The following sign regulations are included
to provide guidance in preserving Brecknock Township's rural character.
Any sign not exempt from this chapter shall adhere to the general
sign standards, the standards determined by the usage classification
of the sign and the standards determined by the construction classification
of the sign as described in this Article. Where standards for one
sign conflict, the more restrictive standard shall apply.
The following signs shall not be included in
the application of the sign requirements of this chapter.
A.
Incidental signs not exceeding a sign area of one
square foot and not including any commercial message or logo, which
carry a message to identify rest rooms, entrances and exits, telephone
locations, an on-site direction, on-site warnings or anything similar.
B.
Government signs such as official traffic and street
name signs and identification, informational or directional signs
required by government bodies or their agencies.
C.
Flags, badges or insignia of any government, government
agency, civic organization, charitable organization or religious organization.
D.
Property identification signs which do not exceed
two square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, post box
numbers, names of occupants or premises or other identification not
having commercial connections.
E.
Integral decoration or architectural features of buildings,
except letters, trademarks, moving parts or moving lights.
F.
Private traffic signs which guide traffic and direct
parking on private property, but bear no advertising matter.
All signs shall be divided into classifications
based on the use of the individual sign. Each sign shall adhere to
the following specific sign standards for their respective classifications:
B.
Home occupation or name signs indicating the name,
profession or activity of the occupant of the dwelling shall comply
with the following:
(1)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of three square
feet.
(2)
Signs shall not project more than six inches from
a wall when attached to a building.
(3)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the
premises to which the sign relates.
(4)
The sign shall be limited to the name, address, occupation
or activity and a logo or trademark.
(5)
There may be no illumination, except that a sign for
a medical office or emergency service may be illuminated when the
business is open.
C.
Identification signs identifying schools, churches,
hospitals or similar institutions and for fraternal clubs, lodges,
farms, residential developments and public parks and recreation areas
shall comply with the following:
D.
Contractor signs. Temporary signs of contractors,
architects, mechanics, artisans and similar professions shall comply
with the following:
(1)
Signs must be set back at least 10 feet from the road
right-of-way line or at the building face, whichever is less. If attached
parallel to the building face, it may extend 12 inches.
(2)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of six square
feet.
(3)
Signs shall be displayed only while the actual work
of the profession is in progress.
(4)
Signs shall be removed within 30 days after completion
of the project.
(5)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the
premises to which the sign relates.
E.
Special event signs. A temporary sign or banner advertising
a sale or providing information about a special event sponsored by
a legally recognized institutional, public, civic, charitable or religious
organization shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 16 square
feet, and banners shall have a maximum sign area of 32 square feet.
(2)
Signs and banners shall be permitted for a maximum
of 60 days.
(3)
Signs and banners shall be removed within five days
after the event.
(4)
Banners crossing a street shall be a minimum of 16
feet above the cartway. No part of the banner shall be more than 25
feet in height. Banners utilizing utility poles for their suspension
must provide proof from the utility company such erection has been
approved.
F.
Real estate signs. A sign advertising the sale, rental,
leasing or development of the premises shall comply with the following:
G.
Election signs. A sign directing attention to a candidate,
political party or a ballot issue shall comply with the following:
H.
Advertising sign. A sign relating to a commercial,
industrial, private, recreational, public utility or other similar
business conducted on the premises in which the sign is located shall
comply with the following:
(1)
Wall signs which are part of the architectural design
of a building shall be restricted to an area not more than 15% of
the wall area, including windows and doors, of the wall upon which
such sign is affixed or attached, and such sign shall not protrude
above the structural wall of which it is a part. A wall advertising
sign shall have a maximum sign area of 100 square feet. Where such
sign consists of individual lettering or symbols attached to a building
or wall, the area of the sign shall be considered to be part of the
smallest rectangle or other regular geometric shape which encompasses
all of the letters and symbols.
(2)
Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of 18
feet from ground level to the top of the sign and shall not exceed
a height of 20 feet to the top of the sign support. The freestanding
sign shall have a maximum sign area of 32 square feet.
(3)
A window sign consisting of individual letters or
symbols shall not exceed 30% of the total glass area of the building
front.
(4)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the
premises to which the sign relates.
(5)
Freestanding signs shall not be located within 10
feet of any right-of-way line or 10 feet of any property line.
(6)
Advertising signs are only permitted in Neighborhood
Commercial (NC), Highway Commercial (HC), Light Industrial (LI) and
Mineral Recovery (MR) Zoning Districts.
[Amended 10-11-1994 by Ord. No. 101]
(7)
A single, nonilluminated, advertising sign is permitted for agricultural uses within any zoning district when proposed in conjunction with the display and sale of locally produced food and agricultural products as described in § 110-38A(6).
[Added 5-11-2010 by Ord. No. 171]
I.
Center sign. A business sign which provides identification
at the entrance to a complex such as a shopping center, office complex
or industrial park shall comply with the following:
(1)
The sign shall devote no less than 50% of the total
sign area to advertisement of the center's name.
(2)
A center sign shall have a maximum size of 32 square
feet.
(3)
Individual uses within the center may be identified
on the center sign, provided that no more than one sign per entrance
is proposed and the size of such sign for the individual use shall
not exceed four square feet.
(4)
A center sign shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet
from street right-of-way line.
(5)
Signs shall only be permitted to be erected on the
premises to which the sign relates.
J.
Billboards. A sign advertising a product or service
other than those which are found on the premises on which the sign
is located shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall only be permitted in the Highway Commercial,
Light Industrial and Agricultural-2 Zoning Districts.
(2)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 300 square
feet.
(3)
No sign shall be erected within 600 feet of existing
residential dwellings.
(4)
A minimum distance of 1,000 feet shall be maintained
between a proposed billboard and any other proposed or existing billboard.
The minimum distance shall be measured radially from the farthest
extension of any proposed or existing panel type sign.
(5)
No part of the sign shall be more than 25 feet in
height.
(6)
All signs shall be set a minimum distance of 30 feet
from any street or road right-of-way line.
(7)
Lighted signs shall use nonglare lighting fixtures
designated and approved for outdoor use.
K.
Business directional signs. A sign containing only
the commercial, industrial, private recreational, religious or other
similar business or use, name and an arrow or other directional symbol
indicating the route to the business shall comply with the following:
(1)
The sign shall have a maximum sign area of three square
feet.
(2)
The top of any sign shall be no more than six feet
from the ground surface immediately underneath.
(3)
No single use or business establishment shall erect,
place, install or maintain more than six such signs with the Township.
(4)
No such sign may be erected, placed, installed or
maintained without the permission of the landowner of the premises
on which the sign is to be located.
L.
Garage/yard sale signs. A temporary sign advertising
the sale of personal goods on a property shall comply with the following:
M.
All other signs which cannot be divided into one of
the other classifications defined in this section shall be permitted
only by a special exception granted by the Zoning Hearing Board. The
Board may specify such appropriate conditions and safeguards as may
be required to keep such signs consistent with the intent of this
chapter.
All signs shall be divided into classifications
based on the construction of the individual sign. Each sign shall
adhere to the following specific sign standards for their respective
classifications.
A.
Area. The area of a sign shall be the area of the
smallest rectangle, triangle or circle that will encompass all elements
of the sign, such as letters, figures, symbols, designs or other display.
(1)
When the sign is a separate unit, the area shall include
any borders, framing, trim, decorative attachments, background and
space between elements; it shall not include any supporting structure
unless the structure is illuminated, is in the form of a symbol or
contains advertising elements.
(2)
When a sign is applied to a wall or otherwise has
no definable edges, the area shall include all color artwork or other
means used to differentiate the sign from the surface upon which it
is placed.
(3)
When a single sign structure has more than two faces
with the same message and the sign faces are more than three feet
apart at any point, the area shall be computed by determining the
greatest total area of all sign faces visible from any single location.
B.
Height. The sign height shall be measured from the
finished grade to the highest point of the sign. The grade shall not
be altered for the purpose of altering the elevation of the sign.
C.
Ground signs. Signs which are stationary but not supported
by a part of a building or which are erected on an independent structure
(legs or base), so that the structure is the main support of the sign,
shall comply with the following:
D.
Flat wall signs. Signs which are erected or displayed
on or parallel to the surface of a building shall comply with the
following:
(1)
Signs shall not project more than 12 inches from the
building wall.
(2)
In any case where projection from the wall is greater
than three inches, the sign shall be a minimum of eight feet above
grade.
(3)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the
wall area on which the sign is mounted or a maximum sign area of 100
square feet.
E.
Wall projecting signs. A sign which is mounted upon
a building so that the principal face is at right angles to the building
wall shall comply with the following:
(1)
Signs shall be located so that the lower edge of the
sign is a minimum of eight feet above grade.
(2)
Signs shall project a maximum of 10 feet from the
building wall; provided, however, that no sign shall project within
the road right-of-way.
(3)
No sign shall extend higher than the top of the wall
to which it is attached.
(4)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the
wall upon which they are mounted or a maximum sign area of 100 square
feet, whichever is less.
F.
Roof signs. A sign which is erected or displayed upon
the roof of any building shall comply with the following:
(1)
No sign shall be placed upon the roof of any building
so as to prevent the free passage from one part of the roof to the
other or to interfere with any openings in the roof.
(2)
No sign erected upon the roof of any building shall
project beyond the edges of the roof in any direction.
(3)
Roof signs may extend no higher than the building
height limit for the zoning district, measured at ground level.
(4)
Signs shall have a maximum sign area of 15% of the
front wall area or a maximum sign area of 100 square feet, whichever
is less.
(5)
No roof sign parallel to a building shall extend in
length a distance greater than 2/3 of the length of the wall
to which it is parallel.
G.
Other signs not permanently attached at all points
or which utilize air motion, sound, direction lights or mechanical
parts for effect shall be permitted only by a special exception granted
by the Zoning Hearing Board. The Board may specify such appropriate
conditions and safeguards as may be required to keep such signs consistent
with the intent of this chapter.
The following standards shall apply to all signs,
except that they shall be superseded by any more specific or conflicting
regulations elsewhere in this Article.
A.
All signs shall reflect the general character of the
neighborhood.
B.
No sign shall be maintained within the Township in
such a state of disrepair as to have the appearance of complete neglect
or which is rotting or falling down, which is illegible or has loose
parts separated from original fastenings.
C.
If a sign becomes unsafe, the Zoning Officer shall
give written notice to the owner of the premises on which the sign
is located that the sign must be made safe or removed within five
days.
D.
The areas surrounding all signs shall be maintained
in a neat, clean and attractive condition.
E.
All signs shall be removed within six months if the
purpose for which they were erected no longer exists.
F.
No temporary signs shall be permitted except as authorized
elsewhere in this Article.
G.
No permanent sign shall be located within a street
right-of-way, except a government sign, a public utility sign, a nonprofit
organization sign or another sign approved by the governing body or
the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
H.
No sign shall be located within the clear sight triangle
of any street intersection or any other position where it could endanger
vehicular or pedestrian traffic by obstructing vision.
I.
Any sign within a floodplain must receive approval
as a special exception.
J.
No sign shall be erected or located so as to prevent
free ingress and egress from any window, door or fire escape.
K.
No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct ventilation
or light from a building.
L.
No overhead sign shall have a clearance of less than
eight feet between any pedestrian walk at the lowest part of the sign.
M.
No sign which is parallel to the face of a building
shall project more than 12 inches over a public sidewalk; no sign
which is perpendicular to the face of a building shall project more
than 48 inches over a public sidewalk.
N.
No sign shall be permitted which imitates or which
might be confused with an official traffic sign or signal, such as
by containing the words "Stop" or "Danger" or by including red, green
or yellow lights.
O.
No sign or window display shall include a revolving
beam or beacon of light resembling an emergency vehicle or facility.
P.
No sign shall advertise activities or products which
are illegal under federal, state or local municipal laws or regulations.
Q.
No sign shall include statements, words or pictures
which are considered to be vulgar, obscene or pornographic.
R.
No animated, sequential, intermittent, flashing, rotating
or oscillating signs shall be permitted except for time-and-temperature
signs.
S.
No sign shall emit smoke, visible vapors, particles,
sound or odor.
T.
No sign shall be placed on an automobile, truck or
other vehicle when that vehicle is used primarily for displaying a
sign.
U.
No open flames shall be permitted as part of a sign
or in any other way to attract attention.
V.
Advertising painted or displayed upon a barn or other
structure shall be considered a sign and shall comply with the regulations
of this Article.
W.
Any sign which has been authenticated as historically
significant and accurate for its specific location, whether original
or a replica, shall be exempt from the regulations of this Article.
X.
The light from any illuminated sign shall not adversely
affect safe vision of operators of vehicles moving on public or private
streets or parking areas, any residential district or any part of
a building or property used for residential purpose.
Y.
Business signs in other than commercial and industrial
districts shall not be illuminated when the business is closed.
Z.
All electrically illuminated signs shall be constructed
to the standards/listing of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and so
labeled.
The following signs shall be permitted to be
erected without the requirement of a zoning permit:
Nonconforming signs may continue to be displayed,
as long as there is compliance with the following limitations and
conditions:
A.
There may be no expansion or increase in the nonconformity
in any way.
B.
Any maintenance and repair is limited to replacement
of less than 50% of the sign and its supporting structure, and repair
must be completed within six months of the damage occurring.
C.
The sign must be brought into conformity if the message
is changed to reflect a new business or occupant.
D.
The sign must be brought into conformity if, for a
period of at least six months, the message has no longer applied to
an activity on the premises.
