Watertown City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Sign Regulations
§ 310-23 Purpose.
The purpose of this section is to promote and protect the public health, safety and welfare by regulating exterior signs while allowing equitable use of the public environs to communicate necessary business and public information. It is intended to protect property values, create a more attractive economic and business atmosphere and protect the physical appearance of the community. It is further intended to reduce sign or advertising distractions and obstructions that may contribute to traffic accidents and reduce hazards that may be caused by signs overhanging or projecting over public rights-of-way.
§ 310-24 Applicability.
These standards and regulations shall apply to all signs within the boundaries of the City of Watertown, New York. No sign shall be installed or maintained, including such signs by the City, except in conformity with the provisions of this section.
§ 310-25 Administration.
A.
Sign permit required.
(1)
A sign permit shall be obtained by the property owner from the City of Watertown Bureau of Code Enforcement before the installation of any sign allowed with a permit may commence.
(2)
No sign permit shall be required for maintenance.
(3)
A building permit shall not constitute approval for signage. A sign permit is required for the installation of a sign in addition to any building permit issued.
B.
Application for a sign permit. Application for a sign permit shall be made on forms provided by the Bureau of Code Enforcement and shall be signed by the owner of the real property or be accompanied by an affidavit of the owner that such work is authorized. The applicant shall provide any additional information as may be determined necessary by the Bureau of Code Enforcement for processing such application. Each application may be for one or more signs.
C.
Fee. Each application for a sign permit must be accompanied by the fee as established at least annually by the Watertown City Council through a budget resolution that adopts a City Fees and Charges Schedule. Such schedule shall be available to the public at the office of the Watertown City Clerk.
D.
Issuance of a sign permit. Upon filing of an application for a sign permit and submission of the appropriate fee, the Bureau of Code Enforcement shall determine whether the proposed sign(s) is in compliance with the requirements of this section and other ordinances and laws of the City. If the sign(s) authorized under any such permit has not been completed within two months from the issuance of such permit, the permit shall expire.
E.
Violations.
(1)
Installation of a sign without a permit or not in conformity with the requirements of this section constitutes a violation. It is also a violation not to maintain a sign to the standards set in this section. Each day of nonconformance or substandard maintenance constitutes a separate violation.
(2)
The Bureau of Code Enforcement shall give written notice specifying the nature of the violation to the owner of the land upon which the nonconforming sign is located. The owner shall then cause such sign to be brought into conformance, including obtaining the proper permit, or removed within 15 days of the date of service of the notice.
(3)
If a sign is not brought into conformance or removed by the owner by the specified time given in the notice, the City may seek an injunction in a court of competent jurisdiction requiring that the sign be removed or may seek a penalty of $250 per day of violation after the time within which to cure the violation has passed, or both.
(4)
In any action to compel compliance with this section or to seek monetary penalties for violation of this section, the property owner shall pay, in addition thereto, the City's reasonable attorneys' fees and costs and disbursements in compelling compliance with this section.
F.
City removal. The Bureau of Code Enforcement may cause any sign to be removed without notice to the owner of the property when it is the source of imminent danger to persons or property. The Zoning Enforcement Officer may cause any sign to be removed, without notice to anyone, if it is placed upon public property without a sign license agreement.
§ 310-26 General prohibitions.
A.
Hazards to public safety. Signs shall not be located in such a manner as to restrict vision of vehicular traffic or impair safety. Signs which by their use or simulation of colors, design or placement, tend to confuse, detract from or in any other way obstruct the utilization of traffic regulatory devices are prohibited.
B.
Illumination. In no event shall an illuminated sign or lighting device be placed or directed so as to permit the beams or illumination therefrom to cause glare or reflection upon a public street, sidewalk or adjacent premises.
C.
Public property. No sign shall be placed or erected on or over any City-owned property without first obtaining written approval in the form of a license agreement from the City Manager in addition to any required permit. Proof of liability insurance coverage is required in a form acceptable to the City Manager. Current minimum coverage requirements may be obtained from the Bureau of Code Enforcement.
§ 310-27 Temporary signs.
A.
Temporary signs shall be limited to 15 days.
B.
Temporary signs may not exceed 10 square feet of sign area in the R District.
C.
Temporary signs may not exceed 65 square feet of sign area in all other districts.
D.
Feather flags, pennants, banners, and streamers are considered temporary signage regardless of design or intent for purposes of this chapter and shall meet the standards of this section.
§ 310-28 Sign requirements.
[Amended 3-3-2025 by Ord. No. 1-2025]
A.
Allowed sign surface area.
(1)
Each occupant shall be allowed two square feet of total sign surface area for each linear foot of occupant building frontage. In no case shall total signage exceed the maximum sign surface area listed in the following table:
District | Maximum Sign Surface Area Per Occupant (square feet) |
Residential | 4 |
NMU | 60 |
UMU | 50 |
Downtown | 40 |
Commercial | 200 |
Planned Campus | 200 |
Industrial | 200 |
Parks and Open Space | 20 |
Waterfront Overlay | 50 |
(2)
In all districts, except the Residential District, each occupant located above the ground floor level of a multistory building is allowed window signs covering 50% of the window surface area of the space occupied by the business. This allowed window sign surface area is in addition to the total sign surface area allowed.
(3)
Within City-owned public park and recreation lands there may be 100 square feet of sign area along external public streets.
(4)
In planned development districts, unless signs are addressed in the regulations adopted at the creation of the PDD, as amended, the sign regulations of the underlying district apply.
(5)
In addition to the above allotment, shopping centers shall also be allowed a monument or freestanding sign to identify the center, up to the maximum per parcel for each district in the table below:
District | Shopping Center Monument or Freestanding Sign Maximum Area (square feet) |
Urban Mixed Use | 15 |
Downtown | 35 |
Commercial | 100 |
Industrial | 100 |
§ 310-29 Computation of sign surface area.
A.
For each sign, the surface area shall be that area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representation, emblem or any figure of similar character, as included within the definition of a sign. The surface area shall also include any frame or other material or color forming an integral part of the display or differentiating such sign from the background against which it is placed. The supporting sign structure shall not be included in the computation of sign surface area.
B.
The total sign surface area shall be the aggregate surface areas of all signs.
C.
For signs with two faces closer than 24 inches apart and back-to-back, only one face (the largest) shall be used in calculating the surface area.
§ 310-30 Specific sign type requirements.
A.
Building signs.
(1)
Building signs shall be located on flat, unornamented surfaces. No part of the sign's supports or braces shall be affixed to any parapet cornice or any exterior trim.
(2)
Building signs shall not extend above the roofline or parapet, if one exists, whichever is higher.
(3)
No part of a sign projecting from a building shall extend into the airspace above a vehicular traffic area.
(4)
Any sign projecting more than six inches from a building face and over a pedestrian area shall have a minimum clearance of eight feet, except awnings which shall have a minimum clearance of seven feet six inches.
B.
Freestanding signs.
(1)
Freestanding signs are prohibited in the R District, except for structures larger than 18,000 square feet.
(2)
Where allowed, the top of a freestanding sign shall be no greater than 20 feet above the ground in every district except the Commercial District in which it can extend up to 50 feet above the ground.
(3)
Freestanding signs over pedestrian areas must have an eight-foot vertical clearance.
(4)
No part of a freestanding sign shall extend over a street or other vehicular travel way.
(5)
No freestanding sign shall extend beyond property lines.
(6)
There shall be no more than one freestanding sign per parcel.
C.
Sandwich-board signs.
(1)
Sandwich-board signs are prohibited in the R District.
(2)
The top of a sandwich-board sign shall be no more than four feet above the ground.
(3)
The surface area of a sandwich-board sign shall be no greater than 12 square feet and can be in addition to the total allowed sign surface area.
(4)
If a sandwich-board sign is to be placed on a sidewalk, it shall not be any wider than 20% of the width of the sidewalk on which it is to be placed.
(5)
Sandwich-board signs shall be spaced at least 10 feet apart and shall not interfere with the movement of pedestrians (meaning a continuous pedestrian routing).
(6)
One sandwich-board sign is allowed per ground floor business occupant within a multitenant building up to a maximum of five sandwich-board signs per parcel.
(7)
All sandwich-board signs shall be removed from public property after business hours.
D.
Awning/canopy signs.
(1)
Canopy signs shall not project horizontally beyond the supporting canopy.
(2)
The maximum area of canopy signage shall be six square feet and can be in addition to the total allowed sign surface area.
(3)
The bottom edge of a canopy sign shall not be less than seven feet six inches above the sidewalk or ground elevation over which the canopy extends.
E.
Projecting signs.
(1)
The bottom edge of or any appendage to a projecting sign shall be not less than seven feet six inches above the sidewalk or ground elevation over which the sign extends.
(2)
No projecting sign or any part thereof shall extend over any property line.
(3)
A projecting sign shall be permitted only on the front face of a structure.
§ 310-31 Electronic messaging centers.
A.
Purpose of intent. The purpose of this section is to promote and protect the public health, safety, convenience and general welfare; promote traffic safety; ensure that the First Amendment right to free speech is protected; protect property values; protect and enhance the aesthetic character of the City through the regulation of electronic messaging centers.
B.
EMC standards.
(1)
Only one EMC is allowed per lot except in the case of a single EMC with two faces that are back to back and not more than 24 inches apart.
(2)
All EMCs shall be on-premises signs.
(3)
The display area for the EMC shall not exceed the following for the zoning districts listed. If the district is not listed, an EMC is not allowed.
(a)
Neighborhood Mixed Use and Urban Mixed Use and Downtown Districts: 50% maximum of the total allowed sign surface area with a maximum of 12 square feet of EMC display area.
(b)
Commercial: 50% maximum of the total allowed sign surface area with a maximum of 18 square feet of EMC display area.
(c)
Industrial Districts: 50% maximum of the total allowed sign surface area with a maximum of 18 square feet of EMC display area.
(4)
In the Residential (R) District, EMCs are limited to schools with a maximum of 10 square feet of EMC display area.
(5)
Message duration time. The message or copy of an EMC cannot move and/or change more frequently than once every eight seconds.
(6)
Transition method. The change of message or copy must be instantaneous without rolling, fading, or otherwise giving the illusion of movement, including flashing or variation in brightness.
(7)
Dimming. EMCs must include a photo cell to control brightness and automatically dim based on ambient light.
(8)
Brightness. The maximum allowable brightness for EMCs is no greater than 0.3 footcandle above ambient light conditions as measured by a footcandle meter, when measured perpendicular to the electronic message center face at a distance determined by the following formula:
Measure distance (ft) =√ [area of EMC sign (in sq ft) x 100] |
(9)
Light trespass. At property lines, light trespass from the EMC shall be no more than 0.5 footcandle.
§ 310-32 Nonconforming signs.
[Amended 3-3-2025 by Ord. No. 1-2025]
Nonconforming signs which have permits issued by the Bureau of Code Enforcement before the effective date of this chapter may continue in use subject to the following conditions:
A.
Nonconforming signs may remain so long as they are being used and maintained.
B.
If a storefront or building is unused or vacant for a period of up to one year, any corresponding nonconforming sign must be brought into conformance, except that any supports or hardware used in common with existing signs used by remaining occupants may remain.