[Amended 11-7-2012 by TOR-2012-3]
The purpose of this section is to provide for the reasonable
regulation and control of the erection and maintenance of signs and
advertising devices within the Town, to the end that the appearance
and amenities of the Town may be preserved and enhanced without unduly
restricting the conduct of lawful enterprise.
In any area zoned as a residence district, the following are
authorized by right without a permit:
A. One sign displaying the street number and/or name of the occupant of the premises, not exceeding two square feet in area. Such signs may include identification of any accessory professional office or other accessory use permitted in a residence district. Of the signs allowed under Subsections
A,
D,
E and
H, the total number of signs per lot shall not exceed two.
B. Real estate signs pertaining to the lease, sale or use of a lot or
building, provided that such signs do not exceed a total of six square
feet of area. Such signs shall be removed forthwith upon sale or rental
of the premises advertised.
C. One bulletin or announcement board, identification sign or entrance
marker for each public entrance to the premises upon which a church,
synagogue or educational institution or a governmental authority is
located. Such signs shall not exceed 20 square feet in area, provided
that there shall be no more than three signs for each church, synagogue
or institutional building complex.
D. Attached signs. A sign otherwise permitted in this section may be attached to a building if it complies with all requirements of §
180-77 and this section.
E. Signs offering accommodations for guests, not to exceed two square
feet in area.
F. Signs prohibiting trespass, hunting and the like, not to exceed two
square feet in area.
G. Street name signs and signs erected by the Town, county or state
for the direction and control of traffic.
H. Window signs. For residential zones and their accessory use, window
signs, as defined herein, provided that the aggregate area of such
signs shall not exceed two square feet in area. The total of all such
signs shall not exceed two square feet for each occupancy or establishment.
I. A sign on or adjacent to the entry of a multiple-occupancy building
listing the names and/or occupations of the occupants or establishments
therein, provided that the size of such sign shall not exceed two
square feet in area for each occupancy or establishment.
J. Signs designating historical places or points of interest, erected
by a governmental authority or by a duly chartered historical association
or the like, not to exceed six square feet in area.
In an area zoned as a business or industrial district, each
place of business may be issued a permit for a sign or signs as follows:
A. Wall signs not to exceed 25% of the area of the front and rear walls
and 10% of each secondary side of a building are permitted.
B. Standing signs are permitted, subject to the following conditions:
(1) Standing signs are not to exceed 25% of the front wall of the principal
structure fronting on a street.
(2) Standing signs and V-shaped signs on roofs, marquees, cornices, awnings
and projections are permitted. Signs mounted upon or part of ventilating
equipment, shafts or towers projecting above the roofline of the building
are prohibited.
(3) Signs located within the setback area shall not be located within
10 feet of grade, without advance written permission of the Inspector
of Buildings or his designee, not including instructional signs.
(4) Window signs for permitted retail establishments in all districts.
Window signs shall not exceed 50% of the area of the window glass.
In agricultural districts, a permit for two signs, not to exceed 32 square feet per sign in area, may be granted to identify an accessory use permitted. When the agricultural zone does not abut a street, the signs allowed under this section may be located on streetfront property contiguous to the agriculturally zoned land, provided that the land is under the same ownership. The sign shall conform to §
180-77 of this article. V-shaped signs or back signs are allowed. Freestanding signs shall be a minimum of 100 feet apart.
Any signs, except billboards, in existence at the time of the initial adoption of this article on September 12, 1977, shall not be subject to the provisions hereof except as to any provisions dealing with the structural integrity of the sign and §
180-85.
All signs, whether a permit is required or not, shall be maintained
in a safe and legible condition to the satisfaction of the Inspector
of Buildings or his designee. Failure to correct violation of this
provision within 30 days after notice thereof shall constitute grounds
for revocation of the permit, or for removal of the sign if it was
erected without the need for a permit. It shall be a duty of the owner
and/or the lessee of any sign to maintain the immediate premises occupied
by the sign in a clean, sanitary and healthful condition.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this article, certain
special types of activities or situations are recognized for which
such provisions may be modified and permits issued as follows:
A. Theaters. The marquee of a theater as defined in MGL c. 143 shall
be considered as comprising part of the wall area in determining the
total sign area to be permitted.
B. Subdivisions. One permanent subdivision name sign, not to exceed
32 square feet in area, may be permitted for each entry to a subdivision
from a public way. Such a sign may be erected only upon receiving
approval of the definitive plan for the project.
C. Contractors, developers. For each construction or development project,
there may be issued a temporary permit for one standing sign, not
to exceed 32 square feet in area, setting forth facts and names pertinent
to the project. Such signs shall be erected only upon receiving approval
by the Town for the project. Such signs shall be removed forthwith
when the project is completed. Any project which is funded in whole
or in part by federal, state or municipal funds may have such signs
as the funding authority may require, regardless of the provisions
of this article.
D. Gasoline stations. Standard pump head signs of gasoline filling stations shall not be included in the total area of signs permitted, and no permit shall be required therefor, but they shall conform to the provisions of §
180-77B of this article.
E. Where a building (or buildings in a common group such as a shopping
center) contains three or more separate businesses (or professional
offices) and it is desired to identify the building or group of buildings
as such, in addition to the signs permitted for the individual businesses,
there shall be permitted one standing sign displaying the name of
the building or group of buildings and not to exceed 64 square feet
plus 16 square feet for the listing of each occupant or business.
The Board of Appeals is authorized to grant special permits
for signs which would not otherwise comply with this article. In granting
any such permit, the Board shall comply with all procedural requirements
of law pertaining to the issuance of special permits in general.
The invalidity of any section or provision of this article for
the regulation of signs shall not invalidate any other section or
provision hereof.