The provisions of this article shall govern
outdoor signs and display structures with respect to location, size
and maintenance.
A.
No outdoor sign or display structure erected prior
to the effective date of this section shall be rebuilt or relocated
except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. The requirements
of this subsection shall not, however, be interpreted to prevent repairing
or restoring to a safe condition any of the structural supports or
the performance of maintenance operations on any existing sign, and,
further, at such time that such maintenance is performed, no change
in the existing sign shall be accomplished to make the sign nonconforming
or nonconforming to any greater degree than at the time of adoption
of this section.
B.
When any outdoor sign or display structure or a substantial
part thereof is blown down, destroyed, taken down or removed for any
purpose other than maintenance, any replacement shall be in conformity
with all the requirements of this chapter.
C.
No bills, signs or posters shall be posted nor shall
any such medium be affixed in any location of such size as may be
in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
D.
Any sign projecting over any right-of-way shall maintain
a clear and unobstructed height above grade of at least nine feet
and shall not be located within two feet of the curbline, curb face
or traffic lane.
E.
No outdoor sign or display structure shall be erected,
constructed or maintained so as to create or be a traffic hazard by
obstructing the view of traffic at any intersection, curve or bend
of any roadway or by obstructing or confusing the view to traffic
signals, railroad crossing lights or other permanent traffic controls
and warning lights.
F.
No outdoor sign or display structure shall be of such
character or marking as to duplicate or appear to duplicate any traffic
control or highway sign.
G.
Where specific building lines are established or street
widening is contemplated, the Code Enforcement Officer may limit the
projection of signs in relation to the intended relocation of the
curbline in that area.
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
H.
Temporary signs shall conform to the provisions of
this section. In addition, cloth, banner and other similar signs shall
be included in the temporary permissiveness of this section with special
zoning permits issued by the Code Enforcement Officer to be valid
for a period of not exceeding 30 days for any one sign to announce
special events, sales or circumstances where a permanent display would
involve undue expense, provided that such signs meet the following
requirements:
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
(1)
The area of such sign must first be permitted in the
zoning district where such use is desired.
(2)
No such temporary sign shall be erected as a roof
sign.
(3)
Not more than one such temporary sign shall be erected
on any lot at the same time and no more than two permits shall be
issued for any lot or use in any calendar year.
(4)
No such temporary sign shall be erected or maintained
in place without a valid zoning certificate.
I.
Christmas displays and other similar temporary displays
erected without advertising shall not be subject to the rules and
regulations of this chapter, but they shall, however, conform to the
safety standards of the Town and have the approval of the Code Enforcement
Officer.
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
J.
Permits and zoning certificates shall be required
for all types of signs or other outdoor advertising except as otherwise
exempted by this Code. The following conditions and regulations shall
apply to issuance of such documents:
(1)
No outdoor sign or display structure shall hereafter
be erected, affixed, attached to, suspended from, supported, painted
or otherwise utilized without a zoning certificate issued by the Code
Enforcement Officer.
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
(2)
Except as provided under this section, a zoning certificate
shall be secured for all sign installations.
(3)
No zoning certificate shall be required for the following
signs:
(a)
Signs painted or affixed to the inside surfaces
of windows or doors which pertain to the business conducted therein.
(b)
Reposting of bills, signs or posters on signs
legally erected and maintained for such purpose.
(c)
Municipal street, traffic emergency control
and railroad crossing signs.
(d)
Legal notices and house numbers.
(e)
Temporary signs or displays authorized by municipal
authorities.
K.
The computed area of all signs shall be measured by
the smallest rectangle which will contain the entire area of the sign
or other form of outdoor advertising, exclusive of the structural
supports, but inclusive of architectural features.
L.
Advertising displays.
(1)
No signboard, billboard or other advertising display
shall be permitted to advertise products or businesses other than
those sold upon or having occupancy upon the same lot or parcel of
land as the sign.
(2)
Exception. The owner of real property located within
the Town may erect on only one lot or parcel of said real property
of legal size a sign advertising a product or business not sold upon
or having occupancy upon said lot or parcel so long as said owner
is a controlling principal or owner or significant shareholder in
said business or maker of said product. Said sign shall comply in
all respects with this or other applicable laws or ordinances and
may be permitted on a case-by-case basis and pursuant to all the requirements
of a special use permit set forth in Article VII of this chapter.
Said owner shall be required to apply for a special use permit and
submit proof that he is in full compliance with the requirements of
this exception.
[Added 5-11-1993 by L.L. No. 1-1993]
M.
Sign removal deposit. Anyone installing a new sign
after the adoption of this chapter shall deposit the following sums,
which shall be returnable after the sign has been removed. If the
sign has not been removed by March 1, the deposit shall not be returned
to the sign renter but used by the Town for removal.
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992; 10-10-1995 by L.L. No.
3-1995]
A.
Directional or name signs or signs pertaining to or
advertising products sold on the premises of a nonconforming building
or use may be continued only when the nonconforming use is permitted
to continue, and any such signs shall not be expanded in area, height,
number or illumination.
B.
New signs for a nonconforming use in a business or
manufacturing district are permitted, not exceeding 30 square feet
of exterior surface, and may be erected only after all other signs
are removed.
A.
A, R-R, R-1 and R-2 Districts:
(1)
One unlighted sign not over 12 square feet in area
for personal identification or home occupations and home professional
occupations.
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
(2)
Farms shall be permitted sign area of not over 40
square feet to identify each such farm and additional sign area of
40 square feet for advertising such products as are raised on said
farm and sold from a stand located upon said farm.
(3)
One illuminated bulletin board or identification sign
not exceeding 40 square feet for any school, hospital or any public
or semipublic use.
(4)
One unlighted real estate sign advertising the sale,
rental or construction on only the premises on which it is maintained,
not exceeding a total area of 12 square feet. Such sign shall be removed
upon completion of the project or within 90 days, whichever occurs
first.
(5)
Multifamily residences: one sign not exceeding six
square feet in area.
B.
C District:
(1)
Separate business uses are permitted no more than
300 square feet of outdoor advertising, so long as no single sign
face has more than 60 square feet of area.
(2)
Shopping centers (where permitted):
(a)
Each use or business within the shopping center
may erect a sign containing not over 40 square feet of area on either
of two faces.
(b)
The shopping center as a unit may erect no more
than two signs to advertise the center as such, so long as the aggregate
area of such signs is not over 1,000 square feet and no single sign
is over 500 square feet on either of two faces.
C.
I District:
(2)
Four hundred square feet for each use or any one industry
in a building covering more than 55,000 square feet of land area in
I Industrial District shall be permitted oversize sign area, calculated
at 2% of the floor area over 40,000 square feet, but in no case shall
any sign in an I Industrial District be larger than 1,000 square feet.
[Amended 9-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
D.
Limitations:
(1)
The limitations on signs as set forth for the various
zones by this chapter shall not apply to any sign or directional device
erected by the federal, state, county or local government or agency
thereof.
(2)
The limitations on sign area as set forth by this
chapter for the business and industrial zones shall not apply to parking
lot markers, directional signs, entrance and exit signs and other
such signs which are erected on the premises, provided that such signs
do not exceed two square feet in area on any one side and do not contain
any advertising of the use on the premises.
(3)
No animated or flashing signs shall be permitted.
(4)
No signs shaped or resembling traffic signs shall
be used for advertisement purposes.
(5)
No sign shall be erected above the roofline of any
building.
(6)
No freestanding billboards shall be permitted.
