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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972 SIGN BY-LAWSIGN BY-LAW: 1972 SIGNS AND. OUTDOOR LIGHTI~X~.REGULATIONS Section ~. General Objectives l) To restrict private signs and lights which overload the public's capacity to receive information, which violate privacy, or which increase the probability of accidents by distracting attention or obstructing vision. 2) To encourage signing and lighting and other private communications which aid orientation, identify activities, express local history and character or serve other educational purposes. 3) To reduce conflict among private signs and lighting and between the private and public information systems. Section 2. Definitions l) Sign: Any letters, pictorial representation, symbol~ flag, emblem, illuminated or animated device, displayed in any manner whatsoever, which directs attention of persons off the premises on which the sign is displayed to any object, subject, place, person, activity, product, service, institution, organization, or business. 2) Surface area (of a sign).. The sUrface area of any sign is the entire area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of lettering, representations, emblems, or other figures, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the background ag-~nst which it is placed. Structural members bearing no sign copy shall not be included. Only one side of a freestanH~ng or projecting double-faced sign shall be included in calculating surface area, providing that the two display surfaces are joined at an angle no greater than 60 degrees. Ail sides of multi-faced signs, visible from any one street, shall be included in the calculation of surface area. Illuminated si~n.. Illuminated sign shall mean ar~v sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs or outlines directed ~n it or internal to it, illuminated. Ground sign'. Any sign erected on the ground which is wholly self- supported fr~m the ground. Wall si~n: An~ sign affixed to or painted on a wall or window, or visible through a ~indow, of a building or other structure with the exposed face thereof in a plane par-llel or -lmost parallel to the plane of said wall. Roof si~n: Any sign erected, constructed, and maintained wholly u~on or over the roof of any building with the entire support on the roof structure. lO) ll) 13) ProjectinK si~n: Any sign which is attached to a building or other structure and any part of which projects more than twelve (12) inches from the wall surface of that portion of the building or structure in front of which the sign is positioned. Occupancy si~n: Any sign intended to identify from the street a specific occupant or tenant of a b,,~lding as opposed to a wall or roof or ground sign identifying the building as a whole and its predominant use. Pedestrian si~n: Any sign intended to identify from the sidewalk, at pedestrian level, a specific occupant or tenant of a building. Temporary si~n: Any outdoor sign intended to be displayed for a continuous period of not more than sixty (60) days. Permanent si~n: Any sign permitted to be erected for more than sixty (60) days. Marquee: Any roof-like sheltering structure of permanent construction projecting from the wall of a building or structure. Canopy: Any structure, other than an a~ning, made of cloth or other material on frames attached to a building, or projecting over a side- walk and carried by a frame supported by the ground or sidewalk. 1~) Flagpole: A pole erected on the roof, or projecting from a building or structure, or on the ground. Section ~. ALlowed Signs Signs whose subject matter relates exclusively to the premises on which they are located, or to products, accommodations, or activities on those premises, shall be allowed as follows: Ae Number o~ Signs 1) Each building may have one wall or roof or ground sign oriented to each street on which the premises have frontage, identifying the building as a whole or its predominant use. In addition, there may be one occupancy sign and one pedestrian sign oriented to each street on which the premises have frontage, re- lating to each occupancy within the building. There may also be certain signs listed in Section B below. Location and Size of Signs 1) No sign shall overhang the public way more than 12 inches. 6) NO sign S~11 extend more than 20 feet above record grade or more than four feet above the lo~eet point of the roof of the single story building ~ith which it is associatedt whichever is less re- strictive, nor above the third floor of a multi-story building except that motels, hotels, and other transient lodgings may display such signs up to ~0 feet above record grade. The top of pedestrian signs shall be no higher than ten feet above the sidewalk. The area of pedestrian signs shall be limited to two square feet for each occupancy within the building. For other than first floor occupants occupancy signs shall be located between the second and third floors. Ground signs shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from ~]] property lines and a minimum of 50 feet from all residential districts or structures. The area of ground signs shall be limited to one square foot for each seven lineal feet of street frontage. Signs attached to or part of the architectural design of a building (such as wall signs or roof signs) shall not exceed, in total area, more than ten percent of the area of the two dimensional elevation of the building of which they are a part. C. Maximum Si~n Area (cumulative for all signs) l) Mith the exceptions noted below, the total surface area of all exterior signs on the premises sb~l] not exceed 15 times the square root of the street frontage of the parcel on which the premises is located. Street Frontage Allowable Total Area of All Signs .. 20 feet 67 square feet 25 75 3O 82 35 ~ kO 95 5o lo6 60 116 70 126 80 13~ 90 143 100 150 125 168 150 185 175 198 200 212 250 237 3OO 26O kOO 3OO 5o0 336 De Si~n Size Exceptions Signs in residential districts shall not exceed two square feet or as allowed in Section ~.12 of the Zoning By-Law, whichever is more restrictive. 2) The following are allowed in addition to signs as limited above: a) Names of buil~ugs, date of erection, monumental citations, and commemorative tablets up to ten square feet in area, when made a permanent and integral part of the building. b) Building directories, up to 20 square feet in area if located outside. c) Educational signs of up to 20 square feet, providing bulletin or poster display space, identifying or explaining local history or processes goi~ on out of sight within the building, meeting letter size and location requirements for pedestrian signs. Traffic control and guidance signs, in conformance with public traffic sign standards, but located on private property, and orientational signs up to two square feet in area, displayed for purposes of direction or convenience, including signs identifying rest rooms, freight entrances, and the like. 3) Permanent signs on the surface or inside display windows shall cover no more than ten percent of the display window area. E. Letterin~ Size fe l) Wall or roof signs and ground signs sh~!~ not employ letters exceeding eight inches in height in Residence Districts or 18 inches in height elsewhere. 2) Occupancy signs shall not employ letters exceeding eight inches in height. 3) Pedestrian signs shall not employ letters exceeding three inches in height. Illumination l) 3) Signs shall be illuminated only by steady, stationary, shielded light sources directed solely at the sign, or internal to it, without causing glare for motorists~ pedestrians, or neighboring premises. Illuminated signs shall not produce more than one foot-candle of illu- mination four feet from the sign. Signs shall not be illuminated between the hours of ll:O0 P.M, and 7:00 A.M. unless related to an establishment operating during those hours, Ail temporary or permanent outdoor lights such as those used for area lighting or b,,~l~ng floodlighting or sign lighting shall be steady, statio~y, shielded sources directed so that the light source is not directly visible to any point beyond the lot lines of the premises. G. Tem~orar~ Signs The following signs are allowed for a period up to one year wit~ a permit. Construction signs: One unlighted sign of up to 12 square feet identifying parties involved in construction on the premises where the sign is located; one illuminated sign of up to 20 square feet identi- fying the owner's name and the activity for which the building is intended and describing the construction process, but not including the advertisement of any product. These signs must be removed within 14 days after the beginning, of the intended activity. Real estate signs: One unlighted sign ofupto 12 square feet (6 square feet in residence districts) pertaining to the sale, rental, or lease of the premises on which the sign is displayed, to be removed within 14days after sale, rental or lease Display window signsz Signs on the surface of or inside display win- dows, lighted only by building illumination a~M covering no more than 20 percent of the display window area. H. Off-St~eet Parkin~ Signs Off-street parking facilities for ten or more cars must be identified by a sign displaying the letter '~" in a size between eight and 18 inches high, and a directionml arrow indicating ingress. Such a sign may also identify the build~ng (or its principal occupant) to which the parking is accessory in letters not to exceed eight inches in height. Section 4. Prohibited Devices 1) No sign or light shall move, flash, or make noise. (Indicators of time or temperatUre may move.) 2) Colored lights and !~,m~nated signs employing colors in use in traffic signal lights are prohibited within view of any signalized intersection. Any imitation of official traffic signs or signals and the use of such words as "stop~ "look," "go slow," "caution," or "warning" are pro- hibited. Fluorescent colors in the yellow to red spectrum are prohibited. Signs with neon tubes exposed to view are prohibited. Existing Signs Section 5. Signs and lights shall be made to conform to the requirements of this By-law withie %~exIc~~ of its effective date: five (5) years ~ection 6. l) 2) Administration No sign, except those specifically exempted by this By-law, shall be erected without a permit issued by the Building Inspector, application for which shall be accompanied by such scale drawings, photographs, and other information as the Building Inspector may require to identify the characteristics of the proposed sign. Non-conforming signs shall be removed by their owner within ten days of the period set forth in Section 5, or else the Building Inspector A True Copy: shall, cause their removal at the ATTEST: ~ expense of the owner.