Unless otherwise specified within separate articles of this
chapter, the following standards apply for permanent signs erected
within any district:
A. General.
(1) Signs shall be designed to be compatible with the surroundings and
appropriate to the architectural character of the buildings on which
they are placed or to which they relate.
(2) All signs, including wall-mounted and projecting signs, shall be
securely anchored and shall not swing or move in any manner.
(3) All signs, sign finishes, supports and electric work shall be kept
clean, neatly painted, and free from all hazards, such as, but not
limited to, faulty wiring and loose supports, braces, guys and anchors.
(4) All projecting, freestanding or wall signs shall employ acceptable
safety material.
(5) All signs shall be in accordance with the most-current version of
the Building Code of New York State and shall follow all rules and
regulations of such code.
(6) Total sign area shall be calculated from all sign faces.
B. Wall signs.
(1) Wall signs shall not extend beyond the end or over the top of the
wall to which attached and shall not extend above the level of the
second floor of the building.
(2) Wall signs shall not project more than nine inches from the face
of the building to which they are attached.
(3) Any part of a sign extending over pedestrian areas shall have a minimum
clearance of eight feet.
(4) Wall signs are not permitted on residential lots.
C. Freestanding signs.
(1) No freestanding sign shall extend over or into a public right-of-way
or driveway, nor shall it overhang a property line.
(2) Single-pole freestanding signs are not permitted.
(3) Freestanding signs shall be located five feet or greater from the
property line.
(4) Freestanding signs shall not be more than six feet in height above
grade.
(5) Freestanding signs shall include a gap between grade and the lower
edge of the sign panel measuring between 18 and 24 inches. Monument-style
signs are exempt from this provision.
D. Tower signs.
(1) Tower signs shall not exceed the height restrictions of the zoning
district in which they are placed and shall have a setback of 1.25
times the height of the tower sign from an adjacent property or road
right-of-way.
(2) Tower signs shall be permitted only in the C-1, C-2 and I-1 Districts.
(3) Tower signs shall not exceed the area requirements of the zoning
district in which they are located.
E. Projecting signs.
(1) Projecting signs shall not extend further than four feet outward
from the facade, and in no case shall they extend into a public right-of-way
or private drive aisle.
(2) The edge nearest the building shall be no greater than nine inches
from said wall and the bottom edge at least nine feet above grade.
(3) Each building shall be limited to one projecting sign per facade
facing a public right-of-way.
(4) Projecting signs shall have no more than two faces.
(5) Projecting signs shall have a maximum area of eight square feet per
face and shall be designed to be pedestrian-oriented.
(6) No projecting sign shall be placed on a building already possessing
an awning sign.
F. Directory signs.
(1) Directory signs include building directory signs and plaza directory
signs.
(2) Directory signs are not permitted in the A-1, L-R and R-1 Districts.
(3) One building or plaza directory sign indicating the name of the occupants
of the building and the building number in order to direct persons
to their proper destination shall be permitted per multitenant building.
(4) Building directory signs shall not be more than six feet in height
above grade.
(5) Each business within a plaza may have no more than one sign within
the directory sign.
(6) The directory sign shall have no more than two faces and shall not
exceed 25 square feet per face for five or fewer businesses, with
three square feet allowed for each additional tenant, not to exceed
50 square feet in total per face.
G. Bulletin boards.
(1) Only places of worship, libraries, museums, social clubs or societies
may erect on their premises a bulletin board sign not to exceed 16
square feet per face.
H. Subdivision entry or other identification signs.
(1) One sign identifying the name of a project located at an entrance
of the subdivision or development shall be permitted pursuant to the
following:
(a)
Such project has greater than 10 single-family detached or 20
multifamily housing units.
(b)
The sign shall be limited to two faces and shall not exceed
40 square feet total.
(c)
One such sign shall be permitted for each entrance on a different
street or highway.
I. Electronic signs.
(1) Such signs shall be limited to one per property.
(2) Such signs shall be prohibited within A-1, L-R and R-1 Districts.
(3) Signage dedicated to the support of drive-through facilities shall
be located in rear or side yards.
(4) Electronic signs may not have flashing or moving images.
J. Window signs.
(1) The area of any window sign shall not exceed 50% of the window area.
(2) Window signs shall not be considered temporary signage if they are
not intended to be changed or replaced within a calendar year from
date of installation or text exceeds six inches in height.
K. Awning signs.
(1) The area of any awning sign shall not exceed 25% of the awning area.
(2) No sign shall project from an awning.
(3) Awning graphics may be painted or affixed flat to the surface of
the front or sides and shall indicate only the name and/or address
of the enterprise or premises.
(4) Awning graphics shall be a single line of lettering; text under six
inches in height shall not be debited against the permitted wall sign
surface area.
(5) The bottom edge of the awning sign shall be at least nine feet above
grade.
(6) No awning sign shall be placed on a building already possessing a
projecting wall sign.
L. Signs in shopping centers and malls.
(1) Each shopping center or mall may have one double-faced sign no more
than the maximum sign area prescribed by this article on each side,
except that if the sign is single-faced, the area of the sign shall
not exceed than the maximum sign area prescribed by this article.
(2) Tenants.
(a)
Each tenant of a shopping center or mall shall be allowed a
sign; however, such sign shall not exceed 5% of the facade of the
portion of the shopping center leased by the tenant and shall not
exceed the maximum sign area prescribed by this article. Tenant signs
shall be more than three feet off the ground and shall not exceed
the height of the facade. If a tenant occupies a portion of a shopping
center or mall that provides more than one facade, the tenant shall
be allowed two signs, with one sign occupying each facade, and the
total area of both signs shall not exceed 5% of the total facade area
of the portion of the shopping center leased by the tenant.
(b)
All facade signs shall be of a uniform, harmonious design as
prescribed by this article and shall be affixed to the facade of the
building.
M. Signage lighting.
(1) Freestanding ground signs may be illuminated via ground-mounted fixtures
or sign-mounted fixtures.
(2) External illumination fixtures must be shielded and directed such
that a minimum of light pollution is created.
(3) Signage accent lighting shall be of a lesser intensity than the illumination
for the sign panel itself.
(4) Permitted signage lighting fixtures include lanterns, goosenecks,
and shielded, architectural-grade spotlights.
(5) Illumination of directly/internally illuminated signs shall be of
the diffused lighting type.
N. Signage materials.
(1) All signage shall be of professional quality and constructed of robust,
durable, and weather-resistant materials.
(2) All wood signage components must be sealed and protected from the
elements. Unpainted or unfinished treated and untreated lumber shall
not be permitted.
(3) Signage materials shall be of like or complementary color, character,
type and quality to those found on the related principal structure.
(4) Segmental block and/or nonmortared stone is permitted for signage
base materials only if like materials are in use throughout the principal
structure.