Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-02
WILL REGULATE
PROJECTING SIGNS
Ordinance Is Adopted by Com
mittee of City
Council.

An ordinance regulating projecting
advertising signs was adopted by the
aldermanic committee on construction
last night. The ordinance was adopted
to safeguard pedestrians and 10 make
the business section more beautiful
Upon the request of the com
mittee last month Building Superin-
tendent O'Rourke made a study Of
sign ordinances. and also went over
the reports of the City Planning
Commission on the subject.
As a result he drew Up the ordi-
nance adopted by the committee,
which will come up for first reading
in the Common Council on Friday
next. The committee also decided to
make a general inspection Of the city
on June 10.
The more important provisions Of
the ordinance are as follows:
Projecting signs must be fastened
at right angles, except at corners,
ana must not De more than one 1901
thick. No such sign must be affixed
lower than ten feet above the level
Of the sidewalk Within twenty feet
in height the sign may project four
feet and above twenty feet, but not
above forty feet, il may project eight
feet. Above forty feet the sign must
not project further than four feet.
Any sign projecting more than four
feet must not have more than so per
cent. of the face Of the sign. so that
! il offers a solid resistance to the
wind.
No sign must project beyond the
curb line. No sign must be higher
than the structure TO which it is at
tached at the highest point of said
sign. No sign must project beyond
an imaginary line drawn at either
end of a building and at an angle of
45 degrees to the building line
Projecting signs must be Of metal
or nom combustible material. No signs
must be affixed in front of windows
or SO that they obstruct fire escapes.
In order to erect a sign a permit
must be secured. which shall be revo-
cable, and an extra permit must be
| secured for electrical lighting on
| signs. No permit shall be given in
case where a private residence ad-
joins except by consent of the owner
The penalty for violation is fixed at
must be altered to meet the provi-
| sions of the ordinance
As to the fee. Mr.. O'Rourke stated
that in New York ten cents per
| square foot was charged each year,
/ but that he would advise a one-time
permanent charge of one dollar per
square foot. On motion of Alderman
! Faiss the charge was made fifty cents
per square foot. The alderman ex-
! planned that he thought one dollar
would be too high.
| The committee members got into a
discussion over the appointment of
an electrical inspector. There were
/ three men on the civil service list,
with the following ratings: Ralph 3.
| Ward, S3.13; William h Brown. 1851.
and Edward ]. White, Ss29
Alderman Diener proposed Brown,
which motion was seconded by AL
3derman Faiss. Alderman Bleick
wanted Ward. on the ground that he
was high man. In explanation of his
choice, Alderman Diener explained
that Brown was a very able man, and
worked for some of the biggest cleo
trica1 concerns in the country. He
and Aldermen Faiss and Cutting ex-
pressed the opinion that the highest
rating, as experience had shown, did
not always offer the best man when
it came TO the practical test Alder
man Dougherty, chairman of the
committee, was in favor of White.
When the vote was called Brown was
appointed by the vote of Aldermen
Diener, Faiss, Cutting and Schmelz
The committee appointed John
| Arthur, high man on the list, as
! building inspector in place of Charles
| Sloane, who resigned. Both ap-
pointees will receive $1,000 salary.
On motion of Alderman Schmelz
| Superintendent O'Rourke was di-
rected to notify the Central Railroad
! that the hall on the top floor of the
Broad street station must be pro-
vided with sufficient exits. and that
! in the meantime the boxing shows
/ given by Gustavus TroXler must stop.
! Alderman Schmelz stated that he had
/ been to the show and, in his opinion.
| the hall in its present condition did
not offer sufficient safeguards for
those witnessing the exhibition bouts.