§ 24-37. Exemptions without limitation.

In all zoning districts, the following signs shall be permitted without limitation:

(1)

Any national or state flag or insignia.

(2)

Any flags, insignias, legal notices or informational, directional or traffic signs which are legally required or necessary to the essential functions of a governmental unit or agencies thereof.

(3)

Any religious or church denomination flag, pennant or insignia displayed on the premises on which the religious or church denomination activity or function is conducted.

(4)

Any educational or charitable flag, pennant or insignia displayed on the premises on which the educational or charitable activity or function is conducted.

(5)

Any sign or items of information when carved into or constructed as part of gravestones, tombstones, commemorative tablets, monuments, statues, fountains or street and public utility fixtures.

(6)

Any sign or items of information when constructed as a part of vending machines or similar self-service machines.

(7)

Any sign which is legally required to regulate traffic.

(8)

Any sign which is required to be posted by law.

(9)

Any warning sign, no trespassing sign, or protective sign.

(10)

Official public notices and notices posted by public officers in the performance of their duties.

(11)

Commemorative plaques placed by recognized historical agencies.

(12)

Signs within a public park or arena which are designed primarily to be viewed by patrons within such areas.

(13)

Signs attached to machinery or equipment which is necessary or customary to the business, including, but not limited to, devices such as gasoline pumps, vending machines, ice machines, etc., provided that such signs refer exclusively to products or services dispensed by the device.

(14)

Signs displayed inside buildings that are not displayed on or directly attached to any window, door or glass.

(15)

Signs containing or consisting of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners or other similarly moving devices or ornamentation when used as an aid to air or sea navigation.

(16)

Non-illuminated directional off-premises signs not exceeding four square feet in area or six feet in height limited exclusively to the identification of a church, school or public institution.

(17)

Internally illuminated informational signs with an electronic message center (EMC) are to be used exclusively by schools, government facilities, and public institutions.

(18)

Permits for these signs require detailed site plans with dimensions color, and location that must be recommended by the planning board and approved by the town commissioners.

(19)

Illumination of an electronic message center (EMC) signs fitting this category is not subject to other lighting requirements with the exception of the following criteria:

a.

EMC illumination measurement criteria: The illuminance of an EMC shall be measured with an illuminance meter set to measure foot-candles accurate to at least two decimals. Illuminance shall be measured with the EMC off, and again with the EMC displaying a white image for a full color capable EMC, or a solid message for a single-color EMC. All measurements shall be taken perpendicular to the face of the EMC at the distance determined by the total square footage of the EMC as set forth in the accompanying Sign Area vs. Measurement Distance table. (Table 1.)

b.

Illumination limits: The difference between the off and solid-message measurements using the EMC measurement criteria shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles.

c.

Night operation of EMC: The EMC shall be turned off from 11:00 p.m. to sunrise.

d.

The owner of the sign shall provide, to the town, a letter from the manufacturer that the sign meets the criteria above prior to permit being issued. If questions arise about the compliance of the sign at a later time, the owner will hire a qualified lighting individual to test and provide said results to the town stating the EMC complies with all town standards.

(20)

Illumination of the main body of the sign shall follow the current provisions as set forth in section 24-114 of this chapter.

(21)

All other provisions in chapter 24 shall apply.

Table 1

Sign area vs. Measurement Distance
Area of Sign square feet	Measurement Distance (feet)
10	32
15	39
20	45
25	50
30	55
35	59
40	63
45	67
50	71
55	74
60	77
65	81
70	84
75	87
80	89
85	92
90	95
95	97
100	100
110	105
120	110
130	114
140	118
150	122
160	126
170	130
180	134
190	138
200	141
220	148
240	155
For signs with an area in square feet other than those specifically listed in the table (i.e. 12 square feet, 400 square feet, etc) the measurement distance may be calculated with the following formula: Measurement Distance = √ Area of sign square feet x 100.

 

(Code 1991, § 9-36; Ord. of 1-1-1979(2), § 5-1; Ord. of 11-17-2014)