The purpose of this article is to provide regulations governing erection of signs in various districts within the Town of Cortlandville.
A. 
No sign in any district may extend over a sidewalk or other public way, or interfere with safe visibility for pedestrians and vehicles.
B. 
No sign in any district shall be located nearer than 15 feet to a street line or lot line, as measured from the sign's nearest edge.
C. 
No sign shall be erected within the view of the edge of the right-of-way of any Interstate System Highway at a distance of greater than 660 feet from the edge of said right-of-way. Interstate system highways are to be designed in accordance with the national standards for regulation by states of advertising signs and devices adjacent to the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as promulgated by the United States Secretary of Commerce.
D. 
Signs shall be regarded as structures within the meaning of this chapter, except that no permit is required for signs meeting requirements of § 178-112A.
E. 
Advertising display upon any structure shall be regarded as a sign subject to this chapter.
F. 
No sign attached to a building in any district shall project above the height of the wall of the building upon which it is attached.
G. 
Advertising letters or symbols on opposite sides of a material or structure less than two feet thick shall be considered only one sign.
H. 
No illuminated sign shall be erected or used so that its light will directly reflect toward residences on adjoining lots or toward residential districts within 1,000 feet or toward public highways so as to create a traffic hazard.
I. 
If a sign is irregular in shape or consists of independent, detached letters or symbols, the area of the sign shall be determined by measuring the area within a polygon completely enclosing the sign or such independent letters or symbols.
J. 
All signs shall be properly painted and maintained in structure, mechanical operation and appearance. If such maintenance or painting is not provided by the owner within six months of written notice, the Town Board may order removal of the sign by the owner.
K. 
Animated signs are prohibited.
[Added 12-16-2009 by L.L. No. 3-2009]
[Amended 10-2-2019 by L.L. No. 2-2019]
A. 
No permit shall be required for the following signs:
(1) 
Signs required by law and official signs required by a governmental agency.
(2) 
Temporary signs for construction: one in number, not exceeding 32 square feet, announcing purpose of construction to be removed following construction; nonilluminated; detour and traffic control signs during construction.
(3) 
Nonilluminated temporary sign, not more than six square feet, in Residential R-1, R-2 and R-3 Districts, or 32 square feet in Business, Industrial and Agriculture Districts, advertising sale or rental of the property upon which it is located; one in number; two if on a corner lot, one facing each street.
(4) 
Temporary signs, in Business, Industrial and Agricultural Districts, nonilluminated, less than 32 square feet announcing candidacy for election; no more than one per parcel; such signs shall be erected no more than 45 days prior to an election and are to be removed within 14 days from the election. For purposes of this section, “election” shall mean the earliest date by which a vote total can be tabulated exclusive of absentee ballots.
[Amended 3-4-2020 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
(5) 
Temporary signs, in R-1, R-2 and R-3 Districts, nonilluminated, less than six square feet per sign announcing candidacy for election. No more than five signs per parcel. Such signs shall be erected no more than 45 days prior to an election and are to removed within 14 days from the election. For purposes of this section, “election” shall mean the earliest date by which a vote total can be tabulated exclusive of absentee ballots.
[Amended 3-4-2020 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
(6) 
Signs less than two square feet announcing the name of the owner of a parcel.
(7) 
All of the above signs must meet the requirements of § 178-111.
(8) 
Temporary signs in Residential R-1, R-2 and R-3 Districts announcing sales (garage, house, tag, etc.) no more than seven days in any three-month period and no larger than six square feet.
(9) 
Illuminated signs.
(a) 
Allowed on properties which are classified as:
[1] 
Business uses for freestanding signs.
[2] 
Professional offices.
[3] 
Recreational and social activities.
[4] 
Religious institutions.
(b) 
All building-mounted signs used for a business or activity may be illuminated two hours before opening until two hours after closing.
B. 
Requiring building permit.
(1) 
All uses permitted by this chapter are allowed signs if meeting the requirements of Table 2.
(2) 
For the purposes of Table 2, "nonflashing" shall mean nonrotating, not animated or in motion, and/or no flashing or blinking lights.
(3) 
Nonilluminating shall mean no lights of any kind, nonrotating, not animated or in motion.
(4) 
Advertising, off-premises signs in Business and Industrial Districts shall not exceed 75 square feet. An advertising sign is one that directs attention to a business, industry, profession, commodity or service not necessarily sold or offered upon the same premises as the location of the sign. This shall include poster panels. Such signs may either be ground signs or wall signs.
(a) 
Ground signs shall not exceed eight feet in height above existing terrain. Only one ground sign is permitted for each lot having frontage on a public street right-of-way. For large lots having in excess of 300 feet of frontage, an additional ground sign may be erected for each 300 feet of frontage. For corner lots fronting on more than one public street right-of-way, each frontage shall be considered to constitute a separate lot.
(b) 
Wall sign size shall not exceed 25% of the wall area or 75 square feet, which ever is smaller. Advertising wall signs shall not extend over the roofline, nor may they be sloping roof signs.
Table 1
Permitted Sign Requirements
District
Use
Maximum Size
Maximum Number
Remarks
All
Single-family residence
2 sq.
1
Nonilluminated ft.
R-2, B, I
Multifamily
32 sq.
2
Nonflashing ft.
All
Customary home occupations
4 sq. ft.
1
Bear only name of occupant and type of business conducted
B, I
Business uses If freestanding, as follows:
8% of wall if attached
2
1.
Retail less than 15,000 square feet
a.
Not in shopping center
75 sq. ft.
2
Nonflashing
b.
Within shopping center
40 sq. ft.
2
All freestanding signs for businesses within shopping centers to be of uniform height, size and type; nonflashing
2.
Shopping centers
160 sq. ft./ea
2
Nonflashing
3.
Professional offices
20 sq. ft.
1
4.
Gasoline station
32 sq. ft./ea
2
Nonflashing
5.
Motels, hotels
100 sq. ft./ea
2
6.
Automobile sales, warehousing, building supplies
90 sq. ft. aggregate
2
Nonflashing
I
Industrial uses
15% of building wall facing road less than 325 sq. ft.
3
Nonflashing
AG1, B2, I
Agriculture-related uses
16 sq. ft./ea
3
Nonflashing
AG, R-1, R-2, B, I
Educational facilities
40 sq. ft.
2
Nonflashing
AG, B, I
Recreational and social activities
20 sq. ft./ea
2
AG, R-1, R-2, R-3
Religious institutions
20 sq. ft.
1
B, I
Religious institutions
20 sq. ft.
1
Nonflashing
All
Health-related facilities
40 sq. ft./ea
2
Nonflashing
All
Transportation facilities
40 sq. ft./ea
2
Nonflashing
1Agriculture
2Business
Regulations for permitted signs shall be as set forth in the following table.
Table 2
Regulations for Permitted Signs
Zoning District
Type of Use
Maximum Number, Type and Sign Area Permitted
Residential and Agriculture
Single-family residences
1 nonilluminated free- standing or building- mounted sign of 2 square feet
Multifamily
1 ground sign of 32 square feet residential
Customary home occupations
1 nonilluminated sign of any type of 4 square feet
Commercial and Industrial
Commercial or Industrial
1 freestanding or ground sign per lot of 100 square feet (see note No. 2)
Plazas for more than one business or industry may have one such sign per entrance
2 building-mounted signs with a total sign area of 2 square feet for each linear foot of building facade facing the major street
All zones
Other agricultural or nonresidential uses
1 ground or building- mounted sign of 40 square feet
NOTES:
1.
If the amount of signage allowed by the zoning district exceeds that which is allowed for the use, the district's regulations will supersede.
2.
The maximum height permitted is:
a.
Freestanding sign: eight feet.
[Amended 1-16-2008 by L.L. No. 1-2008]
b.
Ground sign: eight feet.
c.
Building-mounted - roofline; not above height of the wall of the building upon which it is attached.