This article recognizes that signs perform an important function
by identifying residences and businesses and that some control of
signs is necessary to promote the community's safety and general
welfare by lessening safety hazards to pedestrian and vehicular traffic,
by conserving property values, by preventing unsightly and detrimental
development which has a blighting influence upon residential, business
and industrial uses, by preventing signs from reaching such excessive
size that they obscure one another to the detriment of all concerned,
and by securing certain fundamentals of design to protect the scenic
qualities which form an essential basis for part of the Town's
economic well-being.
A.
No sign shall be erected, hung, placed or painted in any district
except as provided in this chapter.
B.
For the purpose of this chapter, any of the following words relating
to signs are intended to include any tense or to read with the prefix
"re-": affix, alter, attach, display, erect, hang, move, paint, paper,
paste, place, post, and repair.
C.
No sign erected before the enactment of these regulations shall be
altered in any respect or moved, except in compliance with the provisions
of this chapter, and except that any sign may be removed completely.
D.
Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the proper erection and maintenance
of official signs by federal, state, county or municipal agencies
for traffic control, directional or informational purposes or by a
private person or agency solely for the protection of the public health,
safety and welfare.
E.
Where the flag, name, emblem, or insignia of a nation, governmental
unit, or nonprofit educational, charitable, or religious group is
used as a sign within the meaning of this chapter, such use shall
comply with the provisions hereof, except that no fee shall be charged
for issuing a permit for such use.
A.
No on-premises sign over six square feet in area and no off-premises
sign (except governmental sign) of any size shall be erected, affixed,
painted, hung, or otherwise displayed, altered or repaired unless
a permit therefor has been issued.
B.
All signs of any size must comply with all the regulations contained
herein, regardless of whether a permit is required.
C.
No permit shall be required for the repainting or re-papering of
a sign which conforms to the provisions of this chapter. Signs on
theaters advertising changes in program shall not require permits
except for the initial installation thereof.
A.
The area of a sign shall be construed to include all lettering, wording,
and accompanying designs and symbols, together with the background,
whether open or enclosed, on which they are displayed, but not including
any supporting framework and bracing incidental to the display itself.
B.
The area of a sign painted upon or applied to a building shall be
construed to include all lettering, wording, and accompanying designs
or symbols together with any backing associated with the sign.
C.
Where the sign consists of individual letters or symbols attached
to or painted on a surface, building, wall or window, the area shall
be considered to be that of the smallest rectangle or other shape
which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
D.
In computing square foot area of a double-faced sign, only one side
shall be considered, provided that both faces are identical.
A.
No sign shall project more than three feet above the roof nor more
than 14 inches out from the wall to which it is attached. Signs not
exceeding four square feet in area may be placed perpendicular to
a building face if attached to and below a canopy projection from
said building.
B.
Signs shall not exceed the height limit permitted for structures
in the zoning district in which they are located, except that the
Board of Appeals may authorize a special exception to such use, provided
that:
(1)
The exception shall be granted only for on-premises signs accessory
to retail commercial uses such as gasoline service stations, restaurants,
motels and the like offering services intended primarily or substantially
for highway travelers and other transient users;
(2)
Said uses are or will be located at or near an interchange of a limited
access highway;
(3)
Such special exception sign shall contain only the name or the name
and symbol or emblem of the use to which it is accessory;
(4)
The area of such special exception sign shall not exceed 100 square
feet; and
(5)
Not more than one structure for such sign shall be permitted on a
single property, but said structure may be authorized to contain the
sign of more than one permitted use if such use is on the same or
contiguous property.
C.
All signs except temporary signs shall be constructed of durable
material and kept in good condition and repair. Whenever a sign becomes
structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of a building or premises
or the public safety, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator,
he shall order that such sign be made safe or removed. Such order
shall be complied with within five days of receipt thereof by the
person, firm or corporation owning or using the sign or the owner
of the building or premises on which such unsafe sign is affixed or
erected.
D.
Lighting devices shall be shielded so that they do not create a nuisance
by shining directly into a public street or highway or into a residential
district. No flashing or rotating flashing illumination of a sign
shall be permitted except for official traffic signs.
E.
Except for official traffic signs, no sign with an area larger than
six square feet shall be placed nearer than 20 feet to the right-of-way
line of a street or 50 feet to the center line of said street, whichever
distance is greater.
A.
No sign shall constitute a public safety or traffic hazard, such
as by obstructing traffic signals, traffic signs, road warning signs,
street name signs, or the full view of the traffic in all directions
at driveways, entranceways or any other public road intersection.
B.
No signs except official traffic signs shall be located within the
right-of-way of any street or road or on any slope or drainage easement
for a street or road.
C.
No sign shall be permitted which is an imitation of or which resembles
an official traffic control device, railroad sign or signal.
D.
Tacking, painting, posting or otherwise affixing of signs or posters
on the walls of buildings, barns, sheds, trees, posts, poles, fences,
walls or other structures is prohibited except as hereinafter provided.
E.
Signs shall not obstruct any door, fire escape, stairway or other
opening intended to provide ingress or egress for any building or
structure.
A.
Nonconforming signs, once removed, shall be replaced only with conforming
signs; however, nonconforming signs may be repaired or repainted,
provided that such repainted or repaired sign does not exceed the
dimensions of the existing sign, and provided that no change is made
in the general wording or content of the sign.
B.
Every sign, billboard and other outdoor advertising medium erected
in the Town prior to the adoption of this chapter may continue to
be maintained, despite lack of conformity with all of the provisions
of this chapter, for a period of seven years after the adoption thereof,
after which the owner of every such sign, at his own expense, shall
cause the same to be brought into strict conformity with all the requirements
of this chapter or shall remove the same; provided, however, that
the Board of Appeals may grant permission as a special exception upon
application by said owner for the continued use and maintenance of
such sign without conforming to the requirements of this chapter where
to require cessation of use would in the documented opinion of the
Board impair the property rights of any person to such an extent as
to be an unconstitutional taking of property. The work of bringing
such sign into conformity with such requirements shall constitute
either repair, alteration or relocation and therefore shall require
the owner of such sign to obtain a permit.
Signs as specified hereinafter shall be permitted, as authorized in Article IV, as an accessory use in conjunction with a permitted principal use when located on the same premises as the permitted use:
A.
Identification signs.
(1)
A sign indicating the name or number of the building or premises
or the accessory use of a dwelling for a home occupation, provided
that such sign shall not exceed two square feet in area, and provided
that not more than one such sign shall be erected on a property, unless
such property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such
sign may be erected on each street frontage. Such sign, if illuminated,
shall be of an enclosed lamp design.
(2)
A sign indicating the name of an active farm, provided that such
sign shall not exceed 10 square feet in area, and provided that not
more than one such sign shall be erected along any road adjoining
the farm.
(3)
Bulletin or announcement board or identification signs for schools,
churches, hospitals, and other principal uses and buildings other
than dwellings, provided that the area of any such sign shall not
exceed 12 square feet and not more than one such sign shall be placed
on a property, unless such property fronts on more than one street,
in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage.[1]
(4)
Nongovernmental traffic control and directional signs not exceeding
two square feet in area. Such signs shall not be illuminated but may
be of the beaded reflector type. No advertising matter whatsoever
shall be contained on signs of this type.
(5)
Any signs used upon a property warning the public against hunting,
fishing or trespassing thereon or indicating the private nature of
a road, driveway or premises, provided that no individual such sign
shall exceed two square feet in area.
B.
Advertising signs.
(1)
A sign advertising the sale of agricultural products grown or produced
on the premises, provided that the area of any such sign shall not
exceed 20 square feet and not more than one such sign shall be placed
on a property, unless such property fronts on more than one street,
in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage.
(2)
Accessory signs identifying permitted nonresidential uses, which signs may include business advertising signs as defined in Article II, provided that:
(a)
The aggregate area of all signs attached to or painted on a
building shall not exceed 10% of the area of the building face to
which they are attached or painted or 100 square feet, whichever is
less.
(b)
Freestanding signs identifying a single building or a shopping
center or other principal use shall be permitted in accordance with
the following schedule:
Total Street Frontage
|
Number of Signs Permitted
| |
---|---|---|
1 to 1,000 feet
|
1
| |
Each full additional 1,000 feet
|
1
|
(c)
The area of any freestanding accessory sign shall not exceed
one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage of the property
occupied by the principal use, and in no case shall the area of a
sign exceed 200 square feet.
C.
Temporary signs.
(1)
A temporary sign advertising sale or lease of the land or building
upon which such sign is displayed, provided that the area of any such
sign shall not exceed six square feet and not more than one such sign
shall be placed on a property, unless such property fronts on more
than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each
street frontage. Such signs shall be removed immediately upon final
settlement or renting of the property.
(2)
A temporary sign advertising the development of the property upon
which it stands or the opening of a new subdivision, provided that
the area of any such sign shall not exceed 100 square feet and that
not more than one such sign may be placed on a property, unless such
property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign
may be erected on each street frontage. Such signs shall be removed
immediately upon completion of the development.
(3)
Temporary contractors', architects' or builders' signs,
provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square
feet. Such signs shall be removed immediately upon completion of the
work or 18 months after erection of the signs, whichever shall occur
first.
(4)
Temporary signs announcing a campaign, drive, or event of a civic,
philanthropic, education, or religious organization. Such signs shall
not exceed 12 square feet in area and shall be removed not more than
five days after the event.
Signs directing attention to a person, business, profession, product, home occupation, service or activity not conducted or sold on the same property, herein designated "off-premises signs," shall be permitted as authorized in Article III and as specified hereinafter:
A.
Directional signs.
(1)
Signs for directing patrons, members, or audiences to service clubs,
churches, or other nonprofit organizations, provided that signs shall
indicate only the name, emblem, meeting hours, address and direction
of the facility and shall not exceed four square feet in area.
(2)
Directional signs relating to a place, which includes without being
limited to commercial and industrial establishments, intended to direct
or point the way at street intersections toward said place which obviously
could not easily be located without such sign or device, provided
that such signs shall contain only the name, symbol or emblem of said
place, and provided that no such sign shall be larger than two square
feet in area.
B.
Advertising signs.
(1)
Off-premises business advertising signs as defined in Article II are subject to the following restrictions:
(a)
No such sign shall be placed nearer than 200 feet to any residence,
or nearer than 25 feet to any street right-of-way line or nearer than
50 feet to any other property line.
(b)
No such sign shall be placed closer than 300 feet to any intersection
on a dual highway or closer than 100 feet to the intersection of any
other streets, except that such signs may be placed on a building
at such intersections in such a manner as not to cause any greater
obstruction of vision that caused by the building itself.
(c)
No such sign shall have an area larger than 400 square feet.
(d)
No such sign shall obstruct the view from state highways or
county primary roads to areas or structures of scenic or historic
interest.
C.
Temporary signs.
(1)
Temporary signs for political campaigns or directing patrons, members
or audiences to exhibits, shows or events are subject to the following
requirements:
(a)
No such sign shall exceed 12 square feet in area.
(b)
Signs shall be removed within five days after the date of the
election, exhibit, show or event; otherwise, the Town may cause such
sign to be removed with the cost of said removal to be borne by the
person or organization responsible for posting the temporary signs.
(c)
No such sign shall be posted earlier than six weeks before the
occurrence of the event to which it relates.
(2)
Temporary directional signs relating to a land subdivision or to
a construction project, intended to direct or point the way at street
intersections toward such subdivision or project, subject to the following
requirements: