Maintain public safety by eliminating potential hazards to motorists created by distracting or confusing sign displays and excessive illumination;

Protect and enhance the visual environment of Dartmouth, by creating a balanced sign texture, diminishing any visual confusion, limiting sign pollution, enhancing a particular building, or total streetscape, and stimulating responsible business activity;

Preserve the historical ambiance and aesthetic character of the town;

Recognize the commercial communication requirements of all sectors of the community;

Enhance the environment and the town's ability to attract sources of economic development and growth; and

Completely exempted signs. The following signs are entirely exempt from the provisions of this Article 25:

Partially exempted signs. The following signs are exempt from the provisions of this Article 25, provided that they meet specified numeric limitations, specified purpose limitations and/or specified size limitations as calculated in accordance with § 375-25.5:

Off-premise commercial signs.

Roof signs.

Those, either in whole or in part, which are moving, mobile, or revolving.

Those considered as strings, streamers, flags, pennants, revolving or flashing lights, spinners, projecting image signs, or other similar devices which are attached or strung across, upon, over, or along any premises or building, whether as part of a sign of not.

Inflatable signs, tethered or simulated balloons, or blow-up figures.

Those that are painted on the exterior surface of any wall or roof.

Signs, letters, posters, and advertisements that are attached to any tree, utility pole, or natural feature on any street, highway, or right-of-way.

Permanent signs placed on vehicles or trailers which are parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying the signs, and from which no other business is being conducted. This prohibition does not apply to lettering on buses, taxis, or other vehicles, including food trucks, operating in the normal course of business.

Advertising cloth, vinyl, or paper banner or signs of any similar character suspended or hung on any property, except for temporary banners.

Computation of area of individual signs. The size of any single-faced sign shall be determined as follows:

Computation of multi-faced signs. The sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one point. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back so that both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time, and when such sign faces are part of the supports, uprights, braces, anchors or framework of the sign and are not more than 42 inches apart at its widest, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of these faces.

Computation of height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the lower of existing grade prior to construction, or the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely for the purpose of locating the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public street or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the lot, whichever is lower.

Computation of maximum total permitted sign area. Except where specifically stated otherwise, lots fronting on two or more streets are allowed the permitted sign area for each lot frontage. However, the total sign area that is oriented toward a particular street may not exceed the portion of the lot's total sign area allocation that is derived from the lot, building, or wall area frontage on that street.

Signs may be steadily illuminated either from within or by some outside source, subject to the following further provisions:

The outside source of illumination for any sign shall be placed or hooded so that the lighting source itself is not visible at any point beyond the lot lines or leasehold lines of the premises.

No sign shall be erected within the right-of-way lines of a public or private street, nor shall any sign be placed closer than five feet from such right-of way lines or property lines of abutting properties.

The bottom or lowest edge for a freestanding sign, awning sign, projecting sign, or similar type of sign shall be not less than eight feet from the ground. Also see § 375-25.5C relating to computation of height.

All provisions of this By-Law shall apply to signs attached to or located on chimneys, smokestacks, water towers, and other similar structures.

Freestanding signs.

Ground signs.

Bus stop shelter advertisements. Signs affixed to bus shelters shall not exceed 25 square feet.

Awning signs. All awning signs shall have a setback of not less than two feet from the street curb line and cannot extend more than five feet from the building line.

Overhang signs.

Projecting signs. Signs projecting over a traveled way or sidewalk, public or private, shall meet the following standards:

Permanent subdivision identification signs. The overall dimensions shall not exceed 32 square feet and are allowed on private property with no more than two single sided or one double sided sign at an intersection and meeting intersection sight triangle setback requirements. One temporary (once all lots sold, must be removed) subdivision advertisement sign not to exceed the overall dimension of 32 square feet is allowed at the entrance to a subdivision. The above signs shall not be illuminated either internally or directly. The above signs are allowed in addition to and can exceed the total maximum allowed square footage of other signs otherwise permitted.

Agricultural signs. Agricultural, aquacultural, silvicultural, horticultural, floricultural and viticultural uses, solely to the extent that those uses are exempt from zoning pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A, Section 3, may have a maximum of two signs per lot up to 32 square feet on a side and 35 feet tall.

Electronic message center (EMC) signs.

Temporary event signs may be allowed only by approval from the Board of Selectmen.

Temporary event signs shall be placed so as not to obstruct vehicular or pedestrian traffic or create a safety hazard.

Temporary event signs shall not obstruct access to or from any door, window, fire escape, or ventilating equipment, nor be attached to any standpipe or fire escape.

Temporary event signs shall be used only for an event, situation, or circumstance that is to be completed within 45 days after the sign is first displayed, which can occur three times per calendar year, and must be removed within seven days after completion of the event, situation, or circumstance for which they are used.

The size of temporary event signs shall not exceed 32 square feet, except that A-frame signs are limited to 10 square feet, and flags shall be limited to 20 square feet.

There shall be no more than one temporary event sign per establishment and one flag per 200 linear feet of frontage.

Temporary event signs shall not be attached to fences.

Residence identification by name or address or both is permitted for each family in a dwelling. Such signs shall not exceed two square foot per face and may be double-faced.

One double-faced sign not in excess of two square foot per face is allowed in order to advertise taking of boarders, earth removal or home occupation. Such signs may be combined with the residence identifications sign for a single double-face sign not in excess of four square feet per face.

For uses that are protected by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A, Section 3, except agricultural, aquacultural, silvicultural, horticultural, floricultural and viticultural uses, one double-faced sign of not over 12 square feet per face is allowed.

Signs shall be located on the lot and shall have five-foot front yard and side yard setbacks.

Signs shall relate to a use or the occupants of the property upon which it is located except as allowed elsewhere in these by-laws.

Signs shall not be of a type that confuse, distract, or call undue attention by the use of color, shape, light, or other features.

A building may have a single wall sign no larger than eight square feet; provided, that free-standing buildings, located within a parking lot and visible from the street and drive-aisles, may have one wall sign no larger than eight square feet affixed to each building wall.

One freestanding sign per lot is allowed which is permanently anchored to the ground and is not taller than eight feet. Free standing signs shall not be larger than eight square feet on one side. More than one business can be listed on the free standing sign as long as the free standing sign does not exceed eight square feet.

Window signs shall not cover more than 25% of the window or 50% of a door window, and the total of all window signs shall not exceed eight square feet per business.

A building may have a single message sign of a size not larger than eight square feet.

Awning signs for a building may be no more than 30% of the awning area for that building, and the total area of all awning signs for a building shall not exceed eight square feet.

Signs projecting 90° off a wall of a building may be no larger than eight square feet on one side and are limited to one per business.

A building may have a single wall sign per business of a size no larger than 32 square feet; provided, that free-standing buildings, located within a parking lot and visible from the street and drive-aisles, may have one wall sign no larger than 32 square feet affixed to each building wall.

One freestanding sign per lot is allowed which is permanently anchored to the ground and is not taller than 12 feet. Free standing signs shall not be larger than 32 square feet on one side. More than one business can be listed on the free standing sign as long as the free standing sign does not exceed 32 square feet.

Window signs shall not cover more than 25% of the window or 50% of a door window, and the total of all window signs shall not exceed eight square feet per business.

A building may have a single message sign of a size up to a maximum of 15 square feet.

Awning signs may be no more than 30% of the awning area, and the total of all awning signs shall not exceed eight square feet.

Signs projecting 90° off a wall of a building may be no larger than eight square feet on one side and are limited to one per business.

Signs shall not be of a type that confuse, distract, or call undue attention by the use of color, shape, light, or other features.

One freestanding sign is allowed for frontage up to 300 feet plus one for each additional full 300 feet of frontage. Total display area of all freestanding signs shall not exceed one square foot per side for each two linear feet of frontage.

Other signs may be attached to a building provided that the total area of signs does not exceed 10% of the gross unglazed wall area, and does not extend above or beyond the edge of the wall. The total area of any such sign or signs attached to a wall(s), and located within the front yard setback of a street line, shall have a maximum area of 32 square feet; provided, that free-standing buildings, located within a parking lot and visible from the street and drive-aisles, may have one wall sign no larger than 32 square feet affixed to each building wall, except that the wall(s) of a multi-business building shall allow one sign per business, with a maximum area of 32 square feet combined sign area.

Window signs are allowed, provided that the total area of such signs does not exceed 10% of the gross glazed area of a building.

Free-standing display signs may not exceed 35 feet in height and no part of any sign may be less than five feet from any property line.

One site identification sign of up to 32 square feet in area may be erected while the site is under construction.

Parking facility signs that provide directions to roads or businesses, or that provide traffic directions, but not that merely provide business advertising, must be approved by the Planning Board as part of a Site Plan Review pursuant to the procedures of Article 24 of these Zoning By-Laws. If such signage be subsequently desired for a parking facility for which a Site Plan has previously been approved by the Planning Board, then an amendment to that Plan indicating such signage must be filed and approved in the same manner. The limitations of § 375-24.1E(2) shall apply to such signage. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article 24, when applying for an amendment seeking directional signage approval only, Planning Board review is limited to the sign approval and such an application does not trigger a full parking facility review.