Aberdeen City Zoning Code

Permit requirements. A person may not erect, place, attach, sustain, alter, reconstruct, relocate, or modify any sign or other advertising structure without first obtaining a sign permit and making payment of the required fee. All illuminated or electronically operated signs shall, in addition, be subject to the provisions of the Harford County electrical code.

Permit exception. If the panel of a sign is modified to reflect a change in the logo or ad copy of an existing business at the same location, or damaged by a natural weather event, a new permit is not required.

Application. An application for a sign permit shall be filed with the Department of Planning and Community Development to include such information and documentation as may be required to ensure that the proposed sign or advertising structure will comply with this article. This information includes, but may not be limited to, the name and address of the sign/property owner; name and address of the applicant; name and address of the sign erector; drawings showing the copy, design, dimensions, heights, and location of the sign; and signature of the owner, tenant, or authorized agent.

Fees. Fees for sign permits shall be as established and specified in the Code of the City of Aberdeen, Chapter A550, Fees.

Nullification. A sign permit shall become null and void if the work for which the permit was issued has not been completed within 12 months after the date of final approval of the permit.

Issuance and revocation. The Department of Planning and Community Development shall approve the application and issue the permit within five business days after reviewing the required information and the applicable fee is paid. The Department of Planning and Community Development may refuse to issue any permit or, after written notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard, may revoke any permit issued upon failure to comply with any provisions of this article.

Double-faced signs. One face of a sign having obverse and reverse faces shall be considered in calculating the sign area. In the event that the area of faces is different, the face having the larger area shall determine the area of the sign.

Multifaced or curved surface signs. The sign area of a multifaced or curved surface sign shall be calculated from dimensions derived from its greatest plane projection.

Irregularly shaped signs. The area of irregularly shaped signs shall be calculated by totaling the area of one or more rectangles completely enclosing the extremities of the sign. See figure below:

Cylindrical signs. The area of cylindrical signs shall be computed by multiplying 1/2 of the circumference by the height of the sign.

No sign or sign structure shall create a safety hazard.

No sign may be located so that it substantially interferes with the view necessary for pedestrians or motorists to proceed safely through intersections or to enter or exit public streets or private roads.

No sign may be erected so that its location, color, size, shape, nature, or message would obstruct the view of or be confused with official traffic signs or other signs erected by government agencies.

Freestanding signs.

A temporary sign may be placed on wooden stakes or mounted to a building and a sign permit is required prior to installation.

Monument signs.

Signs that are not commercially produced will be prohibited in all zoning districts.

Project development signs shall be set back at least 10 feet from the road right-of-way, shall not exceed 10 feet in height above the road grade, and shall not exceed the sizes as provided in Exhibit 3, Table 3.[1] Project development signs must be removed within 15 days after sale or lease of the last lot in the development.

Vehicular signs on vehicles parked on a right-of-way are prohibited.

Projecting signs shall be at least two feet away from the vertical street curbline or improved shoulder edge of the travel way and shall project no more than 42 inches from the wall. There shall be a clearance of at least eight feet from the top of the sidewalk to the bottom edge of the sign, or 14 feet for vehicle access.

Real estate signs must be removed after the transfer, lease, or removal from the market of the real property. The owner of the real property must give permission to place real estate signs or open house signs on the property and they must be removed within three days of an event.

Signs may be placed on four sides of a commercial or industrial building, except that a sign may not be placed on a side of a commercial or industrial building that faces a residential area unless the buffer yard requirement has been met.

Entrance signs shall not exceed eight feet in height above finished grade.

An off-premises sign for general identification in the B-3, IBD, and TOD Zoning Districts is permitted, provided that such a sign is within 2,000 feet of the property line of the project. This type of sign shall be limited to a maximum of 15 feet in height above finished grade.

Electronic message signs are permitted as an attachment to a structure or placement as a freestanding sign with the following requirements:

Signs displaying any statements, words, characters, photographs, or illustrations that are obscene or that depict child pornography are prohibited. As used in this subsection, the term "obscene" shall be construed in accordance with federal and state law and judicial precedents then applicable in Maryland.

Signs of a size, location, movement, content, coloration, or manner of illumination that may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device, or that hide from view any permitted signs, or which distract or obstruct the view of road or pedestrian traffic in any direction at a road intersection shall be prohibited.

Signs shall not be placed on or attached to City, county or state property, within a public right-of-way or easement, on utility poles, on any roadway sign and post, or on a traffic control device.

A sign shall not be placed within 10 feet of the road right-of-way and shall be placed in such a manner so as not to impede vision.

No sign shall obstruct a means of ingress or egress from a building or structure.

Signs that produce noise or sounds, or emit smoke, vapor, particles, or odor are prohibited.

Signs shall not be placed within rights-of-way or buffer yards between business or industrial uses and residential uses.

Inspection. Signs shall be inspected by the Department of Planning and Community Development for compliance with this article.

Maintenance. All signs, components, and supporting structures shall be kept in good repair, appearance, quality, and condition, and maintained to protect against breakage, material discoloration, and defects in or omission of material components. The Department of Planning and Community Development will notify the owner of the sign that maintenance is required and must be completed within 45 days of notice.

Removal.

No person may enlarge or increase the size of a nonconforming sign.

A nonconforming sign may not be moved or replaced except to bring the sign into complete conformity with this article.

If a nonconforming sign is destroyed, it may not thereafter be repaired, reconstructed, or replaced except in conformity with all the provisions of this article, and the remnants of the former sign structure shall be cleared from the land or building.

The sign structure in place when a sign becomes nonconforming may not be modified, except to bring it into conformity with this article.

The light from any illuminated sign or from any light source, including the interior of a building, shall be so shaded, shielded, or directed that the light intensity or brightness shall not adversely affect surrounding or facing premises nor adversely affect the vision of motor vehicle operators.

With the exception of electronic message signs, no sign shall have blinking or flashing lights or other illumination devices which have a changing light intensity, brightness or color.

No exposed reflective-type bulbs and no strobe lights or incandescent lamps shall be used on the exterior surface of any sign so as to expose the face of the bulb, light, or lamp to any public street or adjacent property.

Beacon lights or searchlights shall be temporarily permitted for advertising special events.

As required by the United States Flag Code, the United States flag displayed on a flagpole must be illuminated at night. As further provided by the United States Flag Code, no other flag may be placed above the United States flag on a flagpole.

Table 1, Permitted Signs by Type and Zoning District.

Table 2, Number of Signs per Recorded Lot or Business by Zoning District.

Table 3, Sign Area for Each Sign on Recorded Lot or Business by Zoning District (in Square Feet).

A person aggrieved by the denial of an application for a sign permit, or by the revocation of a sign permit, may file an appeal to the Aberdeen Board of Appeals in accordance with the provisions of § 235-11 of this Code.

Disapproval of sign locations as they relate to easements and public utilities is not subject to appeal or review by the Board of Appeals.

Any person that violates the provisions of this article shall be deemed to have committed a municipal infraction as set forth in Chapter 95, Municipal Infractions, of this Code, and subject to the following actions:

Each day that a violation continues, and each repeat violation, is a separate offense.

Notwithstanding the provisions herein for violations, the City may seek relief through injunction or other remedies as provided by law.