[Added 3-8-1976; amended 5-1-2003; 10-10-2004; 10-27-2005 STM by Art. 17; 10-22-2009 STM by Art. 12; 5-5-2011 ATM by Art. 18; 5-3-2012 ATM by Art. 24]
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The provisions of this article shall govern the construction,
alteration, repair and maintenance of all signs as herein defined
together with their appurtenant and auxiliary devices.
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The sign regulations section is designed to provide standards
for the installation of signs so as to reduce traffic safety hazards,
protect property values, promote economic development, and encourage
the creation of an aesthetic appearance along the street frontages
in the Town of Hadley. The sign regulations, as set forth in this
section, are designed to be both logical and equitable for the various
uses and identification needs. These sign standards and regulations
help to effectuate an aesthetic and safe street environment. Restrictions
on type, location, and size of signs protect the public from hazardous
and distracting devices.
[Amended 5-22-2021 ATM
by Art. 3]
See § 1.2.
7.3.1.
Permits: No sign larger than two square feet shall be erected,
altered or enlarged without a permit. For those uses identified as
by-right in Section III of the Hadley Zoning Bylaw, a permit shall
be issued by the Building Inspector. Prior to issuing a permit, for
those uses requiring a special permit/site plan approval as identified
in Section III of the Hadley Zoning Bylaw, Planning Board approval
shall also be required. Such permit shall be issued only if it is
determined that the sign complies or will comply with all applicable
provisions of this bylaw. All signs, wherever located, must be in
conformity with the State Building Code.
7.3.2.
Enforcement: The Zoning Enforcement Officer is hereby charged
with the enforcement of this bylaw. The Zoning Enforcement Officer
is authorized to order the repair or removal of any sign and its supporting
structure which in his judgment, or the judgment of the Planning Board,
is dangerous or in disrepair or which is erected or maintained contrary
to this bylaw.
7.4.1.
Public purpose: Any traffic, public safety, informational or
directional sign owned and installed by a governmental agency shall
be permitted, including light-emitting signs.
7.4.2.
Materials: Material used for signs shall be wood, wood composites,
simulated wood or have the overall appearance of wood, except for
signs permitted under § 7.6.7.
7.4.3.
Colors: The exterior color of a sign shall be selected from
the Historic Colors of America palette (as approved by the Society
for the Preservation of New England Antiquities) by California Products
Corporation or equivalent. Signs permitted under § 7.6.7
should use subdued colors whenever possible in order to avoid distracting
traffic.
7.4.4.
Size: No sign shall be larger than 40 square feet in area, except
in the Limited Business, Local Business, Business and Industrial areas,
as described under § 7.6.
7.4.5.
Height:
7.4.5.1.
No freestanding or movable signs will extend more than 15 feet
above ground level. The sign permit granting authority may permit
a sign height of greater than 15 feet only in circumstances where
the physical characteristics of the lot prevent adequate setback from
public ways and a lower sign would create a potential traffic safety
hazard.
7.4.5.2.
No sign affixed to a building may project above the roof line
onto which the sign is affixed.
7.4.6.
Placement:
7.4.6.1.
Signs must be secured to prevent movement by wind or other elements.
7.4.6.2.
Signs that are necessary to warn of a hazard or to post land
shall be permitted as required to accomplish these purposes.
7.4.6.3.
No private sign shall be placed on public property.
7.4.6.4.
No sign may be placed in a side yard or a rear yard as required
for the particular district in which it is located.
7.4.7.
Lighting and movement: No sign shall constitute a nuisance to
abutters or hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic because of intensity
or direction of illumination, animation or moving parts.
7.4.7.1.
Light: Signs with a light source directed towards the sign shall
be illuminated with subdued lighting that is not obtrusive to oncoming
traffic and pedestrians. Such lighting should minimize direct illumination
to any abutting property. Light-emitting signs and internally lit
signs as defined in § 7.2, including signs that contain
reflective elements which sparkle in natural or artificial light,
will not be permitted except as described in §§ 7.4.1
and 7.6.7.
7.4.7.2.
Animation: Signs displaying animation, movement or changing
messages (by flashing or blinking lights or other electrical means)
and signs designed to attract attention by a change of light intensity,
repeated or intermittent motion will not be permitted except as described
in §§ 7.4.1 and 7.6.7. Lights used to illuminate a
sign, or light-emitting signs described in § 7.6.7 are only
allowed to modify their intensity based on the time of day and/or
external ambient light levels in order to maintain constant brightness
over ambient levels.
7.4.7.3.
Moving parts: Signs containing moving parts, such as moving
signs, swinging signs, revolving signs, signs consisting of pennants,
ribbons, streamers, spinners, strings of light bulbs, inflatable signs,
tethered balloons or other distracting devices, will not be permitted
for reasons of safety.
7.4.8.
Other nonpermitted signs:
7.4.8.1.
Interior signs, visible from the street, which do not comply
with this bylaw.
7.4.8.2.
Any sign advertising or identifying a business or organization
which is either defunct or no longer located on the premises, with
the exception of landmark signs.
7.4.8.3.
Any trailer-style movable sign or vehicle used primarily or
intentionally as a sign.
7.4.8.4.
No new billboards or nonaccessory signs will be permitted.
7.4.8.5.
Off-premises signs are prohibited.
In Residence Districts, the following signs and no others are
permitted:
7.5.1.
One sign per lot indicating the names of the occupants thereof
shall be permitted. This sign shall not exceed two square feet of
area.
7.5.2.
One sign per lot relating to an allowed accessory use under
this Zoning Bylaw shall be permitted. This sign shall not exceed two
square feet of area.
7.5.3.
Signs in the residence districts must be located at least 10
feet away from the front lot line.
In any Limited Business, Local Business, Business and Industrial
Districts only signs that meet the following standards shall be permitted:
7.6.1.
Signs must be farther than 20 feet from the front lot line.
7.6.2.
The surface area of any and all signs allowed on each building
shall not exceed 10% of the area of the wall on which it is displayed.
7.6.3.
Single-tenant properties: For single-tenant businesses accessed
directly from the street, right-of-way or parking area, the following
standards apply:
7.6.3.1.
Up to four wall signs are permitted per business establishment,
provided they shall be attached to and parallel to the walls of the
building.
7.6.3.2.
A business establishment shall have a total sign area allowance
of 40 square feet in Limited Business and Local Business Districts,
and 64 square feet in Business and Industrial Districts.
7.6.3.3.
One freestanding ground sign is permitted, provided it does
not exceed 40 square feet in surface area in Limited Business and
Local Business Districts, and 64 square feet in surface area in Business
and Industrial Districts. The sign area of this freestanding ground
sign does not count towards the business establishment's sign area
allowance.
7.6.4.
Multi-tenant
properties in Limited Business and Local Business Districts: For multi-tenant
properties in the Limited Business and Local Business Districts, the
following standards apply:
7.6.4.1.
One wall sign shall be allowed for each tenant with access and frontage
along a street, right-of-way or parking area, provided they shall
be attached to and parallel to the walls of the building.
7.6.4.2.
The total sign area allowance shall not exceed a total of 20 square
feet.
7.6.4.3.
One freestanding ground sign or directory sign is permitted for each
lot, provided it shall not exceed 40 square feet in surface area.
Directory signs shall be designed and constructed with provisions
to allow for changes of occupancy without reconstruction of the entire
sign. The sign area of this freestanding ground sign does not count
towards the business establishment's sign area allowance.
7.6.5.
Multi-tenant properties in Business and Industrial Districts:
For multi-tenant properties in the Business and Industrial Districts:
7.6.5.1.
One attached wall sign shall be allowed for each tenant with
direct exterior entrance available for public use along a street,
right-of-way or parking area, provided it shall be attached to and
parallel to the main wall of the building.
7.6.5.2.
The total sign area allowance shall not exceed a total of 40
square feet.
7.6.5.3.
One freestanding ground sign or directory sign is permitted
for each lot, provided the sign shall not exceed 64 square feet in
surface area. Directory signs shall be designed and constructed with
provisions to allow for changes of occupancy without reconstruction
of the entire sign. The sign area of this freestanding ground sign
does not count towards the business establishment's sign area allowance.
7.6.6.
Specialty signs: The following specialty signs will also be
allowed:
7.6.6.1.
Canopies that do not appear as internally lit signs. Lighting
under canopies must be recessed and directed downward. No signs may
appear on canopies.
7.6.6.2.
Gas station pricing pods (signs which display the current price
of gasoline) which do not exceed 16 square feet. These may be incorporated
on the same post or pylon as the freestanding stand.
7.6.6.3.
One "Open" flag per business not to exceed three feet by five
feet in size.
7.6.6.4.
Banners for special events such as grand openings, charitable,
religious, or civic events, provided they conform to § 7.8.
7.6.7.
Light-emitting signs: The following are the only light-emitting
signs that are allowed under this bylaw:
7.6.7.1.
Signs behind an exterior-facing window where the aggregate display
surface on any one sign does not exceed six square feet and provided
that it is not illuminated past 10:00 p.m. local time or 30 minutes
after the closing of the business, whichever is later. No more than
two of such signs will be allowed per business.
No new signs shall be permitted in the Floodplain District.
7.8.1.
Temporary signs must conform to all the requirements for permanent
signs with respect to side yard and height requirements.
7.8.2.
Temporary signs relating to a religious or charitable campaign
or event shall be allowed in all districts in excess of the usual
limits, but not to exceed 12 square feet in area and no more than
one sign per lot, except by special permit from the Zoning Board of
Appeals. All such signs shall be removed within 15 days of the completion
of the activity to which they relate. No sign shall remain for more
than 60 days.
7.8.3.
Temporary signs shall not be affixed to utility poles.
7.8.4.
In any district, one or more temporary signs of an architect,
engineer or contractor during the period such person is performing
work on the premises on which said sign is erected shall be permitted,
provided it shall not exceed 10 square feet in surface area and it
shall be set back at least the minimum setback for the particular
district in which it is located.
7.8.5.
One sign pertaining to the sale or lease of the premises shall
be permitted on site, provided such sign does not exceed a total area
of 10 square feet. Off-premises real estate signs are prohibited.
Signs legally existing at the time this bylaw is adopted may
continue as nonconforming uses subject to the provisions of § 5.1
of the Zoning Bylaw of the Town of Hadley.
[Added 5-5-2022 ATM by
Art. 24]
7.10.1.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, it shall be unlawful
for any person to place a sign on public property where said sign
fails to comply with any of the restrictions stated in this bylaw.
Unlawful signs shall be removed by Zoning Enforcement Officer and
forfeited.
7.10.2.
Placement of signs on public property shall be approved by the
Board of Selectmen.
7.10.2.1.
Permits for signs on public property shall be issued through
the Building Inspector and the Building Inspector may charge an appropriate
fee for said permit.
7.10.3.
Restrictions applicable to signs on public property (unless
specified elsewhere in this bylaw):
7.10.3.1.
No sign shall exceed 42 inches in height.
7.10.3.2.
No sign shall exceed six square feet in area per side, no more
than two sides.
7.10.3.3.
All signs shall be constructed or anchored to prevent movement
of the sign, except that an anchor shall not be permanent and shall
not damage the property on which it is placed.
7.10.4.
Restrictions applicable to the placement of signs:
7.10.4.1.
No sign shall be attached to, or leaned against, any street
furniture, utility facility (including poles and boxes), street light
or any other sign.
7.10.4.2.
No sign shall be placed in such a manner as to reduce or obstruct
the path of travel on any road, sidewalk ramp or any Town- or state-owned
sidewalk.
7.10.4.3.
There shall be no illumination of any type on the sign, external
nor internal.
7.10.4.4.
Signs may not exceed one sign per lot, or one sign per business
on tenant lots.
7.10.4.5.
No sign shall be placed in such a manner that it impedes the
visual ability or line of sight of vehicles or pedestrians exiting
or entering any public or private way.
