Words and phrases used in this chapter shall have the meanings
set forth in this section. Words and phrases not defined in this section
but defined in Massachusetts Building Code shall be given the meanings
set forth therein.
A Sign, or any portion of a Sign, made or equipped to move or give the appearance of moving, either by the movement of any light used in conjunction with a Sign, such as blinking, traveling, flashing, or changing the degree of intensity, or by mechanical means, or that is wind-driven and is designed to move with the movement of the air. See § 237-16A and § 237-16E.
A Sign that provides an artistic expression that does not
include in whole or in part the name, text, logo, or illustration
depicting any business, establishment, service, or product.
Any Sign of lightweight fabric or similar material that is mounted to a pole or a building at one or more edges. National flags, state, or the official flag of any institution or business shall not be considered Banners. See FLAG, TRADE FLAG, § 237-13F.
A Freestanding Sign larger than 100 square feet of Sign panel area, or a Sign affixed to a building covering more than 20% of the Wall Area to which it is affixed. See § 237-18C. Roof-mounted Billboards shall not qualify as a Creative Sign.
Any Wall Sign, Projecting Sign, Suspended Sign, or any Sign
attached to any exterior part of a building.
A Sign identifying only the name and location of an entire
planned commercial, office, or industrial complex developed or managed
under one ownership or single control.
A Sign with changeable portions limited to portions that contain characters or letters using electronic or other technologies that can be changed without altering the face or the surface of the Sign. Except for messages that indicate time or temperature, a Sign on which the message changes more than once per day shall be considered an Animated Sign. See § 237-19B, § 237-20G, and § 237-20I.
A Sign that does not meet the strict requirements of this chapter but provides a superior design for the specific requirements of the Premises on which it is located. See § 237-9C.
A Sign located at or near the entrance of a multitenant building,
lot, park, or campus, whose sole purpose of which is to provide a
listing of the names of the individual tenants or users located therein.
Any Sign supported by dedicated structures or supports that are placed on or anchored in the ground and that are independent of any building or other structure. An Awning Sign is not a Freestanding Sign. See § 237-19D.
A Sign whose copy is limited to the name and address of the building, institution, or person(s) being identified. In a Residential District, an Identification Sign may include a Commercial Message advertising goods and services offered on the Premises where the Sign is located, provided that offering such goods or services conforms with all requirements of applicable zoning and town regulations. See § 237-17A and § 237-19E.
A Sign erected or installed without municipal approval that is not otherwise exempt. See § 237-24.
A Sign with electrical equipment installed for illumination, either internally illuminated through its Sign face by a light source contained inside the Sign or externally illuminated by a light source aimed at its surface. See § 237-20 for all Illuminated Signs.
Any wall-mounted Sign which is illuminated by a diffused
light source projected on the mounting surface to allow light to extend
beyond the actual limits of an opaque Sign panel or individual letters.
An Illuminated Sign utilizing an electronic digital display. This Sign type utilizes a light source derived from LCD, LED, or other electronic display technologies to compose the Sign surface and messages. The Sign may consist of changeable or program-controlled content. Changeable Copy Signs with digital display of letters or characters are not considered Digital Display Signs. See § 237-18E, § 237-19C, § 237-20G, and § 237-20I.
Sign composed of transparent material with letters or illustrations
illuminated through concealed edge-mounted LED or other light sources.
A Sign which is lighted from a source which is outside of the Sign panel, with the light source mounted on the building face, the Sign structure, or on the ground. See § 237-20B.
A Sign composed of single-color LEDs, including Signs with
fixed and Changeable Copy.
A Sign that displays general site information, instructions, directives, or restrictions that are primarily oriented to pedestrians and motor vehicle operators who have entered a Property from a public street. These Signs shall not contain any Commercial Message. See § 237-19F.
A Sign which was erected legally but which does not comply with subsequently enacted regulations. See Article V.
Any permanent roof-like structure projecting horizontally and projecting beyond the wall of the building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather. See § 237-20D.
Any detached Sign whose Sign surface is attached to a proportionate
base or structural frame, the width of which shall be a minimum of
1/2 the width of the widest part of the Sign face. Said base shall
not exceed a height of three feet above the average finished grade.
An enclosed or solid Sign base shall not be required if the Sign face
is within one foot of the average finished grade. A Monument Sign
is a Freestanding Sign.
A Sign pertaining exclusively to the Premises on which it
is located or to the products, accommodations, services, or activities
on the Premises.
Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, whether containing a message of any kind, fixed or attached on one or two sides from a support so as to allow the Sign to move in the wind. See § 237-18H.
Any Sign that is supported by uprights, braces, columns,
poles, or other vertical members which are not attached to a building
and where the bottom edge of the Sign face is located three feet or
more above the Normal Grade at the base of the Sign. A Pole or Pylon
Sign is a Freestanding Sign.
A Sign designed to be transported or moved and not permanently attached to the ground, a building, or other structure. See § 237-18I.
Any Sign erected upon a roof and wholly or partially supported by the Sign structure placed upon the roof. See § 237-18J.
A non-illuminated, Portable Sign located on an A- or T-frame support that is not attached to the ground or adjacent structures, and which has a Commercial Message limited to advertising goods or services sold or available on or within directly adjacent Premises. See § 237-13E, § 237-19K, and § 237-20F.
A three-dimensional representation of a business that is
used to indicate the type of merchandise or services offered by the
business.
Any Sign consisting of lightweight fabric that is affixed
to a pole displaying letters, designs, or icons exemplary of the business
displaying the Flag.
A Sign with two faces or panels not supported by one common
structural member and which faces are not back-to-back.
Any Sign that is applied, painted, or affixed to a window, or placed inside a window, within three feet of the glass, facing the outside of the building, and easily seen from the outside. Customary displays of merchandise or objects and material without lettering behind a store window are not considered Signs. See § 237-19O.
Signs displayed in the window displaying information such as the hours of operation, open or closed status, credit institutions accepted, commercial and civic affiliations, and similar information. See § 237-19O.
An application for a Sign permit for a Sign type that requires review by DRAB. This application shall also be used for a request for a waiver of this chapter by DRAB, including a waiver for a Creative Sign. The application form and content shall be as determined by the Planning & Zoning Department and the Building Department. See § 237-5, § 237-8, and § 237-9.
A Sign or informative text, which is created by applying
each letter individually, adhering them directly to a wall or the
surface of a window, without any contrasting Sign panel background
material.
An Awning or canopy is any device with a sloped or curved
surface that extends over or otherwise covers a sidewalk, courtyard,
walkway, eating area, driveway, or other area or space.
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 or any light with one or more beams that rotate or move. See § 237-18B.
A Business or Establishment occupying an entire building
or a part of a building. A business occupying part of a building must
meet the following conditions to be eligible for Signage as provided
in this Code: accessed by its own separate entrance door and surrounded
by permanent floor to ceiling walls.
Any content of a Sign that includes text, wording, logos,
or illustrations and building or site-mounted features that directly
identifies or promotes a specific business, establishment, product,
or service.
The Building Commissioner of the town or a designee of the
Commissioner.
Design Review Advisory Board.
Any fabric, containing distinctive colors, patterns, or symbols used as a symbol of a government, political subdivision, or other non-commercial entity on a pole or suspended from a building. See Trade Flag for businesses. See also § 237-16F.
An area of land in single ownership with definite boundaries,
established by a recorded plan or deed, including a Lot created by
combining several previously recorded Lots, and used or available
for use as the site of one or more buildings or for any other purpose.
Any Lot with more than one Principal Building.
Any Lot with more than one business or more than one use
with exterior Signs.
Normal Grade shall be construed to be the average adjacent
grade as measured along the face of the Sign and shall be either (i)
the existing grade if there is no new construction or (ii) the newly
established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming,
mounding, or excavating solely for the purpose of locating the Sign.
As defined and used in the Dedham Zoning By-law.
One or more Lots as defined in this chapter which are in
the same ownership and are contiguous.
The building in which is conducted the principal use of the
Lot on which it is located. Lots with multiple principal uses may
have multiple Principal Buildings, but storage buildings, garages,
and other clearly accessory uses shall not be considered Principal
Buildings.
Any facade that constitutes the primary visual and functional
orientation of the building or tenant space, characterized by a combination
of such features as principal entry, storefront, and visibility from
streets or parking areas.
See LOT definition.
The distance from the Property line to the nearest part of
the applicable building, structure, or Sign, measured perpendicularly
to the Property line.
Any device, structure, fixture, painting, emblem, or visual
effect that uses words, graphics, colors, illumination, symbols, numbers,
or letters for the purpose of communicating a message. Sign includes
the Sign faces as well as any Sign supporting structure.
The area of a Sign Panel or three-dimensional Sign such as
a Trade Figure, Symbol Sign, or Art Sign as calculated according to
the requirements of this Code.
A horizontal plane that is the top-most component of a storefront,
distinguishing the storefront from the remainder of the upper portion
of the building facade. Wall Signs related to the storefront are located
within the Sign Band.
The height of a Sign shall be computed as the distance from
the base of the Sign at the Normal Grade to the top of the highest
attached component of the Sign.
An optional master Sign plan for an entire Lot and/or multi-tenant building that includes drawings, material, color specifications, number of Signs, types of Signs and locations. See § 237-19L.
Each Sign Panel encompasses the extreme limits of the writing,
representations, emblem, or other display for Applied Lettering, together
with any material or color forming an integral part of the background
of the display or used to differentiate the Sign from the backdrop
or structure against which it is placed for all other Signs, but not
including any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or
wall when such fence or wall otherwise meets all applicable regulations
and is clearly incidental to the display itself.
Capable of being seen without visual aid by a person of normal
visual acuity.
The combined area of a wall or walls consisting of and aligned
with the Principal Facade.
