Source: https://www.hampdentownship.us/codified_ordinances/chapter_27_-_part_17_-_general_regulations
Timestamp: 2019-05-19 08:39:06
Document Index: 314914314

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 17', 'art 17', '§1600', '§2', '§1601', '§14', '§1602', '§1603', '§1604', '§1605', '§1606', '§1607', '§14', '§1608', '§1609', '§1610', '§1611', '§1612', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1714', '§1613', '§1614', '§1', '§1615', '§1616', 'art 1', '§1617', '§1618', '§1720', '§1', 'art 2']

Chapter 27 - Part 17 - General Regulations - Township of Hampden
Township of Hampden » Codified Ordinances » Chapter 27 - Part 17 - General Regulations
In districts where permitted, the use of buildings and land for farming, nurseries, green­houses, riding academies, livery or boarding stables, dog kennels, stock and poultry raising and dairying shall be subject to the following safeguards and regulations:
A. Storage of manure or other odor or dust‑producing sub­stances shall not be permitted within 30 feet of any lot line.
B. Coal‑fueled greenhouse heating plants shall not be operated within 100 feet of any residen­tial district boundary and natural gas or oil‑fueled greenhouse heating plants shall not be operated within 50 feet of any such boundary.
No such building used for kennels and animal hospitals, including exercise yards, shall be erected within two-hundred (200) feet of a residential use, residential property line, or the boundary line of a zoning district that permits residential uses.
No more than (1) one domestic animal shall be permitted outdoors between the hours of 8:00 pm and 7:00 am prevailing time and any kennel or animal hospital shall be operated to prevent animal-generated noise between these hours.
Outdoor exercise yards shall be fenced with solid material of a height and construction suitable to contain the animals.The fence shall comply with the requirements of Section 1708 of this Chapter.
Animal wastes shall be regularly removed from the portions of the exercise yard and/or Animal Hospital and disposed of in accordance with current Pennsylvania law. On-lot disposal shall meet setback requirements as specified in (1) above.
Any kennel or animal hospital shall provide a full-time resident manager authorized to address noise or other impacts on adjoining properties and unsecured animals.The full-time resident manager must be available on site and by telephone twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven days a week.
D. The sale of products raised, bred or grown on the premises shall be permitted provided that all temporary stands or shelters used for such sales and not conform­ing to building code standards shall be removed during the period not in use for the display or sale of such products.
E. Keeping of Livestock. Where the keeping of live­stock is allowed by this Chapter, the following minimum require­ments shall be met:
LIVESTOCK - any form of nonhuman domesti­cated animal life, such as (but not limited to) horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, etc.
ANIMAL EQUIVALENT UNIT - one thousand pounds aggre­gate live weight of livestock animals, regardless of the actual number of individual animals compris­ing the unit. [Ord. 94-7]
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1600, amended by Ord. 94-7, 6/29/94, §2 and by Ord. 2017-10, 07/27/2017)
Where buffer yards are required under the terms of this Chapter they shall be provided in accordance with the following stan­dards:
(2) Contain a screen to obscure the commercial, indus­trial, office use from the adjoining residential use.
(2) A dense screen planting consisting of nondeci­duous trees 5 feet in height planted in a line not more than 6 feet apart; or, [Ord. 92-5]
D. The screen planting shall consist of nondeciduous trees arranged in a manner to serve as a barrier to visibili­ty, air‑borne particles, glare and noise. Depending upon the type of nondeciduous trees proposed, a stag­gered planting pattern may be required. [Ord. 92-5]
G. Prior to the issuance of a building permit, complete plans showing the arrangement of all buffer yards and the place­ment, species and size of all plant materials to be placed in such buffer yards shall be approved by the Zoning Officer.
H. Screening and the buffer area shall be maintained (includ­ing the replacement of dead plant materials or destroyed or deteriorated other materials) by the owner of the buffer area.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1601; as amended by Ord. 92-5, 2/4/1992, §14(A))
C. Each roadway shall be not more than 35 feet in width, measured at right angles to the centerline of the driveway, except as increased by permissible curb return radii. The entire flare of any return radius shall fall within the right‑of‑way.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1602)
The application for a permit for any and all uses shall be accompanied by a site plan showing building location, service and parking areas and access to highways. Where a driveway or access road intersects with a State road or highway, the appli­cant shall submit the site plan for review and approval by the Zoning Officer prior to submitting it for approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1603)
1. Areas which become annexed to the Township subsequent to the adoption of this Chapter shall be classified automatically to conform to the zoning district to which they are contigu­ous.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1604)
Courts shall conform to the following require­ments:
(2) An open and unobstructed passageway shall be pro­vided for each inner court. Such passageway shall have sufficient cross section area and headroom for the passage of firefighting equipment and shall be continuous from the inner court to a yard or unob­structed open area with access to a street.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1605)
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1606)
Fences on farms may be up to six feet in height.
Any portion of a retaining wall greater than four feet in height shall be protected by a physical barrier, complying with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code requirements for guards, on the upslope side of the retaining wall.
Retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and that retain in excess of 24 inches (610 mm) of unbalanced fill shall be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift.Retaining walls shall be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1607; as amended by Ord. 92-5, 2/4/1992, §14(B); and by Ord. 98-7, 8/27/1998, as amended by Ord. 12-02, 06/28/2012; and as amended by Ord. 2018-02, 02/01/2018)
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1608)
1. No fence, sign or other structure shall be erected or main­tained and no hedge, trees, shrubs or other vegetation shall be maintained or permitted which may cause danger to motor vehicles and pedestrian traffic on a street or road by interfering with the view.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1609; as amended by Ord. 85‑4, 4/2/1985)
All outdoor lighting shall be so arranged and shielded so that no objectionable illumina­tion is cast upon adjoining residential uses in any district.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1610)
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1611)
Except as specifically provided hereinbelow with respect to large recreational vehicles, currently licensed wheeled vehicles in operating condition, including recreational vehicles of 30 feet or less in overall length, used for transportation of an occupant of a residential premises may be parked within the front, rear or side yards of a residential premises provided the location thereof is approved under this Chapter as an off-street parking space.[Ord. 99-05]
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1612; as amended by Ord. 95-10, 11/02/1995, §1; Ord. 99-05, 07/01/1999, §1; and by Ord. 00-04, 03/02/2000, §1);
§1714. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR STREET AND HIGHWAY WIDENING. Whenever there shall be official plans in existence and/or published for the widening of any street or highway within the Township, the Planning Commission may require additional front yard setbacks for any new construction or for any structures altered or remodeled in order to preserve and protect rights‑of-way for such proposed street or highway widening.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1613)
B. The pool, related structures and equipment shall not be located within any required yard area with the exception of a rear yard in which case it shall be located not less than 10 feet from the rear lot line. [Ord. 84‑7]
(1) Every outdoor swimming pool of permanent construc­tion, whether above or below ground, shall be completely surround­ed by a barrier not less than 4 feet in height which shall be so constructed as not to have openings, holes or gaps larger than 4 inches in any dimension and, if a picket fence is erected or main­tained, the horizontal or vertical dimension of space between pickets shall not exceed 4 inches. The maximum vertical clearance between grade and the bottom of the barrier shall be 2 inches (51 mm) measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. When wire mesh fencing is used, the wire shall be no thinner than 12 gauge. Maximum mesh size for chain link fences shall be a 2 1/4 inch (58 mm) square unless the fence is provided with slats fastened at the top or the bottom which reduce the openings to not more than 1 3/4 inches (44 mm). [Ord. 98-7]
(2) Pedestrian access gates shall open outward away from the pool and shall be self-closing and have a self-latching device. Gates other than pedestri­an access gates shall have a self-latching device. [Ord. 98-7]
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1614; as amended by Ord. 84‑7, 7/3/1984; by Ord. 93-5, 6/1/1995, §1(F); and by Ord. 98-7, 8/27/1998)
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1615)
Yards required in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Chapter shall be planted with grass seed, sod, ground cover or other vegetative cover except in cases where walks, access drives, off‑street parking lots, patios or other types of surfaces are permitted in yards.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1616)
The terms, conditions, require­ments and provisions of the Hampden Township Excavation and Fill Ordinance enacted Decem­ber 5, 1972 [Chapter 9, Part 1], as now or hereafter amended, are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
(Ord. 84‑2, 8/29/1984, §1617)
Notwithstanding anything to the contr­ary hereinbefore appearing, the required minimum lot area of lots not serviced by public sewer service may be increased if the Sewage Enforcement Officer determines that, based upon the results of appropriate percola­tion and soil suitability tests, additional area is required pursuant to Act 537, Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, as amended.
(Ord. 84‑2, 3/29/1984, §1618; as amended by Ord. 98-7, 8/27/1998)
§1720. CHILD DAY CARE CENTERS, PRIVATE NURSERIES AND KINDERGAR­TENS.
Child day care centers, private nurseries and kindergartens shall be permitted as accessory uses within a school building (public, private or parochial), church or synagogue building or any building used for business purposes; provided, however, that such accessory use in an I‑G (Industrial‑General) zoning district shall be limited to children of employees of the business in which the facility is to be located.
A. Short Title. This Section shall be known as the "Hampden Township Sign Regulations" (hereinafter called "regula­tions").
B. General Intent. The sign regulations, controls and provi­sions set forth in this regulation are made in accor­dance with an overall plan and program for the public safety, area development, preservation of property values, and the general welfare of the Township of Hampden, and are intended to:
(9) To recognize that the general welfare includes a community that shall be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious, as well as clean, and well‑bala­nced in its growth and development.
BANNER ‑ any sign of lightweight fabric or similar material that is usually mounted to a pole or building at one or more edges, with a minimum dimension of 3 square feet per face; but not including any solid colored multicolored, or seasonal decoration containing no commercial message. National, State or municipal flags, or the official flag of any institution or business shall not be considered banners.
BUSINESS OFFICE BUILDING ‑ a building used as offices and occupied by personnel to perform business, professional, administrative or clerical functions.
BUSINESS OFFICE COMPLEX ‑ a group of business office buildings or condominium units located on a single tract of land.
CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGN - a sign that changes messages or copy by electronic or mechanical means, regardless of the technology used.
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ‑ where this term is used through­out this Section, it shall be interpreted to mean the director and/or his designees within the Hampden Township Codes Enforcement Office. [Ord11-05]
FLAG ‑ any fabric, usually rectangular in shape, of distinc­tive design, that is used as the symbol of government, political subdivision or other entity. Such a flag, that is raised and lowered on a flagpole, shall not be considered a sign.
GROUND POLE SIGN ‑ a sign supported vertically by one or more uprights, poles or braces placed in or upon the ground.
ILLUMINATED SIGN ‑ a sign that provides artificial light directly or through any transparent or translucent material from a source of light connected with such sign, or a sign illuminated by a light focused upon or directed at the surface of the sign.
INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS CENTER – a group of two or more uses permitted in the I-G District and located in a building, or buildings, on a single tract of land in the I-G District. [Ord. 2018-09}
OFF‑PREMISES ADVERTISING SIGN ‑ a sign which contains a message unrelated to a business or profession conducted upon the zone lot where such sign is located or which is unrelat­ed to a commodity, service or entertainment sold or offered upon the zone lot where such sign is located.
ON-PREMISES ADVERTISING SIGN - a sign which contains a message related to a business or profession conducted upon the zone lot where such sign is located and which is related to a commodity, service or entertainment that is sold or offered upon the zone lot where the sign is located.
PENNANT ‑ any lightweight fabric, plastic or other material, usually triangular in shape, suspended from, or attached to, a rope, wire, string or pole, whether grouped in series or not, and normally designed to move in the wind.
PERMANENT SIGN ‑ any sign which is intended to be displayed for a length of time in excess of 30 days.
PREMISES ‑ the area occupied by a business or other commer­cial, professional or industrial enterprise.
PROJECTING SIGN ‑ a sign which projects horizontally from and is supported by a wall of a building.
ROOF SIGN ‑ any sign or part thereof erected and maintained upon or above the roof of any building.
SEARCHLIGHT ‑ Any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere or directed at one or more points not on the same zone lot as the light source; also, any light with one or more beams that rotate or move.
SHOPPING CENTER ‑ an area of land occupied by a cohesive group of three or more retail stores, service facilities or other commercial uses arranged and constructed according to a plan and having common off‑street patron parking as an integral part of the use of the land.
SIGN ‑ any structure, device, light or object, including the ground itself or any part thereof, or any device attached thereto, or painted or represented thereon, which shall be used to identify, advertise or attract attention to any object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization, firm, group, commodity, profession, enter­prise, industry or business, or which shall display or include any letter, word, model, number, flag, pennant, insignia, device or representation used as an announcement, direction or advertisement and which is intended to be seen from off the premises or from a parking lot, and shall be deemed to include window signs.
SIGN AREA ‑ that area enclosed by one continuous line, connect­ing the extreme points or edges of a sign. The area shall be determined using the largest sign area or silhou­ette visible at any one time from any one point. This area does not include the main sign support structure, but all other ornamental attachments, inner connecting links, trim, etc. which are not part of the main supports of the sign are to be included in determining sign area. When attached to or painted on a surface, a building, canopy, awning, wall or window, the area is that of the smallest polygon that encompasses all of the letters and/or symbols. All visible faces of a multifaced sign shall be counted separately and then totaled in calculating sign area. [Ord. 95-3]
STOREFRONT ‑ the front of a business or business building facing a street, driveway, or parking area.
STREAMER ‑ a long, narrow, ribbon‑like strip of cloth or fabric, colored paper, etc., hanging loose at one end, suspended from, or attached to, a rope, wire, string or pole, grouped in series, and normally designed to move in the wind.
TEMPORARY SIGN ‑ a sign including, but not limited to, banners, which is to be displayed out of doors and intended to be displayed for a period of time not to exceed 30 days.
WALL SIGN ‑ a sign which is attached directly to or painted upon a building wall and which does not extend horizontally more than 12 inches therefrom nor extend above the roof line or extend beyond the edge of the building. Any sign that is affixed to the building marquee, building awning or a building canopy shall be considered a wall sign.
WINDOW SIGN ‑ any sign, picture, symbol or combination thereof designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale or service that is placed inside a window or on the inside or outside surface of a window, and is intended to be a permanent sign.
ZONE LOT ‑ a parcel of land in single ownership that is of sufficient size to meet minimum zoning requirements, or duly authorized relief therefrom, for area, coverage and use, and that can provide such yards and other open spaces as required by this Chapter.
(1) Name and Address of Resident. Name and address of resident, but not to include any commercial adver­tising, of not more than 2 square feet in sign area.
(2) No Trespassing Signs. No trespassing signs or other such signs regulating the use of a property, such as "No Hunting," "No Fishing," etc., of not more than 2 square feet in sign area in residen­tial zones, and 5 square feet in all commercial and industrial zones.
(3) Real Estate Marketing Signs. Real estate market­ing signs are signs which advertise the sale, rental, or lease of the land or structure(s) upon which they are located, and shall include construction signs which give the name or names of the principal contractors, architects, and lending institutions responsible for construction on the site. Such signs shall not exceed 6 square feet per face in area, with no more that 2 faces, in resi­dential districts and shall not exceed 32 square feet in area per face in all other zoning districts. One real estate marketing sign may be placed on a given zone lot for every street right‑of-way which abuts that zone lot. If a given street adjacent to a zone lot abuts that lot for a continuous distance of 500 feet or more, one addi­tional real estate marketing sign may be displayed along that street right‑of‑way. Any person or real estate broker seeking to erect such signs greater than 16 square feet per face and up to 32 square feet per face, in any nonresidential zoning district, must submit a notice to the Director of Community Development setting forth the name, address and phone number of the landowner, identification of the property to be posted, the approximate location of the sign on the site, and the name, address, phone number and start date of the listing contract of the real estate broker, if any, involved in marketing the property.
(4) Bulletin Board for Public, Charitable or Religious Institutions. Bulletin boards for public, chari­ta­ble or religious institutions, when located on the premises thereof and with a sign area of not more than 25 square feet if single faced, nor more than 50 square feet if double fac­ed, and used exclu­sively for noncommercial announcements.
(5) Signs Regulating Onpremises Traffic, Parking or Other Functional Subdivision. Signs regulating onpremises traffic (Example "In-Out," "Enter-Ex­it"), parking or other functional subdivision, such as lavatory facilities, telephone, signs denoting other sections of a premises such as "Lubrication," "Office," etc., when less than 5 square feet in total sign area.
(6) Signs Erected By A Governmental Body. Signs erect­ed by a governmental body or under the direc­tion of such a body and bearing no commercial advertising, such as traffic signs, railroad crossing signs, safety signs, signs identifying public schools and playgrounds, etc.
(9) Auctions, Garage or Yard Sales. Such signs shall be limited to a maxi­mum size of 5 square feet in area and shall be removed as soon as the event or activity advertised thereby has occurred, and shall not be permitted to exist more then 15 days prior to such event or activity.
(10) Special Events of Charitable or Public Service Groups. Such signs shall be limited to a maximum size of 32 square feet in area per face with a maximum of two faces and shall be re­moved as soon as the event or activity adver­tised thereby has occurred and shall not be permitted to exist more than 30 days prior to such event or activity.
(11) Permanent Residential Development Signs. Permanent residen­tial development signs at major entrances designed to identi­fy a residential subdivision and contain­ing no commer­cial adver­tis­ing shall have a maximum sign area of 25 square feet.
(13) Decals. Commercial decals affixed to window­s or door glass panes are signs. Such decal signs shall not exceed 1,500 square inches in the aggregate per zone lot, and shall be affixed to such pane to a height not to exceed 4 feet as measured from the threshold of the principal public entrance.
(14) Air Suspended Signs. Hot air balloons, signs suspended by a balloon and inflated signs, used only for special events. Such signs may be displayed in any nonresidential zoning dis­trict for a time period of not more than 15 days, maximum of three uses per calendar year, after receiving permission from the Director of Community Development.
(15) Political Signs. Signs announcing candidates seeking public office, ballot issues and other information pertinent thereto shall be permit­ted. Such signs may be displayed not more than 60 days prior to and not later than 7 days after the election for which the sign is in­tended.
B. Signs and Other Devices Prohibited in All Zoning Dis­tricts. The following signs and other devices shall not be permitted, erected or maintained in any zoning district, notwithstanding anything else to the contrary contained in this Section or elsewhere:
(4) Signs which by reason of size, location, content, coloring or manner of illumination, obstruct the vision of drivers, either when leaving a roadway or driveway, or obstruct or detract from the visibili­ty or effectiveness of any traffic sign or control device on public streets and roads.
(6) Signs which make use of words such as "Stop," "Look," "One‑Way," "Danger," "Yield" or any simi­lar words, phrases, symbols, lights or characters, in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
(8) Signs on public property or public rights‑of‑way, unless erected by a governmental body, or unless required to be so located by order of a governmen­tal body, with exception of signs under subsection (3)(A)(10) supra, provided that no such sign shall be placed in any public park.
(10) String lights used for illumination, other than temporary holiday uses, which are not shielded from off the property on which they are locat­ed.
(12) The outdoor display of products for sale, greater than 10 feet from applicant's store­front, with the exception of automobiles, passenger vans and light pick-up trucks dis­played at an automobile dealership. [Ord. 95-3]
C. Limit on Number of Signs Per Premises. Notwithstand­ing anything else to the contrary in this regulation or else­where, no more than three signs may be erected or maintained on any zone lot at any one time, except when a building is located on a corner lot and has public entrances on two or more public ways, or where a building has both a front and rear public entrance, one additional sign may be erected; and except in Industrial Business Centers as provided in subsection (4)(N) infra. A double faced sign shall count as a single sign. Signs enumerated in subsection (3)(A) and subsection (4)(J) infra shall not be included in calculating the total. [Ord. 2018-09]
D. Limit on height of signs. The height limit of any freestanding sign shall be determined relative to the surface elevation of the nearest road from which the freestanding sign is intended to be viewed. If the center-line elevation of the road cartway has a higher elevation than the ground elevation at the proposed sign location, when measured along a line connecting these two points and running perpendicular to the adjoining lot line, the sign height limit may be increased by the resulting difference in elevation; however no sign or any part thereof (including braces, supports or lights) shall exceed a height of 20 feet above the center line elevation of the road cartway if erected at the right‑of‑way line of the street, road or highway adjoining the premises on which the sign is located, plus 1 foot additional height for each 3 lineal feet that said sign is located from such street, road or highway as measured on a perpendicular line from such right‑of‑way line to the nearest part of the sign. If this same method of measurement indicates that the ground at the proposed sign location has either a higher elevation than or the same elevation as the center-line elevation of the road cartway from which the sign is intended to be viewed, then the sign height limit shall not exceed a height of 20 feet if erected at the right‑of‑way line of the street, road or highway adjoining the premises on which the sign is located, plus 1 foot additional height for each 3 lineal feet that said sign is located from such street, road or highway as measured on a perpendicular line from such right‑of‑way line to the nearest part of the sign.
The above notwithstanding, under no circumstances shall any sign exceed 35 feet in height regardless of its distance from the right‑of‑way line. In all cases height shall be measured from the actual grade of the premises directly below the face of the sign (exclusive of any mounds or other additions to the grade level) to the highest part of the sign. [Ord. 2018-06]
E. Limit of Sign Area. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in this regulation, the total sign area per zone lot shall not exceed 3 square feet per lineal front foot of that portion of the building occupied by the occupant of said zone lot, except that no premises shall be limited to less than 32 square feet of total sign area. In no case shall the total sign area of all signs on one zone lot exceed 250 square feet (including directional signs as provided in subsection (4)(F)(3), supra), except in shopping centers as provided in subsection (4)(H), infra and subsection (4)(J) infra (temporary signs), and Hospital and Medical Campuses as provided in subsection (4)(M) infra, and Industrial Business Centers as provided in subsection (4)(N) infra. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in this Section, the total sign area for a basement premises shall not exceed 20 square feet. [Ord. 04-12, amended by Ord. 13-09 and Ord. 2018-09]
(1) All signs and all parts thereof including, but not limited to, framework, supports, background, an­chors and wiring systems, shall be constructed and maintained in compliance with the building, elec­trical and fire prevention codes of Hampden Town­ship as they now exist, or as they may be thereaf­ter adopted. In the absence of an electrical code ordinance, the National Electrical Code shall be used as the standard for all wiring systems.
A. Projecting Signs. In addition to the general provi­sions of this Section, the following specific regulations shall apply to all projecting signs:
C. Ground Pole Signs. In addition to the general provi­sions of this regulation, the following specific regulations shall apply to all ground pole signs:
(1) Every ground pole sign and all parts, braces and supports thereof shall be located entirely within the property lines of the premises and shall not project over public rights‑of‑way or other adjoin­ing lands. Ground pole signs are permitted between the property line and the building setback lines, except where otherwise prohibited.
(3) No single face or advertising side of a ground pole sign shall have an area which exceeds the square footage calculated by multiplying 1 square foot times 1/2 the number of lineal front feet which the subject zone lot has adjoining on a public `street, road or highway measured at the right- of‑way line, but in no event shall any such face or side exceed 50 square feet. Where the frontage of any zone lot is less than 64 lineal feet, a single face or advertising side shall be permitted not to exceed 32 square feet.
(5) All ground pole signs hereafter erected shall be located within a planted green area at least equal to the allowable area of a single face or advertis­ing side for the subject sign, which area shall also include ornamental evergreen shrubbery to minimize the visibility of poles, supports and braces of such sign.
(2) Not more than one roof sign may be erected or main­tained on a single zone lot.
E. Off‑Premises Advertising Signs. In addition to the general regulations of this regulation, the following specific regulations shall apply to all off‑premises advertising signs, except directional signs:
(1) Such signs are permitted only in the C‑G and I‑G Zones as designated in this Chapter.
(2) Such signs are subject to the following restric­tions:
(a) No sign shall be located at a lesser distance than 300 lineal feet from (a) the district boundary line of any adjoining R‑S or R‑T zoning district, or (b) any building used for residential purposes.
1) One hundred feet in the C‑G zoning district where the lot is served by munici­pal sani­tary sewerage.
2) One hundred fifty feet on any lot in the I‑G zoning district, or where the lot is located in the C‑G zoning district and is not served by municipal sanitary sewerage.
(c) The maximum sign area for any one sign facing shall be 300 square feet (in­clusive of any border or trim, but excluding the base or apron supports and other structural members), except in zoning districts where the sign is located adjacent to and intended to be seen by vehicu­lar traffic on the limited access highway known as State Route 581 in which latter location said sign area shall not exceed 700 square feet per facing (inclusive of any border, trim or embellishment (which embellish­ment shall not exceed 28 square feet of area), but excluding the base or apron, supports and other structur­al members). The term "facing" herein above and in subsection (d) herein below shall mean the surface area of the structure containing the message of the sign.
(d) A sign structure shall contain not more than two facings, with only one sign per facing, which facings may be placed only back‑to‑back or V‑shaped at an interior angle of less than 90 degrees.
(g) Signs shall not be located at a lesser dis­tance in any direction from each other than 3,000 lineal feet.
(h) All signs shall be located not less than 40 lineal feet from the legal right‑of‑way line of any existing street, road or highway or from the dedicated right‑of‑way line of any street, road or highway as shown on a subdivision or land development plan approved by this Town­ship.
(k) Every sign shall be identified on the struc­ture with the name of the owner.
(l) All applications for off‑premises advertis­ing signs shall include a written agreement of contract signed by the owner of the parcel or zone lot on which the off‑premises sign will be located which allows for the placement of such signs on the property.
F. Directional Signs. In addition to the general provi­sions of this regulation the following specific regula­tions shall apply to all permanent directional signs:
(1) Signs may be erected near roadways to direct vehi­cles or pedestrians to zone lots not located on such roadways, but the access to which is from such roadways. Such signs may not be erected in any public right‑of‑way. Written permission from the owner of the property where the sign will be placed, including a site plan showing the location of the directional sign, must be submitted with the sign permit application.
(3) The area of a directional sign located off‑premises shall be charged against the total area of the sign owner's on‑premises allowable maximum sign area as provided in subsection (3)(E) hereinabove.
(5) Directional signs shall not be located more than 500 feet from an entrance or other roadway or entrance and shall be on the same side of the road as the advertiser's premises.
(6) When two or more directional signs are request­ed at the same location, all information shall be com­bined in one sign which shall not exceed an area of 12 square feet for a single faced sign or 24 square feet for a double faced sign.
(1) The use of real estate development marketing signs shall be limited to those developers or owners having a minimum of six lots in one subdi­vi­sion.
(3) Such signs may advertise only the lots in the subdivision in which the sign is located and shall not include the realtor's, developer's or land­owner's business in general. The content of such signs shall be limited to the name of the develop­ment, the principal contractors, architects and lending institutions responsible for construction in the development, the developer's name, sales agents and telephone numbers.
(4) Such signs shall conform to relevant setback line require­ments.
H. Shopping Center Signs. In addition to the applicable general provisions of this regulation, the following specific regula­tions shall apply to shopping centers:
(3) A ground pole sign permitted by this subsection (H) shall have no more than two faces or advertis­ing sides.
(4) Except as otherwise specifically allowed or limited in this subsection (H), the provisions of subsec­tion (4)(C) supra pertaining to ground pole signs gener­ally shall apply to ground pole signs allowed in shopping centers.
(3) Each business occupant shall be limited to one wall sign in accordance with the provisions of subsec­tion (4)(B) supra.
(3) A temporary sign shall have no more than two adver­tising sides or faces.
(5) A temporary sign face or advertising side shall not have any dimension (length, width, height, diame­ter) in excess of 6 lineal feet.
(6) Temporary signs may be placed no further than 10 feet from the applicant's storefront. This re­quirement applies to all multitenant buildings and uses. [Ord. 95-3]
(7) A temporary sign permit application must be filed and approved before a temporary sign can be dis­played. Accompanying a temporary sign application shall be:
(a) A site plan showing the location of the build­ing, structure or zone lot to which the sign is to be attached or erected, and showing the position of the sign in relation to nearby buildings and thorough­fares.
(b) A plan showing the design of the sign, mate­rials to be used, color, lighting, size of letter­ing, method of construction, dimensions, and the means of attachment to the building or ground.
(c) An application fee in an amount to be deter­mined, from time to time, by a duly adopted resolution of the Township Board of Commission­ers.
(8) When a temporary sign permit is issued, the appli­cant will receive a temporary sign decal. This decal shall be affixed to the bottom right corner of the approved temporary sign for the entire length of time the sign is permitted to be dis­played and shall only be affixed on the approved temporary sign, and no other. At the end of the approved display time the decal shall be deemed expired and therefor null and void, and the tempo­rary sign shall be removed.
Changeable Message Signs (CMS). In addition to all other applicable provisions of these regulations, the following specific regulations shall apply to all Changeable Message Signs (CMS):
Changeable Message Signs (CMS) shall be permitted when used only in conjunction with ground-pole, On-Premises Advertising signs and all Off-Premises Advertising signs.
Only one On-premise Advertising Sign containing aCMS shall be permitted for each lot regardless of the number of retail stores, service facilities, service providers and other commercial uses on the lot.NoOff-Premise Advertising Sign containing a CMS shall be located within 3000 radial feet of any other Off-Premises Advertising Sign containing a CMS.The 3000 radial feet distance shall be measured in all directions and from off-premises CMS located within all neighboring municipalities.
On-Premise Advertising Signs shall have fixed copy for a minimum of 1 (one) minute and Off-Premise Advertising Signs shall have fixed copy for a minimum of 10 (ten) seconds.
Transition between messages shall be instantaneous.There shall be no visual dissolve or fading, in which any part of one message appears simultaneously with any part of a second message.
Messages shall not blink, travel, scroll, be animated, flash or include movement.
Brightness levels shall be automatically adjusted to ambient light levels and
Light from a Changeable Message Sign shall not exceed 0.2 footcandles above
Owner or applicant of a Changeable Message Sign shall 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.
Advertising copy on Off-Premises Advertising Signs shall not display messages for any retail store, service facility, service provider or other commercial use where the property line of the lot on which the use is conductedis within 500 radial feet of the Off-Premises Advertising Sign.
No Changeable Message Sign shall display content that replicates or depicts any traffic control device or signal.
Hospital and Medical Campus. In addition to the general provisions of this regulation, the following specific regulations shall apply to signs located in and about a Hospital and Medical Campus:
Permitted signs.Not withstanding anything else to the contrary in this regulation, a Hospital and Medical Campus may construct the following signs with dimensions as set forth in this section 4.M:
Ground Pole Sign.A Hospital and Medical Campus may erect one ground pole sign with no more than two faces.In no event shall any such face or side exceed 125 square feet.The ground pole sign may incorporate a Changeable Message Sign on each face.The ground pole sign may be located on the lot containing the Hospital and Medical Campus.Alternatively, it may be erected on a different lot located within 1,000 lineal feet of the property line of the lot containing the Hospital and Medical Campus along a state-owned roadway to direct vehicles or pedestrians to the Hospital and Medical Campus.If located on a different lot, it shall be regulated as an On-Premises Advertising Sign.The ground pole sign shall prominently display whether or not the Hospital includes an emergency room.Such sign may not be erected in any public right of way.If not located on the lot containing the Hospital and Medical Campus, written permission from the owner of the property where the sign will be placed, including a site plan showing the location of the ground pole sign, must be submitted with the sign permit application.A ground pole sign on a different lot shall not count against the maximum signage permitted on that lot.
Wayfinding Signs.In addition to other signage permitted within a Hospital and Medical Campus, wayfinding signs are permitted on the lot containing the Hospital and Medical Campus.Such signs may be erected along public and private roadways to direct vehicles or pedestrians to particular uses within the Hospital and Medical Campus.Such signs may not be erected in any public right of way, and may have no more than two faces.Wayfinding signs shall prominently display directions to the emergency room, if any.Wayfinding signs shall be ground pole signs with a maximum height of 10 feet and a maximum area of 45 square feet per face.The content of wayfinding signs shall be limited to the name and logo of the owner of the Hospital and Medical Campus and the name and direction of particular uses within the complex.The area of wayfinding signs shall not be charged against the total area of the sign owner’s maximum allowable signage.
Roof Sign.The Hospital and Medical Campus may have one Roof Sign with one face.The Roof Sign may not exceed 600 square feet.
Street Number Signs.Each building within the Hospital and Medical Campus that is open to the public may have a street number sign prominently displayed on each wall of the building that faces a public or private street or parking lot.Each number sign must be visible from the nearest public street and may not exceed 50 square feet.The area of number signs shall not be charged against the total area of the sign owner’s maximum allowable signage.
Wall Signs.Each building within the Hospital and Medical Center Campus may have one Wall Sign with one face for each side of the building that faces a public or private street or parking lot.Each Wall Sign may not exceed 50 square feet.
Emergency Room and Ambulance Signs.In addition to the above signs, each Hospital that is equipped with an emergency room shall have signs designating the location of the emergency room at each public entrance to the emergency department and an ambulance sign at each ambulance entrance.Each such sign shall not exceed 40 square feet.
N. Industrial Business Center Signs. In addition to the general provisions of this regulation, the following specific regulations shall apply to Industrial Business Center signs.
Only one ground pole sign advertising the Industrial Business Center
and/or individual businesses within the Industrial Business Center may be erected on the zone lot occupied by an Industrial Business Center along each public road adjoining said lands from which road access is provided to said lands; except that where said zone lot has more than 500 feet of frontage along a public road adjoining said zone lot from which road access is provided to said zone lot, then an additional ground pole sign is permitted on said zone lot as long as there is a minimum separation distance of 500 feet between said ground pole signs on said zone lot.
No single face or advertising side of any such ground pole sign shall have an area which exceeds the square footage calculated by multiplying 1 square foot times the product of ½ the number of lineal feet of the zone lot adjoining a public road along which said sign may be located pursuant to subsection (1) immediately above, but in no event shall any such face or side exceed 50 square feet.
A ground pole sign permitted by this subsection (N) shall have no more than two faces or advertising sides.
Except as otherwise specifically allowed or limited in this subsection (N), the provisions of subsection (4)(C) supra pertaining to ground pole signs generally shall apply to ground pole signs allowed in Industrial Business Center.
In addition to any advertising included on any ground pole sign allowed above, each individual business within the Industrial Business Center shall be allowed and limited to wall signs in accordance with subsection(4)(B) herein above; except that buildings that (i) have a gross floor area in excess of 40,000 square feet and (ii) include two or more businesses shall be permitted to have two or more wall signs with an aggregate sign area of 250 square feet or 25% of the wall area, whichever is less, provided that no individual wall sign shall exceed a sign area of 100 square feet or 25% of the wall area, whichever is less.
(Ord. 00-08, 6/29/00, §1; as amended by Ord. 04-12, 12/07/2004, §I, Ord. 12-05, 08/30/2012,
Ord. 13-09, 09/26/2013, Ord. 16-08, 10/27/2016, Ord. 2018-06, 04/26/2018; and by Ord. 2018-09, 06/28/2018)
A. Signs in Residential Zones R‑S, R‑C, R‑T and F‑S‑C:
(1) All signs are prohibited in residential zones as defined in this Chapter (R‑S, R‑C, R‑T and F‑S‑C), except those signs allowed under subsection (3)(A) supra or as allowed as nonconforming sign uses under subsection (9)(A) infra.
A. ABANDONED SIGN ‑ an abandoned sign shall mean:
(1) A sign which has remained without bonafide adver­tis­ing for a period of 6 months, and for which the sign owner has not made application for a current permit as provided herein below, or which is with­out a current lease or license from the landowner, or as to which the sign owner has ceased to attempt to lease the advertising space; or,
(2) A sign which requires maintenance or repair in excess of 25% of the replace­ment cost of the sign as determined by the Director of Community Development after consultation with the sign owner if said owner can be identified from the permit previously issued for such sign.
(1) Appointment. The Board of Commissioners by reso­lu­tion shall appoint the Director of Community Development and any assistants to enforce the provisions of this regulation.
(a) The Director of Community Development shall exam­ine all applications for permits to erect and/or maintain signs and shall issue permits for signs which conform to the requirements of this regulation. The Director of Community Development, or designees, shall record and file all appli­cations, conduct an inspection of all signs and make such reports as the Board of Commissioners may require.
(b) When the Director of Community Development finds that any sign has been constructed, structural­ly changed, altered or erected, or is being maintained in violation of the provisions of this Section, the owner, lessee or lessor shall be promptly notified thereof in writing. If the owner, lessee or lessor fails to remove or alter the sign so as to comply with the provisions of this regulation within 10 days of the mailing of written notice, the Director of Community Development shall commence enforcement proceedings as provided in subsection (7)(E) "Enforcement Remedies," infra.
(c) When the Director of Community Development finds any sign which presents an immediate peril to persons or property, he or she shall be empow­ered to order it to be removed and the costs of such removal shall be borne by the owner or lessor and shall constitute a lien upon the premises.
(1) General Provisions for All Signs Requiring Permits. All applications for sign permits shall be made on forms supplied by the Director of Community Development. Permits must be kept on the premises (except for off‑premises signs) where the sign is displayed and must be produced and exhibited to the Director of Community Development upon request.
(a) No sign hereafter shall be erected, struc­tural­ly changed, altered or moved until a permit has been obtained therefor from the Director of Community Development. Such permit shall be issued only when the Director of Community Development is satisfied that such sign will comply with all of the applicable provisions of this Section.
(b) An application for a sign permit shall be made on the forms provided above and shall contain or have attached thereto the following informa­tion:
1) Name, address and telephone number of appli­cant.
2) A site plan drawn to scale showing the loca­tion of the building, structure or lot to which the sign is to be attached or erected, and showing the position of the sign in relation to nearby buildings and thoroughfares.
3) A plan drawn to scale showing the design of sign, materials to be used, colors, light­ing, size of lettering, method of construc­tion, and means of attachment to the build­ing or ground.
4) Name of person, firm, corporation or asso­ci­ation erecting, altering or moving said sign.
5) Name and address of the owner of the land on which the sign is to be erected, altered or relocated, together with the owner's written consent.
(c) Within 5 days after a sign has been installed, the owner of the sign shall notify the Director of Community Development, who shall in­spect the sign. If the sign is installed in accordance with the permit, the permit shall be validated by signature of the Director of Community Development. All installed signs must be duly vali­dated.
(3) Permits for Existing Signs. All owners of signs in existence at the time of the effective date of this Section who do not hold permits shall make application for sign permits within 90 days of said effective date. After receipt of an applica­tion to permit an existing sign, the Direc­tor of Community Development shall inspect the sign. If the sign is safe and in good repair and otherwise in compli­ance with this regulation, a permit shall be issued to the applicant.
(2) Every applicant for a permit hereunder for a tempo­rary sign shall pay to the Township a fee in accor­dance with subsection (4)(J)(6)(c) of this regula­tion.
(b) Seeking an injunction or other order of re­straint or abatement that requires the removal of the sign(s) or the correction of the noncon­formity.
(d) In the case of a sign that poses an immedi­ate danger to the public health or safety, taking such measures as are available to the Township under the applicable provisions of this regula­tion and the Building Code for such circum­stances.
(3) All such remedies provided herein shall be cumula­tive to the extent that State law may permit the availability of a particular remedy set forth herein for a certain violation or part thereof, such remedy shall remain available for other viola­tions or other parts of the same violation.
A. All signs which are in existence on the effective date of this regulation and have been previously issued a valid sign permit, which do not conform to one or more of the applicable provisions of this Section with the exception of those signs prohibited under subsection (3)(B) ("Signs Prohibited In All Districts") above shall be eligible for a nonconforming sign permit, which permits shall be issued under the provisions of subsec­tion (7)(B )above but shall be marked as "Nonconforming Sign Permit."
B. Any sign which is in violation of subsection (3)(B) herein­above shall be removed or brought into compliance with the provisions of this Section within 30 days after the effective date of this Section. It shall be unlawful to maintain a sign in violation of subsect­ion (3)(B) supra. The Director of Community Development is empowered to institute enforcement proceedings after the expiration of 30 days for any violation of this subsec­tion (8)(B).
D. Any nonconforming sign shall be brought into compli­ance with the provisions of this Section when any proposed structural change, alteration, repair or maintenance would constitute an expense of more than 25% of the replacement value of the sign.
B. The Director of Community Development shall document the status of nonconforming sign use on the sign permit required under subsection (7)(B) above. Such documenta­tion shall be the exclusive evidence and proof of the status of a nonconforming sign use.
Solar panels shall be permitted for roof top installation provided that the aggregate height of the building and solar panel shall not exceed the maximum building height limit for the zoning district in which the solar energy system is located.
Solar panels shall be permitted as ground arrays subject to the following:
Ground arrays shall not be permitted between the building line or front building elevation plane and the front property line or street right-of-way line, including any area defined as a front yard in Part 2 of this Chapter and both front yards of a corner lot.
Ground arrays shall be located such that any glare is directed away from adjoining property.
Ground arrays are subject to yard setback requirements for the zoning district in which the Solar Energy System is located.
Ground arrays are subject to the lot coverage requirements for the zoning district in which the solar energy system is located.
Solar Energy Systems shall not be used for displaying any advertising except for reasonable identification of the manufacturer or operator of the system.In no case shall identification exceed two-hundred (200) square inches.
Solar Energy Systems shall be a non-obtrusive color such as white, off-white or gray.
The installation of a Solar Energy System shall conform to the requirements of this Chapter, the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Act 45 of 1999, as amended), and applicable industry standards, including those of the American National Standards Institute.
Onsite electrical transmission and power lines that connect to the Solar Energy System shall, to the maximum extent possible, be placed underground.
A clearly visible warning sign concerning voltage shall be placed at the base of all pad mounted transformers and substations.
When a building is necessary for storage cells or related mechanical equipment, the building must not exceed one-hundred fifty (150) square feet in area, fifteen (15) feet in height and shall be considered an accessory structure and permitted in the rear yard only, and shall comply with the rear yard setback requirements and lot coverage requirements.
The landowner shall, at his/her expense, complete the decommissioning of the Solar Energy System within twelve (12) months of the end of the useful life of the Solar Energy System.It shall be presumed that the Solar Energy System is at the end of its useful life if no usable electrical energy, hot water or hot air are generated for a continuous period of twelve (12) months.
Decommissioning of the Solar Energy System shall include removal of the Solar Panels, building, cabling, electrical components, plumbing components, mechanical ductwork and/or components, roads, foundations to a depth of thirty-six (36) inches and any other associated facilities.Disturbed earth shall be graded and reseeded unless the landowner requests, in writing, that the access roads or other land surfaces not be restored.