Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall erect, alter,
construct, relocate or cause to be erected, altered, constructed or
relocated any sign without first having obtained a sign permit from
the Code Enforcement Officer.
A. Application requirements. The following information shall be provided
to the Code Enforcement Officer for a sign permit application:
(1)
Name, address, contact information, and signature of the applicant.
(2)
Name, address, and signature of the building and/or property
owner (if not the applicant).
(3)
Dimensions and drawings indicating the size, shape, construction,
materials, and layout of the sign(s).
(4)
Site plan and elevations indicating the proposed location and
size of the sign(s), to scale.
(5)
Any additional site and/or sign information as requested by
the Code Enforcement Officer.
B. Situations not requiring sign permit. The following situations shall
not require the issuance of a sign permit, provided such maintenance,
changes, or alterations do not in any way alter the physical size,
design, or nature of the sign.
(1)
The repainting, repairing, changing of parts, and maintenance
of signs.
(2)
A change in the message of a sign.
(3)
Repainting of supports and sign area.
C. Planning Board review. New developments subject to review and approval
by the Planning Board, at the request of the applicant, may have proposed
signage reviewed and approved as part of the special permit or site
plan review process. In the event of such review, all required sign
permit application materials shall be provided to the Planning Board
as part of the complete application.
D. Alteration. Any sign for which a permit has been issued shall not
be modified, relocated, altered, or replaced, unless an amended or
new sign permit is obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer.
E. Expiration. A sign permit shall expire if the sign for which the
permit has been issued is not fully constructed within 180 days from
the date of issuance of the sign permit.
F. Revocation. The Code Enforcement Officer or designee may, at any
time for a violation of this regulation, issue a notice of violation.
A written notice of the violation including all reasons for the violation
shall be mailed to the property and/or building owner. Said violation
must be corrected within 30 days of the date of notice; otherwise
the sign permit shall be revoked and the sign in question shall be
required to be removed.
The following types of signs may be erected in the Town without obtaining a sign permit. Although permits are not required for these signs, they shall conform to all other requirements of this article or may be subject to removal by the Code Enforcement Officer per §
120-40.4I.
A. Directional signs. Signs that provide direction to pedestrians, bicyclists,
or motorists shall not require a sign permit, provided the following
conditions are met. Such signs may include, but are not limited to,
signs providing direction to parking, restrooms, walkways, entrances,
or exits.
(1)
Directional signs shall be located entirely on the property
to which they pertain and shall not contain a commercial message (e.g.,
business name).
(2)
The total of directional signs on any one property shall not
exceed an area of six square feet in a residential district, or 16
square feet in a nonresidential district.
(3)
Directional signs shall not exceed four feet in height.
(4)
Directional signs shall not be illuminated.
(5)
Directional signs may not extend above the first floor of any
given structure or project beyond property lines.
(6)
Directional signs shall be set back at least five feet from
all property lines.
(7)
Directional signs shall not impede the traffic or visibility
of pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorists.
B. Signs on gasoline pumps. Signs attached to a gasoline pump shall
not require a permit, provided they do not exceed six square feet
in area.
C. Governmental signs: any official sign, public notice, or warning
sign supported by federal, state or local law, including but not limited
to signs erected and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any
government functions. (Example: New York State inspection station
or authorized repair shop identification.) There are no size requirements
or time limits for governmental signs.
D. Historical signs: signs such as cornerstones, commemorative tablets,
and historical markers, provided that said signs are less than six
square feet in area and not illuminated.
E. Home occupation signs. Any home occupation permitted by the Town
may have one sign without a permit, provided it does not exceed six
square feet in area and four feet in height. The sign shall not be
illuminated.
F. Internal signs: signs within a building not legible from the public
right-of-way or adjacent lots, or any sign within an enclosed outdoor
space, such as an athletic field, where such sign is not legible beyond
the property lines.
G. Lawn signs. A single lawn sign shall be allowed on any lot without
a permit, provided it is in conformance with the regulations below.
(1)
The sign does not exceed three feet in height and six square
feet in area.
(2)
The sign is not displayed for more than 30 days in a ninety-day
period.
(3)
The sign is not illuminated.
(4)
The sign maintains at least a five-foot setback from all property
lines.
(5)
The sign does not impede the traffic or visibility of pedestrians,
bicyclists, or motorists.
H. Noncommercial signs on residential property. Any sign on a residential
property that does not contain a commercial message shall not require
the issuance of a sign permit, provided such sign is in conformance
with the following:
(1)
There shall be no more than one sign per dwelling unit.
(2)
A sign shall not exceed three feet in height and six feet in
area.
(3)
The total square footage of all signs on a single lot shall
not exceed 12 square feet.
(4)
The sign is not illuminated.
(5)
The sign maintains at least a five-foot setback from all property
lines.
(6)
The sign does not impede traffic or visibility of pedestrians,
bicyclists, or motorists.
(7)
The sign is not attached to any permanent building or structure.
I. Sandwich board signs. Sandwich board signs shall not require a permit,
provided the following conditions are met:
(1)
There is no more than one sign per lot.
(2)
The sign is not illuminated.
(3)
The sign does not exceed six square feet in area.
(4)
The sign does not exceed six feet in height.
(5)
The sign does not impede pedestrian or motorist traffic or safety.
(6)
The sign is brought in each day at the close of business.
The following signs are prohibited within the Town:
A. Signs for which no sign permit was issued or for which a sign permit
has been revoked.
B. Signs that are not properly maintained or that are considered structurally
unsound, hazardous, or otherwise unsafe. The Town reserves the right
to remove any sign considered to be a danger to the public health,
safety, or welfare without notice to be held for a period of 10 days.
If the sign is not claimed within that time, it shall be discarded.
C. Signs that contain words or pictures of an obscene or pornographic
nature.
D. Signs that emit audible sounds, odor, or visible matter.
E. Signs placed on a curb, sidewalk, hydrant, utility pole, trees or
other objects located on or over any public street unless otherwise
permitted. The Town reserves the right to remove any sign placed on
public property without notice to be held for a period of 10 days.
If the sign is not claimed within that time, it shall be discarded.
F. Signs that may be confused with a traffic control sign, signal or
device or the light of an emergency or road equipment vehicle or hide
from view any traffic or street sign, signal, or device.
G. Signs that flash, blink, rotate, or revolve, or utilize unshielded
lighting devices or reflectors to outline or provide the background
of a sign.
H. Signs that are animated or utilize full motion or video technology.
I. Signs that are mounted on wheels or mounted on any structure on wheels.
J. Signs with mirrors or any other reflective material.
K. Portable signs that are permanently displayed.
L. Banners, pennants, or windblown or inflated signs that are permanently
displayed.
M. Roof signs, obsolete signs, and off-premises signs, except for billboards as provided for in §
120-40.10.
N. Signs painted directly on an exterior wall.
The use of electronic changeable copy within a sign, in whole
or in part, is permitted in any district other than a residential
district. Any use of electronic changeable copy shall be in accordance
with the following:
A. Electronic changeable copy shall not be utilized in any wall sign,
suspended sign, awning sign, or window sign.
B. The area of electronic changeable copy shall not exceed 75% of the area of the face of the sign to which it is attached (see Figure 4), except for digital billboards as provided for in §
120-40.10.
C. Signs with electronic changeable copy shall display static messages
with no animation, no effects simulating animation, and no video.
D. Any change in electronic copy shall occur no more than once every
30 seconds. Each transition shall be accomplished immediately with
no fade, scroll, travel, flash, spin, revolution or shaking and shall
not include any other type of movement or motion.
E. Electronic changeable copy signs shall be shut off at the close of
business.
F. Signs with electronic changeable copy shall be equipped with photosensitive
equipment that is programmed to automatically adjust the brightness
and contrast of the sign in direct relation to the ambient outdoor
illumination. Maximum brightness levels for electronic changeable
copy signs shall not exceed a limit of 465 lumens per square foot
in the daytime and 26 lumens per square foot after sundown. The brightness
levels shall be measured from a distance of no more than five feet
from the sign face.
G. Signs shall be programmed or set in such a manner that the display
will turn dark and emit no light in case of malfunction.
H. No signs with electronic changeable copy shall be located within
500 feet of a residentially zoned property as measured in a straight
line from the location of the sign to the nearest residential property
line.
The following tables outline the requirements for various sign types that may be proposed for installation within the Town. The tables permit each type of sign by the zone in which it is located. For the purposes of this article, the Union Road Corridor shall be considered a "zone" as defined by §
120-70 of this chapter.
A. Ground signs.
Ground Sign: A sign not attached to any building or structure,
which may be supported by one or two columns or posts provided the
distance between the ground and bottommost edge of the sign is no
greater than three feet
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufacturing Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.
|
1 per lot
|
1 per lot
|
1 per lot
|
1 per lot
|
Maximum Area
|
8 square feet
|
32 square feet
|
32 square feet
|
32 square feet with 10-foot setback; OR 24 square feet
|
Maximum Height1
|
3 feet
|
15 feet
|
15 feet
|
15 feet
|
Minimum Setback2
|
5 feet
|
10 feet
|
10 feet
|
0 feet; 10 feet for larger sign area
|
Illumination
|
Not Permitted
|
Permitted
|
Permitted
|
Permitted
|
NOTES:
|
(1)
|
Measured from the elevation of the ground at the center of the
sign to the topmost edge of the sign.
|
(2)
|
Measured from the nearest edge of the sign to the front or side
lot line.
|
B. Pedestal signs.
PEDESTAL SIGN: A sign not attached to any building or structure
supported by one or two columns or posts with a distance exceeding
seven feet from the ground and the bottommost edge of the sign.
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufact uring Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.
|
Not Permitted
|
1 per lot
|
1 per lot
|
Not Permitted
|
Maximum Area
|
—
|
40 square feet
|
40 square feet
|
—
|
Maximum Height1
|
—
|
25 feet
|
25 feet
|
—
|
Minimum Setback2
|
—
|
10 feet
|
10 feet
|
—
|
Illumination
|
—
|
Permitted
|
Permitted
|
—
|
NOTES:
|
(1)
|
Measured from the elevation of the ground at the center of the
sign to the topmost edge of the sign.
|
(2)
|
Measured from the nearest edge of the sign to the front or side
lot line.
|
C. Wall signs.
WALL SIGN: Any sign fastened to a building or structure that
does not project more than 12 inches from the facade.
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufacturing Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.
|
1 per structure
|
1 per facade
|
1 per facade
|
1 per facade
|
Maximum Area
|
6 square feet
|
10% of the facade
|
10% of the facade
|
10% of the facade
|
Maximum Height
|
2 feet
|
5 feet
|
5 feet
|
5 feet
|
Illumination
|
Not Permitted
|
Permitted
|
Permitted
|
Permitted
|
D. Projecting signs.
PROJECTING SIGN: A sign wholly or partly dependent upon a building
or structure for support which projects more than 12 inches, but less
than 40 inches from the facade.
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufacturing Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.
|
Not Permitted
|
1 per use
|
1 per use
|
1 per use
|
Maximum Area
|
—
|
8 square feet
|
8 square feet
|
8 square feet
|
Maximum Height
|
—
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
Minimum Clearance1
|
—
|
9 feet
|
9 feet
|
9 feet
|
Illumination
|
—
|
External Only
|
External Only
|
Not Permitted
|
NOTES:
|
(1)
|
Measured from the elevation of the ground directly beneath the
center of the sign to the bottommost edge of the sign.
|
E. Suspended signs.
SUSPENDED SIGN: A sign attached to and supported by the underside
of a horizontal plane.
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufacturing Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.
|
Not Permitted
|
1 per use
|
1 per use
|
1 per use
|
Maximum Area
|
—
|
8 square feet
|
8 square feet
|
8 square feet
|
Maximum Height
|
—
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
Minimum Clearance1
|
—
|
9 feet
|
9 feet
|
9 feet
|
Illumination
|
—
|
External Only
|
External Only
|
Not Permitted
|
NOTES:
|
(1)
|
Measured from the elevation of the ground directly beneath the
center of the sign to the bottommost edge of the sign.
|
F. Awning signs.
AWNING SIGN: A sign that is part of or attached to an awning,
canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over
a door, entrance, window, or outdoor area.
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufacturing Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.
|
Not Permitted
|
1 per awning
|
1 per awning
|
1 per awning
|
Maximum Height1
|
—
|
18 inches
|
18 inches
|
12 inches
|
Illumination
|
—
|
Backlit Only
|
Backlit Only
|
Backlit Only
|
NOTE:
|
(1)
|
As measured by the height of any shape fully encompassing all
graphics and/or type. Said sign shall only be permitted on the bottommost
edge of the canvas, fabric, or other material to which it is applied.
|
G. Window signs.
WINDOW SIGN: A sign which is applied or attached to the exterior
or interior of a window or is installed inside of a window within
12 inches of the window through which it can be seen.
|
---|
Zone
|
Residential Districts
|
Commercial Districts
|
Manufacturing Districts
|
Union Road Corridor
|
---|
Maximum No.1
|
—
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
Maximum Area
|
—
|
Up to 100% of the window area
|
Up to 100% of the window area
|
Up to 20% of the window area
|
Illumination
|
—
|
Not Permitted
|
Not Permitted
|
Not Permitted
|
NOTE:
|
(1)
|
Window signs shall not be included in the count of total allotted
signage for any lot or use.
|
The following terms and definitions shall apply to this article for the purposes of administration and enforcement. All other terms shall be interpreted as defined by Article
IX (Definitions) of this chapter.
COMMERCIAL MESSAGE
Any message where the primary purpose of which is the commercial
advertisement or promotion of a commercial product, event, or service
(including content on an Internet website operated for a commercial
purpose).
SIGN
Any object, device, display or structure, or part thereof,
situated outdoors, that is used to advertise, identify, display, direct
or attract attention to an object, person, institution, organization,
business, product, service, event or location by any means, including
but not limited to words, letters, figures, designs, symbols, fixtures,
colors, illumination or project images. "Signs" shall also include
all sign structures. A sign, for the purposes of this chapter, does
not include the following:
A.
A flag or emblem of any nation, organization of nations, state
or city, or any fraternal, religious or civic organization;
B.
Merchandise, pictures or models of products or services incorporated
in a window display;
C.
Official notices issued by any court or public office or officer
in the performance of a public or official duty;
D.
Traffic control signs as defined in the New York State Vehicle
and Traffic Law; and
E.
Works of art, including murals, that do not contain any commercial
message, logo, graphic, or trademark.
SIGN TYPE
The design and/or structure of a sign as identified below.
A.
SANDWICH BOARD SIGNA freestanding sign that is composed of two sign faces diverging at a 45° angle from their adjoined edge.
B.
AWNING SIGNA sign that is part of or attached to an awning, canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor area.
C.
BANNERA temporary sign composed of lightweight canvas-like material, which can be attached to a structure or suspended by attachment at each end.
D.
BILLBOARDAn off-premises sign designed to be viewed from streets, roads, and/or highways and meeting industry standards for design and construction.
E.
DIRECTIONAL SIGNAny sign that is designed and erected for the purpose of traffic or pedestrian direction or control. Such a sign shall not carry a commercial message.
F.
FREESTANDING SIGNA sign not attached to, dependent upon, or supported by a building, including ground signs, pedestal signs, and portable signs.
G.
GROUND SIGNA sign not attached to any building or structure, which may be supported by one or two columns or posts, provided the distance between the ground and bottommost edge of the sign is no greater than three feet.
H.
LAWN SIGNA sign, not exceeding three feet in height and six feet in area, constructed of materials not intended for permanent installation that are attached to a single post or multiple posts for support and stuck into the ground. The height of a lawn sign shall include any posts or supports. Political campaigns, garage sales, and charitable events, for example, are often advertised with lawn signs.
I.
MARQUEE SIGNA permanent sign that extends from and across part or all of a building edifice and is constructed of durable materials, including metal, glass or plastic, and upon which a changeable message may be placed.
J.
OFF-PREMISES SIGNA sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered at a location other than where such sign is located. This shall not include billboards.
K.
ROOF SIGNAny sign erected upon, against or directly above a roof or on top of or above the parapet of a building.
L.
PEDESTAL SIGNA sign not attached to any building or structure and which is supported by one or two columns or posts with a distance exceeding seven feet between the ground and the bottommost edge of the sign.
M.
PROJECTING SIGNA sign wholly or partly dependent upon a building or structure for support which projects more than 12 inches, but less than 40 inches, from the facade.
N.
SUSPENDED SIGNA sign attached to and supported by the underside of a horizontal plane.
O.
TEMPORARY SIGNA sign which is not intended to be used for a period of time exceeding 30 days and is not attached to a building, structure, or ground in a permanent manner, such signs usually being constructed of poster board, cardboard, masonite, plywood, or plastic material and mounted to wood, metal, wire or rope frames or supports.
P.
WALL SIGNAny sign fastened to a building or structure that does not project more than 12 inches from the facade.
Q.
WINDOW SIGNA sign which is applied or attached to the exterior or interior of a window or is installed inside of a window within 12 inches of the window through which it can be seen.