This chapter is enacted to promote the public
welfare and safety by regulating signs and street graphics. The purpose
of this chapter is to:
A. Enhance and protect the community's physical appearance;
B. Preserve a scenic and natural beauty;
C. Create a more attractive community appearance and
business climate;
D. Encourage appropriate signs and graphics which are
compatible with their surroundings;
E. Lessen objectionable competition in sign size and
placement; and
F. Reduce the hazards of sign obstructions and distractions.
The following types of signs are prohibited:
A. Flashing signs, including any sign or device on which
the artificial light is not maintained stationary and constant in
intensity and color at all times when in use.
B. Signs which compete for attention with or may be mistaken
for a traffic sign or signal.
D. No sign shall consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers,
spinners or similar moving, fluttering or revolving devices.
E. No advertising message shall be spread over more than
one sign placed along a street or highway.
F. No sign shall be more than two faced.
G. No sign shall protrude more than 18 inches from the
face of a building.
[Amended 2-25-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]
A. To encourage appropriate and compatible design and placement of signs
and street graphics, all regulated signs may be subject to design
review by the Architectural Review Board.
B. Recommendations and/or decisions shall be based on the guidelines listed in §
234-4.
C. The Code Enforcement Officer or Planning Board or Architectural Review
Board shall have the discretionary power to vary any maximum numerical
limitation in this chapter by 25%, providing such variation does not
detract from the purpose of this chapter. Such variation shall require
the vote of a majority plus one if the Planning Board or Architectural
Review Board makes the decision.
D. To insure conformity with this chapter, the Code Enforcement Officer,
Planning Board or Architectural Review Board may require changes in
the sign content.
E. All decisions shall be transmitted in writing and copies sent to
the applicant and filed with the permit application.
F. The provisions of this chapter shall be administered and enforced
by the Code Enforcement Officer, who shall have the power to make
necessary inspections.
G. No sign permit or temporary sign permit shall be approved except
in compliance with the provisions of this chapter or as directed by
the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The following types of signs and no others shall
be permitted in rural and agricultural districts:
A. Signs advertising a sale or rental of the premises
on which they are located, provided they do not exceed one per property,
six square feet in area.
B. Signs advertising a business or trade or identifying
a location of a trade, provided they do not exceed two per property.
Each sign may be no more than six square feet in area.
[Amended 2-25-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]
The following types of signs and no other shall be permitted
in commercial districts:
A. Signs for the purpose of identifying the location of a business,
provided such signs are located on the business premises and related
only to the use of the particular property and further provided that
such signs do not exceed one per street frontage. Each sign may be
no more than 64 square feet in area,
B. Signs advertising items which are not sold or produced on the lot
where such sign is located are prohibited.
C. Signs advertising services not located on the lot where such sign
is located are prohibited. This shall not apply to directional signs,
which shall be limited to four square feet in area.
D. General directory signs shall be no larger than 40 square feet in
area and shall include only the names of the establishments in letters
no higher than five inches. Such signs shall only be permitted upon
special approval by the Architectural Review Board which shall encourage
uniform directory signs.
E. There shall be no more than one sign for each tenant on the premises
on each wall fronting a street. The aggregate area in square feet
of all signs on any wall shall be no greater than two times the length
in feet of such wall.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. IV)]
In the event a sign lawfully erected prior to
the effective date of this chapter or any amendment thereto does not
conform to the provisions and standards of this chapter, as amended,
then such signs should be modified to conform or be removed according
to the following regulations:
A. Existing signs shall be brought into conformance or
removed within 18 months after the effective date of this chapter
or any amendment thereto.
B. A nonconforming sign may not be changed or enlarged
unless a variance is granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals. When
a nonconforming sign is in need of alteration, replacement, or substantial
repair as shall be determined by the Code Enforcement Officer, the
sign shall be made to come into conformance with the requirements
of this chapter or be removed unless a variance is granted by the
Zoning Board of Appeals.
C. Temporary removal of a nonconforming sign for painting
or other normal maintenance shall be limited to a period of 30 days.
D. Within 60 days after the effective date of this chapter,
owners of all nonconforming signs shall apply for a permit to continue
use of a nonconforming sign.
E. The aforesaid provisions regarding nonconforming signs
are not to be invoked if doing so would violate state or federal laws.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
in this chapter, any sign authorized under the provisions of this
chapter may contain noncommercial copy in lieu of other copy.