[Amended in its entirety 11-23-2004 by Ord. No. 2004:34]

A. All signs hereafter erected or maintained, except official traffic and street signs, shall conform to the provisions of this chapter. Any signs not specifically permitted are hereby prohibited.

B. Permits required. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, structurally alter or relocate any sign without first obtaining a permit and making payment of the required fee.

C. Consent. No sign permit will be issued without the written consent of the landowner or the one in control of the premises.

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

ADVERTISING SIGN - A sign which provides information in addition to the name and address of the occupant therein or utilizes a trademark.

ANIMATED SIGN - A sign which has its illumination maintained at a constant intensity at the source of such illumination, and the animation is created by other means than the increase or decrease of the intensity at its source.

AWNING - A roof-like cover that may be temporary or permanent in nature and projects from the wall of a building for the purposes of shielding a doorway or window or providing decorative or architectural detail for nonresidential buildings. Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, permanent awnings that cannot be retracted shall be subject to the setback requirements of the district in which the building is located.

AWNING SIGN - A sign that is painted or attached to an awning. Awning signs shall be permanent in nature and not retractable.

BANNER - Any lightweight plastic, fabric or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire or string, or otherwise affixed to the structure or erected in any manner on the property. [Added 6-21-2005 by Ord. No. 2005:14]

**Webmasters Note: The previous definition has been added as per Ordinance No. 2005:14.

BILLBOARD See definition for "sign, off-premises." [Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]

**Webmasters Note: The previous definition has been amended as per Ordinance No. 2006:19.

DIRECTIONAL SIGN - A sign containing directional information about public places owned or operated by federal, state or local governments or their agencies; publicly or privately owned natural phenomena, historic, cultural, scientific, educational and religious sites; and areas of natural beauty or naturally suited to outdoor recreation. Signs containing directional information whose purpose it is to regulate and control the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

ERECT - To construct, build, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw or in any other way bring into being or establish, but not any of the foregoing activities when performed as an incident to the change of advertising message or normal maintenance or repair of a sign or sign structure.

FLAG SIGN - A sign that is mounted on a freestanding pole or other support, made of cloth, canvas, fabric or like material, designed or intended to advertise, identify or attract attention to a business organization, service or event.

FLASHING SIGN - A flashing sign is a sign, the illumination of which is not kept constant in intensity at all times when in use.

FREESTANDING SIGN - Any sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on, or anchored in, the ground and that are independent from any building or other structure.

HANGING SIGN - A sign designed to hang from a building canopy, awning, awning sign or a frame or other mechanical device attached to a building wall and oriented at a 90 angle from the plane of the building facade. Permitted hanging signs and associated design standards for such signs are depicted in Illustration E of this chapter.

IDENTIFICATION SIGN - A sign, which states the name or address of the occupant therein or identifies a place or development.

ILLUMINATED SIGN - Any sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs or outline illuminated by electric lights or luminous tubes or similar as a part of the sign.

INDIRECTLY ILLUMINATED SIGN - Any illuminated sign whose illumination is derived from an external artificial source.

LOGO - An insignia, emblem or registered trademark used to identify a company or business.

MAINTENANCE - Includes replacement, without substantial change, of any parts or support of any sign, and the painting, without change of text, design or size of any sign, without removal of the sign from the wall or structure supporting it.

MARQUEE - Any hood or awning of permanent construction projecting from the wall of a building above an entrance and extending over a thoroughfare, including signs attached thereto, the supports of which are an integral part of the original structure, and which is not retractable.

MEMORIAL SIGNS - Historical tablets, cornerstones, memorial plaques and emblems which do not exceed six square feet in surface area and which are installed under the auspices of public or quasi-public bodies and religious organizations.

MONUMENT SIGN - Any sign, other than a pole sign, place upon or supported by the ground, independent of any other structure.

NAMEPLATE SIGN - A sign which states the name or address of the occupant where the sign is located.

OUTDOOR DISPLAY STRUCTURES AND BILLBOARDS See definition for "sign, off-premises." [Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]

**Webmasters Note: The previous definition has been amended as per Ordinance No. 2006:19.

PENNANT - Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire or string, usually in a series, designed to move in the wind.

PERSON - Any individual, association, partnership, firm or corporation.

PROFESSIONAL SIGN - A sign listing only the name and profession of each resident practitioner.

PORTABLE SIGN - Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including but not limited to signs designed to be transported by means of wheels; signs converted to A- or T-frames; menu and sandwich board signs; balloons used as signs; umbrellas used for advertising; and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business for transport.

PROJECTING SIGN - Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of such building or wall.

ROOF SIGN - A sign constructed or supported upon the roof of any building or structure.

SIGN - A name, identification, description, display or illustration which is affixed to or printed or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure or parcel of land and which directs attention to a person, institution, organization, activity, place, object or product of business, provided that the display of public notices or the flag, emblem or insignia of a nation or political unit shall not be considered signs under the provisions of this chapter.

SIGN, OFF-PREMISES A sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service or entertainment, which is not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished at the property on which said sign is located; e.g., "billboards" or "outdoor advertising." Off-premises signs are considered a principal use. [Added 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]

**Webmasters Note: The previous definition has been added as per Ordinance No. 2006:19.

SPECIAL EVENT SIGN - A sign in connection with special events in the community.

STRUCTURE OF SIGN - Any structure which supports or is capable of supporting any sign or signs.

TEMPORARY SIGN - A sign which is intended to advertise community or civic projects, real estate for sale or lease, or other sale or special events on a temporary basis.

WALL SIGN - All flat signs of solid-face construction which are placed against a building or other structure and attached to the exterior front, rear or side wall of any building or other structure so that the display surface is parallel with the plane of the wall. Signs painted on an exterior or a wall shall be deemed to be "wall signs" subject to this chapter.

WINDOW - Includes any opening in the exterior wall or roof of any structure for the purpose of admitting air or light, whether or not covered with glass, plastic or other covering.

WINDOW DISPLAY SIGN - Shall include all signs defined herein which are situated within 12 inches of the window surface, and such signs shall be regulated as provided herein.

WINDOW SPACE - Includes the aggregate square footage of all windows on any given side and any given story of any structure, regardless of the angle or angles at which they are set. In computing window space, there shall be included all portions of any door which contains a window.

The following signs, limited to one per parcel, shall not require permits or the payment of fees, but are subject to the other provisions of this chapter.

A. Professional nameplate and home occupation signs indicating the name and profession of the occupant of a dwelling, provided that such signs do not exceed one square foot. The signs shall not be lighted outside of posted business hours.

B. Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments not covering more than 20% of any given window and which shall be removed within 30 days of the date of erection, which date shall be indicated thereon in a prominent manner. These signs shall not unreasonably obstruct light and visibility. No additional temporary sign may be permitted for a period of 30 days following the removal of the prior temporary sign.

C. Directional signs not exceeding 16 square feet, containing directional information about public places owned or operated by federal, state, county or local governments or their agencies; publicly owned natural phenomena; historic, cultural, scientific, educational and religious sites; and areas of natural beauty or naturally suited to outdoor recreation.

D. Bulletin boards not over 24 square feet in area for public, charitable or religious institutions, when they are located on the premises of such institutions.

E. Signs denoting the architect, engineer or contractor, when placed upon work under construction and not exceeding 16 square feet in area, and which are to be removed within 10 days after the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

F. Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and dates of erection, when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other durable material, not to exceed six square feet of surface area.

G. Any signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as authorized by the fish and game laws, not to exceed two square feet.

H. Temporary signs indicating a political preference or a political event, provided that such signs do not exceed 32 square feet in area on any one surface. The signs shall be removed within 15 days after the completion of the political function. Nothing herein shall be deemed to permit the erection or installation of any political signs upon any pole, tree or in a public right-of-way, and their erection or installation is hereby specifically prohibited. This section shall not be deemed to prohibit temporary lawn signs or street banners as set forth elsewhere in this chapter.

I. Name and number plates, identifying the residents, on a house, apartment or mailbox, not to exceed 60 square inches.

J. Garage sale signs located on the premises only, not exceeding two square feet, and containing the date of sale, and which sign shall be removed within 24 hours after the last day of sale.

K. Temporary signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which it is situated, provided that such signs do not exceed four square feet, and which shall be removed when the purpose of the sign is fulfilled. Balloons may only be attached to signs permitted at the premises on weekends and legal holidays, a list of which is kept on file in the Zoning Department. Open house signs and directional signs to the open house shall also be permitted in the public right-of-way at the closest intersections to the property on weekends and legal holidays only. A violation of the open house signs and directional signs to the open house provisions, regardless of whether posted by a realtor or homeowner, shall result in a warning for the first offense. A second offense shall be punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of $250 per sign. The person or company to whom the sign belongs shall be held responsible for any and all penalties associated with the sign. [Amended 4-11-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:03]

L. Banners and pennants no larger than 32 square feet shall be temporarily permitted in nonresidential districts for a maximum of two weeks, two times per calendar year, and must be approved by the Zoning Officer prior to being erected. [Added 6-21-2005 by Ord. No. 2005:14]

M. Signs erected to control the movement of traffic on premises, provided these signs shall provide traffic directions only and shall not be used for any advertising purpose. These signs shall not exceed four square feet in area and shall have been approved by the appropriate approving authority.

N. Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger signs and such temporary, emergency or nonadvertising signs, or signs of any governmental agency deemed necessary to the public welfare.

O. Flags of the United States, State of New Jersey or other governmental or quasi-public agencies.

P. Holiday decorations and lights on residential premises.

**Webmasters Note: The previous section has been amended as per Ordinance No. 2006:03.

A. Any signs existing at the time of the passage of this chapter and which violates any provisions thereof shall be deemed a nonconforming use and may be continued, maintained and repaired upon the present premises or location; provided, however, that such sign was lawful under any prior ordinance. Any nonconforming sign to be modified in association with a change in occupancy or ownership shall be required to modify said sign to conform to the ordinance provisions provided for herein. Any sign nonconforming under the prior ordinance shall remain nonconforming unless it complies with the provisions of this chapter and there exists an issued sign-erection permit by the Zoning Officer for said nonconforming sign.

B. In owner-occupied or one-tenant cases, no permit shall be issued for any additional sign if the property contains a nonconforming sign.

C. Examples of alterations include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(1) The letters affixed to a building are removed and changed other than for purposes of repair.

(2) Any structural change is made to the supporting members, frame, backing or lighting system.

D. All nonconforming signs with the exception of billboards shall be required to conform with the regulatory provisions of this chapter within five years of the passage of this chapter.

E. Any sign which has been damaged to the extent that reconstruction of the original sign structure shall exceed 50% of the sign shall be deemed as destroyed, and the owner thereof shall not be permitted to erect or restore said sign except in accordance with this chapter.

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

B. No neon or similarly illuminated advertisement sign or decorative element shall be permitted.

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 message, part of which is contained on each sign.

D. No sign shall have flashing lights or exposed high-intensity illumination or reflective material.

E. No sign may obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light or ingress or egress to or from any building or structure, with the exception that 20% of any window may be occupied by a sign or signs, provided that the sign does not unreasonably obstruct light and visibility.

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

G. Exterior signs using moving parts or banners, spinners, flags and pennants, with the exception of clocks and weather information. Temporary signs in connection with special events are exempt from this requirement.

H. No sign shall be placed, located or displayed upon any sidewalk or area between sidewalk and curb, except as provided in the B-5 Zone as regulated herein.

I. No roof sign shall be permitted.

J. No signs shall be erected or painted or composed of fluorescent or phosphorescent or similar material.

K. No sign shall have more than five colors, inclusive of its background, frame, logo and decorative parts. For the purposes of this chapter, black and white shall be considered colors. Should the color be shown as a faded gradient of the same color, said color shall be considered one color.

L. No sign or other advertising structure as regulated by this chapter shall be erected at or within a minimum distance of 25 feet of the intersection of any streets (or more if so provided anywhere in this chapter) in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision, or at any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color, it may interfere with, obstruct the view of, cause an optical illusion or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device, or which makes use of words, phrases, symbols, or characters in such manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.

The following shall be prohibited:

A. Signs mounted on cars, trailers or platforms, A-type signs, sidewalk signs, sandwich signs, curb signs, portable and mobile-type signs erected on trailers, or similar advertising devices. [Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006:19]

B. Projecting signs which extend more than 18 inches from the wall of a building and all roof signs.

C. Signs visible from the street using the word "stop" or "danger" or any other word, phrase, symbol or character with the intent of simulating a public safety warning or traffic sign.

D. Signs other than officially authorized signs tacked, pasted, painted or otherwise attached to poles, posts, trees, fences, sidewalks or curbs.

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

F. Rotating or moving signs.

G. Signs within 100 feet of an historic building, site or monument.

H. Signs shall not be painted on or affixed to water towers, storage tanks, smokestacks or similar structures.

I. Permanent window signs or temporary window signs exceeding 20% of the window space.

J. Signs painted on the surface of a building.

**Webmasters Note: The previous section has been amended as per Ordinance No. 2006:19.