These regulations shall be known as the "Sign Regulations for
the Town of Leonardtown, Maryland," and shall apply to all zoning
districts in the incorporated areas of the Town. These regulations
shall be extended to all subsequent areas and to all subsequent zoning
districts in the Town. These regulations shall supplement and accompany
the Town of Leonardtown Zoning Ordinance.
The purpose of these regulations shall be to control the erection,
use and location of all signs in the Town of Leonardtown in order
to preserve the character of the Town and to protect the public welfare
of all Town residents.
Certain words and phrases used herein shall be defined as follows:
BILLBOARD
Any sign or advertisement, including all outdoor advertising
structures, used as an outdoor display of information, directing attention
to a business, commodity, service, entertainment or other activity,
the origin or point of sale of which is remote from such billboard.
BUSINESS SIGN
A sign which directs attention to a business, product, service,
profession, activity or entertainment conducted, sold or offered upon
the premises where such sign is located.
CALCULATING SIGN AREA
The surface area of a sign shall be calculated by enclosing
the extreme limits of all framing, emblem, logo, representation, writing,
or other display within a single continuous perimeter composed of
square or rectangles with no more than eight lines. Examples of calculating
sign area:
DETACHED SIGN
A sign which is affixed to the ground or a sign attached
to a flat surface, such as a fence or wall, not a part of a building.
ELECTRONIC OR DIGITAL SIGN
Any sign, display or device that changes its message or copy
by programmable electronic, digital or mechanical processes.
ERECT
To build, attach, hand, place, suspend, paint or affix.
FLAT WALL SIGN
Any sign attached to, supported by, painted on, or erected
parallel to any wall of a building.
GROUND MONUMENT SIGN
A permanent, freestanding sign mounted on an enclosed base
and where the bottom edge of the sign face is in continuous contact
with the structural base.
GROUND SIGN
Any sign erected or maintained and supported by two or more uprights placed in the ground and not attached to a building. (See §
155-93D for height, size, and setback requirements.)
ILLUMINATED SIGN
Any sign (business, detached, flat wall, ground, marquee,
pole, projecting, roof, temporary) directly or indirectly lighted
by artificial light and in the Commercial General, Commercial Highway
and Commercial Marine Districts only.
MARQUEE SIGN
Any sign attached to or hung from a marquee, a covered structure
projecting from and supported by a building with independent roof
and drainage provisions, erected over a doorway or doorways as protection
from the weather.
POLE SIGN
A sign supported by a single or double upright pole placed in the ground and not attached to a building. (See §
155-93G for height, size, and setback requirements.)
PROJECTING SIGN
Any sign, more than 12 inches thick or other than a flat
wall sign, which projects from and is supported by a wall of a building
or structure.
ROOF SIGN
A sign located on or above the roof of any building.
SIGN
An identification, description, illustration or device, which
is located on any land, building, window or indoors, directing attention
to a product, place, activity, person, institution or business.
TEMPORARY SIGN
Any sign erected for a short period of time only, with the
time limit to be fixed by these regulations. Temporary signs are those
such as but not limited to signs announcing real estate sales, election
notices and posters, construction work, or gas station and retail
product sales.
The following types of signs shall be exempt from the registration
and permit requirements of these regulations, so long as they shall
meet structural and safety provisions of the Town Building Code:
A. Signs advertising the name of a commercial establishment, as defined
in the Zoning Ordinance, and the name of the person conducting the business, when
painted on the windows of such establishments.
B. Signs erected on church property, giving the name of the church,
the time of service and similar information, not to exceed 30 square
feet in area.
C. Signs of charitable, benevolent or religious associations, or fraternal
or nonprofit associations, located on the premises or grounds, to
display the name of the institution or association and its activities
or services, not to exceed 10 square feet in area.
D. Professional signs denoting the name and profession or calling of
persons pursuing livelihoods such as but not limited to dentist, minister,
teacher, lawyer or physician, with such signs being the size and type
permitted by the ethical standards of the profession or calling and
in no case exceeding two square feet in area.
E. Directional signs, giving directions to motorists to parking areas
or into or within a private premises, not to exceed eight square feet
in area.
The following general provisions of these regulations shall
apply to all signs erected in Leonardtown:
A. No sign shall be erected at or near street intersections, so as to
permit free and clear vision.
B. All signs shall avoid the shape of authorized traffic signs and shall
not use the words "stop," "look," "danger" or any other similar words
that might interfere with or confuse traffic.
C. All fire escapes, fire windows and fire doors shall be free of any
signs other than those announcing the safety function of such stairs,
windows and doors.
D. The erection of banners across any street shall be on a temporary
basis only and only at the approval of the Town Commissioners.
E. All signs shall be kept in good repair.
F. All signs shall meet the pertinent structural and safety requirements
of the Town Building Code.
G. No person shall display upon any sign or other advertising structure
any obscene, indecent or immoral matter.
H. Roof signs shall be prohibited.
I. Except as otherwise noted, all signs shall meet the setback requirements
in each district for all other structures or buildings in that district.
J. Except as otherwise noted, where a building or structure has multiple
frontages, the number of signs permitted for a single frontage shall
also be permitted for the additional frontage or frontages.
The following regulations shall apply to signs erected in the
Single-Family Residential (R-SF), PUD-3, PUD-5, and Multiple-Family
(R-MF) Residential Districts, as defined in this chapter:
A. Permitted signs in the R-SF, PUD-3 and PUD-5 Districts shall be:
(1) Two single-family residential name signs per dwelling, each sign
not to exceed two square feet in area.
(2) Two business (professional occupation) signs, either flat wall signs,
ground signs, or pole signs, per dwelling, each sign not to exceed
two square feet in area.
(3) One street address sign per dwelling, not to exceed two square feet
in area.
(4) In a PUD-3 or PUD-5, if a business use is permitted, two business
signs, each sign not to exceed two square feet in area.
B. Permitted signs in the R-MF District shall be:
(1) Where a professional or rental office is permitted in a multiple-family
dwelling, one business sign shall be allowed at each public entrance
to the dwelling, not to exceed two square feet for each office.
(2) A sign limited to 10 square feet to identify the name of the multiple-family
dwelling.
C. A sign limited to 10 square feet in area to identify the name of
a subdivision or planned unit development shall be allowed.
D. All signs shall be set back at least six feet from the nearest property
line and at a height not over five feet from the ground.
E. All signs shall indicate only the name, address and occupation, if
located on the premises, of the occupant.
F. These regulations shall apply to detached signs and to signs that
consist of lettering and/or numbers that are raised from or directly
applied to the building or structure.
The following regulations shall apply to signs erected in the
General Commercial (C-G), Commercial Office (C-O), Marine Commercial
(C-M), and Highway Commercial (C-H) Districts:
A. All signs shall meet the specific requirements of each sign type as set forth in §
155-93 below.
The following provisions shall apply to all temporary signs
erected in the Town of Leonardtown:
A. Temporary real estate signs.
(1) In any district, one temporary real estate sign, not exceeding 24
square feet in area and located on the property, shall be allowed
for each lot, parcel or tract for sale. If the lot or parcel in question
has multiple frontages, one additional twenty-four-square-foot sign
shall be allowed.
(2) In any district, one temporary real estate sign not exceeding 60
square feet in area, located within the subdivision advertised, shall
be allowed.
(3) One temporary, nonilluminated sign may be erected near each major
intersection to the subdivision, with a total of four such signs permitted.
Such approach signs shall show a direction arrow, the name of the
subdivision and the name of the developer or seller. These signs shall
be not more than three feet long and one foot high. The top of the
sign shall extend no more than eight feet above grade.
(4) Permits for such temporary real estate signs shall be issued for
a period of six months and may be renewed.
B. Other temporary signs.
(1) Temporary signs indicating an event of public interest, such as a
county fair, horse show, church fair, party, bazaar, dinner etc.,
shall be located on the site of the event. Such sign shall not exceed
32 square feet in area and may be illuminated, but any illumination
thereof shall not be flashing or colored, and illumination shall be
confined to the face of the sign. Permits for such signs shall be
issued for a period of 30 days only.
(2) Temporary directional signs showing a directional arrow and the name
of an event of public interest shall be allowed. Such signs shall
not be in excess of three square feet in area and may be placed in
any district. Permits for such signs shall be issued for the duration
of the event only.