(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide fair, comprehensive and enforceable regulations that will foster a quality visual environment for the town, enhancing it as a place to live, visit and conduct business. Depending on their size, number and character, signs may attract or repel visitors, affect the visual quality enjoyed daily by residents, affect the safety of vehicular traffic, and define the character of the area. Signs are herein regulated to help maintain the health, comfort and well-being of the public; to prevent adverse community appearance from the unrestricted use of signs; to allow signs appropriate to the character of each zoning district; to promote traffic safety; and to aid police protection and firefighting. This section is intended to improve the legibility and effectiveness of signs by preventing over-concentration, improper placement, excessive height, area and bulk and by regulating sign illumination.
(B) General regulations applying to all signs.
(1) Measurement of sign area: the area of a sign shall be computed as including the entire area within a rectangular geometric form or combination of such forms comprising all the display area of the sign and including all of the elements of the matter displayed. Frames and borders bearing copy or display materials shall be included in the computation of the sign area. Where a sign has two or more faces, the area of all faces shall be included determining the area of the sign, except where two such faces are placed back to back, parallel to one another, and less than six inches apart, the area of the sign shall be of one face.
(2) Freestanding signs shall not exceed six feet in height.
(3) The height of all building mounted signs shall not exceed the roof height of the building.
(4) Setback requirements for signs: except where specified otherwise in this chapter, all signs shall be setback a minimum of one-half the front yard setback requirements as measured from the street right-of-way line. All signs shall be required to meet rear and side yard setback requirements for the area in which it is located.
(5) Size of signs: all signs not covered elsewhere in this chapter, shall not exceed 32 square feet in area, or 20% of the wall area, whichever is less.
(6) Signs, which direct traffic movement onto or within a property which are not owned and under the authority of county, city, town, state or federal agency shall not exceed nine square feet in area for each sign. Logo or business names shall not exceed 20% of the sign area. Such signs shall be located behind the street right-of-way line. Two directional signs per driveway shall be permitted.
(C) Prohibited signs. The following signs are prohibited:
(1)
Signs within the right-of-way or dedicated public easements, unless the sign is installed or owned by a government agency which owns, or holds in trust, the public property or easement;
(2) Illuminated signs in residential zoning areas;
(3) Signs affixed to trees, utility poles or rocks, unless the rock is a monument type base designed for that purpose;
(4) Signs that interfere with the ability of vehicle operators or pedestrians to see traffic signals or other traffic;
(5) Signs that obstruct any window, door, fire escape or opening intended to provide entry or exit to any structure, building or right-of-way;
(6) Bulletins, bills, flyers, posters and any other display which is tacked, pasted or otherwise affixed to walls of buildings, barns, sheds, trees, poles, fences, signs and sign posts;
(7) Signs attached or painted on a bench;
(8) Signs that imitate an official traffic sign or signal;
(9) Signs that are lighted from the interior of the sign, external neon signs and signs lighted by means of an upward facing light source, or any light source, which is not shielded so the direct rays of light are confined to the surface of the sign;
(10) Signs with flashing lights, flashing messages, moving letters or blinking lights; and
(11) Electronic changeable message sign where messages changes more than once a day except for signs denoting the correct time and temperature and the name of the business and shall not exceed 12 square feet per side.
(D) Off-premises signs.
(1) Signs or commercial messages advertising any product, service, activity, event, person, institution or business located within town, or advertising the sale or rental of a lot other than the one where the sign is located, shall be limited to:
(a) One sign per lot;
(b) One additional sign is allowed provided that it is for multiple businesses developed by a single organization (such as a business association, chamber of commerce or other similar organization) or a governmental agency. Signs which meet the above conditions shall be permitted in any zoning area established by this chapter; and
(c) Any structure formerly used as a sign, and not in use for more than 180 days after its use for a sign has ceased shall be removed.
(2) Off-premises signs which bear names, information and emblems of service clubs, places of worship, civic organizations and all quasi-public uses shall be permitted on private property. Each sign shall be no more than nine square feet in area, shall not exceed a height of eight feet and shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from the street right-of-way line.
(E) On-premises signs.
(1) Community building: signage shall not exceed 32 square feet for each building.
(2) One identification sign shall be permitted for each public street frontage for a vehicle entrance for a school, church, public building or other authorized commercial use or lawful nonconforming commercial use. Each sign shall not exceed 16 square feet in area.
(3) One identification sign shall be permitted for each public street frontage, for a subdivision, multiple-family building development and mobile home park. Each sign shall not exceed 16 square feet in area.
(4) One single freestanding sign located near each street entrance to a multi-business plaza may be a maximum of 75 square feet in area.
(a) In a plaza where multiple businesses and occupants are located, a single wall or projecting sign may be permitted for each enterprise and shall be based on one square foot of sign area for each one linear foot of building length which faces on a public street up to a maximum of 16 square feet.
(b) Where groups of businesses and occupants are located separate from others in a plaza, each group location is permitted a freestanding sign to advertise businesses and occupants within that group but shall not exceed 24 square feet.
(5) All multiple business plaza signs shall:
(a) Only advertise the businesses and occupants associated with the respective group or multiple business plaza; and
(b) Comply with other provisions of this section and the respective zoning area.
(F) Temporary signs. Except for street banners approved by the town, all other temporary signs may be placed to advertise any temporary special event, activity, political campaign, sale or rent of real property sale of personal property in a residential zoning area or similar purpose for a limited period of time. All temporary sign shall:
(1) Be located on the same property as the event or on private property with permission;
(2) Comply with all other provisions of this section;
(3) Not exceed the size regulations for the Area, or six square feet, whichever is greater. One banner located on the face of the structure where the event will occur may cover a maximum of 40% of the face area;
(4) Not impede the flow of traffic or pedestrian movement; and
(5) Be on display only for a period which includes:
(a) The duration of the event;
(b) Up to, but not exceeding, five days after the event; and
(c) The minimum amount of time necessary to adequately advertise or campaign ahead of the event not to exceed 30 days.
(G) Illumination and light.
(1) A sign shall not be internally illuminated.
(2) Lighting of signs, if at all, shall be by means of a downward facing light source, which shall be shielded so the direct rays of light are confined to the surface of the sign.
(H) Signs not regulated. This section does not apply to any signs which are:
(1) Not visible to motorists or pedestrians on any street, alley, public lands or adjacent lots;
(2) Specific information panel for the direction of motorists which may be located, under authority of any statute, on any county, city, town street, state or federal highway;
(3) Under four feet in area for sale, rent of the lot, indicating private property, no trespassing, no hunting or fishing or political signs;
(4) Legal postings as required by law; and
(5) Signs of a non-commercial nature are allowed and shall not exceed 16 square feet.
(Prior Code, § 9.05.130) (Ord. 2023-04, passed 4-11-2023)
Penalty, see § 10.99