It is recognized that signs perform important functions in identifying
residences and businesses. It is hereby found and declared, however,
that control of signs is necessary to promote the health, safety and
general welfare by lessening hazards to pedestrian and vehicular traffic,
by preserving property values, by preventing unsightly and detrimental
development which has a blighting influence upon residential, business
and industrial uses, by preventing signs from reaching such excessive
size that they obscure one another to the detriment of all concerned
and by securing certain fundamentals of design for the Borough.
[Amended 9-16-1997 by Ord. No. 97-13; 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any permanent or temporary structure or part thereof or any
device attached, painted or represented directly or indirectly on
a structure or other 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, or
direction or which is designed to attract the eye or draw the attention
of the public.
Exception. Flags patriotic in nature and limited to federal,
state and local government flags are exempted from the provisions
of this chapter, provided that:
A.
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 which are incidental to the display
itself).
B.
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.
C.
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°, then both sides of such sign shall be considered
in calculating the sign area.
A.
Directly illuminated sign. A directly illuminated sign shall be a
sign designed to give forth artificial light directly (or through
transparent or translucent material) from a source of light within
such sign, including but not limited to neon and exposed lamp signs.
Festoon lighting is a directly illuminated sign comprised of either:
B.
Indirectly illuminated sign. An indirectly illuminated sign shall
be a sign illuminated with a light so shielded that no direct rays
therefrom are visible elsewhere on the lot where said illumination
occurs. If such shielding device is defective, such sign shall be
deemed to be a directly illuminated sign.
C.
Flashing sign. A flashing sign shall be an illuminated sign on which
the artificial light is not maintained stationary and constant in
intensity and color at all times when in use.
D.
Nonilluminated sign. A nonilluminated sign shall be a sign which
is not illuminated either directly or indirectly.
A.
On-premises sign. An on-premises sign shall be a sign which advertises
or otherwise directs attention to an activity conducted on the same
lot.
B.
Advertising sign. An advertising sign shall be an off-premises sign
which advertises or otherwise directs attention to a commodity, business,
industry, home occupation or other similar activity which is sold,
offered or conducted elsewhere than on the lot upon which such sign
is located.
C.
Business sign. A business sign shall be an on-premises sign which
advertises or otherwise directs attention to a business, commodity,
service, industry or other activity which is sold, offered or conducted
other than incidentally on the premises upon which such sign is located
or to which it is affixed.
A.
Freestanding sign. A freestanding sign shall be a permanently affixed
self-supporting sign resting on or supported by means of poles or
standards either on the ground or on the roof of a building. The height
of freestanding signs on the ground shall be measured from the mean
elevation of the finished grade at the front of the building to the
uppermost portion of the sign.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
B.
Parallel sign. A parallel sign shall be a sign mounted parallel to
a wall or other vertical building surface. Parallel signs shall not
extend beyond the edge of any wall or other surface to which they
are mounted and shall not project more than eight inches from its
surface.
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-5]
C.
Projecting sign. A projecting sign shall be any sign mounted to a wall or other vertical building surface other than a parallel sign. Projecting signs shall not project more than two feet from the wall or surface to which they are mounted, except as provided under § 450-58, nor in any way interfere with normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
D.
Nonstationary sign. A nonstationary sign shall be a sign which, by
means of some mechanical device, changes its position constantly or
at regular intervals by rotating around an axis or shifting in horizontal
or vertical alignment.
A.
Prohibition. Flashing signs, nonstationary signs, neon signs exceeding two square feet in area, handwritten signs, portable signs not permanently affixed to either the ground or to a building and festoon lighting, except as provided under Subsections L and M, shall not be permitted in any district. Freestanding roof signs shall not be permitted in any district, except as provided under § 450-58, provided that they do not extend more than four feet above the roofline of a one-story building.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
B.
Obstruction. No sign shall be erected or maintained within a distance
of 10 feet from the intersection of any street lines or the intersection
of a street line and the edge of a private accessway, and 25 feet
in the H-C/I District, unless the location of the sign is situated
at least eight feet above the level of the street center line.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
C.
Overhanging. No signs shall overhang any walkway or public right-of-way, except as provided under § 450-58.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
D.
Maintenance. All signs permitted in this article must be professionally
designed and constructed of durable materials and must be kept in
good condition and repair. Any sign which is allowed to become dilapidated
shall be removed by the Borough at the expense of the owner or lessee
of the property on which it is located.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
E.
Nonconforming signs. Signs existing at the time of passage of this
chapter, which do not conform to the requirements of this chapter,
shall be considered nonconforming signs and may continue in nonconformity.
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 action does not exceed the dimensions of the existing sign.
All nonconforming signs must be registered with the Zoning Office.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9; 7-5-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
F.
Permit required. All signs shall require the issuance of a sign permit from the Zoning Office before erection or replacement, except for patriotic signs as described in § 450-51. A building permit shall also be required by the Construction Code Official for any sign which is permanently affixed to the ground, the building facade or the inside or outside of windows.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9; 7-5-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
G.
Separate frontage. If an establishment has walls fronting on two or more streets, the provisions of § 450-58A(2) and (3) shall apply for each street frontage.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
H.
Signs within street lines. Signs erected by a duly constituted governmental
body, including traffic signs and similar regulatory notices, shall
be allowed within street lines. No other signs shall be permitted
within street lines, except that this provision shall be waived for
parallel signs in areas where no front yard setback is required.
I.
Yard requirements. No portion of any freestanding sign shall be located
closer to any lot line than 1/2 the required yard for the district
in which it is located, except for COS and H-C/I Districts. If this
requirement cannot be met, then freestanding signs shall be prohibited
on such properties.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
J.
Vehicular signs. Any vehicle to which a sign is affixed in such a
manner that 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 be subject
to the provisions regarding freestanding signs in the district in
which such vehicle is located.
K.
Abandoned signs. For the purpose of this chapter, an abandoned sign(s)
is one that, after one year, said sign(s), including all hangers,
brackets or superstructures used in support or attached to said sign,
no longer represents the user or use of the structure or land to which
said sign(s) is attached or freestanding.
L.
Festoon lighting, which is to be defined as miniature, nonflashing
lights of a discrete nature, will be permitted in commercial and H-C/I
Districts if it lends to the attractiveness of the business and connects
with the overall appearance of the district as a whole.
[Added 9-16-1997 by Ord.
No. 97-14; amended 7-5-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
M.
Festoon lighting shall be clear in color and of an encased commercial
grade.
[Added 9-16-1997 by Ord.
No. 97-14]
N.
Appearance. Any sign for which a permit is issued is approved for
appearance and condition as well as for dimension. Any change that
may affect the original appearance must be approved by the Zoning
Officer.
[Added 6-16-1998 by Ord.
No. 98-9; amended 7-5-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-5]
A.
On-premises signs. The following types of signs and no other shall
be permitted:
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-5]
(1)
Official traffic signs.
(2)
Professional accessory use or name signs indicating the name, profession
or activity of the occupant of a dwelling and trespassing sign or
signs indicating the private nature of a driveway or premises, provided
that the area on one side of any such sign shall not exceed two square
feet.
(3)
Identification signs for schools, churches, hospitals or similar
institutions, provided that the area on one side of any such sign
shall not exceed 24 square feet, and identification signs for clubs,
lodges, estates or similar uses, provided that the area on one side
of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(4)
Temporary signs of mechanics and artisans, provided that such signs
shall be removed promptly upon completion of the work.
B.
Off-premises signs. No off-premises signs shall be permitted except
directional or information signs of a public or semipublic nature,
not exceeding eight square feet in area. Not more than one such sign
shall be placed on each property unless such property fronts on more
than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each
street frontage. Such signs shall only be used for the purpose of
stating or calling attention to:
(1)
The name or location of a town, village, hospital, community center,
public or private school, YMCA, YWCA, church, synagogue or other place
of worship.
(2)
The name or place of meeting of an official or civic body such as
a chamber of commerce, board of trade or service club.
(3)
An event of public interest, such as public or general election;
church or public meeting; local, county and state fair; volunteer
fire department fair; and other similar community activities and campaigns.
(4)
Soil conservation, 4-H and similar projects.
C.
Locational restrictions.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
(1)
Freestanding ground signs may not exceed five feet in height.
(2)
Parallel and projecting signs, or portions of such signs, shall not
be located above the ceiling of the ground floor of any building nor
more than 12 feet above the upper surface of the nearest curb, whichever
is less, except in COS and H-C/I Districts.
A.
On-premises signs. In the COS District, no on-premises signs shall
be permitted except as follows:
(1)
All signs permitted in § 450-57 at the standard prescribed therein except as otherwise provided in this section.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
(2)
Parallel and projecting business signs, provided that:
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
(a)
The total area of all parallel signs for each establishment
shall not exceed one square foot for each foot length of the front
building wall or length of that portion of such wall which is devoted
to such establishment.
(b)
The total area of all projecting signs shall not exceed eight
square feet nor shall any sign project from a building facade more
than four feet.
(c)
A minimum clearance of nine feet must be maintained between
the upper surface of the nearest curb and the lowermost portion of
any parallel or projecting sign.
(d)
The maximum height of parallel or projecting signs shall not
exceed 15 feet measured from the upper surface of the nearest curb
to the uppermost portion of the sign.
(3)
Freestanding business signs, provided that:
(a)
Only one such sign shall be permitted on each property for each street frontage, subject to the provisions of § 450-56G.
(b)
All freestanding signs in the COS District must conform to the
design standard as illustrated in this chapter with a total area not
to exceed 15 square feet.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
(c)
The maximum height of freestanding business signs shall not
exceed five feet measured from the finished grade to the uppermost
portion of the sign.
[Amended 6-16-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9]
(d)
Freestanding signs must be located no less than 10 feet from
the curb, measured to the forwardmost portion of the sign.
[Added 6-16-1998 by Ord.
No. 98-9]
A.
On-premises signs. In the H-C/I District, no on-premises signs shall
be permitted except as follows:
(2)
Parallel business signs subject to the following provisions:
(a)
The total area of any parallel sign 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 business signs, provided that:
[Added 6-16-2015 by Ord.
No. 2015-5]
The following regulations shall apply to temporary signs which
are permitted in any zone:
A.
Nonilluminated real estate signs announcing the sale, rental or lease
of the premises on which the sign is located and real estate signs
announcing an open house. The sign may be double-faced and, except
as noted below, only one sign announcing the sale, rental or lease
of the premises shall be permitted on each lot or parcel unless it
fronts on more than one street right-of-way or property line, unless
attached to a portion of a building that may be nearer to said street
right-of-way or property line. Temporary real estate signs announcing
an open house may be located so as to provide directions to the open
house; however, in no event shall such signs remain in place for a
period exceeding 24 hours. Temporary signs shall not be located so
as to obstruct traffic in any way, and such signs shall not be located
in any landscaped traffic island. Any temporary sign erected pursuant
to this subsection may be erected on private property only with the
authorization of the owner of the property.
(2)
All real estate signs announcing the sale, rental or lease of the
premises shall be removed within seven days after closing or settlement
on said property or the execution of the lease. Temporary real estate
signs announcing an open house or providing directions therefor shall
be removed within six hours from the end of the open house event.
(3)
Developments with four or more homes for sale may be advertised on
a sign not to exceed 24 square feet nor a twelve-foot height. One
such sign shall be permitted on each frontage if the development fronts
on more than one street. The sign shall be removed when all of the
homes or lots have been initially sold or rented.
(4)
No temporary "For Sale" or "For Lease" sign shall exceed six feet
in height.
(5)
The advertised use of the structure shall be in accordance with the
zoning in the district in which it is located.
(6)
The penalty for a violation of this subsection shall be as provided in § 450-88 of this chapter for each violation. Each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues shall be deemed a separate offense. Each sign erected in violation of this subsection shall be deemed a separate offense. The owner of any sign as identified on such sign shall be liable for any penalty assessed for any sign deemed to be in violation of this subsection.
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-5]
B.
Temporary signs for advertising public functions or fund-raising
events for charitable or religious organizations shall be permitted
for a period of 30 days prior to and during the event and shall be
removed within five days after the event. The sign shall be nonilluminated,
not larger than 24 square feet in area, not exceeding eight feet in
height and may be erected flat against the building or freestanding.
C.
Temporary political signs and signs not related to a political campaign
but containing political expressions may be erected for a period of
60 days prior to any scheduled election date. Campaign signs shall
be removed within 15 days after the election. Political signs in residential
zones shall not exceed 16 square feet, the dimension shall not exceed
four feet on any side, and they shall not exceed the height limitation
for residential zones. Political signs in all other zones shall not
exceed the maximum size and height limitation for the zone in which
they are placed. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 19:44A-22.3, temporary
political signs aiding or promoting the nomination, election or defeat
of any candidate or providing political information on a political
candidate or aiding the passage or defeat of any public question or
providing political information on any public question shall clearly
state on the face thereof the name and business or residence address
of the committee, group or person that financed the temporary political
sign and shall contain a statement that the temporary political sign
has been financed by that group, committee or person.
D.
Relocation information signs for a period of 30 days. Relocation
signs shall be restricted to the present location of the relocating
business and the future location of the relocating business. The signs,
one each at the present and the future business sites, shall not be
in excess of standards set forth for the zone in which the business
is located.
E.
Construction signs. One sign announcing the name of architects, engineers
and/or contractors, the building enterprise and related information
shall be permitted at a site under construction, alteration or repair,
provided that the sign shall not exceed 24 square feet in area and
that the sign shall be removed before a certificate of occupancy is
issued.
F.
Commercial temporary signs and banners. The construction, erection,
replacement or alteration of any temporary sign or banner advertising
a grand opening or special sales event on a commercial premises shall
be permitted subject to the following standards:
(1)
One temporary sign or banner not exceeding 24 square feet designed
to advertise a grand opening celebration of a commercial establishment
may be erected and maintained on the commercial premises which is
the subject of said grand opening celebration for a period of 14 days
prior to said event and for seven days thereafter. Streamers, pennants,
balloons and other like accessory decorations may also be erected
during the above time period.
(2)
One temporary sign or banner not exceeding 24 square feet designed
to advertise a special sales event may be erected and maintained on
the commercial premises conducting said event for a period not in
excess of 30 calendar days. The erection of a temporary sign or banner
advertising a special sales event shall be limited to four events
per year per commercial establishment.
(3)
Temporary signs or banners shall not be so installed as to create
a traffic or fire hazard to create a condition that adversely affects
public safety.
(4)
Temporary signs or banners not permitted by this chapter are prohibited.
[Amended 7-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-5]
(6)
It is the duty of the Zoning Officer to enforce these regulations
and the penalties hereunder and to investigate all banners which are
alleged to be unsafe, a menace to the public, or erected or displayed
in violation of the provisions of this section.
G.
Noncommercial banners. Nonprofit and public organizations and agencies
shall be permitted to erect or display a banner which shall comply
with the standards and procedures as set forth this section.
H.
There shall be no fees imposed or approvals required for the erection
of any temporary sign which satisfies the requirements of this section.
