Westminster City Zoning Code

Letters shall be carefully formed and adequately spaced, so that the message is easily readable and the overall appearance is neat, orderly and uncluttered.

No more than 60% of the total sign area shall be accompanied by lettering.

Sign materials should be durable and easy to maintain. These may include wood, paper, metal, slate, marble, gold leaf, glass, canvas, stained glass, or other natural-looking materials.

All freestanding signs shall be designed and constructed to withstand a wind pressure of not less than 30 pounds per square inch of surface area.

Signs shall be designed to be compatible with the surroundings and appropriate to the architectural character of the building on, or near, which they are placed.

Trademarks that are registered for a specific commodity and do not reflect the name of the business may occupy no more than 10% of the sign area.

All signs, supports and electrical work shall be kept clean, neatly painted, and free from hazards, such as, but not limited to, faulty wiring and loose supports, braces, guys and anchors.

Failure to maintain any sign may be examined by the SBO and, if found in disrepair, the SBO shall give written notice of failure to maintain. If the sign is not repaired within 30 days from the receipt of the notice, then the SBO may order the sign be removed.

Signs must be placed at least five feet from any property line.

No sign shall obstruct the vision between a height of three feet and 10 feet above the surface of the street on a corner of two street rights-of-way.

No private sign shall be placed on public property.

No sign shall be placed on private property without written permission of the property owner.

Signs mounted on a roof shall not extend above the ridgeline.

No sign together with any supporting device shall extend to a height above 20 feet.

Signs must not dominate building facades or obscure any architectural details (including but not limited to arches, sills, moldings or cornices).

Signs shall be placed so as not to obstruct the view of traffic.

If a building fronts on two or more streets, the sign area for each street frontage will be computed separately.

Supports and brackets shall not extend needlessly above the cornice line of the building to which the sign is attached.

Except as otherwise permitted, all information conveyed by any sign shall pertain to the premises on which the sign is located.

The total number of signs requiring permits on a single business or industrial complex is two, of which one may be freestanding.

A wall sign for each business may be a maximum of 32 square feet.

The total cumulative area of all signs permitted on any lot shall be two square feet of sign area per lineal foot of building frontage, but in no case shall exceed 80 square feet, whichever is less. Thirty-two square feet shall be permitted on any lot regardless of building frontage.

The top edge of any freestanding sign may be no higher than 20 feet vertical measure above ground.

Signs must be at least five feet from any lot line.

In addition to the above provisions, signs in the Village Center Zoning District shall also comply with the following standards:

One sign, except for mailbox identification, the letters of which shall not exceed four inches in height and shall identify only the box holder, displaying the street number, or name of the occupant of premises, or both, not exceeding two square feet in area. Such sign may be attached to a building or may be on a rod or post not more than six feet high and not less than 10 feet from the street line. Such sign may include identification of an accessory studio or professional office in the dwelling or on the premises, or may identify other permitted accessory uses, including customary home occupations.

One bulletin or announcement board or identification sign for a permitted nonresidential building or use, with not more than six square feet of signboard area. For churches and institutions, two bulletin or announcement boards or identification signs are permitted for each building. Each such church or institution sign shall have not more than 10 square feet of signboard area. No such signs shall be located nearer street than 1/2 the required front yard depth.

On the premises with a lawfully nonconforming nonresidential use, one sign with not more than six square feet of signboard area.

Two "for sale" or "for rent" or "for lease" signs with not more than six square feet of signboard area each and advertising only the premises on which the sign is located.

Two building contractor's signs on a building while actually under construction not exceeding six square feet of signboard area each.

In residential districts, all signs or advertising devices shall be stationary and shall not contain any visible moving or movable parts. No sign or advertising device in such districts shall be of neon or illuminated-tube type. Lighting of any sign or advertising device shall be continuous (not intermittent nor flashing nor changing) and shall be so placed or hooded as to prevent direct light from shining onto any street or adjacent property. No sign or advertising device shall be illuminated after 11:00 p.m.

Total sign area permitted for the entire development shall be calculated at the rate of two square feet per foot of lineal building frontage.

Each planned development may have one common freestanding sign denoting the name of the facility not exceeding 80 square feet per side and with the bottom panel not less than five feet above road level and a maximum height of 15 feet.

All other signs shall be attached to buildings, a wall, projecting or soffit type, and coordinated in material, shape, lettering, color, and/or decorative elements.

Information and directional signage shall be consistent with the general sign design of the development and is exempt from the sign area calculation provided that it does not contain advertising.

Groups of signs shall express uniformity, create a harmonious appearance, and provide a visual and aesthetic coordination of the information presented to the public.

Height and physical placement of signs shall be consistent throughout the master plan area.

The sign master plan shall be approved by the Planning Board through the site plan review process specified in § 205-43, at a public hearing, and give details regarding sign placement, design, color, coordination, visibility, information messages and compatibility with the general design of the development.

Historic markers, tablets, statues, memorial signs and plaques containing the names of buildings, and dates of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when installed on the building that do not exceed six square feet in total size.

Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion.

On-premise directional signs as long as they do not exceed six square feet per face and six feet in height when included as an integral part of an approved sign master plan for a development or complex. Business names and personal names shall be allowed not to exceed one square foot in area.

Nonilluminated warning and private drive signs shall be no larger than two square feet.

Posted or no trespassing signs shall be no larger than two square feet. One sign per 50 feet of frontage is allowed.

Name plates identifying residents and numbers identifying houses, mounted on a house, apartments or mailboxes, not exceeding two square feet in area.

Lamppost signs identifying residents, with no more than two faces and not exceeding one square foot per face. Such signs are to be nonilluminated, except by a light which is an integral part of the lamppost.

Within residential zones, the sign must be less than four square feet in area.

Temporary identification signs for approved subdivisions shall not exceed 32 square feet and shall be removed upon the sale of the last remaining lot within the subdivision.

Within commercial and industrial zones, the sign must not to exceed 32 square feet, set back at least five feet from all property lines and highway rights-of-way.

Temporary nonilluminated window signs and posters must not exceed 16 square feet in area or 30% of the window surface area.

The sign must be removed within one week after the event to which it relates.

Flag business signs made of fabric, provided that:

New business signs or new business location.

Flags or decorations which are considered to be home flags that are placed to show spirit, pride or some type of seasonal activity.

All parts of such signs and the brackets which attach it to the wall shall be higher in height than 10 feet and lower in height than 15 feet above the pedestrian traffic area. However, such signs must be located below the bottom of the second-floor windowsills. On a one-story building, the top of the sign must be lower than the lowest point of the roof.

Such signs and the brackets that attach it to a wall must project no more than four feet from the building face and shall not extend over the sidewalk or public way.

Such signs must hang at least six inches away from the wall.

Such signs must not extend into vehicle traffic areas, such as parking lots or driveways, excluding drive-through facilities.

The total surface area of such signs must not exceed 12 square feet each side.

Such signs shall be mounted no more than six inches from the wall surface and extend no more than 15 inches from the wall.

Such signs can be no larger than one square foot for each linear foot of building face parallel to the street on the front of the building to a maximum of 80 square feet.

Such signs cannot obscure architectural details of the buildings, such as cornices, windows, arches, lintels, and transoms.

Such signs must be attached to the building, not the parapet, cornice or trim.

Such signs cannot extend over the top of the walls or beyond the ends of the walls to which they are attached. On a two-story building, all parts of such signs must be located below the sill of the second-floor windows.

Such signs shall have no more than two faces.

The area of each face shall not exceed 30 square feet.

The top of such signs must be less than 15 feet in height, as long as the sign does not obstruct the visibility for vehicles and pedestrians.

A lot with frontage of 300 feet or more may have two such signs, which be located at least 100 feet from the other.

Such signs shall be erected so that free egress to and from any building public right-of-way is not obstructed.

Such signs shall not extend over or into the public right-of-way, pedestrian walkway or driveway (excluding drive-through facilities), nor shall they hang over any property line.

Such signs shall be located no less than five feet from any property line.

The display boards shall be an integrated and uniform design.

The allowable sign area for each side shall be computed at 10% of the building front face square footage (the length times the height of the building facade), to achieve the base square footage, or 32 square feet, whichever is smaller.

These signs include but are not limited to the following:

Only one of this type of sign is allowed per business.

Such signs shall not be located within a street or public right-of-way.

The sign shall not obstruct visibility of vehicles or pedestrians.

Such signs shall not obstruct pedestrian traffic. If located on a sidewalk, it shall be placed adjacent to the building so as to allow for a thirty-six-inch-minimum walkway.

The total height of such signs will be less than six feet.

The total area of each side is not to exceed 12 square feet.

Such signs must be an on-premises sign.

The sign is altered in any way that makes the sign substantially different from its structure prior to alterations.

The sign is relocated.

The sign is abandoned based on circumstances indicative of an intention to abandon the use and vested rights.

All legal, nonconforming signs may be expanded upon a finding from the Zoning Board of Appeals that the expansion is not more detrimental to the neighborhood than the existing sign.

The SBO may require design changes for any sign or decline to issue a building permit if he/she determines the sign would be inappropriate as measured by the purposes of this article. His decision shall be subject to appeal as is provided in Chapter 40A, § 8 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Permits required: A building permit shall be required for the construction, erection, relocation or alteration of any sign except as specifically exempted by this section. A sign shall comply with all applicable zoning, building, electrical and fire codes.

Maintenance of signs: Every sign, whether requiring a permit or not, shall be maintained in a safe, presentable and structurally sound condition at all times, including the replacement of defective parts and painting and cleaning of said sign.

Removal of dangerous or defective signs: The SBO may immediately remove or cause to be removed any sign deemed to be defective and/or to be a danger to public health and/or safety. The cost of said removal shall be charged to the owner of the property where said sign is located.

Removal of unlawful signs in the public right-of-way: The SBO may remove or cause to be removed any unlawful sign located in the public right-of-way. Fines per sign may be levied against the owner of said sign(s) under the provisions of Chapter 40, § 21d of the Massachusetts General Laws.