12.1.1.

To promote the safety, comfort, and wellbeing of the users of streets, roads, and highways in the Town of Roxbury.

12.1.2.

To reduce distractions and obstructions from signs, which would adversely affect traffic safety, and to alleviate hazards caused by signs projecting over or encroaching upon public ways.

12.1.3.

To discourage excessive visual competition in signage and ensure that signs aid orientation and adequately identify uses and activities to the public.

12.1.4.

To preserve Roxbury's rural character.

No sign, unless otherwise provided below, shall be erected, enlarged or moved unless approved by the Zoning Enforcement Officer in compliance with all of the provisions of this section. The ZEO is hereby authorized to enforce this regulation and the ZEO is authorized to order the repair or removal of any sign and its supporting structure which is judged dangerous, or in disrepair, or which is erected or maintained contrary to this bylaw. Traffic and street signs erected by the Town are not within the scope of this section.

12.2.1.

The Zoning Enforcement Officer is authorized to remove and discard any signs that do not meet the provisions of Section 12.

Sign. Any display of lettering, logos, colors, lights, or illuminated neon tubes visible to the public from outside of a building or from a traveled way, which either conveys a message to the public, or intends to advertise, direct, invite, announce, or draw attention to, directly or indirectly, a use conducted, goods, products, services or facilities available, either on the lot or on any other premises, excluding window displays and merchandise.

12.3.1.

Signs will be defined as the integral whole of the sign area measured from the outside dimension of all solid form area.

12.4.1.

Only signs which refer to a permitted use or an approved conditional use as set forth in the Zoning Regulations are permitted, provided such signs conform to the provisions of this Section.

12.4.2.

No sign for which a permit is requested shall be erected, displayed, altered or enlarged until an application has been filed and until a permit for such action has been issued.

12.4.3.

Permits shall be issued only if the Zoning Commission determines the sign complies or will comply with all applicable provisions of these regulations and the state Building Code. Such application may be filed by the owner of the land or building, or any person who has the authority to erect a sign on the premises.

12.4.4.

Any sign not specified as permitted is not permitted.

12.4.5.

Uses for which a permit is required:

12.4.6.

Uses for which a permit is not required:

A sign designed to influence the action of voters for the passage or defeat of a measure, or the election of a candidate to a public office at a national, state, or other local election.

12.5.1.

Such signs are permitted if they are stationary, unlighted, and temporary.

12.5.2.

Such signs shall be removed within 48 hours after a voting day.

12.5.3.

Any sign not specified as permitted is not permitted.

12.6.1.

Agricultural Signs. One permanent free-standing sign identifying the name and address of a farm or related agricultural activity will be permitted as long as it complies with Section 12.2 and is at a minimum often (10) feet from the edge of paved Town road or the shoulder of an unpaved Town road.

12.6.2.

Land Trust/ Preservations. A non-profit preservation for public use may erect one free-standing sign to identify the name of the preserve and any rules and regulations for use as long as it complies with Section 12.2 and is a minimum of ten (10) feet from the edge of the road.

In addition to the sign regulations for activities described in subsection 12.2, the following shall apply for all business-related signs in Business Zone D:

12.7.1.

Uses for which a permit is required:

12.7.2.

In the business Zone D, no sign shall be within twenty (20) feet of the boundary of a residential district.

12.7.3.

All businesses in the same building or in separate buildings in an integrated shopping center shall have a uniform design and placement of signs.

12.8.1.

All signs shall be located behind lot line.

12.8.2.

A sign shall be maintained in a secure and safe condition. If the Zoning Enforcement Officer is of the opinion that a sign is not secure, safe, or in a good state of repair, written notice of this fact shall be given to the person responsible for maintenance of the sign. If the defect in the sign is not corrected within the time permitted by the ZEO, the ZEO may remove and take possession of the sign until the owner pays the cost of removal.

12.8.3.

All signs on the property shall be so located that they will not interfere with the vision of a driver entering or leaving the property or interfere with visibility at an intersection.

a.

No sign, except for a traffic, regulatory or informational sign, shall use the words "stop", "caution", or "danger", or shall resemble "stop" or "yield" signs in shape and color.

b.

All on premise signs identifying a contractor, architect, landscape architect and/or engineer's name, address, and other pertinent information must meet Zoning regulations for signs and must be removed when the party has completed work.

c.

All off-premise signs advertising property being sold, rented or leased are not permitted. Open house commercial directional signs are prohibited.

d.

Marquee, moveable, painted wall, and awning signs are not permitted.

12.8.4.

Freestanding signs, including posts shall not exceed a height often (10) feet in a residential zone or fifteen (15) feet overall in the business zone above the surface of the ground where located.

No person may erect a sign which:

a.

Is structurally unsafe;

b.

Constitutes a hazard to public safety and health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation or abandonment;

c.

Obstructs free entrance or exit from a required door, window, or fire escape;

d.

Obstructs light or air or interferes with proper functioning of the building; or

e.

Is capable of causing electrical shock;

f.

Has exposed electric wire.

12.8.5.

Signs shall not be mounted on roofs or extend above the roofline.

12.8.6.

No sign together with any supporting framework shall extend to a height above the maximum building height allowed in a district.

12.9.1.

With the exception of "no trespassing" and "no passing" signs, no person may erect a sign which is affixed to a fence, utility pole, or structure, or tree, shrub, rock or other natural object.

12.9.2.

Signs shall not cover architectural details such as, but not limited to arches, sills, molding, cornices, and transom windows.

12.9.3.

No sign shall be located within or shall hang over the right-of-way of any street, sidewalk, driveway, walkway or accessway.

12.9.4.

No sign shall be located on the roof of any building or on any exterior wall so as to project above the top of said exterior wall at the location of the sign.

12.9.5.

Signs shall be designed in harmony with the building and established development.

a.

Three-dimensional signs shall not exceed three (3) feet in any dimension.

b.

No more than three (3) different colors, including black and white, shall be used in a sign and no more than two (2) different colors shall be used in any lettering.

12.10.1.

A sign may be illuminated if illumination is confined to, or directed to, the surface of the sign.

12.10.2.

Signs shall be illuminated only with steady, stationary shielded light sources directed solely onto the sign without causing glare.

12.10.3.

No neon flashing, rotating or intermittent illumination shall be permitted. The sign shall be so designed and shielded that the light sources cannot be seen from adjacent residential zone or from the street.

12.10.4.

Gas-filled light tubes shall be allowed for indirect illumination and when placed in such a manner that the tubes are not exposed to view from any point along the public roadway.

12.10.5.

Interior illumination of a sign shall not be permitted unless such illumination is confined to letters and does not result in a distracting glare.

12.10.6.

Signs shall not be illuminated directly or indirectly between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless the premises are open during such hours.

12.10.7.

Illuminated signs shall not be permitted to shine onto residential properties and travelled ways.

12.10.8.

No internally illuminated sign is permitted.

12.10.9.

Strings of bulbs are not permitted, except as part of a holiday celebration.

12.10.10.

No person may erect a sign that constitutes a hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic because of intensity or direction of illumination.

12.11.1.

Billboards, streamers, pennants, ribbons, spinners or other similar devices shall not be constructed, posted or erected in any zone. Exceptions include flags and buntings exhibited to commemorate national patriotic holidays and temporary banners announcing charitable or civic events.

12.11.2.

Internally illuminated signs, flashing signs, roof signs, signs containing moving parts, and signs containing reflective elements which sparkle or twinkle in the sunlight are not permitted.

12.11.3.

Any sign advertising or identifying a business or organization which is either defunct or no longer located on the premises is not permitted.

12.11.4.

An on-premise sign advertising the property being sold, rented, or leased shall advertise only the property on which the sign is located. A maximum of one sign may be maintained on any property being sold, rented, or leased and it shall be removed by the owner or agent within seven (7) days of sale, rent, or lease.

12.11.5.

Any sign which has been ordered removed by the Zoning Enforcement Officer, or is abandoned or discontinued, shall be removed by the person, firm, or corporation responsible for the sign within seven (7) days of written notice to remove.

12.11.6.

All moveable signs are in violation of Ordinance and will be removed immediately and discarded.

Directional signs for special functions such as parades shall be permitted as long as no advertising is displayed. Such signs are not subject to the permitting process but must be removed immediately following the event.