Prevent hazards to vehicular and pedestrian traffic;

Prevent conditions which have a blighting influence and contribute to declining property values;

Provide for easy recognition and legibility of all permitted signs and other uses in the immediate vicinity;

Preserve the amenities and visual quality of the City and curb the deterioration of the community environment; and

Conserve energy.

Any traffic or directional sign owned and installed by a governmental agency.

Unlit non-business signs or banners on private property, such as community event, political, yard or garage sale, real estate, or construction signs, provided that each sign shall not exceed six square feet and each banner shall not exceed 18 square feet in area, and the cumulative area of signs and banners per lot shall not exceed 18 square feet in area. They shall not be placed in such locations as to constitute a traffic or pedestrian safety hazard.

Traffic or directional signs which are necessary for the safety and direction of residents, employees, customers, and visitors, whether in a vehicle or on foot, of any business, industry, or residence. Such signs shall not carry the logo or name of any business or product and shall not be internally illuminated. Such signs shall not exceed two square feet in area.

One identification sign for each occupant provided that such sign shall not exceed one square foot in surface area. If lighted, it shall be illuminated with a white, steady, stationary light of reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely at the sign, not casting light off the premises and not used other than for identifying the occupancy.

Interior illuminated window signs, provided that:

Interior window signs, temporary or permanent and not illuminated, may be attached to the inside glass surface of a window (a single structurally supported sheet of glass or a sash) or door, or placed within an establishment within five feet from any window or door and situated or designed so that the sign's graphic content is visible from the outside through a window or door, provided that any such sign shall:

Moving, changing or flashing signs and signs illuminated by or including any flashing, projecting or oscillating light; billboards and off-premises signs; electronic billboards and reader boards; and strings of pennants or so-called "whirlygigs" and the like. Flashing or animated signs of any color or light source, including but not limited to incandescent, neon, fluorescent, light emitting diode (LED) and plasma, shall not be permitted.

Neon signs except as displayed on the inside of windows subject to the provisions outlined in general sign regulations (§ 235-10.4).

Any sign erected so as to obstruct any door, window, or fire escape on a building.

Signs constructed, erected, or maintained above the height of any roof or upon any roof of any building.

Exterior window signs.

Interior window signs, both permanent and temporary, which cover more than 30% of a window.

Signs in the public way which are not permanently affixed to a building, structure, or the ground, including "sandwich board" or A-frame signs unless permitted by the Superintendent of Public Works in accordance with § 202-1 of the Code of the City of Melrose, Massachusetts.

Business signs mounted, affixed, or painted on a motor vehicle whose primary function is a sign and not for the transport of employees, goods or merchandise.

One wall sign for each lot street frontage of each business or industrial establishment, provided that it shall be attached and parallel to the main wall of a building and shall face such lot street frontage; it shall not project horizontally more than 15 inches therefrom; the surface area of the sign shall not comprise more than 10% of the area of the wall on which it is displayed or 50 square feet, whichever is the lesser; and, if illuminated, it shall be illuminated externally by steady, stationary, white light, of reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely at the sign, not casting direct or reflected light off the premises and not used other than for identifying the establishment.

The division of the permissible wall sign area into two or more wall signs may be allowed by special permit if, in the opinion of the Zoning Board of Appeals, such division significantly enhances the appearance of the resulting signage in concert with the architecture of the specific building.

When a business establishment has a customer entrance from a parking lot, the customer entrance may also be identified by a wall sign installed at the parking lot entrance subject to the dimensional provisions in Subsection B(1).

Building directory signs. In the case of multi-story buildings with multiple occupants, each upper floor occupant is allowed one sign not to exceed 1.5 square feet in size affixed to a directory at the entrance to the upper floors.

Wall sign restrictions.

In addition to the allowed wall sign, one awning sign is permitted for each ground floor use, provided that the awning is one color and the letters are a separate color, shade or tint and the letters are painted on or are integral to the awning fabric, are in a maximum of one line, are no larger than six inches in height, and are located on the valance or vertical face of the awning.

In instances where there is no wall sign associated with a ground floor business establishment, the permitted awning sign may include a maximum of two lines of letters, the letters may be no larger than 16 inches in height, and the area of the sign (the letters and/or logo) may not exceed the area allowed for a wall sign in this district.

No internally illuminated awning signs are allowed.

One standing sign is permitted for each lot occupied by one or more business or industrial establishments, provided that it shall not exceed 40 square feet in surface area on any one side, it shall have a maximum of two faces, no portion of it shall be set back less than 10 feet from the front lot line, it shall not rise to more than six feet from the ground or sidewalk, and it shall be externally illuminated.

Where a multifamily dwelling development is located in a nonresidential district, one identification sign shall be allowed, provided that the sign shall not exceed 10 square feet in surface area, shall not rise to more than six feet from the ground or sidewalk, and no portion of it shall be set back less than 10 feet from the front lot line. If lighted, it shall be illuminated with a white, steady, stationary light, of reasonable intensity, shielded and directed solely at the sign, not casting light off the premises.