics. Audio speakers and/or any form of pyrotechnics
is prohibited.
J.
Wood and beam frame structures are prohibited. All billboard structures
shall be constructed of steel.
K.
Billboard structures shall be located in accordance with all other
regulations of Allen Township.
5.
Billboard digital displays are permitted subject to the following regulations in addition to those contained in Subsection 4:
A.
Message Duration. Any portion of the message must have a minimum
duration of eight seconds and must be a static display. Messages may
change immediately. No portion of the message may flash, scroll, twirl,
twinkle, oscillate, rotate, blink, change color, or in any manner
imitate movement.
B.
Default Mechanism. All signs must be equipped with a properly functioning
default mechanism that causes the sign to go dark and return to a
solid black display should a malfunction occur.
C.
Brightness (Luminance). The illumination and/or intensity of the
display shall be controlled so as to not create glare, hazards or
nuisances. Such signs shall have a maximum nits level of 5,000 nits
during daylight hours and a maximum of 200 nits in the evening, provided
that the brightness of the digital billboard does not exceed 0.3 footcandle
of light above the normal ambient light levels. Such signs shall be
equipped with automatic dimming technology which automatically adjusts
the sign's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
(1)
The billboard luminance specification shall be determined by
a footcandle metering device held at a height of five feet and aimed
towards the billboard from a distance of 175 feet.
(2)
The metering device should be at a location perpendicular to
the billboard center (as seen in plain view) as this angle has the
highest luminance.
(3)
This check shall include the measurement of an all-white image
displayed by the billboard to evaluate the worst case condition.
(4)
If the difference in luminance between the billboard-on and
the billboard-off conditions is 0.3 footcandle or less, then the billboard
luminance is in compliance.
D.
Spacing. Any billboard digital display shall be separated by a minimum
of 2,500 feet from any other billboard digital display and shall be
located a minimum of 500 feet from an existing dwelling or residential
zoning district.
E.
Applicants shall be required to coordinate/permit message access
for local, regional, state and national emergency services during
emergency situations. Emergency messages are not required to conform
to message standards listed herein.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1706; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
The following requirements shall apply to all signs and other
advertising devices:
A.
No sign or other advertising device with visible moving or movable
parts or with flashing, animated, or intermittent illumination shall
be erected or maintained.
B.
No sign shall be permitted which interferes with highway safety,
such as direct beams which may interfere with highway visibility or
any light which may be interpreted as a traffic or emergency signal.
C.
No sign or other advertising device attached to a building shall
project more than six inches above the roof or parapet lien nor more
than 12 inches out from the wall to which it is attached. However,
signs not exceeding six square feet in area may be projected more
than 12 inches from a building, providing such sign or canopy does
not interfere with pedestrian flow.
E.
No sign or other advertising device shall be located within the lines
of any street right-of-way nor in any way interfere with normal pedestrian
and vehicular flow. This shall include vehicles and transportable
devices.
F.
Animated signs are prohibited.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1707; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
Every sign located in Allen Township must be constructed of
durable materials and shall be kept in good condition and repair.
Any sign which is allowed to become dilapidated shall be removed by
the owner or lessee of the property on which it is located after notification
by the Board of Supervisors or the Township Zoning Officer. If the
sign is not removed within the time specified, the Township shall
remove the sign at the expense of the owner or lessee.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. XVII, § 1708; as
amended by Ord. 2014-02, 3/25/2014]
1.
Signs existing at the time of passage of this chapter and which do
not conform to the requirements of the chapter shall be considered
nonconforming signs and once removed shall be replaced only with conforming
signs. However, nonconforming signs may be repainted or repaired,
provided that such repainted or repaired signs do not exceed the dimensions
of the existing sign.
2.
If any legal nonconforming sign shall be damaged or destroyed by
natural causes, accident, or vandalism, such sign may be replaced
by a new sign, provided that the dimensions of the old sign are not
exceeded.
