The following signs are allowed in all zoning districts:
A.
One sign, either attached or freestanding, indicating only the name
of the owner or occupant, the street number, and uses or occupations
engaged in thereon. Sign area shall not exceed two square feet. Requires
no sign permit.
C.
Unlighted, temporary signs of no more than six square feet pertaining
to a specific noncommercial event, cause or expression of political,
religious, or ideological views, require no sign permit, except as
otherwise provided in this bylaw.
D.
One temporary unlighted real estate sign not larger than six square
feet in area, advertising the sale, rental, or lease of the premises
or subdivision on which it is erected. Requires no sign permit if
the erecting agent has obtained a one-year permit and paid an annual
fee for erecting such signs.
E.
One temporary unlighted sign indicating the name and address of the
parties involved in construction on the premises, not larger than
10 square feet on premises of 40,000 square feet or smaller, and not
larger than 25 square feet in other cases, unless a larger size is
required by a state or federal funding agency. Requires no sign permit.
The following additional signs are permitted in Residence, Suburban,
Rural and Housing Authority Districts:
A.
A single sign, either attached or freestanding, oriented to each
street on which the premises abut, each such sign not to exceed 10
square feet in area, indicating the nonresidential principal use or
uses of the premises.
B.
For nonconforming uses, if authorized by the Sign Committee following
design review and hearing, a sign replacing and not larger than an
existing sign or, if more restrictive, not larger than allowed under
the following sections.
The following additional signs are permitted in Business A Districts:
A.
Permanent wall signs. Signs (other than temporary signs) attached
flat against a building or visible through its windows are permitted
as follows:
(1)
Number: one per occupant per street that the premises abuts. If the
building abuts a parking lot, the applicant may request a special
permit from the Planning Board for a smaller secondary sign on the
side of the building facing the parking lot. The area of a sign facing
a parking lot shall not exceed 50% of the area of the primary sign,
or an area deemed appropriate by the Planning Board. The content of
a secondary sign shall be limited to the name of the business. When
there are two or more secondary signs on the building facing a parking
lot, they shall conform to a master signage plan for the building,
as prepared and submitted by the occupant/applicant and approved by
the Planning Board.
(2)
Area: total area of all wall signs shall be not more than 10% of
the projected area of the elevation they are attached to, except that
no sign shall exceed 30 square feet.
(3)
Location: not extending above or beyond the end of the wall or roof
to which they are attached, nor overhanging a street or sidewalk by
more than the thickness (up to six inches) of a flat wall sign.
B.
Permanent projecting or freestanding signs. Signs (other than temporary
signs) either not attached to a building, or attached to and projecting
at right angles from a building wall, are permitted as follows:
The following additional signs are permitted in Business B,
Professional and Light Industrial Districts:
A.
Permanent wall signs. Signs (other than temporary signs) attached
flat against a building or visible through its windows are permitted
as follows:
(1)
Number: one per occupant per street that the premises abuts.
(2)
Area: total area of all wall signs shall be not more than 20% of
the projected area of the elevation they are attached to, except that
no sign shall exceed 100 square feet in area if oriented for visibility
from Route 1 or Route I-95 and not more than 50 square feet in other
cases.
(3)
Location: not extending above or beyond the end of the wall or roof
to which they are attached, nor overhanging a street or sidewalk by
more than the thickness (up to six inches) of a flat wall sign.
B.
Permanent projecting or freestanding on-premises signs. Signs (other
than temporary signs) either not attached to a building or attached
to and projecting at right angles from a building wall are permitted
as follows:
(1)
Number: one for each street that the premises abuts.
(2)
Area: not more than 80 square feet if identifying a retailing complex
comprising three or more enterprises and 50,000 or more square feet
of floor area on a single lot, or not more than 150 square feet each
for other signs if oriented for visibility from Route 1 or Route I-95,
and not more than 25 square feet in other cases.
(3)
Location: not within five feet of any street or property line.
(4)
The maximum height of each sign shall be 20 feet, measured by the
distance above the adjoining ground plane.
(5)
Electronic message centers that change messages or copy at intervals
by programmable electronic, digital, or mechanical processes or by
remote control may be permitted under this section. Electronic message
centers shall not exceed 35% of the total allowed square footage of
the sign.
C.
Temporary signs. Temporary signs, in addition to signs allowed under Subsection A, are permitted only if unlighted inside of windows, occupying not more than 30% of the area of each window. Requires no sign permit.
D.
Billboards. In the Light Industrial District, Business District D and the Residential and Recreational Overlay District, billboards are permitted by sign permit, subject to design review and hearing, as provided in Article II herein, as follows:
[Amended 11-4-2019 STM
by Art. 4]
(1)
Number: one freestanding pylon sign per lot meeting the minimum area
requirements when lot is located west of Route I-95 and is in the
Light Industrial District, and when the lot is located within 350
feet east of Route I-95 in the Residential and Recreational Overlay
District and 350 feet east of Route I-95 in the Business District
D.
(2)
Sign area: freestanding pylon sign limited to a maximum area of 720
square feet.
(3)
Height: freestanding pylon sign limited to a maximum of 60 feet above
the adjoining ground plane.
(4)
The Board of Appeals shall act as the Sign Committee for all sign
applications submitted under this section.
(5)
Electronic or digital billboards that change their messages or copy
at intervals by programmable electronic, digital, or mechanical processes
or by remote control may be permitted under this section, provided
they comply with and are permitted under applicable state and federal
requirements for electronic signs.
The following signs are permitted in Business District D, provided
that all such signs shall comply with the objectives and design standards
for Business District D under the Zoning Bylaw, including Sections
2327 and 2328 thereof:[1]
A.
Permanent wall signs. Signs (other than temporary signs) attached
flat against a building or visible through its windows are permitted
as follows:
(1)
Primary wall signs: One primary wall sign containing a business name
is permitted per occupant per facade where wall signs are permitted;
provided, however, that the largest anchor store shall be permitted
to have multiple primary wall signs on a single facade, but only in
the event that the Board of Appeals, acting as the Sign Committee,
determines that the signage is consistent with the design standards
for Business District D after taking into account the total amount
of signage for the store.
(2)
Accessory wall signs: Accessory wall signs are permitted where wall
signs are permitted for stores with a floor area of 10,000 square
feet or greater that identify types of products and services, but
not brand names or businesses, associated with the particular occupant
using such accessory wall signs.
(3)
Facades: Primary and accessory wall signs are limited to a maximum
of three facades for each building; provided, however, that the largest
anchor store shall be permitted to have a wall sign on the fourth
facade, but only in the event that the Board of Appeals, acting as
the Sign Committee, determines that the signage is consistent with
the design standards for Business District D after taking into account
the total amount of signage for the store.
(4)
Location: Wall signs may not extend above or beyond the end of the
wall or roof to which they are attached and may not project perpendicularly
for more than six inches.
(5)
Cumulative area: Maximum area encompassed by all wall signs shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Subsection G.
(6)
Sign area: The primary wall sign for each occupant shall be limited to a sign area of 40 square feet, except as set forth in Subsection A(7) below. Accessory wall signs may be no more than 40 square feet in sign area, except that stores greater than 40,000 square feet may have accessory wall signs up to 60 square feet in sign area.
(7)
Other sign areas.
(a)
The primary wall sign for the occupant of a premises whose floor
area exceeds 100,000 square feet shall be limited to a sign area of
1,000 square feet if mounted on a building facade facing and set back
less than 150 feet from the sideline of Route I-95 and shall be limited
to a sign area of 400 square feet if mounted on any other building
facade;
(b)
The primary wall sign for the occupant of a premises whose floor
area exceeds 40,000 square feet but does not exceed 100,000 square
feet shall be limited to a sign area of 300 square feet; and
(c)
The primary wall sign for the occupant of a premises whose floor
area exceeds 10,000 square feet but does not exceed 40,000 square
feet shall be limited to a sign area of 150 square feet.
B.
Permanent freestanding signs. Signs are permitted as follows:
(1)
Number: one freestanding pylon sign per lot and one freestanding
monument sign at each driveway on abutting streets.
(2)
Sign area: freestanding pylon sign limited to a maximum of 720 square
feet, and each freestanding monument sign limited to a maximum of
150 square feet.
(3)
Height: freestanding pylon sign limited to a maximum height of 60
feet above the adjoining ground plane, and freestanding monument signs
limited to a maximum height of 14 feet above the adjoining ground
plane.
E.
Temporary signs. Temporary signs, in addition to signs allowed under Subsection A, are permitted as of right if such sign is unlighted, located on the inside of a window and occupies no more than 30% of the area of each window. Requires no sign permit.
F.
Awning signs. All stores may place the store name on awnings, provided
that the store name on any awning shall not exceed 20 square feet.
G.
Sign area. The total signage permitted for all permanent signs, including
all primary wall signs, accessory wall signs and awning signs, on
any facade shall not exceed 15% of that overall facade area.
H.
Signs facing South Walpole Street. Wall signs on building facades
facing and set back less than 200 feet from South Walpole Street are
prohibited.
In the Senior Living Overlay District (Senior Living District),
the following additional signs shall be permitted:
A.
Permanent wall signs. Signs (other than temporary signs) attached
flat against a building or visible through its windows are permitted
as follows:
(1)
Number: two per building, but not more than one per side of building.
(2)
Area: total area of wall signs shall be not more than 20% of the
projected area of the facade of the side of the building to which
they are attached, except that no individual sign shall exceed 100
square feet.
(3)
Location: not extending above or beyond the end of the wall or roof
to which they are attached, nor overhanging a street or sidewalk by
more than six inches.
B.
Permanent projecting or freestanding signs. Signs (other than temporary
signs) not attached to a building are permitted as follows:
C.
Internal way-finding signs. Internal directional traffic control
signs shall be permitted.
D.
Additional freestanding signs: in addition to the foregoing, two
signs per building identifying the buildings not larger than 20 square
feet in area per side and not extending more than eight feet above
adjoining ground level.
E.
Temporary signs: two temporary signs not larger than 100 square feet
in area, advertising the sale, rental, lease or availability of a
unit or bed in a nursing home facility. Such sign requires no sign
permit if the erecting agent has obtained a one-year permit and paid
an annual fee for erecting such signs.
