Colden City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIII
Signs
§ 108-65 Permit required.
Unless otherwise provided in this Article XIII, no sign shall be erected, altered, enlarged or replaced without first obtaining a permit therefor from the Code Enforcement Officer of the Town of Colden.
§ 108-66 Application for permit.
A.
Prior to the issuance of any sign permit, as cited above, for the erection, alteration, enlargement or replacement of a sign, application for such sign permit shall be made to the Code Enforcement Officer, together with a map and plan of such sign, showing the following information:
B.
The Code Enforcement Officer is empowered to require of any sign permit applicant such additional information deemed necessary.
§ 108-67 Signs as accessory uses and structures.
All signs, except signs erected by a governmental entity for a public purpose, shall be considered as accessory uses and structures in the zoning district where permitted. No permitted sign shall be attached directly or indirectly to any light standard, utility pole or tree.
§ 108-68 Signs prohibited in any district.
Off-premises advertising signs, billboards, portable signs, roof signs, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners or similar moving, fluttering or revolving devices are prohibited in any zoning district unless approved by the Town Board, on a case-by-case basis, after a public hearing thereon. These prohibitions do not apply to decorative displays. Flashing, oscillating and revolving signs are prohibited in any zoning district unless necessary for public safety or welfare.
§ 108-69 All districts.
The following signs shall be permitted in all districts. No sign permit shall be required.
A.
Identification sign:
(1)
One sign not exceeding two square feet in area indicating only the name and address of the occupant and/or the premises. Such sign may be attached to a building or may be on a separate support and shall be at least five feet from any property line, street line or road line.
(2)
Subject to the approval of the Code Enforcement Officer, one sign for each entrance from a public right-of-way identifying a real estate development or subdivision, not exceeding 20 square feet in area.
B.
Directional or informational signs not exceeding four square feet in area.
C.
Real estate signs:
(1)
One temporary nonilluminated sign not exceeding nine square feet in area and advertising only the prospective sale or rental of the premises on which such sign is located. Such sign shall not be placed within 10 feet of any property line, street or road line.
(2)
One temporary nonilluminated sign not exceeding 50 square feet in area in connection with the development of subdivision of real property. Such sign shall not be placed within 10 feet of any property line, street or road line.
D.
Institutional signs: unless approved for illumination in a manner prescribed by the Code Enforcement Officer, one nonilluminated church, educational or other institutional bulletin board or identification sign not exceeding 20 square feet in area. Such sign shall not be placed within 10 feet of any property line, street or road line.
E.
Public signs: any signs placed by a governmental entity for a public purpose.
F.
Temporary signs:
(1)
Nonilluminated political election signs, which shall not be located on public property and which shall be removed within three days after an election.
(2)
All other temporary signs advertising an event not erected more than four weeks prior to the event and removed within three days after the event.
G.
One sign not exceeding two square feet in area and indicating the name of a permitted occupation. Such sign may be attached to a building or may be on a separate support and shall be at least five feet from any property line, street or road line.
§ 108-70 AG District.
The following signs shall be permitted in the AG District. No sign permit shall be required.
A.
Not more than two nonilluminated signs, each not exceeding six square feet in area, shall be permitted to advertise the display and sale of agricultural products grown on the premises.
§ 108-71 R-RB District.
A permit shall be required for one identification sign, not exceeding 10 square feet in area, relating to principal uses and structures first permitted in the R-RB District.
§ 108-72 Business signs in C District.
A permit is required for the following business signs in the C District:
A.
One sign for each establishment on each street side of a building and any additional side containing a public entrance, except a side facing onto a contiguous R District, shall be permitted.
D.
Where a covered walk extends across the front of a building, signs may be mounted on the roof of the walkway to a maximum height of three feet. Signs related to the entrance of an individual business establishment may also be hung from the underside of a covered walkway, maximum size to be eight inches by four feet.
E.
At the entrance to business establishments above the first floor, the nameplates of such establishments may be mounted flat at the side of such entrances, size not to exceed nine inches by 18 inches.
F.
A detached sign may be erected where the building, which said detached or freestanding sign is accessory thereto, is setback from the street or road line a distance of 40 feet or more. Such detached sign shall have:
(1)
A setback of five feet from the front property line and be no less than 20 feet from any other property line.
(2)
A maximum area of 40 square feet, unless said sign identifies a group of stores as a retail shopping center or plaza, except that a sign area may be increased at the rate of one square foot for each additional foot of setback of the sign to a maximum of 100 square feet in a C District.
(3)
For a sign identifying a group of stores as a retail center or plaza, a maximum area of one square foot for every three linear feet of front property line, except that the sign area may be further increased at the rate of one square foot for each additional foot of setback of the sign to a maximum area of 100 square feet.
(4)
A height no greater than 18 feet above ground level.
(5)
No less than three feet from the bottom of the sign to the ground.
G.
No sign within 100 feet of any R District boundary shall have a surface area (in square feet) larger than its distance (in linear feet) from such R District boundary.
H.
Sandwich-board or A-frame signs are allowed, one per business, with a maximum of eight square feet each face, and these signs must be removed when the business is closed at the end of the day.
§ 108-73 Computation of permissible sign area.
When computing the total permissible sign area for any use the following procedures shall be used:
A.
The total area of a sign consisting of letters, characters and/or symbols painted, placed or otherwise affixed to a background material, especially designed for such sign, shall be determined by multiplying the height by the width of such background material.
B.
The total area or a sign consisting of letters, characters and/or symbols, which depict a sign without regard to any background material, shall be measured by the maximum height times the maximum width.
§ 108-74 Safety standards for signs.
Every sign shall be so designed and located in such a manner that it:
A.
Shall not impair public safety due to its location. Signs shall not be located in the right-of-way or located in a corner visibility area as defined in Article 16-5.
B.
Shall not restrict clear vision between a sidewalk and a road.
C.
Shall not prevent free access to any door, window or fire escape.
D.
Shall not be confused with any traffic sign or signal.
E.
Shall withstand a wind pressure load of at least 30 pounds per square foot.
F.
Shall be mounted securely with posts at a depth below frost level if a freestanding sign.
§ 108-75 Illumination.
Internal or indirect lighting shall be used to illuminate a permitted sign. No flashing, intermittent or moving light or lights shall constitute a part of or be used to illuminate a sign. No light shall be placed in such a manner that it is a hazard to the traveling public or shall cause any objectionable glare, either direct or reflected.