New rules for signs in West Windsor on horizon

Policy would range from business signs to the temporary signs posted on roads

By Greg Forester
Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — Business owners may soon be required to ensure their business signage adheres to certain styles and principles, depending on their location within West Windsor, according to information presented by township professionals to the Planning Board on Wednesday.
   The first in a series of presentations was conducted Wednesday by Township Planner John Madden as the township attempts to create a signage control ordinance to bring order to the area’s great range of signs.
   At the end, the township should have a comprehensive set of rules and regulations dictating signage including large stores and businesses, election signs, and temporary signs that can be seen sprouting up along many of the township’s roadways.
   ”We see those signs constantly, appearing over the weekend, sometimes disappearing, and sometimes not disappearing,” Mr. Madden said.
   Mr. Madden showed Planning Board officials a whole range of signs, from well-designed signs to ugly signs officials said were out of shape and out of character with parts of the West Windsor community.
   ”The signage ordinance should make sure signage is tailored to its setting, and contribute to the creation of a distinctive style for each of the identified corridors and districts,” said Mr. Madden.
   Several corridors and districts within West Windsor were given as examples of having regulations for their signage, including the Route 1 corridor, the non-residential portions of the township, the Princeton Junction area, and the township’s strictly residential areas.
   Some common rules of thumb for signage mentioned in the presentation included making sure lettering on the signs have at least one inch of height for every 50 feet of sight distance, and always remembering that in general, people can read about six words of type in about two seconds.
   Specifically used as an example of bad signage principles were a group of pole signs on the Sovereign Bank property on Route 571, where several signs gave the property a cluttered look, according to the report.
   Also noted was the Windsor Plaza complex, where numerous stores used window signs that gave the complex a cluttered unattractive look, according to township officials.
   At the conclusion of the presentations, the Planning Board will formulate sign control principles, dictating legibility, specific areas for different sign regulations, and the establishment of aesthetic standards, the report said.
   Also up for discussion will be enforcement of the ordinances, including specific rules for maintenance, removal and fines for illegal temporary signage.