The purpose of this article is to encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communication in the Town, provide for the protection of the scenic, historic, cultural and natural character of North Smithfield, maintain and enhance a healthy business environment in commercial and industrial zoning districts, improve pedestrian and traffic safety, minimize the adverse effect of visual clutter on property values, and to enable fair and consistent enforcement of these sign restrictions by regulating only the time, place, size and illumination of such signs, and not in any way regulating the content of such signs.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The use of outdoor signs to promote or advertise goods or services to the public.
Those persons who provide outdoor advertising to other businesses.
A group (two or more) of commercial establishments, planned, developed, owned, and/or managed as a unit, with off-street parking provided on the same lot or contiguous lots, or any group of commercial establishments sharing common walls, or a group of separately owned establishments which share a common parking lot with spaces for at least 10 cars.
The term "sign" shall mean any permanent or temporary device, reproduction, material or structure which is freestanding, attached to a building or structure or erected, painted, represented or reproduced inside or outside any building, structure or natural object, including window display area, which displays, reproduces or includes any lettered or pictorial matter; which is used to identify the premises, occupant or owner of the premises; to advertise any trade, business, profession, industry, service or other activity; to advertise any product or item; to advertise the sale, rental or use of all or part of any premises or item, including that upon which it is displayed; to direct vehicular or pedestrian traffic other than public highway markers; and shall also include any announcement, demonstration, display, illustration, logo or insignia used to advertise or promote the interests of any persons or business when the same is placed in order to attract the general public. In no event shall the word "sign" be construed to mean any sign in the interior of any structure, not visible from the outside, unless specifically set forth in this chapter. Excluded from this definition also are pavement markings or driveway directional arrows painted on the ground, which contain no advertising.
A sign painted on or attached to the cover of a structural frame; movably hinged, rolled, folding or rigid.
A sign whose informational content can be changed or altered by manual, electric, electromechanical, or electronic means. Changeable signs include the following:
Manual. Signs whose alphabetic, pictographic, or symbolic informational content can be changed or altered by manual means.
Electrical. Signs whose alphabetic, pictographic, or symbolic informational content can be changed or altered on a fixed display surface composed of electrically illuminated or mechanically driven changeable segments. Includes two types:
Fixed message electronic signs. Signs whose basic informational content has been preprogrammed to include only certain types of information projection.
Computer controlled variable message electronic signs. Signs whose informational content can be changed or altered by means of computer-driven electronic impulses.
A sign illuminated with an artificial light directed primarily toward such sign from an exterior source.
A sign located on the ground and supported by a pole, uprights, braces or frame and not attached to any building or similar structure.
A sign whose principal system of structural support is by means of compressed gases, air blower, hot air or similar methods. Such sign may be in the shape of a balloon or other three-dimensional shape and may be freestanding, supported or tethered and may be constructed of flexible and/or solid materials.
A sign designed to give forth light from an artificial source in such a manner as to be an integral part of the construction of the sign, and signs illuminated from within. This also includes backlit signs, and so-called "halo" or "silhouette" signs where the lighting source is located behind individual letters or other sign elements.
Any sign which advertises an area, use, business or product no longer sold on-site or service no longer offered.
Any sign or advertising device, including a billboard which advertises a use or activity not located on, or a product or service not sold, manufactured or conducted on the lot upon which the sign or device is located. A sign other than an on-site sign.
A sign relating in its subject matter to the premises on which it is located, or to products, accommodations, services, or activities on the premises. On-site signs do not include signs erected by the outdoor advertising industry in the conduct of the outdoor advertising business.
A sign which is erected so as to extend approximately perpendicular from an exterior wall or ceiling of a building or structure.
A sign painted upon, placed upon, or affixed to or located above the roof of any building or portion thereof.
Signs that will be displayed for a limited duration.
A sign which is mounted or designed for mounting on wheels, or which is mounted or designed for mounting on a self-propelled or towed vehicle. Such signs shall include, but not be limited to, mobile advertising signs attached to a truck, chassis, detachable vehicle trailer or other such mobile signs, but shall not include signs painted or otherwise inscribed on a self-propelled vehicle or towed vehicle which identify the product, service or an activity for which the vehicle is used, unless the principal use of such vehicle is for advertising purposes.
A single-faced sign erected against, painted on or attached to the exterior wall of any building or structure (except a freestanding sign support), including signs attached to fences, screens and freestanding walls.
Any sign painted upon, placed upon or maintained inside or outside an exterior glass door or window facing the outside and which is intended to be visible from any public or private street.
The surface area of the vertical front wall of a building facing a public street or private access road, measured from left sidewall to right sidewall and from the top of the first floor joist or building slab to the top of the floor joist or ceiling rafter of the uppermost floor of the business.
The following signs shall be permitted in any zoning district without a permit and shall not be counted when calculating the maximum number of signs permitted or the total permitted sign area. Such signs shall not be illuminated, except as otherwise noted.
A.
Signs erected by the Town of North Smithfield, the State of Rhode Island or the United States of America pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function, or required by any law, ordinance or governmental regulation. Such signs may be illuminated internally or externally.
B.
Signs not exceeding 1 1/2 square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, post box numbers, names of occupants of premises, or other identification of premises not having commercial connotations.
C.
An announcement board, or changeable sign, no greater than 12 square feet in area, for a church, school or other public or semipublic use. Such signs may be illuminated internally or externally.
D.
Instructional or directional signs identifying on-premises traffic, parking or other functional activity. There shall be no more than one sign for each applicable activity and bearing no commercial advertising. Each sign shall not exceed two square feet in area, and such signs may be illuminated internally or externally.
E.
Accessory signs incidental to a business conducted on the premises indicating hours of operation, credit cards, business affiliation and the like, provided that the total area of all such signs does not exceed three square feet per business or use, and are located on a door or are wall-mounted at or immediately adjacent to a public entrance to the building on the premises.
F.
Digital clocks or time/temperature clocks which contain no advertising, and which do not exceed 15 square feet in area.
G.
Sale of produce raised on the premises signs, not exceeding six square feet in area.
H.
Permanent window signs which do not exceed 30% of the window area.
I.
Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving parts, or moving lights.
J.
Holiday signs and decorations 45 days prior to and 15 days after the specific holiday. The term "holiday" means and includes all federal or state legal holidays and all recognized religious holidays.
K.
Signs customary and necessary to the operation of filling and service stations and automotive fueling areas. The number, area and height of freestanding signs shall be regulated by § 340-4.26 of this chapter.
(1)
Lettering on buildings displayed over individual entrance doors consisting of the words "washing," "lubrication," "repairing," or words of similar import, provided that there shall not be more than one such sign over each entrance and that the letters shall not exceed 10 inches in height.
(2)
Lettering or other insignia which is a structural part of a gasoline pump or lighting fixture consisting only of a brand name, lead warning sign, price per gallon sign or other signs required by law.
(3)
A credit card sign not exceeding two square feet in area, affixed to the building or a permanent sign structure.
(4)
One or more signs bearing the brand or trade name of the station, of a design specified by the manufacturer, permanently affixed to the building or its own metal substructure, such as a canopy or roof located above pump islands, the total area of such signs not to exceed 30 square feet.
(5)
All point of purchase materials or signs located no further than 10 linear feet from the gasoline islands or 10 linear feet from the principal building.
(6)
Any such freestanding sign may be internally illuminated, regardless of the zoning district in which it is located.
The following signs are prohibited in all zoning districts:
A.
Billboards or other off-site advertising signs. Off-site directional signs may be permitted only by the granting of a special use permit by the Zoning Board of Review.
B.
Portable signs, including sandwich board signs and trailer signs.
C.
Changeable signs, which change the content or display more frequently than once every two minutes.
D.
Animated, revolving, sparkling or flashing signs, or signs which incorporate intermittent, oscillating, or moving spotlights.
E.
Signs attached to trees, traffic signs, regulating signs, or utility poles, except for signs on private property posting restrictions on hunting or trespassing not exceeding two square feet in area per sign.
F.
Permanent inflatable signs or inflatable objects displayed as a form of advertising.
G.
Roof-mounted signs.
H.
String lights, banners or flags. The use of string lights, banners or flags to attract attention to a business or activity are prohibited. However, such signs associated with public, religious, or charitable organizations are permitted for a period not to exceed 30 days in any calendar year. The use of established governmental flags is permitted, provided the use is consistent with the established standards of display and the intent is not to call attention to the business and activity. Factors that shall be considered by the Building/Zoning Official in making such determination shall include, but not be limited to, the size and quantity of the flags, banners or lights.
I.
Projecting signs which extend over a public sidewalk or public way, without the approval of the Building/Zoning Official.
J.
Any sign that constitutes a hazard to public safety or health, including signs which, because of size, location, or manner of illumination, obstruct the vision of a driver or detract from the effectiveness of traffic control devices, or that impede vision or access to or from public streets, sidewalks or other places or ingress or egress.
Signs in residential zoning districts (REA, RA, RS, and RU) shall be governed by the following regulations:
A.
One freestanding or wall-mounted sign identifying a permitted home occupation shall be permitted. No such sign shall exceed three square feet in area, nor shall any such sign be illuminated.
Signs in business and manufacturing districts (BN, BH, LC and M) shall be governed by the following regulations:
A.
Except as noted below for shopping centers, there shall be a maximum of two regulated signs per principal building in any business or manufacturing zoning district. Permitted signs include a maximum of one freestanding sign, which may be two-sided, plus either one wall-mounted, projecting or awning sign.
B.
Where a building fronts two or more streets or access roadways, the total area of signs shall be based on the building's frontage on a given street and as otherwise provided in tables in Subsection D and F below. A maximum of two street frontages may be counted in the calculation of sign area for a single user building located on a corner.
C.
If there is no freestanding sign, there may be a maximum of two wall-mounted, projecting or awning signs, in any combination.
D.
The maximum area per sign of any permitted sign shall be as follows:
Zoning District | Maximum Area/Height of Freestanding Sign (per side) (area in square feet/height in feet) | Maximum Area of Wall-Mounted Sign (per sign) (area in square feet) |
|---|---|---|
BN | 30/12 | 1 square foot per lineal foot of wall face; not to exceed 20 square feet |
BH | 60/20 | 1.5 square feet per lineal foot of wall face; not to exceed 40 square feet |
LC | 30/12 | 1 square foot per lineal foot of wall face; not to exceed 30 square feet |
M | 60/20 | 1.5 square feet per lineal foot of wall face; not to exceed 75 square feet |
E.
Signs in shopping centers; general. In shopping centers, there may be one or more common freestanding signs identifying all uses, plus one or more wall-mounted signs for each business or use, as further specified in Subsection F below.
F.
Wall-mounted signs in shopping centers. The maximum area of wall-mounted signs in shopping centers shall be determined by the distance between the building wall where the sign is to be located and the nearest public street.
(1)
The area of wall-mounted signs shall be governed by the table below.
Distance Between Building and Street or Driveway (feet) | Maximum Total Area of Wall-Mounted Signs (per sign) (area in square feet) |
|---|---|
< 100 | 200 square feet not to exceed 5% of the total storefront wall area |
100 - 200 | 300 square feet not to exceed 5% of the total storefront wall area |
201 - 300 | 350 square feet not to exceed 5% of the total storefront wall area |
301 - 400 | 400 square feet not to exceed 5% of the total storefront wall area |
> 400 | 450 square feet not to exceed 5% of the total storefront wall area |
(2)
The maximum number of wall-mounted signs shall not be limited; provided, however, that the total area of all wall-mounted signs shall not exceed the area specified in the table above.
G.
Freestanding signs in shopping centers.
(1)
A maximum of one freestanding sign per shopping center is permitted; provided, however, that shopping centers which have more than one principal entrance, and:
(2)
The maximum area and height of freestanding signs for shopping centers shall not exceed the limits specified in the table below.
Zoning District | Gross Floor Area of Shopping Center | Maximum Area/Height of Freestanding Sign (per side) (area in square feet/height in ft.) |
|---|---|---|
BH | < 100,000 square feet | 100 S.F. - 10' High |
100,000 to 200,000 square feet | 175 S.F. - 12' High | |
> 200,000 to 400,000 square feet | 200 S.F. - 15' High | |
> 400,000 square feet | 350 S.F. - 30' High |
H.
Projecting signs shall not exceed six square feet and may only be used in place of permitted wall-mounted or freestanding signs. There shall be a minimum clearance of 10 feet between the ground surface and the lowest part of the sign.
I.
Window signs. Signs which do not exceed 30% of the window area are permitted in addition to any other permitted sign.
J.
Awning or canopy signs. Such signs shall not exceed six square feet area, with a minimum clearance of eight feet over sidewalks and 13 feet over driveways. The sign text shall be only on the vertical portion of the apron which is parallel to the building.
Construction, alteration, or repair of a sign in a Historic District shall be governed by the provisions of Article IX of this chapter.
All temporary signs identified herein shall be permitted in any zoning district without a permit provided they are removed within 10 days following the completion of the advertised activity. No such temporary sign shall be in place for more than a total of 30 days, except as otherwise noted.
A.
Special events. One sign not to exceed 32 square feet in area denoting a special event of a noncommercial nature, such as fairs, auctions, sporting events, etc. Such signs may be erected not more than 30 days prior to the event and shall be removed within 10 days after the event. Such signs may not be illuminated.
B.
One sign customary and necessary in the offering of real estate for sale or to let by the owner or the owner's licensed broker or agent, which shall not exceed six square feet in residential zoning districts or 20 square feet in nonresidential zoning districts. Signs indicating the property has been sold must be removed within 10 days after the sale is completed.
C.
Temporary signs for subdivisions or other real estate developments (six months renewable, three year maximum), no greater than 32 square feet in area. The wording shall be restricted to the advertising of the sale or lease of the subject property.
A.
Purpose. It is the purpose of this section to regulate only the time, place, size and illumination of political, election and noncommercial free speech signs, and not in any way to regulate the content of such signs.
B.
Such signs shall not be attached to any tree, traffic sign, regulating sign or utility pole or within the public right-of-way.
C.
No such individual sign shall exceed six square feet.
D.
In a residential zone, such signs may be illuminated, but only externally.
E.
Any such sign that pertains to a particular event (such as an election or referendum) or public figure (such as person holding public office) or public policy shall be removed within 10 days after the particular event.
A.
Number. For the purpose of determining the number of signs, a sign shall be considered to be a single display surface or display device containing elements organized, related, and composed to form a unit.
B.
Measurement of sign area.
(1)
The surface area of a sign shall be computed as including the entire area within a regular geometric form or combinations of regular geometric forms comprising all the display area of the sign and including all of the elements of the matter displayed. Frames and structural members not bearing advertising matter shall not be included in computation of surface area.
(2)
For a sign consisting 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 single geometric form or other single shape which encompasses all of the letters or symbols.
(3)
When a sign has two or more faces, the area of all faces shall be included in determining the area, except where two faces are placed back-to-back and are at no point more than one foot from each other. In this case, the sign area shall be taken as the area of either face and if the faces are unequal, the larger shall determine the area.
C.
Height. The height of a sign shall mean the vertical distance measured from the average ground level at the base of the sign to the highest portion of any portion of the sign or supporting structure.
D.
Illumination. Where permitted by this article, signs may be internally or externally illuminated. Indirect light sources, including light bulbs or tubes, shall be shielded so as not to create glare upon abutting or nearby streets or abutting property. Direct light sources, including signs having internal lighting, shall be designed to either shine through a plastic or other translucent covering, or to create backlighting of individual letters or graphic material. The light source shall be shielded and focused not to extend beyond the sign border.
E.
Setbacks. No freestanding sign shall be placed closer than 10 feet to any lot line.
A.
Permit required. Any person intending to erect, relocate or alter any sign within the Town shall, except as provided in this article, first obtain a sign permit from the Building/Zoning Official or designee. This requirement shall not apply to temporary signs and signs listed in § 340-4.23 herein.
B.
Application. Application for a sign permit shall be made on forms provided by the Building/Zoning Official/Zoning Official and shall contain or shall have attached all the following information:
(1)
Submittal requirements are as follows:
(a)
A site plan which shall include the position of all existing and/or proposed signs, indicating the distance and relationship to all existing, proposed and/or adjoining structures or premises.
(b)
A scaled drawing of each face of all existing and/or proposed signs is required, including but not limited to the following:
(c)
An elevation drawn to scale of the entire wall of the building to which the sign is to be fixed, correctly locating the sign, and providing the width of the building or affected unit and the height of the first floor.
(2)
Names of persons performing the work.
(3)
Written consent of the owner and lessor of the premises.
(5)
Description of illumination proposed for the sign and its location on the property or building if the proposed sign is to be illuminated.
C.
Fees. Each application for signs shall be accompanied by a filing fee or such other fees as shall from time to time be established by the Town Council.
D.
Review of applications. It shall be the duty of the Building/Zoning Official or designee, upon the receipt of a completed application for a sign permit, to forward such application for review and comment to those departments with the responsibility to do so and to examine such plans, specifications, other data, and if necessary visit the premises upon which the sign is to be located. If it shall appear that the proposed sign is in compliance with all requirements and other Town ordinances, the Building/Zoning Official or designee shall approve the application and issue the permit.