[Added 1-10-1989 by L.L. No. 1-1989]
The purpose of this article is to regulate existing and proposed signs in order to:
A. 
Protect property values.
B. 
Create a more attractive economic and business climate.
C. 
Enhance and protect Southold's physical appearance and environment.
D. 
Preserve the historic and architectural heritage of the Town.
E. 
Provide a more enjoyable and pleasing community.
F. 
Reduce sign or advertising distraction and obstructions that may contribute to traffic accidents.
G. 
Reduce hazards that may be caused by signs overhanging or projecting over public rights-of-way.
A. 
The provisions of this article shall apply in all districts.
B. 
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, signs shall not hereafter be erected, structurally altered, enlarged or moved or reconstructed within the Town unless a permit is obtained from the Building Inspector and payment of a required fee per sign in accordance with the Town of Southold fee as specified in Subsection F below.[1]
[Amended 11-24-1992 by L.L. No. 21-1992; 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
(1) 
The following operations shall not be considered as creating a new sign and, therefore, shall not require a new sign permit:
(a) 
Replacing copy: the changing of the name, advertising or message on an approved sign.
(b) 
Maintenance: painting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or a sign structure, unless a structural change in configuration is made.
(c) 
Movement of a sign farther from the right-of-way, provided that it meets all provisions of the Building Code and Town Code and the Building Department is notified in advance.
(2) 
The following signs shall be exempt from the permit requirement, but are subject to the other requirements of this Code:
(a) 
Contractor signs.
(b) 
Real estate signs.
(c) 
Holiday lights and signs which are incidental and customary and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday, not to be displayed for more than 60 days in one year.
(d) 
Informational/directional signs.
(e) 
Nameplates.
(f) 
Temporary interior signs.
(g) 
Window signs covering 10% or less of the window area.
(h) 
Nonprofit organization directory signs.
[1]
Editor's Note: Subsection F was repealed 7-13-1993 by L.L. No. 13-1993. See § 144-8.
C. 
Application for a sign permit shall be made on a form provided by the Building Inspector, which application shall include:
(1) 
The name, address and telephone number of the applicant.
(2) 
The name, address and telephone number of the sign maker.
(3) 
The location of the building, structure or land to which or upon which the sign is to be erected.
(4) 
A color photo of the building upon which the sign is to be erected.
(5) 
The size of the sign.
(6) 
A description of the construction details of the sign, showing the lettering and/or pictorial matter composing the sign, position of lighting or other extraneous devices.
(7) 
Sketches, drawn to scale, and supporting information indicating the location of the sign, colors, size and types of lettering or other graphic representation and materials to be used, electrical or other mechanical equipment, details of its attachment and hanging. Samples of materials should accompany the application where required by the Building Inspector.
(8) 
The written consent of the owner of the property upon which such sign or signs is or are to be erected and maintained. In addition, such sign application shall be accompanied by a fee as established by the Town Board of the Town of Southold.
(9) 
Such other pertinent information as the Building Inspector may require to ensure compliance with this article.
D. 
The Building Inspector shall review the proposed sign and can approve, deny or condition a permit based on the provisions of this Code. The Planning Board may approve signs which differ from the quantitative requirements set forth in this article in the site review process, provided that a finding is made that said sign or signs conform to the general design principles outlined in § 280-82 hereof, and provided further that no sign shall violate the sign prohibitions and general restrictions listed in § 280-83 herein.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
E. 
If the sign does not comply with the provisions of this Code, application for a variance may be made to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994[2]]
[2]
Editor's Note: This local law also repealed former Subsection F, regarding sign permit fees, which immediately followed this subsection, and which was formerly repealed 7-13-1993 by L.L. No. 13-1993.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
Decisions by sign applicants shall be guided by the following general design principles:
A. 
Signs should be a subordinate part of the streetscape.
B. 
Signs should be as small as practicable.
C. 
Signs should be as close to the ground as possible, consistent with required safety and legibility considerations.
D. 
A sign should have an appropriate size relationship to the building upon which it is placed.
E. 
Whenever feasible, multiple signs should be combined into one sign to avoid clutter.
F. 
A sign should not impair the visual effectiveness of neighboring signs.
G. 
Garish colors and materials should be avoided.
H. 
Signs which have dark background colors and light letters are preferred in order to minimize the apparent size of signs within the streetscape.
I. 
Generally, signs on the same building should be within the same horizontal band and be of a similar height.
J. 
Except in carefully designed circumstances, signs should be integrated with fences, walls or buildings and not be freestanding.
K. 
Sign material should be durable, requiring little maintenance; use of material such as corrugated plastic, natural aluminum, bulbous plastic letters, nontextured plastic and glass tile should be avoided.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
A. 
Unless otherwise provided herein, nonaccessory signs, billboards, off-premises signs and mobile signs shall be prohibited in all districts.
B. 
Flashing signs, including any sign or attraction device on which the artificial light is not maintained stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times when in use, are prohibited.
C. 
Signs which compete for attention with or may be mistaken for a traffic signal are prohibited. No sign shall be erected in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision for drivers; interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic; or be located where, by reason of its position, shape or color, such sign may interfere with, obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device by making use of the words "stop," "look" or any other word, phrase, symbol or character or red, green or amber illumination or reflection.
D. 
Balloons or other gas-filled figures shall be prohibited.
E. 
Permanent exterior signs made out of cardboard, paper, canvas or similar impermanent material are prohibited.
F. 
Signs or attraction devices with visible moving, revolving or rotating parts, such as flags, banners or pennants, are prohibited.
G. 
Except for holiday seasons or a period of 15 days from the date of a grand opening, no sign or part thereof shall consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners or other similar moving, fluttering or revolving devices.
H. 
Signs noting that a property has been sold are prohibited.
I. 
No portable or temporary sign shall be placed on the front face of any building or upon any lot, except as provided in § 280-85G herein.
J. 
No signs other than signs placed by agencies of the government shall be erected on any public property, unless consent is first obtained from the Building Department. No sign shall be placed on any private property without the consent of the owner thereof. No sign shall be placed or painted on any tree or rock. No sign shall be placed on any utility pole except for utility identification or similar purposes.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
Information displayed on signs shall be limited to the name, address, logo and nature of the business and products available or activity for which the building or premises is used.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994; 7-22-2025 by L.L. No. 8-2025]
A. 
Business center directory signs.
(1) 
The term "directory sign" shall mean any sign containing a list of names of business establishments located within a business center. A "business center" means a site containing multiple business uses sharing a common driveway.
(2) 
Each business center shall be allowed on the premises one freestanding directory sign in lieu of all other freestanding or ground signs, to be used for the purposes of identifying the business center and the various business establishments located within the business center where the sign is set back 15 feet from the street line. No brand name advertising of any sort shall be allowed on such sign. Said sign shall not exceed 15 feet in height, measured from the top of said sign to the mean level of the ground surrounding the support of said sign. Each business establishment name shall occupy no more than three square feet in total area with an additional allowance of 20% of the total for the name of the business center. Said sign shall comply with all other applicable provisions of this chapter.
(3) 
A permit issued by the Building Inspector shall be required for each business center directory sign erected or maintained pursuant to this subsection. The application for said permit must contain an accurate drawing of said directory sign as well as a survey indicating the dimensions of said sign, its location and setbacks.
B. 
Contractor signs. A contractor, tradesperson, architect or building supplier may erect one name sign each on the site of construction during the period of work. The sign area may not exceed three square feet and may be attached to a stake in the ground located at least 15 feet from the street line. All contractor signs must be removed prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the construction.
C. 
Farm, garden or nursery signs. Signs may be allowed advertising only the sale of farm, garden, animal or nursery products grown on Eastern Long Island and the name of the farm, garden or nursery.
D. 
Freestanding signs. One freestanding sign is allowed for each frontage, on a public street or way, subject to the following requirements:
(1) 
Freestanding signs are limited to either pole signs with no guy wires or signs permanently affixed to a fence or other wall separate from the principal building.
(2) 
All freestanding signs shall be located within and shall not overhang the property line.
(3) 
The location and design of such signs shall not present a hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
(4) 
The sign may be single- or double-faced, and square footage will be calculated based on one side.
(5) 
The sign shall be set back not less than 15 feet from the pavement or five feet from the sidewalk, whichever is greater. Under no circumstances shall the sign be placed in the public right-of-way.
(6) 
The sign shall advertise only business conducted on the premises, which shall mean all contiguous property in common ownership.
(7) 
The sign shall be not more than 24 square feet, the upper edge of which may not extend more than 15 feet above the ground.
E. 
Historic signs. A sign is an historic sign if it existed prior to 1970 and has not been significantly altered since then. When the historic nature of the sign has been established to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector, he may allow the reconstruction, repair and maintenance of historic signs for so long as the sign maintains the original size, appearance and location.
F. 
Informational/directional signs. Signs are allowed which state open, closed, business hours, phone numbers and generic directions to the facility, parking service and products. Informational/directional signs shall be a maximum of three square feet in size.
G. 
Nameplates. Nonilluminated nameplates containing only names or professional signs containing only name and professional designation may be allowed.
H. 
Nonprofit organization directory signs. One directory sign may be erected in each hamlet to identify nonprofit and civic organizations within the hamlet, subject to the size and location requirements of the business directory sign.
I. 
Political signs.
(1) 
No person or organization may place or authorize the placement of signs on any land owned by the Town of Southold. This includes municipal use parcels, Town rights-of-way, Town parks, utility poles, signs, beaches, schools, or any Town structures. The Town of Southold reserves the right to remove any signs that are placed in prohibited areas.
(2) 
Political signs not exceeding 32 square feet in area may be placed on privately owned residential, commercial and/or industrial properties. These signs must be securely fastened so that wind and/or weather do not cause their removal or displacement. Electronic or flashing signs shall be prohibited. Additionally, signs must not obstruct or impair visibility or traffic in any way, nor create a hazard or disturbance to the public's health, safety and welfare.
J. 
Real estate signs. One sign shall be allowed to advertise the sale or lease of real property. The sign may be either single- or double-faced and not larger than six square feet in size. The sign shall be located at least 15 feet from the public right-of-way. All real estate signs must be removed immediately upon closing on the lease or sale. This sign may be allowed in any zone.
K. 
Roof signs.
(1) 
Roof signs may be erected upon or against a roof of a building but shall not extend above the ridge line of the roof. A sign which is placed anywhere on a parapet other than the fascia shall be a roof sign and may not extend above the top of the parapet.
(2) 
The top of such sign shall not extend, at its closest point, more than 12 inches from the surface of the roof. The vertical center of the sign shall be mounted no higher than the midpoint of the roof.
(3) 
Such sign shall not exceed a size in square feet equivalent to 1/2 times the length in feet of the structure.
(4) 
A business may have either a roof sign or a wall sign, but it may not have both a roof sign and a wall sign.
(5) 
A roof sign may not be illuminated.
L. 
Subdivision signs. A sign shall be allowed to advertise the sale or lease of a subdivision of properties if the subdivision has a public road frontage of 500 feet or more. The sign may be either single- or double-faced and not larger than 24 square feet in size. The sign shall be located at least 15 feet from the street line. Said sign must be removed upon sale or lease of all properties within the subdivision. This sign may be allowed in any zone.
M. 
Temporary signs. The erection, installation or maintenance of temporary signs, as defined herein, is hereby prohibited, except as specified below:
(1) 
A temporary sign announcing special events erected by a municipal, charitable or nonprofit organization, which does not exceed 24 square feet in area, is permitted for a period not to exceed 30 days.
(2) 
Temporary interior signs announcing special sales or events shall be permitted in the Hamlet Business and General Business Districts. Such signs shall cover no more than 25% of the window area to which they are affixed and shall be removed within 20 days.
(3) 
If a business has a permitted freestanding or ground sign, a temporary sign may be hung from the exterior of the building or from the approved sign. The temporary sign shall not exceed six square feet in area and shall not project more than two feet from the building and shall not obstruct pedestrian traffic.
(4) 
If a business does not have a permitted freestanding, ground or businesses center sign, a business may erect a temporary sandwich board or A-frame sign on the business premises if it does not hinder public access, traffic or vision. The sign may not exceed six square feet in area and shall be set back at least 15 feet from all property lines. The sign shall be removed at the end of each business day.
(5) 
No more than one exterior temporary sign at a time shall be allowed on a parcel of property. If there are multiple businesses on the property, they shall make internal arrangements to share the sign.
(6) 
An external temporary sign may not be displayed for more than 90 days in a one-year period.
N. 
Tourist directional signs. Tourist-related businesses (i.e., hotel, motel, marina, restaurant) which are located off Route 48 or 25 may have a generic eight-by-twenty-four-inch sign on one of those roads.
O. 
Wall signs. A wall sign or signs are allowed on the building wall, subject to all of the following requirements:
(1) 
It is attached to or incorporated in the wall and does not project more than one foot from such wall.
(2) 
It advertises only the business conducted in such building.
(3) 
It does not exceed one square foot in total area for each horizontal foot of the business wall facing a street. If multistory businesses are within the structure, they share one wall sign allotment and shall allocate it among themselves.
(4) 
It does not exceed in width 100% of the horizontal linear feet of such wall.
(5) 
It does not exceed three feet in height.
(6) 
The sign shall not extend higher than the parapet in the case of one-story buildings. In the case of buildings taller than one story, such signs shall not extend above the bottom of the sill of the windows of the second story nor extend or be placed more than 15 feet above the outside grade.
(7) 
No wall sign shall cover, wholly or partly, any wall opening, including doors, fire escapes and windows, nor project beyond the ends of the wall to which it is attached. All such signs must be safely and adequately attached to said building wall by means satisfactory to the Building Inspector.
(8) 
A sign may be placed on a business canopy or awning and shall be treated as a wall sign and is subject to the size restrictions contained therein.
P. 
Window signs. A "permanent window sign" means any sign which is painted on the window or is made of materials other than cardboard, paper or canvas. A permanent window sign or combination of signs shall not cover more than 10% of the total glass area upon which, or in which, it is affixed, displayed or painted. If the window sign exceeds 10% of the window space, it shall be treated as a wall sign and is subject to the size restrictions contained therein.
[Added 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
A. 
The following signs will be allowed in the residential areas of the Town, which shall include all areas zoned A-C, R-40, R-80, R-120, R-200, R-400, HD and AHD:
(1) 
Not more than two nameplates not to exceed two square feet in area.
(2) 
One sign identifying the residential neighborhood not more than 18 square feet in area, located not less than 15 feet from the street.
(3) 
If the appropriate circumstances exist, there may be a real estate, subdivision, contractor or yard sale sign.
(4) 
Such other signs as may be authorized as variances by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
B. 
The following additional sign shall be allowed in the A-C zone: a farm, garden or nursery shall be allowed to have the signage permitted in business areas.
C. 
The following signs will be allowed in the business areas of the Town, which shall include all areas zoned RR, RO, LB, HB, B, MI, MII, LIO and LI:
(1) 
Two of the following alternatives:
(a) 
A freestanding sign.
(b) 
A business center directory sign.
(c) 
A window sign.
(d) 
A wall sign or a roof sign.
(2) 
A temporary sign.
(3) 
If the appropriate circumstances exist, there may be a real estate, subdivision or contractor sign.
(4) 
Such other signs as may be authorized as variances by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
D. 
Marinas may have a separate wall sign for the wall frontage facing the waterfront area they serve.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
A. 
Except as provided below, a sign may only be lit from an external source. The sign must be shielded so that the source of light is not visible from adjacent streets or properties and so that the illumination is concentrated on the sign.
B. 
Both neon and internally illuminated signs are prohibited, except that freestanding, business center and wall signs in shopping centers or in areas zoned Hamlet Business may be internally illuminated. An existing sign which is capable of internal illumination may continue in use in other zones if the lights are not turned on.
C. 
Farm, garden or nursery signs may only be illuminated during the hours of business operations.
D. 
Wiring, raceways and appliances of a sign illuminated by electricity from outside shall conform to the regulations of the fire underwriters and shall bear the appropriate stamp signifying such conformity.
[Amended 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994; 7-31-2007 by L.L. No. 18-2007]
A. 
The beneficiary of a sign and the owner of the premises on which such sign is located shall be jointly liable to maintain such sign, including its illumination sources, in a neat and orderly condition and good working order at all times and to prevent the development of any rust, corrosion, rotting or other deterioration in the physical appearance or safety of such sign.
B. 
If the Building Inspector determines that any sign regulated herein is unsafe, damaged, deteriorated, is an immediate peril to person or property, has been erected on property other than private property or is in violation of the provisions of this chapter, such sign may be removed and disposed of by the Town without prior notice. Upon such removal, all costs and expenses incurred by the Town for the removal of such sign shall be the responsibility of the owner or beneficiary of such sign. The Town may pursue any and all remedies available at law to recover any unpaid costs associated with removal of any sign, including filing a statement with the Town Assessors identifying the property in connection with which such expenses were incurred and the owner thereof as shown on the latest assessment roll of the Town. The Assessors, in the preparation of the next assessment roll, shall assess such amount upon such property. Such amount shall be included in the levy against such property, shall constitute a lien and shall be collected and enforced in the same manner, by the same proceedings, at the same time and under the same penalty as is provided by law for the collection and enforcement of real property taxes in the Town of Southold.
C. 
At the discretion of the Building Inspector, a sign may be stored by the Town and notice given by certified mail or personal service to the owner and/or beneficiary of the sign. Such sign may be redeemed by the owner or beneficiary upon payment of the removal and storage costs. Any sign stored by the Town and not redeemed within 30 days of the date of mailing may be disposed of without additional notice.
D. 
The owner of property upon which a sign is located or any person that erects, installs or maintains a sign in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 per sign or imprisonment not to exceed 15 days, or both such fine and imprisonment.
[Added 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
For a period of six months after adoption of this article, a person may obtain a sign permit for a sign existing prior to the date of adoption, which sign conforms to the provisions of the newly adopted Code or the prior repealed Code. Thereafter, a sign permit may only be issued for a sign which conforms to the provisions of this Code.
[Added 11-29-1994 by L.L. No. 25-1994]
A. 
Any sign which holds a permit under the prior repealed Code but which does not conform to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a nonconforming sign. A nonconforming sign may be continued, without enlargement, reconstruction or relocation, until it loses its nonconforming status through the occurrence of any of these events:
(1) 
The nonconforming use is damaged or deteriorated so that the cost of repair or replacement exceeds 50% of the original value of the sign.
(2) 
The business which is served by the nonconforming sign changes to a new use or service (e.g., retail to food).
(3) 
The business which is served by the nonconforming sign has been discontinued for a period of two years or more.
B. 
When a sign loses its nonconforming status, it shall be brought into compliance with this Code and obtain a new permit, or it shall be removed.