No signs or advertising devices of any kind or nature shall be erected on any premises or affixed to the outside of any structure or be visible from the outside of any structure except as specifically permitted in this article.
In residence districts, signs or advertising devices are permitted only as follows:
A. 
One nonelectric sign displaying the street number, or name of the occupant of the premises, or both, not exceeding three square feet in area. Such sign may be attached to a building or may be on a rod or post not more than six feet high and not less than three feet from the street line. Such sign may include identification of any accessory studio or professional office in the dwelling or on the premises, or may identify other permitted accessory uses, including customary home occupations.
B. 
One bulletin or announcement board or identification sign for a permitted nonresidential building or use, not more than six square feet of signboard area. For churches and institutions, two bulletin or announcement boards or identification signs are permitted on each building. Each such church or institution sign shall not be more than 10 square feet of signboard area. No such sign shall be located nearer a street than one-half the required front yard depth.
C. 
On the premises with a lawfully nonconforming use, one sign not more than six square feet.
D. 
One "For Sale" or "For Rent" sign, not more than six square feet and advertising only the premises on which the sign is located. It shall be set back at least 10 feet from the street lot line.
E. 
One building contractor's sign on a building while actually under construction, not exceeding six square feet.
F. 
In residence districts, all signs or advertising devices shall be stationary and shall not contain any visible moving or moveable parts. No sign or advertising device in such districts shall be of neon or illuminated tube type. Lighting of any sign or advertising device shall be continuous (not intermittent nor flashing nor changing) and shall be so placed or hooded as to prevent direct light from shining onto any street or adjacent property. No sign or advertising device shall be illuminated after 11:00 p.m.
In Business, Commercial and Industrial Districts, signs or advertising devices are permitted only as follows:
A. 
Signs shall relate to the premises on which they are located and shall only identify the occupant of such premises or advertise the articles or services available within said premises.
B. 
On each lot, there are permitted two signs affixed to the exterior of a building and not to the roof for each occupant. The top edge of each such sign shall not be higher than 10 feet above the roof ridge of the building, provided that this permissible 10 feet does not exceed the permitted forty-foot building height noted in § 255-6.4 of this bylaw.
C. 
The total sign area affixed to the wall of any building shall not exceed 5% of that wall area.
D. 
In Mixed Use Districts where businesses are set back greater than 15 feet from the street, one double-sided "monument type" sign of overall size 16 square feet or less and a maximum height above street level of 42 inches and one single-faced sign of 12 square feet at a minimum height of eight feet mounted to the building structure in a plane parallel to the adjacent street. Where businesses are set back 15 feet or less from the street, one "knife" sign up to 12 square feet per face at a minimum height of 10 feet and subject to approval of the Planning Board.
(1) 
In General Business Districts, freestanding signs are limited to 20 square feet of total area per side and total signage per occupant may not exceed 40 square feet and subject to approval of the Planning Board.
E. 
In Industrial and Commercial Districts where buildings are set back 40 feet or more, one freestanding sign per lot is permitted. The top edge of any such freestanding sign shall be not higher than 25 feet vertical measure above the average level of the ground between the supports of each sign for traffic safety, the whole of the signboard or display elements of any freestanding sign shall be either below three feet or 10 feet above average ground level. Any such freestanding sign may be located within the front yard space of any such lot, but not nearer than 12 feet to any lot line.
F. 
No freestanding sign (or display area, if no signboard) shall exceed 150 square feet, measured from the tops of the topmost display elements to the bottom of the lowest display elements, and from exterior side to exterior side of display elements, and including in such measurements any blank space between display elements. No display or signboard dimension shall exceed 16 feet for a freestanding sign.
G. 
Illuminated signs are permitted, subject to the following conditions:
(1) 
No sign shall be intermittently illuminated, nor of a traveling light, animated or flashing light type.
(2) 
Each illuminated sign shall not exceed 100 square feet gross display areas as measured in Subsection F above.
(3) 
Sign illumination is permitted only between the hours of 7:00 in the morning and 11:00 in the evening, except that signs of retail establishments may be illuminated during any hours these establishments are open to the public.
(4) 
Sign illumination for 24 hours daily is permitted only where such illumination does not infringe upon residential property and shall only be permitted with the approval of the Select Board.
[Amended 1-28-2023 STM by Art. 9]
(5) 
Signs with changeable message areas may not change messages at a frequency greater than once in 60 minutes.
(6) 
Changeable message signs in the General Business and Mixed Use Districts may be mounted to the building structure only.
A. 
Specifically excluded from these regulations are temporary interior window displays or temporary banners for drive-in establishments or automotive establishments.
B. 
In all zoning districts, any traffic or directional signs owned and installed by a government agency shall be permitted.
C. 
Specifically excluded from these regulations are the displaying of national and state flags.
D. 
In all zoning districts, for safety reasons, any private outdoor lighting fixture, whether temporary or permanent, other than gaseous tube letters in signs, shall be so placed or hooded that the light source itself shall not be directly visible at any point beyond the lot lines of the premises illuminated. A sign (including temporary interior window displays or banners) or its illuminator shall not by reason of its 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. Therefore, flashing or animated signs of red, yellow or green colored lights are not permitted.
E. 
The Select Board may issue a temporary permit authorizing the temporary erection of special promotional signs, banners, streamers or placards in connection with a political campaign, for the advertisement and promotion of yard sales, flea markets, bazaars, and similar special events or for special sales by regular business firms located in the Town.
[Amended 1-28-2023 STM by Art. 9]
A. 
Effective September 1, 1987, there shall be a uniform building numbering system in effect at all time for each tenant and/or occupant of every building in the Avon industrial zones. Each such tenant and/or occupant shall purchase, erect and maintain at its own expense a sign that is three feet in length and 12 inches high on its face side. The face side of the sign shall have a white background and be black lettered in the letter style known as Helvetica Medium font. The lettering shall be 10 inches in height. Each such sign shall conform to the street numbering system assigned by the Avon Town Clerk in that the lettering on each such sign shall set forth the first initial of the street name, then followed by the number of that street at which the tenant and/or occupant is located in the park. Multiple tenants and/or occupants at the identical address in the park shall be further distinguished by the addition of a sequential letter (i.e., A, B, C, etc.) appearing at the end of the street number. The sign(s) shall at all times be displayed prominently in the upper corner of each building that is most readily and easily visible from the nearest major road in the park. The Town shall not issue an occupancy and/or building permit to any tenant and/or occupant of the park who is not in compliance with this bylaw.
B. 
Failure to comply with the terms of the bylaw shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of $25 per day for each day or portion of a day on which a violation occurs and/or continues to occur until such time as compliance is had.