(A) The enhancement and improvement of the town historic districts is in the best interest of the town, its residents and commercial business owners. An improved appearance of buildings in historic districts will not only enhance the appearance of the historic districts but adjacent areas as well, thereby helping to foster the economic vitality of the town as a whole. This section is intended to complement the Preservation Guidelines for Newburgh Historic Districts. All regulations and restrictions of the Town Historic Preservation Commission pertaining to signage within the historic preservation districts are applicable to this subchapter. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, in the event of a conflict between this subchapter and the Historic District Guidelines, the more restrictive requirements will apply.
(B) (1) In addition to all required permits, any sign within a Historic Preservation District requires approval of the Historic Preservation Commission in accordance with preservation guidelines.
(2) Specific sign restrictions within a Historic District include but are not limited to the following.
(a) New signage should be unobtrusive, relating to rather than obscuring the design elements of the building or site.
(b) Sign material should complement those found on the related building, or that are common within the district. Metal, stone or painted wood signs are generally most appropriate.
(c) Commercial signage that advertises a business or service should be simple in design, preferably identifying only the name, purpose and address on a sign structure sized for reasonable legibility.
(d) Ground signs should be mounted low to the ground to avoid blocking the pedestrian's view. Signs mounted on low, landscaped bases may also be appropriate.
(e) Accent lighting used to illuminate signs should be installed in a manner that minimizes visibility of the light fixture and does not result in glare. External illumination should be from the top down not from the bottom up.
(f) Sandwich board or A-frame signs and signs on easels as described in this subchapter are appropriate and add to the overall character of the historic districts.
(g) Fabric awnings on commercial buildings are preferred over metal or wood in most cases.
(h) Internally illuminated signs are prohibited, except to the extent permitted as follows:
1. Reverse lit channel letter signs are permitted for commercially zoned non historic properties located within an expansion historic district. For purposes of this division, REVERSE LIT CHANNEL LETTER SIGNS, generally referred to as halo-lit channel letters, shall mean metal faced signs that are backlit with white LED lighting so as to allow illumination from the back of the sign. More specific specifications for acceptable reverse lit channel letter signs may be approved by the Plan Commission without need for further amending this section.
(i) Plastic signs are prohibited.
(j) Flush mounted signs should not conceal architectural features or details.
(Ord. 2021-03, passed 10-13-2021; Ord. 2023-03, passed 4-26-2023)