The purpose and intent of this Bylaw shall be to assure that
all signs be appropriate to the land, building or use to which they
are appurtenant; be protective of property values and the safety of
the public; and not unnecessarily detract from the historic qualities
and characteristics of the Town of Abington without unduly restricting
the conduct of lawful enterprise or expression.
In a residential district which consists of R20, R30, R40 Districts,
the following signs are permitted:
A. One sign displaying the street address or name of the occupant on
premises, or both, not exceeding two square feet in area.
B. One bulletin or announcement board or identification sign for a permitted
nonresidential building or use, not more than 10 square feet in area.
For churches and institutions, membership clubs, funeral establishments,
hospitals, schools, other places of public assembly, community facilities
or public utilities one bulletin or announcement board or identification
sign not more than 10 square feet in area is permitted on each building.
C. One professional or home occupation sign (provided such professional
use or home occupation is permitted), or one sign identifying a nonresidential
building or use permitted in a residential district, not to exceed
six square feet. When more than one business exists on a residential
district site, the total area of signs on that site shall not exceed
six square feet.
D. In R-20, R-30 and R-40 zoning districts, one sign identifying each
public entrance to a subdivision or multifamily development such as
apartments or townhouses, of not more than six square feet in area.
In addition, each family unit may be identified by a single sign of
not more than one square foot.
In all other zoning districts, the following signs are permitted:
A. For a structure containing a single commercial or industrial business
occupant and which is set back at least 30 feet from a street, a freestanding
sign of an area not exceeding 32 square feet. Multiple occupancy business
buildings may have one freestanding sign not exceeding 100 total square
feet with signboards for tenants provided no sign/placard advertising
a single tenant or the name of the building or commercial site may
exceed 32 square feet. Where two or more businesses are located in
a single building or within attached buildings or within a cluster
of buildings sharing a common driveway, only one freestanding sign
is permitted.
B. For a structure containing a single commercial or industrial business
occupant, one sign paralleling the street or customer parking area
and attached flat to the facade of the establishment advertised as
long as such sign does not exceed one square foot in area for each
horizontal foot of building frontage.
C. Multi-occupancy business buildings may also have wall signs per the
following provisions:
(1)
Residential-style office or retail buildings. Each unit may
have a wall sign near its exterior building entrance, not to exceed
three square feet. All signs must be of similar size and design.
(2)
Multi-floor/multi-tenant industrial-style building. Each unit
may have one wall sign not exceeding 32 square feet installed on the
portion of the building the business occupies or near its building
entrance. All signs must be of similar size and design.
(3)
Strip mall retail buildings. Each unit may have one wall sign
not to exceed 20 square feet. All signs must be generally consistent
with other signs on the building. Stores or businesses sharing common
private parking facilities such as shopping centers and strip malls
may also cooperatively display one ladder sign in view of the public
way or site driveway not to exceed 100 square feet in area provided
no sign/placard advertising a single tenant or the name of the building
or commercial site may exceed 32 square feet. Such ladder sign shall
be located adjacent to the parking entrance. One occupant may have
a sign on such ladder with dimensions two times as large as all other
occupants' signs. All other occupants' signs shall be of the same
or similar dimensions.
D. Where there are three or more businesses on a lot, or there are businesses
without an entrance on the street frontage, a directory sign may be
permitted for the purpose of traffic direction and control. The size
of the directory sign shall not exceed nine square feet plus 1 1/2
square feet per business establishment.
E. In TOD and CBD zoning districts one sign identifying each public
entrance to a subdivision or multifamily development such as apartments
or townhouses, of not more than 12 square feet in area.
F. Retractable or fixed awnings projecting from the wall of a building
for the purpose of shielding the doorway or windows from the elements
may include signage on the valance. Any signage on a valance shall
be in one row only and such signage shall not be included in the calculation
of the total permitted sign area for the business, provided that no
lettering or symbol is greater than six inches in height.
G. Projecting signs may be substituted for wall signs with the following
provisions:
(1)
All projecting signs on multi-occupancy buildings must be of
similar size and design.
(2)
No projecting sign shall exceed eight square feet.
(3)
For businesses with entrances on more than one side of a building,
a projecting sign shall be allowed to be installed on no more than
two sides of the building.
H. Window signs may not occupy more than 25% of the total window area
on any building wall.
I. Digital signs or electronic signs are allowed only by special permit
from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and shall comply with the following
minimum requirements:
(1)
Must be part of a nontemporary sign.
(2)
Messages may not be changed any less than once every 60 seconds,
unless a longer time is required by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
(3)
Does not incorporate any form of scrolling, fading, or movement
of any kind as part of the change of message.
(4)
Does not incorporate any form of animation, moving letters,
flashing images or flashing lights.
(5)
Does not incorporate any form of chasing borders or animation
of any kind in the sign structure or message.
(6)
Does not incorporate or use live or recorded video feed or sound.
(7)
Sign shall utilize auto dimming to external ambient light conditions.
J. When signage is part of site plan review pursuant to the Zoning Bylaw, the Planning Board shall review the types of signage, size and location associated with a project under site plan review to determine compliance with this Bylaw. As part of its review, the Planning Board may obtain the written opinion of the Building Department as to whether the proposed signs are in compliance with this Bylaw. Waivers may be granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals in accordance with §
175-58.3 of this Bylaw.
Consideration may be given to an application for a sign or sign
program that deviates from the fixed criteria allowed under this Bylaw.
In such cases the merits of the specific application will be considered
relative to the context in which the signage will be located, particular
attention paid to: site distances, visibility, existing and proposed
architecture, site and building entrances, neighborhood character,
project scale, lighting and historic appropriateness.
A waiver of any regulation of this Sign Bylaw shall require
a public hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals, be thoroughly
documented and shall not constitute precedent for similar signage
on the same or any other property.
Public hearing. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall hold a public
hearing within 45 days of the receipt of a complete application, and
shall issue a written decision within 14 days from the time of the
closing of the hearing, unless such time is extended by agreement
between the applicant and the said Board of Appeals. Notice of the
public hearing shall be given at least seven days prior to the hearing
by publication and posting and by first class mail to abutters and
abutters to the abutters within 300 feet of the property line of the
subject property according to the most recent Assessors' listing.
The Zoning Board of Appeals may grant a waiver by a majority
vote if the applicant sufficiently demonstrates to the Board that:
A. A literal enforcement of the provisions of this Sign Bylaw would
involve hardship, financial or otherwise, to the applicant and that
desirable relief may be granted without substantial detriment to the
public good and without nullifying or substantially derogating from
the intent and purpose of this Sign Bylaw; and
B. That at least one of the two following conditions exists:
(1)
The proposed signage is designed to be harmonious with, and
not harmful, injurious or objectionable to existing or future uses
in the area; and
(2)
The unique conditions and circumstances are not the result of
the actions of the applicant taken subsequent to the adoption of this
Sign Bylaw.
As used in this Bylaw, the following words shall have the meanings
indicated:
AREA OF SIGN
The area of a sign shall include all lettering and accompanying
symbols or designs, together with the background, whether open or
enclosed, on which they are displayed. The area shall not include
basic supporting framework and bracing.
The area of a sign painted directly upon a building shall
include all lettering and accompanying designs or symbols, together
with any background of a different color than the finished material
of the building face on which the sign is painted.
The area of a sign consisting of individual letters or symbols
painted or attached to a building, wall, or window shall be the area
of the smallest rectangle or triangle which encompasses all of the
letters or symbols.
A double-faced sign with a maximum of two faces shall be
deemed to be one sign having an area equal to the area of one side.
DIGITAL OR ELECTRONIC SIGN
A computerized or otherwise programmable electronic visual
communication device used for advertisement purposes for goods and
services, specifically manufactured for the outside environment.
FRAMEWORK
A decorative and/or functional structure designed to securely
hold a changeable temporary sign panel and constructed of material(s)
and a theme that are compatible with the building, use, or site which
they serve.
ILLUMINATED SIGN
A sign whose surface is lighted, internally or externally,
and which identifies, advertises or attracts attention to a use or
activity on the premises.
ILLUMINATED SIGN (INTERNALLY)
Signs where the source of the illumination is inside the
sign or from behind the sign and light emanates through the message
of the sign, rather than being reflected off the surface of the sign
from an external source.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN
Any sign which announces, advertises or gives directions
to a business, commodity, service, activity or person elsewhere than
the lot or building where the sign is located.
PROJECTING SIGN
A sign supported by a building wall that is attached perpendicularly
or at an angle to the wall on which it is mounted.
SIGN
Any object, device, display or structure, or part thereof,
which is placed outdoors or which is placed indoors but intended to
be visible from the outdoors, which is used to advertise, identify,
display, direct or attract attention to an object, person, institution,
organization, business, product, service, event, or location by any
means, including words, letters, figures, design, symbols, fixtures,
colors, illumination or projected images. "Sign" shall include, without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, billboards, pennants, ribbons,
streamers, moving devices, marquees, and similar devices. "Sign" shall
not include national, state or municipal flags, athletic scoreboards,
official announcements or signs of the government, or temporary holiday
decorations customarily associated with any national, local or religious
holiday.
TEMPORARY SIGN
A sign or advertisement designed and intended to be displayed
for a limited period of time and not permanently mounted. Some examples
of temporary signs include special event signs and construction signs.
The invalidity of any section or provision of this Bylaw, or
its application to any sign, shall not invalidate any other section
or provision, or the application of the Bylaw to any other sign.
This Bylaw is not intended to interfere with, abrogate or annul
any other bylaw, regulation, statute, or other provision of law. Where
any provision of this Bylaw imposes restrictions different from those
imposed by any other regulation, bylaw, or other provision of law,
whichever provisions are more restrictive or impose higher standards
shall apply.