search icon

Revere City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 17

36 SIGN CONTROL

§ 17.36.010 Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to improve pedestrian and traffic safety; to avoid the proliferation of signs; to minimize their adverse effect on nearby public and private property; to preserve the esthetic environment; to encourage the effective use of signs; and to enable the fair and consistent enforcement of this chapter.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(A); C.O. 18-075, § 7, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.020 Permit required.

No sign, except a "for sale" or "for lease" sign, shall be erected, altered or enlarged until an application on the appropriate form, furnished by the building inspector, containing such information as the building inspector may require and a sign permit for such erection, alteration or enlargement has been issued by the building inspector. Such permit shall be issued only if the building inspector determines that the sign complies or will comply with all applicable provisions of both this title and the State Building Code, Article 14.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(B))

§ 17.36.030 Digital sign.

No sign in the RA, RA1, RB, RB1, RC, RC1, RC2, RC3, PDD1, PDD2, NB, GB, GB1, DB, LI, and IP districts shall be a digital sign as defined in this title. Digital signage may be allowed by special permit only in the HB and TED districts subject to a traffic impact analysis to be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Any approved digital sign in the HB or TED Districts must be at least one hundred feet from any public way, and at least three hundred feet from any residence, school, public park, playground or other public grounds,
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(C); C.O. 18-075, § 8, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.035 Digital sign, illuminated.

No digital sign shall be illuminated between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and sunrise.
(C.O. 18-075, § 9, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.040 (Reserved) [1]

[1]
Editor's note: Former § 17.36.040, which pertained to standing signs and derived from C.O. 83-508A § 1, was repealed 5/7/2018 by C.O. 18-075/CZ-18-04.

§ 17.36.041 Standing accessory signs.

A. 
Standing signs that are strictly accessory in nature are allowed in the general business, central business, highway business and general and limited industrial districts and IP, PDD1 and PDD2 districts.
B. 
Standing signs that are strictly accessory in nature are allowed by special permit (see Section 17.16.251) in residential RC, RC1, RC2 and NB districts.
C. 
Standing signs that are accessory in nature are prohibited in residential RA, RA1, RB, RB1 and RC3 districts.
(C.O. 83-508A § 2 (part); C.O. 85-4A § 36 (part); C.O. 97-105 § 47)

§ 17.36.042 Requirement for standing accessory sign.

A. 
Standing signs that are allowed as of right or special permit shall be affixed to the ground, and in no instance shall they be allowed on or on top of a building. Further, standing signs that are allowed by right or special permit may only be located on the lot or lots where the business use advertised by the standing accessory sign is located; and in all instances, the standing accessory sign shall be placed at the furthest point away from any directly abutting residential lots, consistent with all other regulations required by this title. Residential lots across the street from the area in question shall not be construed as an abutting residential lot.
B. 
Standing accessory signs shall conform to the following dimensional criteria. (See Section 17.16.251 for the dimensional controls relating to standing accessory signs allowed by special permit in the residential RC, RC1, RC2 and NB districts):
1. 
All portions of a standing accessory sign shall be at least five feet from any public walkway, and where none exists, at least ten feet from any public roadway.
2. 
The topmost height of any accessory sign in the general business and central business districts shall not exceed twenty feet, and shall have a clearance from ground level of at least nine feet.
3. 
The area of the standing accessory sign, whether permitted as of right or special permit shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the area of a building wall where an attached accessory sign would be or is placed.
4. 
In cases where this is unclear, the twenty-five-percent area shall be determined by the facade that bears the legal address of the building in question.
5. 
Standing accessory signs are allowed in addition to attached accessory signs providing that they can meet all the criteria set forth in this title.
(C.O. 83-508A § 2 (part); C.O. 97-105 § 48; C.O. 23-246, § 3, 11/13/2023)

§ 17.36.043 Requirements for standing accessory multiuse signs.

A. 
Standing accessory multiuse signs, that are allowed by special permit in the HB, TED, LI and IP districts, shall be affixed to the ground, and in no instance shall they be allowed on or on top of a building. Further, standing accessory multiuse signs allowed by special permit may only be located on the lot or lots where the business advertised by the accessory sign is located and in all instances, the standing accessory multiuse sign shall be placed at the furthest point away from any directly abutting RA, RA1, RB or RB1 zoned lots, consistent with all other regulations required by this title. RA, RA1, RB and RB1 lots across the street from the area in question shall not be constructed as an abutting lot.
(C.O. 91-253 § 2; C.O. 97-105 § 49)

§ 17.36.050 Accessory signs in residential districts.

In an area zoned as a residence district, no accessory sign shall be erected or maintained except as follows:
A. 
One sign displaying the street number and/or name of the occupant of the premises not exceeding one square foot in area. Such a sign may include identification of an accessory professional office or other accessory use permitted in a residence district;
B. 
Two "for sale" or "for rent (or lease)" signs not exceeding a total of two square feet in area and advertising only the premises on which it is located;
C. 
One contractor's sign, not exceeding twelve square feet in area, maintained on the premises while construction is in process and containing information relevant to the project. Such sign shall be removed promptly after the issuance of an occupancy permit;
D. 
One identification sign, not exceeding twelve square feet in area, at any public entrance to a subdivision or multifamily development;
E. 
One bulletin or announcement board, identification sign or entrance marker for each public entrance to the premises upon which a church, synagogue or institution is located, not exceeding twelve square feet in area, and there shall be not more than three such signs for each church, synagogue or institution.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(E))

§ 17.36.060 Accessory signs in business and industrial districts.

Accessory signs in all business and industrial districts shall comply with the following requirements:
A. 
Attached signs:
1. 
The sign shall be firmly affixed to a building.
2. 
The sign shall not project above the top of the wall to which it is attached or be located on the roof of any building.
3. 
The sign shall not project more than twelve inches, in the case of a sign parallel with the wall, or five feet in the case of a sign projecting perpendicular from the wall, from the face of the wall to which is attached.
4. 
Perpendicular signs shall have a clearance from ground level of at least nine feet.
B. 
Size: The area of the sign or signs shall not exceed fifteen percent of the area of the wall on which the sign is located.
C. 
Number: There shall be not more than two exterior signs for each business establishment except that if there is more than one public entrance to any such business establishment, there may be one additional secondary sign for each such entrance; provided, that the aggregate area of all such secondary signs shall not exceed six square feet.
D. 
Building directories: In addition to the sign or signs provided for elsewhere in this section, one directory of the business establishments occupying a building may be affixed to the exterior wall of the building at each public entrance to the building. Such directory shall not exceed an area determined on the basis of one square foot for each establishment occupying the building.
E. 
Maintenance. All signage located on commercial storefronts and visible from any public way shall be maintained in a clean, legible, and presentable condition. Store owners and/or property owners shall be responsible for ensuring that signage:
1. 
Is clean, free from dirt, debris, graffiti, and discoloration;
2. 
Is fully lettered and legible, with no missing, broken, or faded characters;
3. 
Is presentable, meaning free of visible damage, peeling, warping, or deterioration.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(F); C.O. 23-246, § 4, 11/13/2023; C.O. 25-266, 12/1/2025)

§ 17.36.070 Window signs.

Signs painted or placed on the inside of the glass of a window shall be permitted, provided that the aggregate area of such signs does not exceed thirty-five percent of the area of the window glass.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(G))

§ 17.36.080 Temporary signs.

Temporary signs which comply with this title shall be permitted. Before a temporary sign, other than a temporary sign placed in a window, shall be erected or displayed, there shall be deposited with the building inspector the sum listed in Table I of this revision for each sign. In the event of failure to remove the sign within the period prescribed, the building inspector shall apply the deposit towards the cost of removing the sign. Temporary signs which do not comply with this title may be authorized by the building inspector for public or charitable purposes.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(H)(part); C.O. 83-52 § 75 (part))

§ 17.36.090 Government signs; exceptions.

This title shall not apply to any official traffic control devices required, maintained, or installed by a federal or state agency, or the city of Revere, or to any federal, state, or city government signs, or signs permitted by the city on city property, street signs indicating the names or location of any street, road, way, or avenue, any building markers indicating the name of a building and date and incidental information about its construction, which marker may be cut into a masonry surface or made of other permanent material, fuel pump information signs, and any flags, holiday lights and decorations.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(I); C.O. 18-075, § 11, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.100 Existing nonconforming signs and billboards.

Subject to Section 17.40.050, signs or billboards legally erected before the adoption of any provision of this title that do not conform to the provisions of this title may continue to be maintained, so long as they conform with this chapter.
(C.O. 83-3 § 17-8(J); C.O. 18-075, § 12, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.110 Posting without consent.

Notwithstanding Section 9.12.030 of the Revere Revised Ordinances, no person, business, agency, or entity shall post or affix in any manner, paint or write or cause to be painted, printed, or written, a notice, sign, advertisement or bill upon a post, pole fence, wall, building, tree, ledges or rocks without the consent of the person, business, agency or entity having ownership, possession, or control of such post, fence, pole, wall, building, tree, ledges or rocks.
(C.O. 18-075, § 13, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.120 Converting static billboard or sign to digital billboard or sign.

A. 
No static billboard in the RA, RA1, RB, RB1, RC, RC1, RC2, RC3, PDD1, PDD2, NB, GB, GB1, NB, GB, GB1, CB, HB, LI and IP Districts shall be converted to a digital billboard, Converting a static billboard to a digital billboard may be allowed by special permit only in the TED District subject to a traffic impact analysis to be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
B. 
No sign, accessory sign, or sign of any type may be converted or changed to a digital sign, unless otherwise permitted in this title (see 17.36.030).
(C.O. 18-075, § 14, 5/7/2018)

§ 17.36.130 Billboard safety and maintenance standards.

A. 
To provide for the structural integrity and maintenance of billboards, and to ensure that all billboards are kept in a clean, safe, secure, and sanitary manner, and that no billboard becomes deteriorated, dilapidated, or a blight on the city, or in any way adversely affects public health or safety, the owner of a billboard shall ensure that it is maintained in compliance with the provisions of Title 8 of the Revere Revised Ordinances, which includes the State Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410), State Fire Code (527 CMR 100), and State Building Code (780 CMR 100), said Building Code which incorporates therein the International Property Maintenance Code, any violations of which will be subject to the penalties set forth in Chapters 1.12 and 1.16, and/or suspension or revocation of any city-issue permit or license.
B. 
Owners of billboards shall conduct periodic inspections of billboards at least once every year to ensure compliance with this chapter. Inspections shall be conducted by a qualified, independent engineer license to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The results of such inspections shall be provided to the city of Revere building inspector.
(C.O. 18-075, § 15, 5/7/2018)