Dover City Zoning Code
§ 236-38
Outdoor advertising signs, billboards and structures.
The following regulations and standards shall apply to all signs and advertisement differentiated by zone and type of sign as defined in § 236-5.
A.
Alterations. No sign erected before the effective date of this chapter shall be rebuilt or relocated without conforming to the provisions of this chapter. This provision shall not prohibit the repair or renovation of an existing sign upon the date of adoption of this chapter.
B.
Maintenance. All signs, together with their supports, braces, guys and anchors, shall be kept in repair and in proper state of preservation. All signs shall be so maintained that their appearance is in keeping with the standards of the neighborhood and does not constitute a blighting factor for adjoining property owners nor an element leading to the progressive deterioration or downgrading of the neighborhood with the accompanying decrease of property values.
C.
Prohibitions.
(1)
The following types of signs or artificial lighting are prohibited:
(a)
Flashing, spelling or movement of all or part of the sign, except time, temperature or barbershop poles; pylon signs/billboards or roof signs; signs which compete for attention with or may be mistaken for a traffic sign or signal, except that a digital sign may be permitted, subject to the following conditions:
[Amended 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 18-2020]
[1]
Digital signs shall only be permitted on commercial properties within the C-2 Zone District with a lot size of 0.5 acres or more;
[2]
Digital signs shall only be permitted on single tenanted/occupied commercial properties;
[3]
Digital signs shall be considered freestanding signs and shall be located on pylons only, and shall not be located on buildings or in windows;
[4]
The top of the freestanding digital sign or any part of a freestanding sign shall not exceed the height of the commercial building or 20 feet maximum;
[5]
Digital signs shall not exceed 60 square feet per side and no freestanding sign shall exceed a total of 75 square feet per side;
[6]
Digital signs shall be required to have at least two settings to regulate brightness.
(b)
Signs which are a menace to public safety or which obstruct the view of any street, intersection or crosswalk. Signs erected on any part of the structure beneath a railroad overpass shall be deemed to be a menace to public safety.
(c)
Temporary advertising signs affixed to the window of a door, but not including informational signs such as "Push" or "Pull."
(d)
Projecting signs with an area greater than six square feet.
(2)
No sign shall be erected or suspended across a street or alley.
(3)
No sign shall be used for or converted into a fence or wall of a shed or building.
(4)
Objectionable matter. No matter shall be painted or posted on a sign of any kind, or on any structure, that is licentious, vulgar or obscene or depicts the commission of any crime.
D.
Small signs not enumerated elsewhere. Small signs permitted by law and/or exceeding one by one-half (1 x 1/2) foot may be erected for policing or parking purposes.
E.
Public signs. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to restrict or prohibit the erection, construction or maintenance, within the Town of Dover, of signs or markers for use in policing, directing or controlling of traffic or parking when legally authorized by the state, county or Town, or by any department thereof.
F.
Traffic direction, control and regulation signs. All such signs shall be in accordance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
G.
Termination of use. At the termination of any professional, business or industrial use of any premises, the permission to display signs associated with such use shall terminate. All such signs, and the brackets and posts which support the signs, shall be removed from the premises within 30 days from the date of termination of such use. The owner of the property shall be responsible for the removal of all such signs.
H.
Temporary signs. The following temporary signs are permitted in all districts:
(1)
Real estate signs. Signs designating property for sale or lease shall not exceed five square feet in area in any residential district or 20 square feet in any other district. They shall be placed at least eight feet from an adjacent property line. They shall be promptly removed upon the sale of the property. No more than one sign shall be permitted on a residential lot.
(2)
Banner signs. Banner signs shall only be permitted as a temporary sign and shall be limited to announcements of new occupancies only, shall not exceed 10 square feet in area and shall not be displayed for a period of more than 30 days.
[Amended 6-13-1995 by Ord. No. 17-1995]
(3)
Charitable organization drives. Signs for campaign or money-raising drives of religious or charitable organizations operating in the general public's interest shall not exceed 16 square feet in area. Signs shall be erected no sooner than two weeks prior to the publicized event and shall be removed no later than 48 hours after the event. No more than two temporary outdoor signs shall be erected by any such organization, which signs shall be erected on the property owned or rented by such organization whenever feasible.
(4)
Construction signs. Signs pertaining to the construction, repair or remodeling of any building shall be located at the principal entrance to the building within the property lines. They shall not exceed 32 square feet in area. They shall be moved within seven days after the completion of the construction work.
(5)
Political events. Signs announcing any political events or campaigns may be erected in any district. Such signs may not be erected prior to 60 days before the political event or campaign. All signs covered by this section shall be removed within 15 days after the political event or campaign.
(6)
Window signs. Window signs shall only be permitted as a temporary sign, and the area of such signs shall not exceed 25% of the window surface area, and such signs shall not be displayed for a period of more than 30 days.
[Amended 6-13-1995 by Ord. No. 17-1995]
I.
Residential district signs and signs for other districts. The following signs are permitted in a residential zone:
(1)
Temporary real estate signs.
(2)
Public grounds signs.
(3)
A nameplate sign for each family housed in a residence.
(4)
A home occupation or professional sign shall not exceed 60 square inches in area.
(5)
A ground or wall sign not to exceed four square feet in area identifying the name of the premises of a boardinghouse, lodging house or apartment house.
(6)
Signs erected upon the premises of houses of worship and charitable and nonprofit organizations, which shall not exceed 12 square feet in area.
J.
Signs permitted in districts other than residential districts. Signs permitted in districts other than residential districts shall be as follows:
(1)
All signs permitted in residential districts.
(2)
One sign upon premises used for professional offices which shall not exceed 10 square feet area. The sign may be of the freestanding type, in which case it shall be set back from the street side line a distance of not less than 10 feet.
(3)
Business signs which direct attention exclusively to a permitted business conducted on the premises on which such sign is located or to a product sold or service supplied by such business and deemed to be an integral part of it. The total area of all business signs on a lot shall not exceed two square feet for each one foot of width of the building facade facing the front lot line. The signs shall comply with the following:
(a)
One sign may be attached to the wall at each main public entrance of a building and shall conform to requirements for wall signs. Such sign shall not exceed 1.5 square feet of area for each one linear foot of front wall except that no wall sign shall exceed 40 square feet in area. On corner lots, each wall facing a street shall be deemed a front wall for the purposes of this subsection.
[Amended 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 18-2020; 12-1-2020 by Ord. No. 23-2020]
(b)
A directory sign bearing the name and/or type of business of the principal tenants renting space in the rear or upper floors of the building may be located at the principal entrance of such rented areas. The areas of such sign devoted to each tenant shall not exceed 72 square inches, and the total area of such sign shall not exceed eight square feet.
(c)
The business signs may be painted on the window and/or doors of each business bearing the name, street number and/or type of business or principal occupant, provided that there shall be no more than one such sign on each window or door.
(d)
One freestanding sign shall be permitted per lot.
(e)
No business sign shall be permitted on any lot or building unless it is a structure, or part of a structure, or is attached to or displayed upon a structure.
(f)
Business and advertising signs may be double-faced interior-lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights; provided, however, that no red or green lights shall be permitted within 75 feet of the point of intersection of the street lines at a street corner. No lights of the intermittent or flashing type shall be permitted.
(4)
Signs required by law to be exhibited by the occupant of the premises, provided that the same do not exceed six square feet in total area.
(5)
Special signs serving the public conveniences, such as "Notary Public," "Public Telephone," "Public Rest Room" and words of similar directions, provided that each such sign does not exceed 72 square inches in total area, and only one sign of each type is displayed.
K.
Freestanding signs.
[Amended 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 18-2020]
(1)
Projection. No part of any freestanding sign shall be placed within four feet of the property line.
(2)
Height and area. No freestanding sign shall exceed 75 square feet per side. No digital portion of any freestanding sign shall exceed 60 square feet per side. The top of any freestanding sign or any part of a freestanding sign shall not exceed the height of the commercial building or 20 feet maximum.
L.
Wall signs.
(1)
Placement. Wall signs for the front or face of a building shall be placed in the solid wall spaces between the heads of sills of windows. In no case shall such signs project above the top of any windowsill or cover any part of such opening. Wall signs shall be on the first story or street level of each building, with the exception of signs which identify the name of the building or which identify the occupant of a single-occupant building.
(2)
Projection. No wall sign shall project higher than the highest point of the facade of the building upon which it is to be erected, and it shall not project more than five inches from the building line.