1. Signs in general.
Any sign hereafter erected in the Township which is exposed to public view shall conform with the provisions of the Zoning Chapter and any other ordinance or regulation of the Township or the state or federal government relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance of signs. In the event of conflicting regulations, the most restrictive regulation shall prevail.
A. No sign, other than exempt signs, shall be erected without first obtaining a sign permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. Permit applications for signs in special development districts and signs larger than six square feet in area in other districts shall be accompanied by a plan, drawn to scale, showing details of the sign, its size and location on the building and/or lot. Permits for window signs and manual changeable-copy signs shall be valid as long as there is no change in the area, location and type of such signs which have been authorized by permit. Fees for sign permits and deposits for temporary signs shall be paid in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by resolution by the Board of Supervisors.
B. All signs shall be kept in a proper state of repair, in accordance with the requirements of the Township's Building Code, Property Maintenance Code and other pertinent regulations.
2. Nonconforming signs.
A. All signs erected prior to the enactment of this chapter or subsequent amendments, which are not in conformity with the use provisions thereof, shall be deemed legally nonconforming signs.
B. All signs erected prior to the enactment of this chapter or subsequent amendments, which are not in conformity with the dimensional, setback or lighting provisions thereof, shall be deemed legally nonconforming signs.
C. The erection or replacement of any sign that is legally nonconforming under this section, including change in copy or their structural supports and mechanical facilities, shall be made in strict compliance with the provisions of this chapter, including the requirement of seeking conditional use in the case of a billboard.
D. For the purpose of regulation and enforcement, the Code Enforcement Officer shall make and maintain a list of all nonconforming signs in the Township together with the date of the sign permit issued for the erection of a sign. If no permit was issued for a sign four square feet or larger in area, a registration fee as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors shall be charged. This list shall be filed in the office of the Code Enforcement Officer and used to assure proper abatement of nonconforming signs as provided herein.
3. Maintenance, cleaning and repair of signs.
All maintenance, cleaning and repair, including repair of torn or worn copy and removal of paint or other material used to deface the sign, shall be performed promptly. In the event the Township notifies the owner or lessee of any damage, vandalism, or graffiti on the billboard, the owner or lessee shall repair or correct the problem within 48 hours of such notification. If repairs and corrections are not timely, the Township shall have the right, but not the obligation, to make repairs or corrections and be reimbursed the cost thereof by the owner or lessee.
4. Removal of unsafe, unlawful or abandoned signs.
A. Unsafe or unlawful signs.
(1) Whenever a sign becomes structurally unsafe and/or poses a potential threat to the safety of a building or premises or endangers the public safety, and such condition becomes known to the Zoning Officer, he/she shall give written notice to the owner of the premises on which the sign is located that such sign must be made safe within five days, unless the Zoning Officer shall deem appropriate a more extended period for compliance.
(2) Where, in the opinion of the Zoning Officer and the Township building official, any sign as described above constitutes an imminent hazard to public safety necessitating immediate action, the Zoning Officer shall be empowered to take those measures he/she deems appropriate to secure, stabilize, or remove such sign without the written notice to the owner of the premises otherwise required by that section. Any expense directly incurred to secure, stabilize, or remove such sign shall be charged to the owner of the property. Where the owner fails to pay, the Township may file a lien upon the property on which such sign was situated in the amount of the costs incurred by the Township to secure, stabilize, or remove the sign.
(3) Failure of the Zoning Officer to remove, or require the removal of, any unsafe sign as described in this section shall create no liability upon, nor any cause of action against, the Zoning Officer or any other Township official or employee for damage or injury that may occur as a result of such sign.
B. Abandoned signs.
(1) It shall be the responsibility of the owner of any property upon which an abandoned sign is located to remove such sign within 180 days of the sign becoming abandoned as defined in this section. Removal of an abandoned sign shall include the removal of the entire sign, including the sign face, supporting structure, structural trim, and all associated electrical components, when applicable.
(2) Where the owner of the property on which an abandoned sign is located fails to remove such sign in 180 days, the Township may remove such sign after the Zoning Officer gives written notice to the sign owner. Any expense directly incurred in the removal of such sign shall be charged to the owner of the property. Where the owner fails to pay, the Township may file a lien upon the property for the purpose of recovering all reasonable costs, including reasonable attorney fees incurred by the Township, associated with the removal of the sign.
