Section 919 2
Section 919 Electronic Sign REgulations 2
A. ELECTRONIC ADVERTISING SIGNS 3
B. ELECTRONIC NON-ADVERTISING SIGNS 5
C. MAJOR PUBLIC DESTINATION FACILITY ELECTRONIC SIGNS 7
D. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 8
E. DEFINITIONS 8
Section 919[1]
Section 919 Electronic Sign REgulations
Background/Commentary: Like many other communities, Pittsburgh is grappling with the issue of so-called electronic signs—signs that use solid state, electronic technology to produce bright displays that typically involve moving copy, animation, and other graphics. At the direction of the city council, planning staff in 2009 drafted new proposed regulations to address the potential visual and safety impacts of electronic signage throughout the city. These new regulations would modify existing sign regulations in Article VI, Chapter 919 of the city’s zoning ordinance (Title 9 of the city’s municipal code). The proposed regulations elicited many comments from stakeholders such as the North Shore District property owners group as well as citizens-at-large. Responding to these comments, the city decided to hold the proposed amendments in abeyance and solicit an independent evaluation from consultants with expertise in sign regulations and lighting controls. To that end, the city (with assistance from the Riverlife organization and local foundations) retained Clarion Associates, a national zoning and planning firm, and Clanton & Associates, a national firm with lighting expertise, to assist in this review. Clarion Associates has worked on a number of major assignments in Pittsburgh, including participating on a team that rewrote the city’s zoning ordinance in the late 1990s.
Clarion and Clanton produced a report in May 2010 (Pittsburgh Electronic Sign Ordinance Review) that provided comments on the draft amendments, discussed current trends in electronic sign regulations nationally, and made recommendations for revisions to the draft amendments. Team members from Clarion and Clanton traveled to Pittsburgh in early June and met with representatives of the advertising sign industry, property owners, and others to discuss the report’s recommendations. The consultants and city planning staff also held a public meeting to summarize the report and receive comments. Based on that input, the consultants drafted a new set of proposed amendments to the sign ordinance.
To summarize, the revised amendments propose the following for various types of electronic signs:
1. Electronic Advertising (Off-Premise) Signs: New electronic advertising signs would be prohibited in all zone districts or allowed only if selected zone districts or areas if a significant number of existing advertising signs are removed for each new electron advertising sign erected.
2. Electronic Non-Advertising Signs: Option 1—All new electronic non-advertising signs (including business and identification signs that are classified as non-advertising signs) would be banned with minor exceptions. Electronic signs for Major Public Destination Facilities would be subject to a separate set of standards. Option 2: Allow electronic non-advertising signs but subject to clear standards regarding location, motion, brightness, size, and operational controls.
3. Major Public Destination Facility Electronic Signs: These facilities would be allowed to utilize electronic signs on-premise subject to clear standards regarding location, motion, brightness, size, and operational controls.
OPTION 1: PROHIBITION
Electronic advertising signs are prohibited in every zone district in the city.
Existing electronic signs shall become non-conforming uses and structures subject to the provisions of Article VII, Chapter 921, Nonconformities, of the zoning code. They shall be subject to the following standards.
All motion is prohibited on an electronic advertising sign face. Electronic advertising signs shall have only static text and graphics.
The text, image, or display on an electronic advertising sign may not change more than once every sixty (60) seconds. Twirl time between subsequent text, images or display shall not exceed 0.25 seconds.
During daylight hours between sunrise and sunset, luminance shall be no greater than 1,250 nits. At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than 200 nits.
The changeable copy area of an electronic sign shall be limited to fifty (50) percent of the total permitted sign area.
Electronic advertising signs may not be illuminated or lit between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Existing legal or non-conforming advertising signs shall not be converted to electronic advertising signs or use any electronic technology to project or display an image, text, or graphics on an existing advertising sign.
OPTION 2: ERECTION/REMOVAL (AKA CAP AND TRADE)
1. General:
A new electronic advertising sign may be erected on the site of an existing advertising sign only upon removal of other existing non-electronic advertising signs pursuant to the provisions below. The newly erected electronic advertising sign shall comply with the standards set forth below relating to motion, brightness, dwell time, brightness, size, display period, and controls as well as all other regulations for advertising signs.
2. Conflicts
The provisions of this section shall take precedence over any conflicting provisions in Section 919 relating to advertising signs.
3. Removal Standards
Replacement electronic advertising signs are in prohibited historic districts, the Riverfront Overlay District, demanding driving environments, and ___________, nor shall they be visible from the rivers.
For every square foot of new electronic sign face erected, at least six times that amount of non-electronic sign face shall be removed.
The non-electronic sign face square footage removed shall be located within at least one-half mile of the new electronic sign site, unless the planning director determines that removal of existing non-electronic sign face square footage located at a greater distance from the site would provide significant safety and aesthetic benefits to the city.
The city shall have the right in its sole discretion to identify the non-electronic signs to be removed that amount to at least fifty (50) percent of the square footage required under Section 3.a above.
Example: If an applicant proposes to erect a new electronic sign with a total sign face of 300 square feet, it would be required to remove 1,800 square feet of non-electronic advertising sign face within ½ mile of the new sign. Both the applicant and the city would get to select an equal number of existing signs (as measured in square footage) to be removed (900 square feet each in this case).
4. Motion
Any motion of any kind is prohibited on an electronic advertising sign face. Electronic advertising signs shall have only static text and graphics.
5. Dwell time
The text, image, or display on an electronic advertising sign may not change more than once every sixty (60) seconds. Twirl time between subsequent, text, images, or display shall not exceed 0.25 seconds.
6. Brightness
During daylight hours between sunrise and sunset, luminance shall be no greater than 1,250 nits. At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than 200 nits.
7. Size
The changeable copy area of an electronic advertising sign shall be limited to fifty (50) percent of the total permitted sign area.
8. Display period
Electronic advertising signs may not be illuminated or lit between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
9. Controls
a. All electronic advertising signs shall be equipped with an automatic dimmer control or other mechanism that automatically controls the sign’s brightness and display period as provided above.
b. Prior to approval of any permit for to operate an electronic advertising sign, the applicant shall certify that the sign has been tested and complies with the motion, dwell time, brightness, and other requirements herein.
c. The owner and/or operator of an electronic advertising sign shall submit an annual report to the city certifying that the sign complies with the motion, dwell time, brightness, and other requirements herein.
OPTION 3: CONVERSION ACCORDING TO EXISTING NONCONFORMITIES REGULATIONS
DISCUSS LANGUAGE WITH DAN SENTZ
OPTION 1: BAN ALL ELECTRONIC NON-ADVERTISING SIGNS WITH MINOR EXCEPTIONS
Electronic non-advertising signs are prohibited in every zone district. This prohibition applies to all types of non-advertising signs, including electronic/business ID signs, except for holiday displays and public information signs.[4]
OPTION 2: ALLOW ELECTRONIC NON-ADVERTISING SIGNS IN SPECIFIED LOCATIONS SUBJECT TO CONTROLS
1. Applicability
Electronic non-advertising signs shall be allowed subject to all regulations applicable to non-advertising signs and the additional standards set forth below. These provisions shall not apply to electronic signs associated with Major Public Destination Facilities.
The provisions of this section shall take precedence over any conflicting provisions in Section 919 relating to non-advertising signs unless the conflicting provisions result in greater limitations on electronic non-advertising signs.
Electronic non-advertising signs are prohibited in all residential zone districts, historic districts, the Riverfront Overlay District, demanding driving environments, and ___________, nor shall they be visible from the rivers.
Any motion of any kind is prohibited on an electronic non-advertising sign face. Electronic non-advertising signs shall have only static text, images, and graphics.
The test, image or display on an electronic non-advertising sign may not change more than once every sixty (60) seconds. Twirl time between subsequent text, images, or display shall not exceed 0.25 seconds.
During daylight hours between sunrise and sunset, luminance shall be no greater than 1,250 nits. At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than 200 nits.
The changeable copy area of an electronic non-advertising sign shall be limited to fifty (50) percent of the total permitted sign area.
Electronic non-advertising signs may not be illuminated or lit when the business, entity, institution, or organization associated with the sign is not open for business or to the public.
The provisions of this section shall take precedence over any conflicting provisions in Section 919 relating to non-advertising signs.
Subject to the provisions of this section, major public destination facilities may utilize electronic signs, including video displays, to display:
Major public destination facility electronic signs shall not be located within 100 feet of the rivers or be directed primarily towards the rivers, Additionally, they shall not be located in demanding driving environments and _______. Electronic signs shall be attached to the facility or an associated structure such as a parking garage or located within XX feet of such facility.
There shall be no more than one electronic sign and one video display on the site of a major public destination facility.
Any motion of any kind is prohibited on an electronic sign face. Electronic signs shall have only static text, images, and graphics. However, motion may be allowed on large video displays depicting action or activities within the facility with which the display is associated.
The text, image, or display on an electronic sign may not change more than once every sixty (60) seconds. Twirl time between subsequent text, images, or display shall not exceed 0.25 seconds.
During daylight hours between sunrise and sunset, luminance shall be no greater than 2,500 nits. At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than 500 nits.
The maximum size of an electronic sign shall be one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet. [7] Video displays are limited to XX square feet.
Electronic signs and video displays may not be illuminated or lit between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
For purposes of restricting the location of electronic signs, the planning director, in consultation with _______, is hereby delegated the authority by city council to create a list of highways, roadways, and streets that are defined as demanding driving environments. No restrictions shall be placed on electronic signs based on location near a demanding driving environment unless such locations are specifically defined and mapped by the planning director pursuant to this section.
Note: These definitions will be moved to the definitions section of the existing sign regulations ordinance for the adoption process.
The length of time that elapses between text, images, or graphics on an electronic sign.
Roads, streets, and highways as defined by the planning director that are challenging for drivers to navigate and may be characterized by, among other things, sharp curves, steep gradients, high traffic counts, multiple intersections and curb cuts, entrance and exit ramps, visual obstructions, and high permissible speeds.
Any sign, video display, projected image, or similar device with text, images, or graphics generated by solid state electronic components. Electronic signs include, but are not limited to, signs that use light emitting diodes (LED), plasma displays, fiber optics, or other technology that results in bright, high-resolution text, images, and graphics.
An electronic sign that features real-time, full-motion or pictorial imagery of television quality or better.
The photometric quantity most closely associated with the perception of brightness. Luminance is measured in candelas per square meters or “nits” for purposes of this ordinance.
The depiction of movement or change of position of text, images, or graphics. Motion shall include, but not be limited to, visual effects such as dissolving and fading text and images, running sequential text, graphic bursts, lighting that resembles zooming, twinkling, or sparkling, changes in light or color, transitory bursts of light intensity, moving patterns or bands of light, expanding or contracting shapes, and similar actions.
A unit of measure of brightness or luminance. One nit is equal to one candela/square meter.
A structure providing as its primary use cultural services, public assembly, and recreation and entertainment facilities (general, indoor and outdoor and gaming enterprise) and meeting the following criteria:
Hospitals, religious assembly uses, flea markets, temporary events, and ______ are not included in the definition of Major Public Destination Facility.
Means based on or consisting chiefly or exclusively of semiconducting materials and components and related devices.
The time it takes for static text, images, and graphics on an electronic sign to change to a different text, images, or graphics on a subsequent sign face.
Pittsburgh Electronic Sign Code Review
Staff Review Draft | June 2010
[1] The numbering system follows the general format of the city’s current zoning code. The various sections of this draft code will be placed in appropriate sections of the existing regulations.
[2] Terms such as “advertising signs” and “non-advertising signs” are used here as defined in Section 919.01.B of the city’s current sign regulations. In summary, advertising signs are off-premise commercial signs. Non-advertising signs are on-premise signs including business and identification signs and public information signs, among others
[3] STAFF: Need to discuss which areas, if any, are not eligible for switching out non-electronic advertising signs.
[4] Are there other signs that should be exempted? If public information/other non-advertising signs are allowed to be electronic, we will need to add controls related to location, motion, etc
[5] STAFF: Should electronic non-advertising signs be banned or limited in other areas?
[6] STAFF: Need to discuss location. Practically any large electronic sign will be visible from the rivers, freeways, etc. What limits should apply? Should we rely on size restrictions? What of large visual video displays that show game action (e.g., the Steelers)?
[7] This is the size Minneapolis allows in its sign district tailored for regional sports facilities. Is this acceptable in Pittsburgh? Do we need to add a height limit?
[8] Chapter 926 of the zoning ordinance contains the following definition of “public destination facilities:” A structure providing as its primary use one of the following: community center, hospital, cultural services, public assembly, recreation and entertainment facilities (general, indoor and outdoor and gaming enterprise).” Based on discussions with staff and public comment, we are defining Large Public Destination Facility much more narrowly (e.g., hospitals are not included).