N.J. Admin. Code § 19:31C-3.9

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 17, September 3, 2024

Section 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.

N.J. Admin. Code § 19:31C-3.9