N.J. Admin. Code § 19:31C-3.9 - Signage
(a) General
provisions concerning signage are as follows:
1. Signs permitted for all uses: Signs
permitted for all uses shall include signs containing street number
designations, postal boxes, historical markers, and advisory signs, such as,
but not limited to, "private property," "no soliciting," and "no trespassing,"
provided that no such sign exceeds two square feet in size. In addition, any
public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable Federal, State,
county, or local law, regulation, or ordinance shall be permitted for all
uses.
2. Parking area signs:
Directional and traffic control signs in parking areas for the purpose of
directing patrons to entrances and exits shall be permitted signs. Each such
directional sign shall not exceed three square feet in size. The number and
location of such signs shall be approved by the respective host municipality
planning board.
3. Construction
area signs: Temporary signs directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic around
construction areas may be erected as needed on a construction site. Such signs
shall not exceed 15 square feet in area.
(b) Measurement of sign area shall be as
follows:
1. A sign shall be measured at the
outer edges of the sign structure. For a sign of irregular shape, the smallest
regular rectangle encompassing all component parts of the sign shall be the
area of the sign. The area of the sign does not include any supporting
framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall when such fence or wall is
clearly incidental to the sign itself.
2. No sign shall have more than two display
faces. The sign area for a sign with two faces shall be computed by the
measurement of the larger of the two faces.
(c) Measurement of height: The height of a
ground sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at
grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Grade shall be
construed to be the lower of existing grade prior to construction or the newly
established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming,
mounding, or excavation solely for the purpose of locating the sign.
(d) Permitted signs are as follows:
1. Residential uses: Townhouses and
medium-density residential uses are permitted one ground identification sign
which shall not exceed 25 square feet in area nor shall be greater than six
feet above grade. The information contained in any such residential use sign
shall be limited to the name of the development. Said sign, if permanent, shall
be either located on a brick wall and landscaped, or set in a landscaped
island.
2. Mixed use: For a
mixed-use development, the sign requirements for each component use as provided
herein shall be calculated separately.
3. Institutional/civic uses are permitted one
ground sign per premises provided such sign does not exceed 48 square feet in
size; and one wall sign not to exceed 24 square feet in size. Ground signs
shall be located a minimum of 20 feet from all property lines. The maximum sign
height shall be four feet above existing grade. If lighted, the sign shall be
lit by direct, external light sources, internally illuminated letters/logos or
back-lit raised letters/logos.
4.
Hospitality/lodging uses: The permitted signs for hospital/lodging uses shall
be the same as for retail uses.
5.
Office/research uses as follows:
i. Wall
signs: Office/research uses are permitted one wall sign per street frontage,
which shall comply with the standards below in Table 11, Permitted Wall Sign
Dimensions for Office/Research Uses. No walls signs are permitted above the
roofline. Walls signs may be internally lit raised letters with concealed
ballast, back-lit raised letters with concealed ballast, signage board with
gooseneck lighting, or individual cut letters with gooseneck lighting. No sign
shall project more than 15 inches from the wall of any building;
Table 11. Permitted Wall Sign Dimensions for Office/Research Uses
Setback of the Building from the Street Right-of-Way | Percentage of Wall Area | Sign Height | Sign Area |
Within 50 feet of | Five percent | Four feet | 40 square |
street right-of-way | feet | ||
51 feet to 100 feet | Seven percent | Five feet | 60 square feet |
101 feet to 200 feet | Nine percent | Six feet | 80 square feet |
201 feet to 300 feet | 11 percent | Seven feet | 100 square feet |
More than 300 feet | 12 percent | Eight feet | 120 square |
ii. Ground signs: Office/research uses are
permitted one ground sign. The maximum sign area shall be 48 square feet. The
maximum sign height shall be six feet above grade. If lighted, the sign shall
be lit by direct, external light sources, internally illuminated letters/logos,
or back-lit raised letters/logos. Ground signs shall be constructed so that no
void is present between the sign and the ground. Ground signs shall be located
a minimum of 20 feet from all property lines; and
iii. Directory signs: Office/research
structures having more than two tenants may have tenants' names aggregated into
one directory sign located at or near the main entrance into the building and
be either attached to the building or be freestanding. Directory signs shall
not be more than 10 feet from the entrance to the buildings provided the
resulting directory sign does not exceed two square feet per business or 32
square feet in aggregate, whichever is less.
6. Retail uses as follows:
i. The following concern wall signs:
(1) Retail uses are permitted one wall sign
per street frontage, which shall comply with the standards below in Table 12,
Permitted Wall Sign Dimensions for Retail Uses.
Table 12. Permitted Wall Sign Dimensions for Retail Uses
Setback of the Building from Street Right-of-Way | Percentage of Wall Area | Sign Height | Sign Area |
Within 50 feet of street | Five Percent | Four feet | 40 square |
right-of-way | feet | ||
51 feet to 100 feet | Seven Percent | Five feet | 60 square feet |
101 feet to 200 feet | Nine Percent | Six feet | 80 square feet |
201 feet to 300 feet | 11 Percent | Seven feet | 100 square feet |
More than 300 feet | 12 Percent | Eight feet | 120 square |
(2) Wall signs shall be located between the
top line of display windows or doors on the first floor, and the bottom line of
the second floor windows, roof, or cornice above, in an area that is
uninterrupted by windows, architectural details, or openings. Wall signs shall
not project beyond the roof or sides of the building. No sign shall project
more than 15 inches from the wall of any building;
ii. The following concern window signs:
(1) Retail window signs are permitted
provided that the aggregate sign area of window signs shall not exceed 15
percent of the glazed area of the ground-floor retail window in which the sign
is placed. Retail window signs shall be affixed flush with or inside the
glazing, and letters and graphics may only be opaque. No portion of any retail
window sign shall be located higher than 15 feet above grade.
(2) Temporary window signs shall be permitted
to be displayed on or inside the glazed portion of ground-floor retail windows.
No such sign shall be permitted on solid portions of facades. Signs are
permitted for a period not to exceed 14 consecutive days every three months.
Such signs may be constructed of paper, cardboard, or other material. No such
sign shall be handwritten. Temporary window signs shall not exceed 30 percent
of the total area of the window to which they are placed or affixed;
iii. The following concern awning
signs:
(1) Retail uses are permitted one
awning sign. No sign shall be placed on any portion of an awning except the
valance. The sign area shall be less than 30 percent of the surface area of the
valance. Such sign copy may be non-illuminated or indirectly
illuminated.
(2) The horizontal
projection of any awning shall not exceed four feet from the face of a
building. The vertical distance from the top to the bottom of any awning shall
not exceed four feet, including any valance; and
iv. The following concern canopy signs:
(1) Sign copy may be located on permitted
canopies in lieu of projecting signs. A canopy must not display any graphic
other than the name of the business, the logo, and the street number. Sign copy
may be placed on the valance of a canopy. The sign area shall be less than 30
percent of the surface area of the valance. In lieu of copy on a valance,
channel letter may extend up to a maximum height of 24 inches from the top
surface of the canopy at its edge closest to the sidewalk provided that the
canopy does not exceed 15 feet as measured horizontally.
(A) Such sign copy may be non-illuminated,
illuminated, or indirectly illuminated.
(2) The horizontal projection of any canopy
may extend to a point two feet from the back of the curb. The outer column
support shall be located in the outer one-third of the sidewalk and shall be no
less than four feet from the building face to ensure adequate clear space along
the sidewalk. The vertical distance from the top to the bottom of the canopy
shall not exceed two feet, including any valance.
(e) The following
concern temporary signs:
1. Sale or rental
signs: Not more than one temporary sign shall be permitted advertising the sale
or rental of the premises upon which said sign has been erected. The area of
such sign shall not exceed six square feet and three feet in height. Such
temporary signs shall be removed promptly within 10 days after an agreement of
sale or rental has been entered into. A "sold" or "rented" sign may be then
located on the site for a period not to exceed 15 days;
2. Political signs: Signs for political
parties, propositions, referendums or candidates for election may be erected
and maintained, provided that the size of any such sign is not in excess of six
square feet in size and three feet in height. Political signs may be posted 30
days prior to Election Day and must be removed within seven days after Election
Day. All political signs must be located so as not to obstruct sight triangles.
Political signs are not permitted on publicly owned property;
3. Grand opening signs: One temporary sign
announcing the future opening of a retail use shall be permitted, provided the
sign not exceed 100 square feet nor shall any portion of the sign be greater
than eight feet in height or closer than 10 feet to any property line for a
period not to exceed six months preceding the opening of the business. Opening
of the retail use shall be deemed the anticipated date of issuance of a
certificate of occupancy. No such sign shall be allowed after the issuance of a
certificate of occupancy;
4.
Special event signs: Special events signs may be displayed to announce coming
events, grand openings or change of ownership, civic activities, or
not-for-profit events such as picnics, sporting events, carnivals, bazaars,
game nights, and similar events. No more than one special event sign may be
erected per property. Such sign shall not exceed 24 square feet in size. The
sign may be erected for a period not to exceed 21 days;
5. Contractors signs: Contractors performing
a service on site shall be permitted to place a temporary sign on the property
during the time their work is actively being performed at the site. Said
contractors shall include, but not limited to, painters, carpenters,
electricians, remodelers, and roofers. The sign shall not be lighted, shall not
exceed 16 square feet, and shall not be located in a sight triangle or on any
part of a public right-of-way;
6.
Future development signs: In conjunction with site plan approval, the planning
board of the respective host municipality may permit a temporary sign
indicating the future development of the property under construction or
alteration. The size, design, and location of the temporary sign shall be
determined by the planning board and may be erected and maintained by the
applicant on the property during construction. The sign shall be removed,
however, upon the issuance to the applicant of a permanent certificate of
occupancy, but in no event later than one year from the date that the permit to
erect said temporary sign was issued; and
7. Prohibited signs for all land uses: The
following signs shall be prohibited for all land uses:
i. Billboards;
ii. Signs attached to trees, fence posts,
stumps, utility poles, water towers, storage tanks, chimneys, smoke stacks,
radio towers, antennae, or similar structures;
iii. Roof signs;
iv. Signs that include any flashing,
blinking, or series light, or any rotating or moving parts;
v. Signs that emit sounds;
vi. Commercial signs in a window that serves
a residential use;
vii. Signs on
street furniture;
viii. Windsocks,
kites, banners, strings, streamers, flags, pennants, or spinners or similar
objects and devices as part of any sign or for advertising or public
attraction;
ix. Signs on parked
trucks, vans, trailers, and similar vehicles in locations other than the
loading or parking spaces intended for those vehicles;
x. Signs that obstruct any window or door
opening used as a means of egress, interfere with an opening required for legal
ventilation, or are attached to or obstruct any standpipe, fire escape, or fire
hydrant;
xi. Any sign having a
message which in and of itself is lewd or licentious, or advocates an act in
violation of any municipal, county, State, or Federal law; and
xii. Any sign mounted, erected, or maintained
on a utility pole.
Notes
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No prior version found.