A.
A Sign Committee of five members may be appointed by the Select Board
members for three-year terms (so arranged initially that no more than
two terms expire each year). Members shall include at least one retail
merchant operating in Sharon, one registered architect or landscape
architect, and one other person having professional training in visual
design. In addition to the five members, two associate members shall
be appointed by the Select Board members for one-year terms, to act
in cases where members are unable to do so.
B.
The Committee shall elect a Chairman and a Clerk. All decisions shall
be made by majority vote of the five members or members and alternates.
C.
If no such
Sign Committee has been appointed by the Select Board, the Board of
Appeals shall act as Sign Committee.
D.
Action on applications.
(2)
The Planning Board shall act as the Sign Committee for all signs for a facility within Business Districts A and C and for off-premises signs pertaining to a facility in Business Districts A and C in lieu of the Sign Committee created under this § 221-3 and references to the Sign Committee are deemed to reference the Planning Board. All applications for sign approvals for a facility within and for off-premises signs pertaining to a facility in Business Districts A and C shall be submitted to the Sign Committee created under this § 221-3 in addition to the Planning Board, and the Sign Committee shall be given an opportunity by the Planning Board to provide its comments on each such application.
(3)
The Board of Appeals shall act as the Sign Committee for all signs for a facility within Business District D and for off-premises signs pertaining to a facility in Business District D in lieu of the Sign Committee created under this § 221-3 and references to the Sign Committee are deemed to reference the Board of Appeals. All applications for sign approvals for a facility within and for off-premises signs pertaining to a facility in Business District D shall be submitted to the Sign Committee created under this § 221-3 in addition to the Board of Appeals, and the Sign Committee shall be given an opportunity by the Board of Appeals to provide its comments on each such application.
A.
No sign shall be erected, enlarged, reworded, redesigned or structurally altered without a sign permit issued by the Building Inspector, unless specifically exempted from this requirement in Article IV. Permits shall only be authorized for signs in conformance with this bylaw. Permit applications shall be accompanied by two prints of scale drawings of the sign, supporting structure and location.
B.
Permits shall expire 10 years from the date of issue, but may be
renewed for additional ten-year periods subject to the same standards
and procedures as for new signs at that time.
C.
For signs subject to design review and hearing, a public hearing
shall be held by the Sign Committee, with at least seven days' notice
given by advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in Sharon.
Prior to the hearing, the applicant shall submit photographs of his
premises and those abutting on either side. Permit approval or disapproval
shall be determined following the hearing and reported to the Building
Inspector within 30 days of application or appeal unless the applicant
requests an extension to facilitate submittal of additional materials
or revised design.
The Sign Committee may, upon appeal and after design review
and hearing, grant a variance from the terms of this bylaw upon its
finding that owing to physical peculiarities of the specific location,
literal enforcement of those terms would result in substantial hardship
to the applicant or detriment to the vicinity, and that results of
granting the variance will be consistent with the stated objectives
of this bylaw.
Application and hearing fees shall be established and revised
from time to time by the Sign Committee.
