The purpose of this article is to regulate all exterior signs
so as to protect property values and the character of the various
neighborhoods; to preserve and enhance natural scenic beauty; to protect
public safety; and to promote the general welfare. This article is
supplemental to specific signage requirements applicable within individual
zoning and overlay districts.
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases
have the meanings provided below. Words and phrases not specifically
included below are defined elsewhere in this article or chapter or,
if not defined elsewhere in this article or chapter, shall have their
usual and commonplace definitions.
Canvas or other similar material stretched on a frame and
used to keep the sun or rain off a storefront, window, or doorway.
Any sign made of fabric or any nonrigid material that is
mounted to a pole or a building by a permanent frame at one or more
edges. National flags, state, county, or municipal flags, or the official
flag of any institution or business shall not be considered banners.
Any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere
or directed at one or more points not on the same lot as the light
source; also, any light with one or more beams that rotate or move.
For purposes of this chapter, a searchlight is considered a beacon.
Any freestanding outdoor advertising sign that promotes or
advertises products, services, activities, or businesses not related
to the site or building or use on which it is located.
The Aberdeen Board of Appeals.
Any sign indicating the name of a building, date of the building,
and incidental information about its construction, which is cut into
a masonry surface or on a bronze tablet or other permanent material;
or a canopy sign that identifies the name or location of a building.
Any sign that is a part of or attached to an awning or other
fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance,
window, or outdoor service area. For purposes of this article, a marquee
is not a canopy.
A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters, or illustrations
that can be changed or rearranged by hand without altering the face
or the surface of the sign. This definition does not apply to portable
signs.
A sign utilized to identify the name, address, and/or occupants
of a building or nonresidential development.
A zoning district.
A sign with a fixed or changing display that uses movement
or change of illumination to depict action or create a special effect
or scene.
A sign that identifies a residential neighborhood or subdivision,
located at the entrance to that neighborhood or subdivision.
The act of building, constructing, attaching, hanging, placing,
suspending, or affixing, and including the painting of wall signs,
but not including the changing of advertising copy or messages on
billboards and other advertising structures which are designed for
replaceable copy.
The surface of the sign upon, against, or through which a
message is displayed or illustrated.
Any fabric, banner, or bunting containing distinctive colors,
patterns, or symbols, used as a symbol of a government, political
subdivision, institution, business, or other entity.
Any sign supported by structures or supports that are placed
on, or anchored in, the ground and that are independent from any building
or other structure. For purposes of this article, a monument sign
is not a freestanding sign.
Any sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs,
or outline lighted in any manner.
A sign, generally informational, that has a purpose secondary
to the use of the lot on which it is located.
The painting, repainting, cleaning and other repair of a
sign or structural trim. For purposes of this article, a message change
is not considered maintenance.
Any permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a building
or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of the building,
generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the
weather.
Any sign attached to, in any manner, or made a part of a
marquee.
A permanent ground sign generally constructed out of brick,
stone, or cast concrete material supported on a concrete foundation
across the entire base of the structure and which may have an open
space between the bottom of the sign and the ground that does not
exceed one foot.
Any sign that does not conform to the requirements of this
article, or any amendment to this article, but which was lawful when
this article or any amendment to this article became effective.
The extension of a false front or wall above a roofline.
A sign which directs attention to a business, professional
activity, commodity, service or entertainment other than one conducted,
sold or offered upon the premises or parcel where such sign is located
or within the building to which such sign is affixed.
[Added 2-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-O-02]
Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, suspended
from a rope, wire or string, usually in a series, designed to move
in the wind.
A sign that announces candidates seeking public office, or
that advocates support or defeat of public issues.
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other
permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including,
but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels;
signs converted to A- or T-frames; menu and sandwich board signs;
balloons used as signs; umbrellas used for advertising; and signs
attached or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public
right-of-way.
The building in which is conducted the principal use of the
lot on which it is located. Storage buildings, garages, and other
clearly accessory uses shall not be considered principal buildings.
A sign directing traffic movement onto and/or within a property.
Temporary signs for undeveloped parcels offering the sale
or lease of the property.
Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that
its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of
such building or wall.
Signs erected by or on the order of a public official in
the performance of duty, such as legal notices, directional signs,
regulatory signs, warning signs, informational signs, or decorative
banners.
Signs indicating real estate for sale or lease and located
on the subject property or tract.
Any sign erected and constructed entirely on and over the
roof of a building, supported by the roof structure, and extending
vertically above the highest portion of the roof.
Any sign erected or constructed as an integral part of a
normal roof structure of any design, such that no part of the sign
extends vertically above the highest portion of the roof and such
that no part of the sign is separated from the rest of the roof by
a space of more than six inches.
Any device, fixture, placard, or structure (including a banner
and pennant) that uses any color, form, graphic, illumination, symbol,
or writing to advertise, announce the purpose of, or identify the
purpose of a person or entity, or to communicate information of any
kind to the public.
The surfaces, including the outer extremities of all letters,
figures, characters, and delineations, or surface making contact with
the outer framework or background of the sign, whichever is greater.
Columns, pylons, or buildings, or part thereof, shall not be included
in the sign area unless used for advertising purposes.
The distance, for which a lot line adjoins a public street,
from one lot line intersecting said street to the furthest distant
lot line intersecting the same street.
A sign that identifies a street.
Components of a sign structure, other than the sign face,
including, but not limited to, the molding, battens, cappings, nailing
strips, latticing, and platforms which are attached to the sign structure.
A hanging sign that is suspended from the underside of a
horizontal plane surface and is supported by such surface.
Any sign that is not permanently mounted and for a period
not exceeding 30 consecutive days or 60 days in any one-year period.
Markers, signs, and/or signal devices used to inform, guide,
and control traffic, including pedestrians, motor vehicle drivers
and bicyclists.
Signs painted or mounted on vehicles.
A sign that is attached to the exterior wall of a building,
projects not more than six inches from the wall, is confined within
the limits of the wall, is supported by such wall or building, and
displays only one sign surface. For purposes of this article, a sign
painted on the surface of the wall is considered a wall sign.
Any sign, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, designed
to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity,
event, sale, or service, that is placed inside a window or upon the
windowpanes or glass and is visible from the exterior of the window.
A.
Permit requirements. A person may not erect, place, attach, sustain,
alter, reconstruct, relocate, or modify any sign or other advertising
structure without first obtaining a sign permit and making payment
of the required fee. All illuminated or electronically operated signs
shall, in addition, be subject to the provisions of the Harford County
electrical code.
B.
Permit exception. If the panel of a sign is modified to reflect a
change in the logo or ad copy of an existing business at the same
location, a new permit is not required.
C.
Application. An application for a sign permit shall be filed with
the Department of Planning and Community Development on a form prescribed
by the Director of Planning and Community Development, to include
such information and documentation as the Director may require to
ensure that the proposed sign or advertising structure will comply
with this article. This information includes, but may not be limited
to, the name and address of the sign/property owner; name and address
of the applicant; name and address of the sign erector; drawings showing
the copy, design, dimensions, heights, and location of the sign; and
signature of the owner, tenant, or authorized agent.
D.
Fees. Fees for sign permits shall be as established and specified in the Code of the City of Aberdeen, Chapter A550, Fees.
E.
Nullification. A sign permit shall become null and void if the work
for which the permit was issued has not been completed within 12 months
after the date of final approval of the permit.
F.
Issuance and revocation. Provided the application is proper in form,
is accompanied by all required information, and the applicable fee
is paid, the Director of Planning and Community Development, or the
Director's designee, shall approve the application and issue the permit
within five business days. The Director of the Department of Planning
and Community Development, or the Director's designee, may refuse
to issue any permit or, after written notice and a reasonable opportunity
to be heard, may revoke any permit issued upon failure to comply with
any provisions of this article.
A.
Double-faced signs. One face of a sign having obverse and reverse
faces shall be considered in calculating the sign area. In the event
that the area of faces is different, the face having the larger area
shall determine the area of the sign.
B.
Multifaced or curved surface signs. The sign of a multifaced or curved
surface sign shall be calculated from dimensions derived from its
greatest plane projection.
C.
Irregularly shaped signs. The area of irregularly shaped signs shall
be calculated by totaling the area of one or more rectangles completely
enclosing the extremities of the sign.
D.
Cylindrical signs. The area of cylindrical signs shall be computed
by multiplying 1/2 of the circumference by the height of the sign.
All signs and supporting structures shall comply with the pertinent
requirements of the International Building Code (IBC) as adopted by
the City of Aberdeen.
A.
No sign or sign structure shall create a safety hazard.
B.
No sign may be located so that it substantially interferes with the
view necessary for pedestrians or motorists to proceed safely through
intersections or to enter or exit public streets or private roads.
C.
No sign may be erected so that its location, color, size, shape,
nature, or message would obstruct the view of or be confused with
official traffic signs or other signs erected by government agencies.
D.
Freestanding signs.
(1)
Freestanding signs shall be securely fastened to the ground.
(2)
No commercial freestanding sign shall be placed within 50 feet
of residentially zoned property.
(3)
The height of any freestanding sign shall be no more than 25
feet above finished grade.
(4)
Freestanding signs may be located only in the front building
setback area and shall be set back 1/3 of the required front building
setback distance for the underlying zoning district and out of any
right-of-way or easement.
[Amended 2-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-O-02]
(5)
A freestanding sign must be set back 10 feet from the City's
public utilities, plus 1/2 foot for every foot above 10 feet in height
of the sign.
(6)
Nonconforming freestanding signs in designated overlay districts
may remain as long as the only changes are to the sign copy. In the
event a freestanding sign in a designated overlay district is to be
replaced, it must be replaced with a monument sign adhering to the
requirements in this article.
(7)
Freestanding signs are not permitted in any overlay district.
E.
A temporary
sign should be placed on wooden stakes or on an A-frame type of placard
and shall not be higher than three feet measured from the ground to
the top of the sign.
F.
Monument signs.
(1)
Monument signs, as defined in this chapter, are mandatory in all
overlay districts.
(2)
Monument signs shall be securely fastened to the ground.
(3)
No commercial monument sign shall be placed within 50 feet of
residentially zoned property.
(4)
Monument signs may be located only in the front building setback
area and shall be set back 1/3 of the required front building setback
distance for the underlying zoning district and out of the right-of-way
or easement.
[Amended 2-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-O-02]
(5)
A monument sign shall not exceed eight feet in height above
finished grade.
(6)
No monument signs may be placed in a recorded public easement.
(7)
A monument sign must be set back 10 feet from the City's utilities
or two times the depth of the utility, whichever is greater.
G.
Signs that are not commercially produced will be prohibited in all
zoning districts.
H.
Project development signs shall be set back at least 10 feet from
the road right-of-way, shall not exceed 10 feet in height above the
road grade, and shall not exceed the sizes as expressed in Table 3.[1] Project development signs must be removed within 15 days
after sale or lease of the last lot in the development.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 3 is included as an attachment to this chapter.
I.
Vehicular signs on vehicles parked on a right-of-way are prohibited.
J.
Projecting signs shall be at least two feet away from the vertical
street curbline or improved shoulder edge of the travel way and shall
project no more than 42 inches from the wall. There shall be a clearance
of at least eight feet from the top of the sidewalk to the bottom
edge of the sign, or 14 feet for vehicle access.
K.
Real estate signs must be removed within seven calendar days of the
transfer, lease, or removal from the market of the real property.
L.
Signs may be placed on four sides of a commercial or industrial building,
except that a sign may not be placed on a side of a commercial or
industrial building that faces a residential area.
M.
Entrance signs shall not exceed six feet in height above finished
grade.
N.
An off-premises sign for general identification in support of an
office park or similar project in the B-3 and IBD Zoning Districts
is permitted, provided that such a sign is within 2,000 feet of the
property line of the office park or project. This type of sign shall
be limited to a maximum of 25 feet in height above finished grade.
[Amended 2-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-O-02]
O.
Electronic message signs are permitted as an attachment to a structure
or placement as a freestanding sign with the following requirements:
(1)
The maximum area of the electronic sign cannot exceed 50 square feet.
[Amended 2-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-O-02]
(2)
Only one electronic message sign per business is permitted.
(3)
Electronic message signs must be a minimum distance of 50 feet from
any residentially zoned property.
(4)
Animation, flashing, blinking characters, scrolling text, or continuous
movement is permitted as long as it does not impede, confuse, or distract
motorists or pedestrians.
(5)
No sounds can be emitted from electronic message signs.
A.
Signs displaying any statements, words, characters, photographs,
or illustrations that are obscene or that depict child pornography
are prohibited. As used in this subsection, the term "obscene" shall
be construed in accordance with federal and state law and judicial
precedents then applicable in Maryland.
B.
Signs of a size, location, movement, content, coloration, or manner
of illumination that may be confused with or construed as a traffic
control device, or that hide from view any permitted signs, or which
distract or obstruct the view of road or pedestrian traffic in any
direction at a road intersection shall be prohibited.
C.
Signs shall not be placed on or attached to City, county or state
property, within a public right-of-way or easement, on utility poles,
on any roadway sign and post, or on a traffic control device.
D.
A sign shall not be placed within 10 feet of the road right-of-way
and shall be placed in such a manner so as not to impede vision.
E.
No sign shall obstruct a means of ingress or egress from a building
or structure.
F.
Signs that produce noise or sounds, or emit smoke, vapor, particles,
or odor are prohibited.
G.
Signs shall not be placed within rights-of-way or buffer yards between
business or industrial uses and residential uses.
A.
Inspection. Signs may be inspected by the Director of the Department
of Planning and Community Development or the Director's designee for
compliance with this article.
B.
Maintenance. All signs, components, and supporting structures shall
be kept in good repair, appearance, quality, and condition, and maintained
to protect against breakage, material discoloration, and defects in
or omission of material components.
C.
Removal.
(1)
If any sign advertises a business, service, commodity, accommodation,
attraction, or other enterprise or activity that is no longer operating
or being offered or conducted at that location, that sign shall be
considered abandoned and shall, within 90 days after such abandonment,
be removed by the sign owner, owner of the property where the sign
is located, or other party having control over such sign.
(2)
If the message portion of a sign (other than a billboard sign)
is removed, leaving only the supporting shell of the sign, the owner
of the property where the sign is located, or other person having
control over such sign, shall, within 30 days of the removal of the
message portion of the sign, remove the remaining components of the
structure.
No person may increase or enhance the visibility of any sign
by damaging, trimming, destroying, or removing any trees, shrubs,
or other vegetation located within the right-of-way of any public
street or road.
A.
No person may enlarge or increase the size of a nonconforming sign.
B.
A nonconforming sign may not be moved or replaced except to bring
the sign into complete conformity with this article.
C.
If a nonconforming sign is destroyed, it may not thereafter be repaired,
reconstructed, or replaced except in conformity with all the provisions
of this article, and the remnants of the former sign structure shall
be cleared from the land or building.
D.
The sign structure in place when a sign becomes nonconforming may
not be modified, except to bring it into conformity with this article.
A.
The light from any illuminated sign or from any light source, including
the interior of a building, shall be so shaded, shielded, or directed
that the light intensity or brightness shall not adversely affect
surrounding or facing premises nor adversely affect the vision of
motor vehicle operators.
B.
With the exception of electronic message signs, no sign shall have
blinking or flashing lights or other illumination devices which have
a changing light intensity, brightness or color.
C.
No exposed reflective-type bulbs and no strobe lights or incandescent
lamps shall be used on the exterior surface of any sign so as to expose
the face of the bulb, light, or lamp to any public street or adjacent
property.
D.
Beacon lights or searchlights shall be temporarily permitted for
advertising special events.
Permitted signs, number of signs allowed, and sign area for
each sign in each zoning district shall be as set forth in the following
tables at the end of this article:
A.
A person aggrieved by the denial of an application for a sign permit, or by the revocation of a sign permit, may file an appeal to the Aberdeen Board of Appeals in accordance with the provisions of § 235-11 of this Code.
B.
Disapproval of sign locations as they relate to easements and public
utilities are not subject to appeal or review by the Board of Appeals.
A.
Any person that violates the provisions of this article shall be deemed to have committed a municipal infraction as set forth in Chapter 95, Municipal Infractions, of this Code, and subject to the following actions:
B.
Each day that a violation continues, and each repeat violation, is
a separate offense.
C.
Notwithstanding the provisions herein for violations, the City may
seek relief through injunction or other remedies as provided by law.
