(A) Exempt signs. The following signs shall be exempt from the permit requirements set forth in § 156.192, provided however, they meet the remaining requirements of this section, as well as any limitation set forth elsewhere in this chapter.
(1) Public service signs. Signs used for safety purposes relative to the repair or maintenance of streets, sidewalks, or utilities in a public right-of-way.
(2) Address signs. Address numbers not exceeding two square feet in area.
(3) Governmental. Signs and public notices erected or required by governmental bodies, or authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute, or ordinance, including official traffic signs authorized by the town.
(4) Public information signs. Signs identifying the telephone, restrooms, and similar facilities, providing no advertising matter accompanies the sign.
(5) Government flags. Flags of any country, state, or unit of local government. Flagpoles accompanying such flags shall be limited to a height of 30 feet in residential districts and 40 feet in nonresidential districts.
(6) Corporate flags. Corporate flags when flown in conjunction with the flag of the United States of America provided such corporate flag is not larger than 24 square feet in area.
(7) Memorial plaques. Memorial plaques and cornerstones when not exceeding two square feet in area when permanently affixed to a building or premises.
(8) Bulletin boards. Notice and bulletin boards for public, charitable, religious, or similar type institution when not exceeding 16 square feet and located on the same premises as the institution. Such signs shall not be visible from the public rights-of- way.
(9) Time and temperature signs. Time and temperature signs containing computer-generated messages such as time, temperature, and date are permitted in all districts except the Historic Central Business District (HCB). These signs may not exceed 18 square feet.
(10) Historical identification signs. Signs for property designated by the federal, state, or local governments as a historical location, site, or landmark, provided such sign does not exceed 12 square feet.
(11) Miscellaneous information matter. Matter appearing on newspaper vending boxes, automatic teller machines, and other vending machines, or matter appearing on or adjacent to entry doors such as “Push”, “Pull”, “Open”, and “Closed”, or matter appearing on display windows or doors denoting hours of operation, credit cards accepted, and similar information.
(12) No trespassing signs. No trespassing signs, warning signs (e.g., “Beware of Dog”), and other such signs regulating the use of property when such signs do not exceed two square feet in area.
(13) Private traffic direction signs. Private traffic direction signs directing traffic movement on a premises or within a premises, not exceeding four square feet in area and four feet in height for each sign.
(14) Service station information signs. Service station informational signs, provided, however, such signs shall comply with the following regulations:
(a) Service station information signs shall be permanently mounted to gasoline pump island canopy supports, or the canopy face;
(b) A maximum of four signs, totaling no more than 24 square feet of sign area, shall be permitted per gasoline pump island. No single sign shall exceed nine square feet in area and no sign shall exceed a height of 12 feet;
(c) A maximum of one sign shall be permitted per canopy support. No sign shall exceed eight square feet in area, nor shall a sign exceed a height of 12 feet; and
(d) A maximum of two signs may be attached to the horizontal face of the canopy. No single sign shall exceed 16 square feet in area, nor shall such signs be permitted to rise above the canopy roofline.
(15) Real estate signs. Real estate signs in the type and number listed below:
(a) Signs advertising the sale, lease, or rent of residential property:
1. No sign shall exceed nine square feet in area;
2. No sign shall be erected more than six feet above grade and not displayed above the second floor of a multistory building;
3. Not more than one sign per street frontage is displayed;
4. Every sign is located on the same premises as the subject property; and
5. Every sign is removed seven days after the closing or execution of the lease.
(b) Signs advertising the sale, lease, or rent of unimproved property, provided:
1. No sign shall exceed 16 square feet in area for properties from zero to ten acres, 32 square feet in area for properties from 11 acres and above;
2. Not more than one sign per street frontage is displayed;
3. Every sign is located on the same premises as the subject property; and
4. Every sign is removed seven days after the closing or execution of the lease.
(c) Signs advertising the sale, lease, or rent of nonresidential property, provided:
1. No sign shall exceed 16 square feet in area for properties from zero to ten acres, 32 square feet in area for properties from 11 to 20 acres, 48 square feet in area for properties 21 to 40 acres, and 64 square feet for properties 41 acres and above;
2. Not more than one sign per street frontage is displayed, except in cases of properties 41 acres and above which may have two;
3. Every sign is located on the same premises as the subject property; and
4. Every sign is removed seven days after the closing or execution of the lease.
(d) Signs identifying a real estate open house, provided:
1. No sign shall exceed six square feet in area;
2. Not more than four signs per property shall be displayed;
3. The signs shall be displayed only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; and
4. The signs may be located at any intersection within one square mile of the subject property, but only one sign per intersection per property shall be allowed.
(16) Construction signs. Not more than two construction signs each with a sign surface area not to exceed 32 square feet per sign identifying the architects, engineers, contractors, and other individuals or firms involved with the construction and announcing the character of the building enterprise or the purpose for which the building is intended, but not including the advertisement of any product. The signs shall be confined to the site of the construction and shall be removed within 14 days after the issuance of an occupancy permit. Such signs shall not exceed ten feet in height.
(17) Temporary window signs. In all commercial districts, two temporary signs per window with the total sign area for both signs not to exceed 40% of the window surface area, provided no single sign shall remain longer than 14 days. A series of windows that are separated by frames and supporting material of less than six inches in width shall be considered as a single window for the purposes of area computation.
(18) Political signs. Political signs are permitted, however, such signs shall comply with the following regulations:
(a) Political signs shall be removed within 48 hours after close of the polls for the election or referendum to which they pertain;
(b) No sign shall be placed in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, on municipally owned property, or in any other area prohibited by this chapter;
(c) No sign shall exceed 32 square feet in area in a commercial area; and
(d) No sign shall exceed four square feet in a residential area.
(19) Garage sale signs. Signs informing the public of a private garage sale for a maximum of six days per year at any one residence and the sign shall not be larger than four square feet or more than 40 inches tall and shall be placed only on the premises where the garage sale is to be held.
(20) Auction signs. Signs advertising or informing the public of an auction of real or personal property are permitted only between the hours of 5:00 p.m. on Friday and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Such signs shall be no larger than four square feet in area nor 40 inches in height.
(B) Changing sign copy. For the purposes of this section, the changing of the copy of a sign, bulletin board, display encasement, marquee, or maintenance where no structural changes are made or changing of interchangeable letters on signs designed for use of interchangeable letters shall not require a permit.
(Ord. 2014-26, passed 9- -2014) Penalty, see § 156.999