Princess Anne City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Sign Regulations
§ 163-105 Purpose.
The purpose of this article is to establish standards for signage within the Town of Princess Anne that will balance the rights of property owners or commercial tenants to communicate their message with the public's right to be free of unreasonable distractions. The reasonable display of signs is necessary to the conduct of commerce and industry and necessary to further the cause of public safety and promote the overall quality of life, health and welfare of the citizens of the Town of Princess Anne, enhance the architectural and historical character of the Town and reflect the moral and social integrity of the community.
§ 163-106 Definitions.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
General definitions.
Any structure, display or device that is arranged, intended, designed or used as an advertisement, announcement, identification, description, instruction or direction to attract the attention of persons not on the premises on which the sign is located, including interior signs legible from the exterior of a building constituting an element of the exterior appearance of a building.
The area of a sign shall be computed as including the area within a regular geometric form or forms comprising all of the display area of the sign face. The structural elements of the sign shall not be included unless they are an integral part of the message.
The surface of a sign upon, against or through which the message is displayed or illustrated on the sign.
Setback for signs measured from the prevailing edge of any part of a sign, structural or otherwise.
For the purpose of determining total sign area permitted on a lot, "street frontage" shall mean the length of a building measured at grade that faces on a public thoroughfare. In the case of a building that has more than one frontage, each frontage shall be addressed independently.
Location definitions.
Properties fronting on both sides of Main Street (Somerset Avenue) from Broad Street to Antioch Avenue.
A detached sign, which shall include any sign supported by uprights, pylons or braces, placed upon or in the ground, supported by the ground and not attached to any building.
A sign affixed to, hung from or in a marquee or soffit, which may or may not have movable letters. A sign on or attached to any awning or canopy shall be considered a marquee sign.
Any sign attached to and supported by a building and extending more than 15 inches beyond the prevailing edge of any component of a building, structural or nonstructural.
Any sign erected and constructed wholly on or over the roof of a building, supported by the roof structure, and extending vertically above the highest portion of the roof. Any sign erected or constructed as an integral part of a roof structure of any design, whether projecting above the highest portion of the roof or not. Any sign which is erected, constructed or maintained above the lowest prevailing edge of any roof.
Any sign attached parallel to, painted upon, erected against or incorporated in the outside wall of any building supported by such wall and displaying only one sign surface.
Type definitions.
A sign of permanent character with movable letters, words, numbers or figures, indicating persons, events, services or products associated with, conducted on or offered on the premises on which the sign is maintained.
A sign attracting attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered on the same premises where the sign is located.
A sign not used for advertising but giving directions only for accommodations, services, traffic routing, industries, schools, churches, parks, historic buildings or features.
Any sign, display or device that changes its message or copy by programmable electronic or digital processes and displays text by illumination elements in the sign face.
Any sign on which artificial or reflected light is not maintained stationary and constant in intensity and color. Any sign which revolves or moves.
A sign identifying a permanent development or subdivision, limited to two faces.
Any sign designed to give forth artificial light from within the sign, including signs with exposed bulbs or fluorescent or neon tubes.
A sign that is illuminated from an external source, which source is so arranged that no direct rays of light are projected into an adjoining property or a public way and the source of the indirect lighting is not visible.
A sign conveying instructions with respect to the premises on which the sign is located, such as "entrance," "exit," "no trespassing," "danger" and similar signs.
Any structure which contains a sign, poster, panel, billboard, painted bulletin or any other surface, device or display which advertises a business, profession, commodity, service, entertainment or event conducted, sold or offered elsewhere than the premises where the advertising structure is located.
A sign which is designed to influence voters to promote candidates for office.
A sign that is suspended from the underside of a horizontal plane and is supported by that plane.
Any sign erected for a specific period of time and/or not permanently attached to the ground or a building.
Any sign, pictures, symbols, graphics or combination thereof placed, painted or etched inside a window or upon the window panes or glass and which is legible from the exterior of the building.
§ 163-107 General provisions.
No sign may be erected, constructed, posted, altered or relocated unless a permit has been issued by the Town. Signs permitted by § 163-109 do not require a permit. Before any permit is issued, an application provided by the Town shall be filed with drawings and specifications as necessary to fully describe the location, construction, materials, color, type of illumination, number of signs applied for and the wording or advertisement to be carried on the sign. All permitted signs shall be erected within 90 days of the date of issuance of the permit or the permit shall become void. Fees for sign permits shall be in accordance with the fee schedule described in Chapter 52, Building Construction, § 52-9, of the Town Code.
Illuminated signs in the central business district shall not exceed a maximum height of 18 inches and a maximum width of 18 inches when utilizing neon.
Existing nonconforming signs in all districts advertising businesses, services or events that are no longer operating or being conducted or offered shall be removed within 60 days of the discontinuation of such activity.
A nonconforming sign may not be changed, moved or replaced except for maintenance or repair or to bring such into compliance with this article. Movable letters or characters on signs so designed to accommodate periodic changes of messages are not subject to this requirement. For maintenance, repair or periodic message changes, no permit shall be required.
Any sign used and located entirely within a building and not visible from the exterior of the building and not intended to be a component of the exterior appearance of the building is exempt from the standards of this article.
Where setbacks are specified as measured from the curbline and no curb is present, then the setback shall be measured from the property line.
Where separate letters or characters comprising part of a message are placed on a wall, the spaces between the characters shall be included in the area computation.
Only one face of a sign shall be used to calculate area, provided that the faces are placed back-to-back, parallel, supported internally and are of the same dimensions.
Any appeal of the requirements of this article or of a decision of the Code Enforcement Officer shall be made in accordance with Article XII of this chapter.
Appearance.
Every sign shall have good scale and proportion in its design and in its visual relationship to buildings and surroundings. Scale is the size of sign in relation to the other structures on the site and is assumed to be less than or equal to the maximum sign area allowed in the district depending on the particular context. Proportion refers to the size of parts of the sign in relationship to other parts of the sign.
Every sign shall be designed as an integral architectural element of the building and site to which it principally relates.
The colors, materials, and lighting of every sign shall be restrained and harmonious with the building and site to which it principally relates.
The number of graphic elements on a sign shall be held to the minimum needed to convey the sign's major message and shall be composed in proportion to the sign face.
Each sign shall be compatible with the signs on adjoining premises and shall not compete for attention.
All signs must be professionally constructed and maintained in good repair.
Identification signs of a prototype design and corporation logos shall conform to the criteria for all other signs.
§ 163-108 Signs prohibited in all districts.
The following signs are prohibited in all districts:
Any sign which obstructs motorists' vision of intersections, traffic control signals, traffic signs or traffic movement.
Signs attached to trees or utility poles.
Signs attached to any vehicle parked temporarily or permanently for the sole purpose of advertising.
Outdoor advertising structure signs.
§ 163-109 Signs permitted in all districts.
The following signs are permitted in all districts:
Signs erected by, on behalf of or pursuant to the authorization of a governmental body, including legal notices, identification and informational signs and traffic, directional or regulatory or instructional signs. No permit shall be required.
Political signs on existing outdoor advertising structures and on private property. No permit shall be required.
Temporary signs, including banners, announcing or celebrating social or cultural events or holidays, with permission from the Town Manager and Code Enforcement Officer. The temporary sign must be removed within five days after the event.
One temporary sign per business announcing business events, such as special sales or offerings of goods or services on the premises where the sign is located. The temporary sign must be removed within five days after the event. No permit shall be required.
No trespassing or no hunting signs, without limitation on number or placement, limited in area to two square feet. No permit shall be required.
One nameplate, limited in area to two square feet, to identify the owner or occupant of a dwelling or building.
§ 163-110 Signs permitted in specific districts.
Signs permitted in the R-1 Zoning District shall be as follows:
One bulletin board not exceeding 24 square feet in area for churches, schools or other public institutions. It may be indirectly illuminated or illuminated, a maximum of five feet above grade and set back 15 feet from the curbline.
Two temporary real estate signs, not more than eight square feet in area each, advertising for sale or rent the premises on which the signs are located.
One nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated sign identifying a home occupation, as specified in the definition of "home occupation."
One identification sign for a development or subdivision at each entrance to the development, a maximum of five feet above grade, not exceeding 20 square feet in area per face, limited to two faces and set back 15 feet from the curb. It may be nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated.
One nameplate, limited in area to two square feet, to identify the owner or occupant of a dwelling or building.
Signs permitted in the R-2 Zoning District shall be as follows:
All signs listed for the R-1 District.
Signs permitted in the central business district shall be as follows:
Any sign permitted in the R-1 District, which shall be included in the total area measure for business signs.
Business signs with a total maximum area of one square foot for every two linear feet of street frontage. Permitted locations are ground, wall and marquee, as follows:
One ground sign, nonilluminated, illuminated or indirectly illuminated, not exceeding 20 feet in height, 20 square feet in total sign surface area and set back 10 feet from the curbline.
One wall sign per building entrance, nonilluminated, illuminated or indirectly illuminated, not exceeding 15 square feet in area per building face for each business on the premises.
One marquee sign per building face, nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated, not to exceed six square feet in surface area, not projecting beyond the prevailing edge of any part of the building, awning or canopy.
Signs permitted in the C-1 District shall be as follows:
All signs permitted in the R-1 District, which shall be included in the total area measure for business signs.
Business signs permitted in the Central Business District, with the exception that total area shall not exceed one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage.
Electronic or digital signs are permitted for public service announcements by public or quasi-public entities, subject to the following limitations, standards and requirements:
The sign shall be set back at least 14 feet from the curbline of a street.
The top of the sign face shall be located at a maximum height of 10 feet six inches.
The sign face shall have a height no greater than four feet and a width of no greater than eight feet.
The sign shall be programmed so that a message or image on the sign changes no more than once every 10 seconds.
The sign image shall not show movement, blinking, animation, scrolling, flashing, or similar effects.
Changes of image shall occur within one second and shall not use blinking, fading, rolling, shading or similar effects as part of the change.
Animation and sound shall be prohibited.
The signs shall use automatic light level controls at night and under cloudy and other darkened conditions, in accordance with the following:
All electronic or digital displays shall have installed ambient light monitors and shall at all times allow such monitors to automatically adjust the brightness level of the sign based on ambient light conditions.
Maximum brightness levels for electronic or digital signs shall not exceed 5,000 nits when measured from the sign face at its maximum brightness during daylight hours.
Maximum brightness levels for electronic or digital signs shall not exceed 500 nits when measured from the sign face at its maximum brightness between sunset and sunrise.
Electronic or digital signs shall contain a default design which will freeze the message in one position with no more than a maximum illumination of 500 nits if a malfunction occurs.
Electronic or digital signs shall be separated by a minimum of 1,000 feet.
Signs permitted in the C-2 District shall be as follows:
All signs listed for the R-1 District.
Business signs permitted in the Central Business District, with the exception that the total area shall not exceed two square feet for each linear foot of street frontage.
Electronic or digital signs are permitted, subject to the following limitations, standards and requirements:
The sign shall be set back at least 10 feet from the curbline of a street.
A sign frame may extend to a maximum height of 20 feet.
The sign face shall have a height no greater than four feet and a width of no greater than eight feet.
The sign shall be programmed so that a message or image on the sign changes no more than once every 10 seconds.
The sign image shall not show movement, blinking, animation, scrolling, flashing, or similar effects.
Changes of image shall occur within one second and shall not use blinking, fading, rolling, shading or similar effects as part of the change.
Animation and sound shall be prohibited.
The signs shall use automatic light level controls at night and under cloudy and other darkened conditions, in accordance with the following:
All electronic or digital displays shall have installed ambient light monitors and shall at all times allow such monitors to automatically adjust the brightness level of the sign based on ambient light conditions.
Maximum brightness levels for electronic or digital signs shall not exceed 5,000 nits when measured from the sign face at its maximum brightness during daylight hours.
Maximum brightness levels for electronic or digital signs shall not exceed 500 nits when measured from the sign face at its maximum brightness between sunset and sunrise.
Electronic or digital signs shall contain a default design which will freeze the message in one position with no more than a maximum illumination of 500 nits if a malfunction occurs.
Electronic or digital signs shall be separated by 250 feet from the nearest residential use property line.
Master signage plan.
The Planning and Zoning Commission may modify the standards for signs in the C-2 General Commercial District for a shopping center or other commercial, business, or institutional development that involves more than one use on a single property in accordance with a master signage plan upon a finding that the proposed sign plan represents a reasonable display of signs the context of surrounding properties and existing signs.
Information required. A master signage plan shall contain the following information:
An accurate plot plan of the proposed development site, at such scale as the Code Enforcement Officer may reasonably require;
Location of buildings, parking lots, driveways, and landscaped areas;
Computation of the proposed maximum total sign area, the maximum area for individual signs, the height of signs and the number of freestanding signs;
Sign plans and photo simulation of the signs in the proposed location; and
An accurate indication on the plot plan of the proposed location of each present and future sign of any type, whether requiring a permit or not, except that incidental signs need not be shown.
No sign permit shall be issued for a sign included in a master signage plan that does not conform to the standards of the master signage plan. A master signage plan may be amended at any time.
§ 163-111 Signs standards in the I-P District.
No sign shall be permitted in the I-P District which does not conform to the requirements of this section.
No sign shall be permitted in the I-P District which does not conform to the requirements of this section. The area of a sign shall include the entire face of the sign and all work incidental to its decoration. The area shall include the space between letters, figures and designs, except where they are mounted directly on the architectural face of the building with no other decorative wall work. The actual faces of these letters, figures and designs on the wall shall constitute the sign, and the spaces between them shall not be considered part of the sign. To calculate the area of the faces of these letters, figures and designs, the square footage of the sign, as would be normally computed.
The light from any illuminated sign shall be shaded, shielded or directed so that the light intensity does not adversely affect neighboring areas.
Identification signs must identify the primary company name only and shall not be used as an advertising vehicle.
No logos or other signs may be mounted so as to project above the roofline of any facility.
Ground-mounted signs must be set back at least 20 feet from side and rear property lines, set back at least 10 feet from the curbline and may not exceed a height of 12 feet.
[Amended 1-22-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-03]
The following signs are prohibited:
Freestanding signs unless approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Pennants, pinwheels and similar circus- or carnival-type attractors which are visible from the street or from residential property.
Signs which obstruct any opening intended to provide ingress or egress from any building or structure.
Signs which obstruct the view of traffic control devices.
Outdoor advertising signs and billboards.
Design standards. Design of any sign shall be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. It shall generally conform to the following regulations:
In the I-P District, if all of the permissible sign area is to be used on a building, the area of all of the signs on a building shall be not more than one square foot for each two linear feet of width along the front of a building (measured along the wall facing the front of the lot or the wall containing the principal entrance to the building, whichever is greater) to a maximum of 100 square feet. If the building is on a corner lot, a portion of the allowed sign area may be displayed on the side street; however, it shall be limited to 50 square feet if the front lot line of any residentially zoned lot or lot land proposed to be used for residential purposes is located on either side of the street between the subject property and the next intersecting street.
If all of the permissible sign area is to be used on a canopy which is located at least 40 feet behind the street line, the provisions of Subsection G(1) above shall apply, measured along the front wall of the building or the front edge of the canopy (whichever has the greater width).
If the permissible sign area is to be divided between a building and a canopy, the provisions of Subsection G(1) and (2) above (as applicable to the particular building and canopy on the subject property) shall be used to determine the permissible sign area on each structure on a prorated basis. (For example, if the permissible sign area on a building is 100 square feet and the permissible sign area on a canopy is 50 square feet and the applicant chooses to allocate 50% of the permissible sign area to each structure, the permissible sign area on the building would be 50 square feet and the permissible sign area on the canopy would be 25 square feet. As the percentage of total permissible sign area allocated to each structure varies, the permissible sign area on each structure varies accordingly.)