General provisions. No signs shall be placed on or attached to a
building or erected independently for any purpose other than to advertise
a permitted business or use conducted on the same premises unless
specifically permitted herein. Any sign having a message which in
and of itself is lewd and licentious or advocates an act in violation
of any municipal, county, state or federal law shall be prohibited.
No signs shall be erected, altered or replaced which are not in accordance
with the standards established in this chapter. No sign except traffic
signs and those of a duly constituted governmental body shall be erected
within the street right-of-way, nor shall any sign be placed on any
property without the consent of the property owner. No sign of any
type shall be permitted to obstruct driving vision, traffic signals,
traffic directional and identification signs, other places of business,
or other signs or windows of the building on which they are located.
No signs shall be attached to trees, fence posts, stumps, utility
poles, but shall be freestanding or attached to buildings in an approved
manner. No sign shall be erected so as to project over the property
line or emit any sound, odor or other nuisance beyond the property
line or above 25 feet. All signs shall require a construction permit
unless specifically exempted herein. The applicant shall furnish the
Construction Official a fee as required and the necessary information
from which to determine whether the subject sign meets the terms of
this chapter. Within 20 business days after the filing for the permit,
the Construction Official shall either issue or deny the permit and,
if denied, the Construction Official shall indicate in writing the
reason(s) for such denial.
(1)
Animated, flashing and illusionary signs. Signs using mechanical
or electrical devices to revolve, flash or display movement or the
illusion of movement are prohibited except in and upon structures
abutting and facing the Boardwalk in the OS District and in the P
Pier District. Self-changing time and temperature signs, which alternately
reflect the time of day and temperature by mechanical or flashing
devices, are prohibited in all residential districts only.
(2)
Height. No freestanding or attached sign shall be higher than 10
feet in residential districts and 25 feet in commercial or industrial
districts, except that no sign shall exceed any lesser height if particularly
specified. Where signs project beyond a building facade or wall over
a pedestrianway, the lowest portion of the sign shall be at least
nine feet above the walkway.
(3)
Freestanding signs. Freestanding signs shall be supported by one
or more columns or uprights which are firmly imbedded in the ground.
Exposed guy wires, chains or other connections shall not be a support
of a freestanding sign.
(4)
Illuminated signs. Illuminated signs shall be arranged to reflect
the light and glare away from adjoining streets. No sign with red,
green, blue or amber illumination in a beam, beacon or flashing form
resembling an emergency light shall be erected in any location. Illuminated
signs shall not be erected in residential districts.
(5)
Information and direction signs. Street number designations, household
name plates, postal boxes, private property, on-site directional and
parking signs and warning signs are permitted in all zones but are
not considered in calculating sign area. No such sign(s) shall exceed
two square feet in area, and such sign(s) shall not require a construction
permit.
(6)
Maintenance. Signs and, in the case of permitted freestanding signs,
the mounting area on the ground level beneath the sign, must be constructed
of durable materials, maintained in good condition and not allowed
to become dilapidated or unsightly.
(7)
Political signs. Political signs temporarily giving notice of political
campaigns shall be located on private property and shall be set back
at least 10 feet from all side property lines and shall not exceed
16 square feet in area. Signs shall be permitted within 30 days prior
to any municipal, county, state or national election and shall be
removed within five days after the election. All such signs do not
need a sign permit.
(8)
Real estate signs. Real estate signs temporarily advertising the
sale, rental or lease of the premises or portion thereof shall be
located on private property and, if not attached to the building,
shall be set back from all street lines at least five feet. Signs
shall not exceed six square feet in area. All such signs shall be
removed at the expense of the advertiser within 30 days after the
termination or completion of the matter of business being advertised.
Sold signs shall be permitted between the signing of the contract
of sale and the date of the legal closing. All real estate signs do
not require a construction permit.
(9)
Sign area. The area of a sign shall be measured around the edges
of a framed or enclosed sign or by the area utilized by isolated words
and/or symbols, including the background, whether open or enclosed,
but said area shall not include any supporting framework and bracing
incidental to the display itself.
(10)
Signs with two exposures. Such signs shall be measured for area
by using the surface of one side of the sign only. Both sides may
be used.
(11)
Wall fascia or attached signs. Wall fascia or attached signs
shall be firmly attached to the exterior wall of a building and shall
not project more than 15 inches from the building.
(12)
Window signs. Interior window signs shall not be considered
in computing the allowable signs; provided, however, that such interior
signs shall not exceed 50% of the total window area.
(13)
Flag of the United States of America. The flag of the United
States of America may be displayed in all zones, provided that all
permanently installed poles used to display the flag shall require
a construction permit.
(14)
Temporary signs. All signs permitted in the BOCA Building Code,
not in excess of 120 square feet, shall be permitted. All temporary
signs shall be displayed for a period of not more than 30 days.
(15)
Parking lot signs. All parking lots within the City of North
Wildwood shall be required to have signs which shall be constructed
in accordance with the provisions of this section, as well as with
the provisions of the general sign section of the Ordinances of the
City of North Wildwood, except that freestanding signs shall not be
permitted without a building having been constructed on the parking
lot. Parking lot signs shall meet the following specifications:
(a)
The price for parking must be posted numerically on the sign,
and said sign and price must be visible to prospective users of the
parking lot from the street immediately adjacent to the entrance of
the lot.
(b)
The lettering on the sign shall be of a color that shall contrast
with the background color of the sign and shall be adequately illuminated.
The minimum size for each letter shall be eight inches.
