ARTICLE VIII Signs
§225-57. Permit required. [Amended 12-8-1982 by Ord . No.71-1982]

It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or alter any sign or other advertising structure as defined in this chapter without first obtaining a permit from the Zoning Officer.

§ 225-58. Exemptions.

The following signs are declared exempt from the requirements of § § 225-57:

A. Professional signs indicating the name and profession of the occupant of a dwelling, provided that such signs do not exceed two square feet on any one side.

B. Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments not covering more than 25% of the window area.

C. Any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as authorized by the fish and game laws.

D. Temporary signs indicating a political preference or a political cause, provided that such signs do not exceed 32 square feet on any one side.

E. Temporary charitable signs, provided that such signs do not exceed 16 square feet on any one side.

F. Real estate sign ("for sale," "for rent" or "sold"), provided that said sign does not exceed four square feet in total area on any one side, and also provided that said sign shall be applicable only to the premises on which it is placed, and not more than one such sign for each 200 feet of frontage of the property to which such sign applies shall be exempt. In the event of property having less than 200 feet of frontage, only one such sign shall be exempt.

G. Traffic directional and traffic control sign located on private property, provided that said sign does not exceed two square feet in surface area.

H. All signs erected by the Township of Egg Harbor.

§ 225-59. Certain features prohibited.

A. No sign shall be erected, used or maintained which in any way simulates official, directional or warning signs erected or maintained by the State of New Jersey, by any county or municipality thereof or by any public utility or similar agency concerned with the protection of the public health or safety.

B. No neon sign or similar illuminated advertisement shall be of such color or located in such a fashion as to diminish or detract in any way from the effectiveness of any traffic signal or similar safety or warning device.

C. The following advertisements are specifically prohibited: any advertisement which uses a series of two or more signs placed in a line parallel to the highway or in similar fashion, all carrying a single advertisement or message, part of which is contained on each sign.

D. No sign shall have flashing lights or exposed flashing lights or exposed high-intensity illumination, except that signs using a digital lighted display panel shall not be classified nor considered as a flashing, exposed or exposed high-intensity illumination device.

E. No sign may obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light or ingress and egress to or from any building or structure, with the exception that 25% of any window may be occupied by a sign or signs subject to the further provisions of this chapter.

F. No sign may be placed in a position such as to cause a danger to traffic by obscuring visibility.

§ 225-60. Prohibited signs; Pinelands Area sign restrictions.

[Amended 7-14-1993 by Ord. No. 30-1993]

A. The following types of signs are not permitted within the Township of Egg Harbor:

(1) Billboards and outdoor display structures, except as per the requirements of § § 225-63C of this article.

[Amended 12-8-1993 by Ord. No. 53-1993]



(2) All roof signs.

(3) Signs tacked, pasted, painted or otherwise attached to poles, posts, trees, fences, sidewalks or curbs unless classified as exempt under § § 225-58.

(4) Exterior signs using moving parts, except clocks.

(5) No sign other than official traffic control devices or street signs shall be erected within or encroach upon the right-of-way lines of any street unless specifically authorized by other ordinances or regulations of the Township.

(6) Rotating or moving signs.

B. Pinelands Area sign restrictions.

(1) No sign, other than warning or safety signs, which is designed or intended to attract attention by sudden, intermittent or rhythmic movement or physical or lighting change shall be permitted.

(2) No sign, other than warning or safety signs, which changes physical position by any movement or rotation or which gives the visual impression of such movement or rotation shall be permitted.

(3) No outdoor off-site commercial advertising sign, other than billboards as per the requirements of § 225-63C of this article or signs advertising agricultural commercial establishments shall be permitted in the Pinelands Area. [Amended 9-13-1995 by Ord. No. 18-1995]

(4) No existing sign which does not conform to § 225-60B(1), (2) and (3) above shall be permitted to continue beyond January 14, 1991. [Amended 9-13-1995 by Ord. No. 18-1995]

(5) To the maximum extent practical, the character and composition of construction materials for all signs shall be harmonious with the scenic values of the Pinelands.

§ 225-61. General requirements.

A. Illumination. Illumination devices, such as but not limited to floor lights or spotlights, shall be so placed and so shielded as to prevent the rays of illumination thereof from being cast into neighborhood dwellings and approaching vehicles.

B. Signs over public right-of-way. No portion of any sign shall be located within or suspended over a public right-of-way.

C. Setback from residential district. No sign for a business use shall be located closer than 25 feet to any residential zone boundary.

§ 225-62. Signs in residential districts.

Signs in residential districts shall be in accordance with the following regulations:

A. One nonilluminated residential nameplate sign, situated within the property lines and not exceeding two square feet on any one side.

B. One nonflashing sign advertising a farm or nursery activity situated not less than 10 feet from any street or property line and not exceeding 10 square feet in area on any one side.

C. One temporary sign advertising the lease or sale of a lot or construction of the building on which it is placed. Such signs shall be nonflashing, shall be situated within the property lines of the premises to which it relates and shall not exceed eight square feet in total area. Nevertheless, no signs shall be erected or placed on any lot or lots in a proposed subdivision prior to final approval of the plat by the Planning Board.

D. One nonflashing sign identifying a church, public building, playground or other such permitted use, not exceeding 10 square feet in area.

E. One nonflashing sign identifying a permitted golf course and not exceeding 10 square feet in area on any one side and located not less than 20 feet from any street or property line.

F. One nonflashing sign to identify a permitted professional office which does not exceed six square feet on any one side.

G. A nonflashing sign(s) identifying a major subdivision or development shall be permitted not less than 25 feet from any property line. The entire area of a monument sign shall not exceed 32 square feet, and the height shall not exceed six feet. If identification signs are not requested at the time of Board approval, an amendment for the approval is needed and the applicant must appear in front of the Board. The number of freestanding signs permitted is dictated by the number of homes, as follows: [Added 10-11-2006 by Ord. No. 51-2006]

(1) Fewer than 50 homes: one sign.

(2) Fifty to 100 homes: two signs.

(3) Greater than 100 homes: to be determined by the Planning Board.

§ 225-63. Signs in business or industrial districts.

[Amended 12-8-1993 by Ord. No. 53-1993; 6-8-1994 by Ord. No. 25-1994; 9-13-1995 by Ord. No. 18-1995; 10-11-2006 by Ord. No. 51-2006]

The following signs shall be permitted in business or industrial districts, not less than 25 feet from any right-of way line:



A. A sign attached to the main building advertising a business conducted on the premises, subject to the following regulations:

(1) Such sign shall not exceed two square feet in area for each one foot width of the front building facade which is devoted to the business and to which it is attached; and in no case shall any such sign exceed 250 square feet on any one side.

(2) Such sign shall not project more than 15 inches from the building facade to which it is attached; provided, however, that where a sign extends more than three inches from the face of said wall, the bottom of said sign shall not be closer than 10 feet from the ground level of said sign.

(3) Such sign shall not have a vertical dimension in excess of five feet.

B. Freestanding signs, subject to the following conditions and regulations:

(1) Such signs shall not exceed a height of 15 feet or the height of the principal building, whichever is the greater, measured from the ground level to the topmost portion of the structure. Supporting frames for all freestanding signs shall be of permanent materials, such as steel, concrete or masonry.

(2) The maximum area of any freestanding sign shall be one square foot of surface area on any one side for each five-foot interval of street frontage, except that no freestanding sign shall exceed 250 square feet in area on any one side.

(3) Not more than one freestanding sign shall be permitted for each 300 feet of street frontage.

(4) Such sign may be internally lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights. No lights of intermittent or flashing type shall be permitted.

(5) Such signs shall advertise only such businesses as conducted on the premises.

(6) All freestanding signs shall be located within a curbed area, and no portion of any freestanding sign shall project beyond the curbline of the sign location.

(7) No freestanding sign shall be located closer to the street line than 25 feet.

(8) A changeable message sign is one where the characters, letters or illustrations can be changed or rearranged without altering or changing the face of the sign. A changeable message sign cannot be animated with any flashing colors.

**Webmasters Note: Subsection 225-63.B.(8) has been added by Ordinance No. 37-2007, effective July 11, 2007.

C. Billboards and off-premises advertising signs shall be permitted subject to the following regulations:

(1) The maximum gross surface area per sign face shall be 1,000 square feet. The advertising surface of the sign shall not exceed a maximum height of 25 feet and a maximum length of 60 feet.

(2) The maximum sign height permitted, measured from the adjacent street grade, is 60 feet.

(3) No sign shall be located closer than 25 feet to a property line and an existing or proposed right-of-way line.

(4) Billboards or off-premises advertising signs shall not be located:

(a) Within 1,000 feet of any other such sign on the same side of the highway.

(b) Within 500 feet of any residential district.

(c) Within 1,000 feet of an interchange or intersection.

(5) In the Pinelands Area, billboards shall be permitted only upon a demonstration by the applicant that she/he has removed an existing lawful off-site commercial advertising sign elsewhere in the Pinelands Area, which is at least equal in sign area, for each new billboard proposed to be constructed in the Township's Pinelands Area.

D. Any sign permitted in the residential zones.