A. The purposes of these Sign Regulations are:
1. To provide uniform standards for all signs within the Township and specific standards for signs in each zoning district;
2. To establish procedures for the review and approval of sign permit applications;
3. To regulate the location, size, construction, erection, alteration, use and maintenance of signs;
4. To protect the health, safety of the community through the proper use and design of structures for outdoor advertising and graphic communication purposes; and
5. To promote the use of well crafted signs in harmony with the architectural and historical character of the Township.
A. Scope and Applicability
1. Any sign hereafter erected, altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended, relocated or maintained in Solebury Township shall conform with the provisions of this Article and any other regulations or code of Solebury Township relating thereto.
2. No sign shall hereafter be erected or attached to, suspended from or supported on a building or structure, and no sign shall hereafter be altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended or relocated, until a permit for the same has been obtained from the Zoning Officer, except those listed specifically hereafter in Section 1704.
3. Application for such permits shall be made in writing to the Township Zoning Officer in accordance with the provisions of Section 1706.
4. Nonconforming Signs. Signs and their respective illumination existing at the time of the adoption of this Ordinance, which do not conform to the requirements of this Ordinance, shall be considered nonconforming signs and once destroyed or removed for any reason, except in the case of vandalism shall be replaced only with conforming signs and lighting. Nonconforming signs may be painted, repaired (including lighting) and altered in their wording provided such modifications do not exceed the dimensions of the existing signs.
5. Abandoned Signs. No person shall maintain or permit to be maintained on any premises owned or controlled by him, a sign which has been abandoned. An abandoned sign for the purpose of this Ordinance is a sign erected on, and/or related to: a property for which the use has been abandoned; or, any sign which relates to a time, event, or purpose which is past. Any such abandoned sign shall be removed by the landowner or person controlling the property, within ten (10) days of the abandonment as described above.'
6. The Zoning Officer is hereby authorized and empowered to revoke any permit issued by him upon failure of the holder thereof to comply with any provision of this Article.
A. Prohibited Signs. It is unlawful to erect or maintain the following signs:
1. Spinning, animated, twirling, or any other moving objects used for advertising purposes whether containing a message or not.
2. Flashing, blinking, twinkling, animated, or lighted moving signs of any type, except those portions of signs which indicate time and temperature changes, and except for Christmas decorations on display during the holiday season in December.
3. Advertising cloth or paper banner or signs of any similar character suspended or hung on any property, except for banners which may be temporarily suspended across streets upon special permission of the Board of Supervisors.
4. Signs on mobile stands which can be moved from place to place and thereby not permanently affixed to the ground, except for those signs permitted in Section 1705.A.6.
5. No sign containing the colors red, green, blue-green, yellow or amber which are illuminated or in high reflection by the use of luminescent paints, strips or similar compounds shall be permitted within three hundred (300) feet of any traffic light.
6. Curb or sidewalk signs, or signs which are attached to or suspended from any outdoor bench, chair, or other similar structure, except for inscriptions on benches at a church, park, or other non-profit institution, or acknowledgements of a donor that is not a commercial advertisement.
7. Advertisements or directional signs which are tacked, pasted, tied or otherwise affixed to poles, posts, trees, buildings, fences or other structures located within public rights-of-way in Solebury Township, unless specifically provided for herein.
8. Unsafe and unlawful signs. If the Zoning Officer shall find that any sign or other advertising structure regulated herein is unsafe or insecure or is a menace to the public or has been constructed or erected or is being maintained in violation of the provisions of this ordinance, he shall give written notice to the permittee thereof. If the permittee fails to remove or alter the structure so as to comply with the standards herein set forth within ten (10) days after such notice, such sign or other advertising structure may be removed or altered to comply by the Zoning Officer at the expense of the permittee or owner of the property upon which it is located. The Zoning Officer shall refuse to issue a permit to any permittee or owner who refuses to pay costs so assessed. The Zoning Officer may cause any sign or other advertising structure which is an immediate peril to persons or property to be removed summarily and without notice.
9. Signs placed, inscribed or supported upon the roofline or any structure which extends above the roofline of any building.
10. Off-premises signs, except those provided for in Section 1705.A.6. and 1705.A.7., except for political campaign signs, and those signs provided for in Section 1705.B.7. 11. Signs or other advertising on a permanently parked vehicle which does not have a current license and inspection and is visible from a road.
A. The following restrictions shall apply to all permitted signs.
1. No sign shall be located, arranged or placed in a position that it will cause danger to traffic, or w through any other means.
2. Every sign must be constructed of durable materials and shall be solidly and firmly attached, supported and/or anchored to the supports or framework.
3. Every sign must be maintained in good condition and repair. Any sign which is allowed to become dilapidated shall be removed by and at the expense of the landowner or lessee of the property on which it is located.
4. No sign, other than a sign of a governmental body, shall be erected within the right-of-way lines of any street, unless specifically permitted hereafter.
5. All permanent signs affixed to any permitted building shall be integrated into the architectural design of the building on which they are placed and shall be harmonious with the design of the facade of the building.
6. Double Faced Signs
a. Any sign may be double faced provided it has two (2) parallel surfaces that are opposite and matching in size and shape and are not over twelve (12) inches apart.
b. The sign shall be considered as one (1) sign and only one (1) face shall be used to calculate the total size of the sign.
7. Pole Signs. Such signs shall be permitted on the premises of the use for which they are intended and may be erected provided:
a. No pole sign greater than four (4) square feet shall be erected within the project into the right-of-way of any street. Pole signs which are greater than four (4) square feet shall be set back from the cartway at least ten (10) feet plus the height of the pole.
b. No portion of any pole sign shall exceed fifteen (15) feet above the average ground level, except that in the TNC and LI Districts, no portion of said sign shall exceed eighteen (18) feet.
c. No pole sign shall be less than eight (8) feet in height and no such sign shall obstruct sight distance.
8. Ground Signs
a. The top of any ground sign shall be no higher above the ground level than four (4) feet.
b. All poles or columns that support ground signs shall be made of metal, steel, or pressure treated timbers. All such posts shall be embedded in the ground at least three (3) feet six (6) inches.
c. Ground signs in residential districts shall be set back a distance of a minimum of ten (10) feet from the cartway. Ground signs in all other districts shall be located outside the public street right-of-way and outside of any required clear sight triangle.
9. Wall Signs
Such signs may be erected and maintained provided that:
a. No such sign shall project more than eight (8) inches beyond the facade of the building.
b. All wall signs shall be rigidly affixed to the building and to all supporting and framing structures, attachments and hardware with galvanized steel or non-corrective fastenings.
c. No part of the wall sign shall be less than eight (8) feet or more than fifteen (15) feet above the ground on walkway level, except as provided below for marquees, awnings and canopies.
10. Marquees, Awnings and Canopies.
a. Marquees, awnings and canopies which are used as signs may be constructed of cloth or metal, provided, however, all frames and supports shall be of metal.
b .Every marquee, awning or canopy shall be securely attached to and supported by the building. Posts or columns beyond the facade of the building shall not be permitted, unless they are part of a restoration project which is approved by the Board of Supervisors.
c. All marquees, awnings and canopies shall be constructed and erected so that the lowest portion thereof shall be not less than eight (8) feet above the level of the sidewalk or public street.
11. Illuminated Signs.
a. Illuminated signs shall not permit any direct light to shine on abutting properties or in the normal line of vision of the public when using the streets.
b. The source of said lighting shall not be visible from the street, alley or sidewalk, nor from any normal vantage point.
c. No sign shall be illuminated by other than electrical means. All electrical wiring related to signs shall be contained in rigid conduit or enclosed in poles or raceways. All electrical sign components, connection and installations shall conform to specifications of the National Electrical Code and Underwriters' Laboratories (U.L.). Every electrical sign must bear the seal of the Underwriters' Laboratories prior to installation and before issuance of a permit by the Zoning Office. The number of the U.L. label assigned to the subject sign must be provided by the constructor of the sign. The installation of any electrical sign without the U.L. label permanently affixed thereon is not permitted. This provision shall apply to both permanent and temporary electrical signs.
12. Projecting Signs. Such sign may be erected and maintained provided:
a. Such sign shall not project more than three (3) feet from the building facade.
b. No part of the sign shall be less than eight (8) f eet, nor more than fifteen (15) feet above the ground or walkway level.
c. No projecting sign shall be permitted within twenty-five (25) feet of any other projecting sign.
13. Each sign shall be removed within ten (10) days of the time when the circumstances leading to its erection no longer apply, or as provided for otherwise herein.
14. All signs on smoke stacks, water towers, silos and other similar structures shall be governed by the. provisions of this Article and Article 18.
A. The following signs, exactly as herein described, are exempt from the requirements for a permit but shall still be subject to all applicable regulations in the Article.
1. Decorations for a recognized officially designated holiday provided they do not create a traffic or fire hazard.
2. Official and governmental signs which shall include safety signs, signs indicating scenic or historical points of interest and traffic signs.
3. Signs designating the name of the owner or occupant of a property, the address of such property, the private ownership of roadways or other property provided:
a. Such sign is not in excess of two (2) square feet in area.
4. Signs of mechanics, painters and other artisans and signs of contractors, architects and engineers may be erected and maintained during the period such persons are performing work on the premises on which signs are erected, provided:
a. The size thereof is not in excess of four (4) square feet, except that one sign not in excess of twelve (12) square feet may be erected whenever three or mom companies are working at the same property at the same time.
b. Such signs may be placed during the conduct of the work, but shall be removed within thirty-one (31) days of completion of the work unless approved otherwise by the Zoning Officer.
5. Temporary signs (except for banners which are provided for in Section 1705) announcing a political, public, educational, charitable, civic, religious or similar campaign or event provided:
a. Each such sign does not exceed twelve (12) square feet. bSuch sign may be erected for a period not to exceed thirty-one (31) days in any calendar year.
6. Window Signs. Such signs shall be used to serve as an accessory sign to the sign associated with the principal use.
a.Window signs shall be permitted in the VC, RC, TNC and LI Districts and where nonconforming commercial uses occur in other districts.
b .The total area of all temporary or permanent window signs shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the total glass area of the window in which they are placed, except for grocery stores, food markets, or pharmacies, where the total area shall not exceed thirty-five (35) percent of the total glass area of the window.
7. Informational signs such as: "entrance", "exit", "no parking", "visitor's parking", "no trespassing", "keep of the grass", and the like, on the same lot as the use to which the sign relates, or the prohibition of the use to which the sign relates, provided that:
a. The area of said sign shall not exceed two (2) square feet in area.
b. Such sign shall not contain any advertising.
8. Signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which they are erected, or that said premises have been sold or rented, when erected by a broker or other person interested in the sale of rental of such premises, may be erected and maintained, provided:
a. The size of any such sign is not in excess of four (4) square feet.
b. Not more than one (1) sign be placed upon any property in single and separate ownership, such signs to be removed within fourteen (14) days after a lease or an Agreement of Sale has been executed.
9. Service Organization Signs representing that the organization has a chapter within the Township, depicting the organization's symbol, and setting forth the meeting place and time of the organization within the Township.
a. Each sign under this section may be composed of two (2) separate elements: one (1) which depicts the organization's logo and one (1) which sets forth the organization's meeting place and time within the Township. Each two (2) element sign shall be considered one (1) sign for purposes of this subsection.
b. The area of such a sign shall not exceed two (2) square feet.
c. Not more than two (2) signs per organization may be placed in Solebury Township.
d. The maximum height of a sign under this use shall be five (5) feet. The sign must be free-standing.
10. Where agriculture is a primary use of the property to which the following signs pertain, no permit is required for signs identifying agricultural properties, agricultural activities and the sale of agricultural or horticultural products provided they conform to the following requirements:
A. On Premises Signs. A sign or signs may be established on the property to which they pertain identifying the property, lawful permitted activities on the property including agricultural and horticultural products sold and agricultural activities provided thereon subject to the following:
1. The sign or signs shall not exceed a total of 12 square feet per side.
2. The maximum height of the sign shall be 8 feet and neither the top of the sign, the posts, nor any appurtenances to the sign shall exceed a height of 8 feet from the ground.
3. The sign must be located outside the legal right-of-way of the road along which it is established.
B. Off Premises Signs. Signs are permitted to be located off the property to which they pertain subject to the following conditions:
1. Only signs advertising the sale of agricultural and horticultural products, agricultural activities offered and/or providing directions to the property on which the products are sold or activities are conducted are permitted.
2. No more than seven off premises signs are permitted within the Township for any single property to which they pertain.
3. The signs must be temporary and are only permitted during the growing season of the agricultural/horticultural products and during times when agricultural activities to which they pertain are occurring.
4. Permission of the property owner on whose property the sign is placed must be obtained, in writing, and proof thereof maintained by the person responsible for installing the sign.
5. No off premises sign shall be placed such that it obstructs the view of vehicular traffic.
6. The maximum size of an Off Premises Sign shall be 6 square feet per side.
7. A Tourist Oriented Directional Sign (TODS) permitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for a farm market or sale of farm products is permitted and such signs shall not be counted against the number of Off Premises Signs permitted herein.
**Webmasters Note: The previous subsection, A.10, has been added as per Ordinance No. 2006-07.
