This article establishes regulations for the fabrication, erection, and use of signs and other outdoor advertising displays within the town.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.00.00), 7-9-13)

These sign regulations are intended to complement the requirements of the building codes adopted by the Baldwin Town Council. Wherever there is inconsistency between these regulations and the building code, the more stringent requirement shall apply.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.00.01), 7-9-13)

Compliance with the requirements of these regulations shall not constitute a defense to an action brought to abate a nuisance under the common law.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.00.02), 7-9-13)

All signs, including their supports, braces, guys and anchors, electrical parts and lighting fixtures, and all painted and display areas, shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building codes and shall present a neat and clean appearance. The vegetation around, in front of, behind, and underneath the base of ground signs shall be neatly trimmed and free of unsightly weeds. No rubbish or debris that would constitute a fire or health hazard shall be under or near the sign(s).

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.00.03), 7-9-13)

The following signs are exempt from the operation of these sign regulations, and from the requirement in this code, provided they are not placed or constructed so as to create a hazard of any kind:

(1)

Signs that are not visible from any street or adjoining property.

(2)

Signs of two (2) square feet or less.

(3)

Legal notices erected by governmental entities.

(4)

Decorative flags and bunting for a celebration, convention, or commemoration of significance to the entire community when authorized by the Baldwin Town Council for a prescribed period of time.

(5)

Governmental signs for traffic control, street designation, or directions to public facilities.

(6)

Under canopy signs less than four (4) square feet.

(7)

Up to two (2) menu boards for drive-in facilities per commercial enterprise.

(8)

Memorial signs or tablets when cut into masonry.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.01.00), 7-9-13)

A sign may be a ground or building sign.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.01), 7-9-13)

(a)

Ground signs.The permissible number, area, spacing, and height of ground signs shall be determined according to the following table:

⁽¹⁾ Measured in linear feet

⁽²⁾ Measured in square feet

(b)

Building signs.

(1)

Subject to the design criteria in this article, the maximum height of a building sign shall be eighteen (18) feet, except on a building of more than two (2) stories, a single building sign is allowed above eighteen (18) feet on each side of the building.

(2)

Each multiple occupancy complex may display one (1) building sign on each side of the principal building or buildings in which the complex is located, not to exceed a sign area of ten (10) percent of the facade area of each building side or two hundred (200) square feet, whichever is less.

(3)

Each occupant of a multiple occupancy complex may display three (3) building signs on any exterior portion of the complex that is part of the occupant's unit (not including a common or jointly owned area). The total combined sign area shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the facade area or two hundred (200) square feet, whichever is less.

(4)

Each occupant not located in a multiple occupancy complex may display three (3) building signs on each side of the principal building in which the occupancy is located, not to exceed a total combined sign area for each building side of twenty (20) percent of the facade area of the building side or two hundred (200) square feet, whichever is smaller.

(c)

Multiple frontages. If a building has frontage on two (2) or more streets, each frontage shall be separately considered for the purposes of determining compliance with the provisions of these regulations, but the permitted sign area for one (1) frontage may not be combined with that permitted on another frontage to increase the permitted sign area on one (1) frontage. However, no ground sign on one (1) right-of-way may be closer than one hundred (100) feet to a sign on another right-or-way, measured as the sum of distances measured continuously along the rights-of-way through a common point or points.

(d)

Additional restrictions for commercial in-town land uses. In addition to compliance with all other provisions, all ground signs in commercial in-town land uses must be monument signs no more than six (6) feet high.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.02), 7-9-13)

(a)

Generally. A sign may be displayed at the entrance to residential developments.

(b)

Restrictions. One (1) sign is permitted at only one (1) entrance into the development from each abutting street. The sign may be a single sign with two (2) faces of equal size or may be two (2) single-faced structures of equal size located on each side of the entrance. No face of the sign shall exceed (32) square feet in size and may be illuminated in a steady light only.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.03), 7-9-13)

The area of a sign shall be the area within the smallest square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle, circle, or semicircle, the sides of which touch the extreme points or edges of the sign face.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.04), 7-9-13)

In general, the number of signs shall be the number of non-contiguous sign faces. Multiple non-contiguous sign faces may be counted as a single sign if all the sign faces are included in the geometric figure used for determining the sign area.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.05), 7-9-13)

The height of a sign shall be measured as the vertical distance from the finished grade at the base of the supporting structure to the top of the sign, or its frame or supporting structure, whichever is higher.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.06), 7-9-13)

The following types of non-exempt signs are prohibited in the Town of Baldwin: projecting signs, roof signs, signs located on trees, signs located in rights-of-way except for signs expressly authorized by the town and attached to bus shelters or bus benches, signs on telephone poles, temporary flashing lighted signs, except for traffic control and safety signs, and abandoned signs.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.07), 7-9-13)

One (1) freestanding sign per parcel located on the primary street frontage shall be permitted, provided it meets all the requirements of this code.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.08), 7-9-13)

All nonconforming, non-permitted, or abandoned signs shall be removed immediately.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.02.09), 7-9-13)

Upon receipt of a written notice of violation of this Code by the Town of Baldwin, the owner, his agent, or landowner shall disassemble, remove, or modify a sign found not in conformance within 30 days of the notice.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.03.01), 7-9-13)

The community development board is the sign code board authorized to hear and decide appeals and make recommendations to the town council on variances from the interpretation of this code.

(Ord. No. 2013-01, § 5(Attach., § 8.03.02), 7-9-13)