[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Amesbury
as Art. 21 of the 1990 Bylaws. Amendments noted where applicable.]
For the purpose of regulating billboards, signs,
or advertising devices:
A.
No person, firm, association, or corporation shall erect, display or maintain a billboard, sign, or other outdoor advertising device in the Town of Amesbury, except those exempted by Subsections B and C of this section:
(1)
Within 50 feet of any public way.
(2)
Within 300 feet of any public park, playground, or
other public grounds, if within view of any portion of the same.
(3)
Nearer than 50 feet to any other such billboard, sign,
or any other advertising device, unless such billboard, sign, or other
advertising devices are placed back to back.
(4)
On any location at the corner of any public way and
within a radius of 150 feet from the point where the center lines
of two such ways intersect.
(5)
Nearer then 100 feet to any public way, if within
view of any portion of the same, if such billboard, sign, or other
advertising device will exceed a length of eight feet or a height
of four feet.
(6)
Nearer than 300 feet to any public way, if within
view of any portion of the same, if such billboard, sign or other
advertising device will exceed a length of 25 feet or a height of
12 feet.
(7)
In any event, if such a billboard, sign, or advertising
device will exceed a length of 50 feet or a height of 12 feet, except
that the Planning Board may permit the erection of billboards, signs,
or other advertising devices which do not exceed 40 feet in length
and 50 feet in height if not nearer than 300 feet to the boundary
line of any public way.
B.
No billboard, sign, or other advertising device shall
be erected, displayed, or maintained in any block in which 1/2 of
the buildings on both sides of the street are used exclusively for
residential purposes. This provision shall not apply if written consent
of the owners of a majority of the residential and vacant premises
on both sides of the street in which such block is located is first
obtained and is filed with the Planning Board together with the application
for a permit for such billboard, sign, or other advertising device.[1]
C.
Provided, however, that the foregoing provisions in Subsections A and B, both inclusive, shall not apply to districts which the Planning Board may determine are of a business character. This chapter does not apply to signs or other devices on or in the rolling stock, stations, subways, or structures of or used by common carriers, except on bridges or viaducts or abutments thereof, or to devices which advertise or indicate either the person occupying the premises in question or the business transacted thereon, or advertise the property itself or any parts thereof as for sale or to let, and which contain no other advertising matter, and provided further that this chapter shall not apply to billboards, signs, or other advertising devices legally maintained at the time of its approval by the Attorney General until one year from the first day of July following such approval.
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this
chapter shall be punished by a fine of $100, and whoever, after conviction
of such violation, unlawfully maintains such billboard, sign, or other
advertising device for 20 days thereafter shall be punished by a fine
of $500.
