[Amended 12-2-1974 by Ord. No. 18565; 10-17-1994 by Ord. No. 94-368; 5-1-1995 by Ord. No. 95-189; 12-5-2005 by Ord. No. 06-050; 12-5-2011 by Ord. No. 12-10]
A.
The intent of this article is to protect property values, create
a more attractive business climate, enhance and protect the physical
appearance of the community, provide a more enjoyable and pleasing
community, and to encourage and foster the most appropriate use of
land.
B.
Signs perform important and necessary functions in the community
which are essential for the public safety and general welfare, such
as communicating messages, providing information about goods and services
available, and providing orientation. Because of their potential detrimental
impact on the visual and perceptual environment, signs must be regulated
in order to:
(1)
Prevent hazards to vehicular and pedestrian traffic;
(2)
Prevent conditions which have a blighting influence and contribute
to declining property values;
(3)
Provide for easy recognition and legibility of all permitted signs
and other uses in the immediate vicinity;
(4)
Preserve the amenities and visual quality of the City and curb the
deterioration of the community environment; and
(5)
Conserve energy.
All signs shall comply with the regulations for the erection and construction of signs contained in the Building Code of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this chapter and any other applicable state and local regulations. Signs for property located in the Downtown Historic District must be accompanied by a certificate of appropriateness by the Historic District Commission, as regulated by MGL c. 40C ("Historic Districts Act"), and Chapter 131, Historic Districts, of the Code of the City of Melrose prior to applying for a building permit.
A.
Except as provided in Subsection B below, no sign shall be erected, altered, or relocated without a permit issued by the Building Commissioner.
B.
The following type of signs shall be authorized by right without
the need for a permit to be issued by the Building Commissioner:
(1)
Any traffic or directional sign owned and installed by a governmental
agency.
(2)
Temporary signs or banners for public or charitable purposes displayed more often or larger in size than allowed in § 235-29A. "Temporary" shall be construed to mean any period not exceeding 30 consecutive days.
(3)
Political signs on private property, provided that such signs shall
not exceed six square feet in sign area, shall be set back at least
five feet from the front lot line, shall not be placed in such location
as to constitute a traffic or pedestrian safety hazard, and shall
not be displayed for more than 30 days prior to the applicable election
or more than seven days following such election.
(4)
One unlighted temporary sign offering premises for sale or lease
for each parcel in one ownership, provided that it shall not exceed
six square feet in surface area and it shall be set back at least
five feet from the front lot line. Said temporary sign must be removed
upon completion of sale or lease.
(5)
One unlighted temporary sign of an architect, engineer, or contractor
erected during the period such person is performing work on the premises
on which such sign is erected, provided that it shall not exceed six
square feet in surface area and it shall be set back at least five
feet from the front lot line. Said temporary sign must be removed
upon completion of work.
(6)
Traffic or directional signs which are necessary for the safety and
direction of residents, employees, customers, and visitors, whether
in a vehicle or on foot, of any business, industry, or residence.
Such signs shall not carry the logo or name of any business or product
and shall not be internally illuminated. Such signs shall not exceed
two square feet in area and the top of the sign shall not extend more
than four feet above the ground.
(7)
Interior illuminated window signs, provided that:
(a)
They shall be placed only in a window and not in a door and shall
also:
[1]
Have a sign area not to exceed four square feet;
[2]
Be placed no closer than 10 feet to any other illuminated window
sign on the premises;
[3]
Be placed only in a window which contains no other signs of
any type;
[4]
Be illuminated only during hours of operation of the business
establishment; and
[5]
Be illuminated by steady (not flashing, changing or moving)
light only.
(b)
There shall be no more than two interior illuminated window signs
per establishment.
(8)
Interior window signs, temporary or permanent and not illuminated,
may be attached to the inside glass surface of a window (a single
structurally supported sheet of glass or a sash) or door, or placed
within an establishment within five feet from any window or door and
situated or designed so that the sign's graphic content is visible
from the outside through a window or door, provided that any such
sign shall:
(a)
Be uniformly located and not exceed 30% of the glass sheet or
sash;
(b)
Contain no letters larger than six inches in height;
(c)
Not be restricted with respect to materials, provided that professional
appearance and good order shall be maintained at all times; and
(d)
Not be attached to the outside surface of any window or door.
A.
Exterior temporary signs or banners for business establishments shall
be permitted with a building permit. One temporary sign or banner
is allowed per establishment for a period not to exceed 30 days, provided
that the sign does not exceed the size of the maximum allowed for
the establishment in the district in which it is located. No more
than one temporary sign permit may be issued for an establishment
in a calendar year.
B.
All signs (including temporary interior window displays or banners)
and their illuminators shall not by reason of location, shape, size,
or color interfere with traffic or be confused with or obstruct the
view or effectiveness of any official traffic sign, traffic signal,
or traffic marking. All illumination of signs must be by steady, stationary,
white light, of reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely
at the sign and must be so arranged as to prevent glare onto any portion
of any public way or into any residential area.
C.
No sign shall be illuminated between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.,
except signs identifying police or fire stations or hospitals and
signs on premises open for business and then only while open for business.
D.
The supporting members for any sign shall be in acceptable proportion
to the size of the sign.
E.
At the boundary line of the City, and within a street right-of-way,
a sign not exceeding two square feet in area indicating the meetings
of any Melrose civic organization may be erected only after the granting
of a special permit by the Board of Appeals.
F.
It shall be a violation of this chapter to operate an individual
letter or segmented sign in any manner other than with all letters
or segments properly lighted, or with all letters or segments not
lighted.
G.
Any sign not addressed by this chapter shall be deemed prohibited.
A.
The following
signs shall not be permitted, constructed, erected, or maintained:
(1)
Moving, changing or flashing signs and signs illuminated by or including
any flashing, projecting or oscillating light; billboards and off-premises
signs; electronic billboards and reader boards; and strings of pennants
or so-called "whirlygigs" and the like. Flashing or animated signs
of any color or light source, including but not limited to incandescent,
neon, fluorescent, light emitting diode (LED) and plasma, shall not
be permitted.
(2)
Neon signs except as displayed on the inside of windows subject to the provisions outlined in § 235-28B.
(3)
Any sign erected so as to obstruct any door, window, or fire escape
on a building.
(4)
More than one sign for any one premises in the "R" districts.
(5)
Signs constructed, erected, or maintained above the height of any
roof or upon any roof of any building.
(6)
Exterior window signs.
(7)
Interior window signs, both permanent and temporary, which cover
more than 30% of a window.
(8)
Signs in the public way which are not permanently affixed to a building, structure, or the ground, including "sandwich board" or A-frame signs unless permitted by the Superintendent of Public Works in accordance with § 202-1 of the Code of the City of Melrose, Massachusetts.
(9)
Signs mounted, affixed, or painted on a motor vehicle whose primary
function is a sign and not for the transport of goods or merchandise.
B.
It shall
be a violation of this chapter to display any illuminated sign that
advertises any product, service or entity other than the establishment
which occupies the premises on which the sign is located, or a product
manufactured by and at the establishment on which the sign is located.
This requirement applies to external signs and to interior signs placed
in or designed or arranged so as to shine through one or more windows
or doors of any building.
A.
One professional nameplate for each medical doctor or dental practitioner,
provided that such sign shall not exceed one square foot in surface
area.
B.
One identification sign for each dwelling unit, provided that such
sign shall not exceed one square foot in surface area. If lighted,
it shall be illuminated with a white, steady, stationary light of
reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely at the sign, not
casting light off the premises and not used other than for identifying
the occupancy.
C.
One identification sign for each membership club, funeral establishment,
school, municipal building, house of worship, multifamily dwelling
development, community facility, or public utility use, provided that
the sign shall not exceed 10 square feet in surface area and shall
not rise to more than six feet from the ground or sidewalk. If lighted,
it shall be illuminated with a white, steady, stationary light, of
reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely at the sign, not
casting light off the premises and set back at least 1/2 of the required
depth of the front yard. For a school, municipal building, house of
worship, and community facility, one additional standing sign up to
40 square feet in surface area may be allowed, provided that it shall
not rise to more than six feet from the ground or sidewalk and shall
be subject to the setback and illumination provisions in this subsection.
B.
Wall signs. No sign shall be affixed to a building except as hereinafter
provided:
(1)
One wall sign for each lot street frontage of each business
or industrial establishment, provided that it shall be attached and
parallel to the main wall of a building and shall face such lot street
frontage; it shall not project horizontally more than 15 inches therefrom;
the surface area of the sign shall not aggregate more than 10% of
the area of the wall on which it is displayed or 50 square feet, whichever
is the lesser; and, if illuminated, it shall be illuminated externally
by steady, stationary, white light, of reasonable intensity, shielded
and directed solely at the sign, not casting direct or reflected light
off the premises and not used other than for identifying the establishment.
(2)
The division of the permissible wall sign area into two or more
wall signs may be allowed by special permit if, in the opinion of
the Board of Appeals, such division significantly enhances the appearance
of the resulting signage in concert with the architecture of the specific
building.
(3)
When a business establishment has a customer entrance from a parking lot, the customer entrance may also be identified by a wall sign installed at the parking lot entrance subject to the dimensional provisions in Subsection B(1).
(4)
Building directory signs. In the case of multi-story buildings
with multiple occupants, each upper floor occupant is allowed one
sign not to exceed 1.5 square feet in size affixed to a directory
at the entrance to the upper floors.
(5)
Wall sign restrictions.
(a)
No sign shall be mounted above the first floor of a building;
(b)
Signs shall not obscure important architectural details or features
such as windows, transom panels, sills, moldings, and cornices; and
(c)
Signs on adjacent storefronts within the same building shall
be coordinated in height, proportion, and material.
C.
Awning signs.
(1)
In addition to the allowed wall sign, one awning sign is permitted
for each ground floor use, provided that the awning is one color and
the letters are a separate color, shade or tint and the letters are
painted on or are integral to the awning fabric, are in a maximum
of one line, are no larger than six inches in height, and are located
on the valance or vertical face of the awning.
(2)
In instances where there is no wall sign associated with a ground
floor business establishment, the permitted awning sign may include
a maximum of two lines of letters, the letters may be no larger than
16 inches in height, and the area of the sign (the letters and/or
logo) may not exceed the area allowed for a wall sign in this district.
(3)
No internally illuminated awning signs are allowed.
D.
Standing signs.
(1)
One standing sign is permitted for each business or industrial
establishment, provided that it shall not exceed 40 square feet in
surface area on any one side, it shall have a maximum of two faces,
no portion of it shall be set back less than 10 feet from the front
lot line, it shall not rise to more than six feet from the ground
or sidewalk, and it shall be externally illuminated.
(2)
Where a single lot is occupied by more than one business, whether
in the same structure or not, there shall not be more than one standing
sign.
(3)
Where a multifamily dwelling development is located in a nonresidential
district, one identification sign shall be allowed, provided that
the sign shall not exceed 10 square feet in surface area, shall not
rise to more than six feet from the ground or sidewalk, and no portion
of it shall be set back less than 10 feet from the front lot line.
If lighted, it shall be illuminated with a white, steady, stationary
light, of reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely at the
sign, not casting light off the premises.
E.
Gasoline filling station signs. Gasoline filling stations shall be
allowed the following types of permanent signs: one standing sign,
one wall sign, and two canopy signs, provided that such signs shall
meet all of the other requirements of this article, in addition to
those set forth in this subsection.
(1)
One standing sign for each gasoline filling station, provided
that it shall not exceed 40 square feet in surface area, no portion
of it shall be set back less than 10 feet from the front lot line,
it shall not be erected so that any portion of it is over 10 feet
above the ground or sidewalk, and, if lighted, it shall be illuminated
internally by white light only.
(2)
The standing sign may include gasoline prices and have a maximum
of two faces.
(3)
Up to two canopy signs are permitted for each gasoline filling
station, provided that they are each a maximum of one line, not greater
than 12 inches in height, and not longer than six feet. Identifying
symbols (logo, trademark, etc.), if any, shall be considered part
of the canopy sign when calculating the maximum allowed size.
(4)
No internally illuminated canopy signs are allowed.
Any sign existing at the date of adoption of this chapter but
which does not conform to these regulations by reason of its size,
location, type, lighting, lettering, or illumination shall become
conforming when altered in any way.
