All signs erected in the Town of Vernon shall comply with the requirements set forth below in addition to all other applicable regulations.

16.1.1

Flashing, rotating, and animated signs are not permitted in any zone under any circumstances, with the exception of EV Charging/Display Kiosks permitted subject to the provisions of Section 16.3.6. Electronic Message Boards (EMBs) may be permitted when granted a Special Permit by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) subject to the provisions of Section 17.3 and the requirements and criteria of section 16.3. EMBs that display only static messages of time and/or temperature or gasoline pricing shall not require a special permit. For purposes of this section "static messages" or "static displays" shall mean electronic messages that change infrequently (generally fewer than two or three times within 24 hours).

16.1.2

The painting of signs on the exterior of any building is not permitted in any zone under any circumstances.

16.1.3

The light source in any lighted sign shall be shielded in such a manner as to prevent undue glare. Colored lights shall not be used where they create any conflict with highway-control traffic signals.

16.1.4

All signs must be erected in accordance with a building permit granted by the Building Inspector and shall be constructed of sound materials, firmly supported and maintained in good condition and repair. All such signs shall be removed (and all appurtenances thereto shall be removed) within thirty (30) days by their owners upon the completion or cessation of activities or business.

16.1.5

No part of any sign shall be erected within ten (10) feet from any property lines of the premises to which they pertain except as permitted under Section 16.1.10.

16.1.5.1

No sign shall be placed in the traffic visibility as outlined in Section 3.7.

16.1.6.

Any sign hereafter erected shall conform to the height limitations of the section for the district in which it is located.

16.1.7

Streamers, fluttering banners or similar displays shall be allowed for a period of five (5) days only. Such display shall not be allowed more than once every one hundred eighty (180) days.

16.1.8

Signs shall not extend more than four (4) feet from the face of any building over any sidewalk but in any case shall not project within two (2) feet of the curb line.

16.1.9

The area restrictions below shall be interpreted as maximum areas per sign face and are not meant to prohibit the use of more than one face.

16.1.10

Portable, temporary signs are prohibited in all zones at all times except that signs shall be permitted in the public pedestrian right-of-way in the Historic District - Downtown Business & Residential zone subject to the following requirements:

16.1.10.1

Only one portable sign shall be permitted for an individual business or establishment and the sign content must be limited to the business, service, or goods of the establishment immediately adjacent to the sign, or to an establishment located on the upper floors of the building immediately adjacent to the sign.

16.1.10.2

Each property shall be entitled to no more than one portable sign for every 20 feet of property frontage on a public street, regardless of the number of businesses in a given property. Properties on corner lots shall only be entitled to count the frontage on Main Street.

16.1.10.3

The sign shall not exceed eight (8) square feet in total area based on the dimensions of a single side and shall not be more than 2.5 feet wide nor more than 4 feet high.

16.1.10.4

Signs shall be located either adjacent to the building frontage or a minimum of 18 inches from the curb and shall provide at least four (4) feet of unobstructed sidewalk area for pedestrians. Signs shall not obstruct any required means of egress from adjacent buildings or driveways providing access to parking or loading areas at the rear of adjacent buildings.

16.1.10.5

Signs may be displayed only when the establishment is open for business and must be removed from the right-of-way when the business is closed.

16.1.10.6

Signs must be constructed of durable, weatherproof materials, including wood, metal, or composite wood or synthetic materials. Glass, PVC pipe frames or similar materials are not permitted. Signs shall not be illuminated. All signs must be maintained in good repair including the sign frame structure, materials, and lettering and graphics. The message content on the sign may be contained on paper or laminated paper. Signs shall bear on each face a Rockville Downtown Association (RDA) decal provided by the RDA.

16.1.10.7

Anyone wishing to display a portable sign must file an application with the Vernon Zoning Enforcement Officer for a portable sign permit. A $25 fee must accompany the completed application. The permit shall be valid from July 1 through June 30 of each year and may be renewed upon payment of a new permit fee. The permit fee shall not be prorated for less than a full year.

16.1.10.8

Portable sign permits may be issued by the Zoning Enforcement Officer upon a showing of compliance with the provisions of these regulations. The Zoning Enforcement Officer may deny or revoke a permit if the applicant has a history of violations of any of the requirements of this section.

16.1.10.9

The applicant must provide a certificate of liability insurance to the Zoning Enforcement Officer in an amount determined by the director of finance. A portable sign permit shall not be issued until the insurance certificate is provided.

16.1.10.10

The Zoning Enforcement Officer shall be empowered to notify the permittee of a portable sign that their permit has been revoked if it is found that any of the terms or requirements of this section are not met after a 10 day written notice to correct has been issued. The Town is entitled to remove a sign which violates the regulations, and said signs shall not be returned or be located unless all violations are remedied. The Town may charge a pick-up fee in addition to any fines associated with said enforcement.

16.1.10.11

The Town reserves the right, acting through direction of the Town Administrator or a designee, the Vernon Traffic Authority, or the Vernon Public Works Director to prohibit the use of portable signs at any time because of anticipated or actual problems or conflicts in the use of a sidewalk area. These situations include but are not limited to festivals, parades, road races, repairs to the street or sidewalk, or hazardous weather conditions or other emergencies occurring in the area. To the extent possible the permittee shall be given prior written notice of the time period during which the prohibition is in effect, but failure to give notice shall not affect the right of the Town to prohibit portable signs at any time.

16.1.10.12

Any permittee aggrieved by any action of the zoning enforcement officer shall have a right to appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals as set forth in section 17.2.2.7 of these regulations. Any sign subject to an enforcement action must be removed from the sidewalk until the appeal is decided.

16.1.11

Directional signs shall conform to the manual of uniform traffic control devises (MUTCD) and shall not advertise any products or services.

16.1.12

Signs placed within the public right-of-way are subject to confiscation by the Town or State.

16.1.13

All signs must be located on the same parcel as the use to which the sign pertains, with the exception of EV Charging/Display Kiosks permitted subject to the provisions of Section 16.3.6.

16.1.14

Message board may be permitted by approval of a site plan or modification and a special permit, but not by minor modification.

(Appl. PZ-2021-14, 11-4-2021)

16.2.1

One sign for each family residing on the premises indicating the name of the owner or occupant, provided that said sign shall not exceed two (2) square feet in area.

16.2.2

Deleted.

16.2.3

One sign indicating the principal use of the premises such as nursing homes, apartment, non-profit clubs, etc., providing said sign shall not exceed ten (10) square feet in area. Signs for multifamily units may be increased to fifty (50) square feet if the development exceeds fifty (50) units.

16.2.4

One (1) temporary sign pertaining to the construction on, or the sale or lease of the premises, providing that said sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area. Said sign shall not be permitted for a period exceeding one (1) year and shall be located on the same property to which they pertain.

16.2.4.1

Construction signs shall be removed upon the installation of permanent signs and/or prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

16.2.4.2

Construction/for sale/for lease signs are exempt from obtaining building permits.

16.2.5

Directional signs which provide guidance to the public and offer no advertising or business identification, may be allowed providing they meet all requirements of Section 16 of these regulations, do not pose any obstruction to traffic or pedestrian visibility.

16.3.1

Angle signs, one sign affixed at an angle to the façade of a structure and pertaining to a permitted use or business within the structure, providing said sign shall not exceed nine (9) square feet in area for each business within a structure.

16.3.2

Parallel signs, signs affixed and parallel to the façade of a building pertaining to a permitted use or business within the structure, providing said signs on a given wall surface shall not exceed two (2) square feet for every linear foot of the same wall of that section of the structure occupied by said use except as limited by the provisions of Section 16.3.3.

16.3.3

One (1) free-standing sign representing all permitted uses or businesses on a single parcel, providing said sign does not exceed eighty (80) square feet per face and the sign serves only to identify the name and type of business, provided however, in a commercial zone, or two or more contiguous commercial parcels sharing the same parking facilities and sharing common access drives, having an area of at least fifteen (15) acres and containing more than one hundred fifty thousand (150,000) square feet of building area, or in the case of commercial recreational facilities having an area of at least fifteen (15) acres and containing more than one hundred fifty thousand (150,000) square feet overall of commercially utilized areas, excluding parking areas, one (1) additional free- standing sign may be permitted. Such additional free-standing sign may contain a maximum of two hundred (200) square feet per face, providing the applicant reduces the amount of square footage allowed by Section 16.3.2 for parallel signs on the same premises by the amount per face said free-standing sign exceeds eighty (80) square feet per face.

16.3.4

Directional signs, which provide guidance to the public and offer no advertising or business identification, may be allowed provided they meet all requirement of Section 16 of these regulations, do not pose any obstruction to traffic or pedestrian visibility. Directional signs may not exceed two (2) square feet in area or three (3) feet in height measured from grade to the top of the sign.

16.3.5

Roof signs, providing said signs should not exceed two (2) square feet for every linear foot of outside wall of the section of the structure occupied by said use.

16.3.6

EV Charging/Display Kiosks subject to the following requirements and conditions:

16.3.6.1

EV Charging/Display Kiosks shall not exceed 21.5 square feet in size and 7.5 feet in height.

16.3.6.2

EV Charging/Display Kiosks display screen shall not exceed 9 square feet.

16.3.6.3

EV Charging/Display Kiosks shall be equipped with an auto-dimming feature.

16.3.6.4

EV Charging/Display Kiosks shall limit content refresh rates to no more than every eight (8) seconds.

16.3.6.5

EV Charging/Display Kiosks shall not be visible from public rights of way.

16.3.7

One sign pertaining to the construction on, or the sale or lease of the premises, providing that said sign should not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area. Said sign shall not be permitted for a period exceeding one (1) year and shall be located on the same property to which they pertain.

16.3.7.1

Construction signs shall be removed upon the installation of permanent signs and/or prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

16.3.7.2

Construction/for sale/for lease signs are exempt from obtaining building permits.

16.3.8

One menu board sign per drive-up service lane provided that the total sign face area allowed per Sections 16.3.2 and 16.3.3 is reduced by an equivalent area to the face areas of the menu board sign(s). Menu board signs require approval of a site plan of development or modification, which may be a minor modification.

16.3.9

A message board sign requires approval of a Site Plan and Special Permit provided that the total sign face area allowed per Sections 16.3.2 and 16.3.3 is reduced by an equivalent area to the face areas of the message board sign.

16.3.10

Electronic Message Boards (EMBs) subject to the following requirements and conditions:

16.3.10.1

EMBs shall only be permitted in the following zones upon the granting of a special permit: Commercial, Industrial, and Planned Commercial;

16.3.10.2

In lieu of the standards in section 16.3.3, EMBs shall be limited to a display area not exceeding 40 sq. ft., dimensions not exceeding 5' by 8', and a height of 12' if the EMB is not proposed as part of a larger freestanding sign;

16.3.10.3

EMBs shall display no more than two colors against a black background at any one time; the combination of colors may change with a change in the message displayed; no graphics other than a business logo may be displayed as part of a message provided there is no animation, scrolling, or flashing of the logo;

16.3.10.4

EMBs shall display any single message for not fewer than 30 minutes before the message is changed;

16.3.10.5

The transition from one message to another displayed on an EMB may be instantaneous, may include an off-time between messages, or may include a fade or dissolve transition;

16.3.10.6

An application for an EMB proposed for placement within 300' of another EMB as measured along a line parallel to the street line shall require submission of a photographic image of the streetscape with the proposed EMB superimposed in relation to any existing EMBs located within 500 feet in either direction along the travelway;

16.3.10.7

An EMB shall be turned off, display no message, or display a static message during non-business hours; for businesses operating 24 hours, an EMB shall be turned off, display no message, or display a static message daily between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am;

16.3.10.8

In addition to the special permit criteria of section 17.3, approval of a special permit for an EMB shall meet the following requirements:

16.3.10.8.1

Its longitudinal or sight line proximity to existing EMBs shall not create visual clutter or an undue distraction to drivers by virtue of non-synchronous message change intervals of proximate EMBs, the rapid sequential viewing of proximate EMBs, or the viewing of multiple EMBs in an average glance duration of 0.3 second;

16.3.10.8.2

The height of the EMB relative to proximate EMBs shall not create the illusion of a larger EMB mass or cluster.

(Appl. PZ-2021-14, 11-4-2021)

The total area of all angle signs, parallel signs, and roof signs shall not exceed two (2) square feet for every linear foot of wall of that section of the structure occupied by said use.

It is in the best interest of Vernon to establish a sign policy. This policy should provide a means of conveying a message without restricting the rights of the person communicating the message. Additionally, this policy should address the safety concerns of the citizenry and the overall aesthetic character of the Town. Signs present, often more than roads, buildings, or landscaping, a sense of negative ness via clutter, untidiness or overwhelming size, or a sense of visual pleasantness via consistency of scale.

It is the intent of the Zoning Regulations to encourage the approval of signage which allow the necessary balance desired by all members of the community by focusing on the following aspects:

• Relationship of signs to site;

• Relationship of signs and site to adjoining areas;

• Sign design;

• Planning & Design Factors affecting safety to motorists, pedestrians, and property owners.

16.5.1

Signs should facilitate efficient communication between businesses and the patrons they wish to attract. Signs should blend with the architectural style of the building to which they relate and should be visually pleasing and attractive. To create architecturally harmonious and visually attractive signs, the following criteria should be used:

16.5.1.1

Signs should be designed as an architectural element of the building and should complement the architectural style of the building.

16.5.1.2

Signs should be in good proportional scale to the building and site to which they relate.

16.5.1.3

Whenever possible, sign letters should be attached directly to the building and signs should be located on the buildings sign freeze.

16.5.1.4

Sign materials, lettering style, and form should be compatible with the building's design and use.

16.5.1.5

Sign colors should be limited in number and be compatible with the building's façade.

16.5.1.6

Signs should relate to the business at hand and not advertise brand names or symbols.

16.5.1.7

The number of graphic elements on a sign should be held to a minimum and should not contain selling slogans or product descriptions.

16.5.2

The boundary between residential and commercial/industrial zones represents a potential friction point in land use development. This is particularly true for intensive retail developments that bound along residential districts. Signs can represent the most visible element of development along this boundary and should be handled differently. By creating a buffering requirement along these boundaries, there is the opportunity to ensure more compatible development, maintain residential property values, and foster better relationships between these disparate neighbors. This may be accomplished, for example by the use of reduced lighting, harmonious colors, or non-flashing or rotating or blinking lights.