The purposes of these sign regulations are to:
A.
Encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communication
in the City of Laconia.
B.
Maintain and enhance the aesthetic environment of the City while
retaining the City's ability to attract and encourage economic development
and growth.
C.
Improve pedestrian and traffic safety.
D.
Minimize possible adverse effects of signs on nearby public and private
property.
E.
Enable fair and consistent enforcement of these sign regulations.
[Amended 8-14-2000 by Ord. No. 07.2000.07]
Except as otherwise provided in § 235-53, Signs allowed and exempted from permit requirements, no sign may be erected, placed, replaced, moved, enlarged, illuminated, or substantially altered in the City of Laconia without a permit in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. No permit shall be issued until a Master Signage Plan is filed with the City of Laconia for the parcel on which a permit is being sought. A permit application and fee shall be submitted to the Director of Planning and Community Development or his or her designee and include a set of plans to an appropriate scale showing the location, size, method of illumination and materials proposed for said sign. If required for development of the parcel, site plan approval from the Planning Board must be received prior to issuance of a permit.
The following signs, excluding those prohibited under § 235-57, Prohibited signs, are exempt from the permit requirements of § 235-52, Permit required. The failure to comply with any provisions of this section is considered a violation of this chapter:
A.
Permanent signs. Permanent signs are as follows:
(1)
Signs not exceeding four square feet in area that are customarily
associated with residential use and that are not of a commercial nature,
such as:
(2)
Signs erected by or on behalf of or pursuant to the authorization
of a governmental body, including legal notices, identification and
informational signs, and traffic, directional or regulatory signs.
(3)
Official signs of a noncommercial nature erected by public utilities.
(4)
Flags of any governmental organization when not displayed in connection
with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device. No flag shall
exceed 60 square feet in area or be flown from a pole which is more
than 40 feet in height from ground level.
(5)
Incidental signs directing and guiding traffic on private property
that do not exceed four square feet each and that bear no advertising
matter.
(6)
Building marker signs that do not exceed four square feet in area.
B.
Temporary signs. Temporary signs are as follows:
(1)
On-premises signs containing the message that the real estate on
which the sign is located [including building(s)] is for sale, lease
or rent, together with information identifying the owner or agent.
[Amended 10-14-1997 by Ord. No. 10.97.10; 8-14-2000 by Ord. No. 07.200.07; 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
(a)
Individual lots. Such signs may not exceed six square feet in
area in residential districts or 32 square feet in area in nonresidential
districts and shall be removed within 14 days after the sale, lease
or rental of the property. For lots of less than five acres, a single
sign on each street frontage may be erected. For lots of five acres
or more in area and having a street frontage in excess of 400 feet,
a second sign not exceeding six square feet in area may be erected.
(b)
Subdivision developments. Where multiple lots within a single
subdivision are being marketed for sale, one on-premises sign, up
to 32 square feet in area, may be erected. Provided it is maintained
in good repair, as determined by the Director of Planning and Community
Development or his or her designee, it may remain in place for no
longer than two years with one two-year extension as may be issued
by the Director of Planning and Community Development or his or her
designee.
(2)
Construction site identification signs. Such on-premises signs may
identify the project, the owner or developer, architect, engineer,
contractor and subcontractors, funding sources, and may contain related
information including but not limited to sale or leasing information.
Not more than one such sign may be erected per site, and it may not
exceed 32 square feet in area. Such signs shall not be erected prior
to the issuance of a building permit and shall be removed within 30
days after the issuance of the final occupancy permit.
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
(3)
Signs attached temporarily to the interior of a building window or
glass door. Such signs, individually or collectively, may not cover
more than 75% of the surface area of the transparent portion of the
window or door to which they are attached. Such signs shall be removed
within 30 days after placement.
(4)
Displays, including lighting, erected in connection with the observance
of holidays. Such signs shall be removed within 30 days following
the holidays.
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
(5)
Political signs erected in connection with elections or political
campaigns pursuant to RSA 664, Placement and Removal of Political
Advertising. Such signs shall be removed by the candidate no later
than the second Friday following the election unless the election
is a primary and the advertising concerns a candidate who is a winner
in the primary. No such sign may exceed 16 square feet in area.
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
(6)
Signs, including pennant signs, indicating that a special event such
as a grand opening, fair, carnival, circus, festival, or similar event
is to take place on the lot where the sign is located. Such signs
may be erected not sooner than three weeks before the event and must
be removed not later than five days after the event.
(7)
Temporary on-premises signs not covered in the foregoing categories.
Such signs must meet the following restrictions:
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
A.
All signs shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance
with this chapter, the Building Code and the Electrical Code.[1] Except for portable signs, all signs shall be constructed
of permanent materials and shall be permanently attached to the ground,
a building or other structure. All signs shall be maintained in good
structural condition in compliance with the Building and Electrical
Codes and with this chapter at all times.
B.
Signs within the Commercial Core Parking Overlay District shall be
constructed of natural materials, including wood, masonry, stone,
metal or other material that resembles a natural material. Sign design
shall be complimentary to the architectural style of the building
and be similar to signage that respects the historical period of the
structure.
[Added 5-22-2000 by Ord. No. 05.2000.05; amended 8-26-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-235]
No permit shall be issued for an individual sign requiring a
permit unless and until a Master Signage Plan for the lot on which
the sign will be erected has been submitted. No sign permit shall
be issued if the Master Signage Plan reveals that the total existing
sign area on a lot, or the total existing sign area for an individual
principal use on a lot is in excess of the sign area standards contained
in this chapter. If the total existing sign area on a lot or for an
individual principal use on a lot is reduced so as to comply with
the sign area standards, then additional sign permits may be issued,
provided that the lot or the individual principal use on a lot remains
in compliance with the sign area standards at all times. The Master
Signage Plan shall contain the following:
A.
An accurate plan of the lot, to scale, showing the location of buildings,
parking lots, driveways and landscaped areas.
B.
The location of all existing signs.
C.
A description of each existing sign including type, size, height
above ground, materials and method of illumination. If located on
a building, the location shall be described.
D.
A photograph of each existing sign shall be included.
E.
The location of each proposed or future sign for which applications
for permits will be submitted.
A.
Computation of area of individual signs. The area of a sign shall
include all of the surface area on which the letters, pictures, designs
and symbols appear, together with the background, on which they are
displayed, whether open or closed, and all beveled, rounded, angled
or bordering surfaces intended or designed to enhance the visual impact
of the sign. The area of a sign does not include its sides, or any
supporting framework and bracing that is incidental to the display
itself and is not designed to attract attention. Where the sign consists
of letters or symbols affixed to a surface or building, without any
distinguishing border, panel or background, the area shall be considered
to be the smallest rectangle or shape which encompasses all of the
letters and symbols. The area of one face of a double-faced sign,
even if the two faces are not identical in message, shall be regarded
as the total area of the sign, provided that such sign faces are part
of the same sign structure and are not more than 42 inches apart.
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
B.
Computation of height of a freestanding sign. The height of a sign
shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal
grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal
grade shall be construed to be the lower of the existing grades before
construction, or the newly established grade after construction exclusive
of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely for the purpose
of locating the sign.
C.
Properties bisected by district boundaries shall abide by the most
restrictive zone's sign regulations.
[Added 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
All signs not expressly permitted under this chapter or exempt
from permit requirements hereunder are prohibited in the City of Laconia.
Such signs include, but are not limited to, the following:
A.
On corner lots, signs of a height between 21/2 and eight feet above
street grade in an area bounded by the adjacent street right-of-way
lines and a straight line joining points along said right-of-way lines
20 feet from the point of their intersection.
B.
Signs, or any point in a sign, higher than the roof ridge, the plate
of a flat roof or the highest point of the roof.
C.
Wall signs installed in such a way that windows on any story of a
building are blocked.
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
D.
Projecting signs that are lower than eight feet above grade or protrude
above the sills of the windows above the first story.
F.
No sign shall contain any flashing lights, except such portion of
a sign which consists solely of indicators of time and temperature
or is part of an animated sign.
[Added 10-14-1997 by Ord. No. 10.97.10]
G.
Off-premises signs, except for temporary signs permitted, shall meet
zoning standards, and may be allowed by special exception by the Zoning
Board of Adjustment if the Board determines:
[Added 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
(1)
Circumstances, unique to the structure, use or access, and the area
in which the structure, use or access is located, exist; and
(2)
The additional sign or sign area is necessary or desirable for public
information and safety; and
(3)
The additional sign or sign area is compatible with the area in which
the sign will be located.
(4)
Off-premises temporary signs for the purposes of advertising special
events shall be exempt from this section.
The following table displays the number, area and type of signs
permitted for nonresidential uses in each of the zoning districts,
and subject to the following provisions:[1]
A.
The total number of signs for each business is indicated in the table.
The total sign area for each lot shall not exceed the lesser of the
following:
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
B.
Freestanding and portable signs are permitted on the basis of one
per lot where the lot frontage is less than or equal to 500 feet.
Where lot frontage is greater than 500 feet, a second freestanding
and a second portable sign are permitted.
C.
Where there is no sign frontage on a lot, freestanding and portable
signs are permitted with sign areas that do not exceed the maximum
sign area indicated in the table.
D.
For uses located on upper and lower floors with no sign frontage,
window signs are permitted in addition to identification on a directory
sign affixed to the building at the ground floor entry door providing
access to said use. Directory signs are limited to 12 square feet
in size.
E.
Portable signs shall be located so as not to inhibit, obstruct or
be a safety hazard to pedestrian and vehicular circulation.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said table is included at the end of this chapter.
[Amended 10-14-1997 by Ord. No. 10.97.10]
Development identification signs shall not be considered in
the calculation of any total square footage of sign area permitted
on individual lots or for individual tenants or occupants. However,
they shall meet the height requirement in the district in which they
are located.
A.
Residential. One freestanding sign of up to 20 square feet in area
is permitted at the main entrance to a residential subdivision or
development for the purpose of identifying such subdivision or development.
Where such developments or subdivisions are further subdivided into
distinct areas, an additional freestanding identification sign of
up to 12 square feet in area may be erected at the access point to
said area.
B.
Nonresidential. For nonresidential developments, the property or
building name may be displayed on one of the permitted signs. The
maximum area of the single sign utilized for this purpose may be increased
by 30% for the purpose of displaying this information as a development
identification sign, in which case no separate development identification
sign shall be permitted.
[Amended 5-27-2014 by Ord. No. 03.2014.03]
A.
No sign in residential districts may be illuminated from within,
but may be illuminated by a fully shielded external light source.
For nonresidential uses in residential districts, signs may be illuminated
during the hours that the use is open or in operation, or between
the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
B.
Fixtures used to illuminate signs shall be located, aimed, and shielded
so as to minimize glare perceptible to drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists,
and other passersby within adjacent streets or rights-of-way. Light
sources shall utilize energy efficient fixtures to the greatest extent
practicable. Light fixtures, including bulbs or tubes, used for sign
illumination shall be selected and positioned to achieve the desired
brightness of the sign while ensuring compliance withal applicable
requirements of this chapter.
C.
Illuminance of a sign face shall not exceed the following standards:
(1)
External illumination: Illumination suspended or located on the exterior
of a sign, such as gooseneck fixtures, shall be limited to 50 footcandles
as measured on the sign face.
(2)
Internal illumination: Illumination of signs from within, but with
no graphic displays, shall be limited to 10,000 nits (candelas per
square meter measured perpendicular to the rays from the source) during
daylight hours and 500 nits between dusk and dawn, as measured at
the sign's face.
(3)
Direct illumination: No more than 10,000 nits during daylight hours
and 500 nits between dusk and dawn, as measured at the sign's face.
(4)
All electronic changing signs shall be equipped with automatic dimming
controls, so the brightness level will be highest during the day and
lowest at night. Manufacturer specifications shall be submitted at
the time of the sign permit specifying maximum sign brightness.
D.
Electronic message center (EMC). All permitted EMCs shall be equipped
with a sensor or other device that automatically determines the ambient
illumination and programmed to automatically dim according to ambient
light conditions at all times of the day or night. Electronic changing
signs may be freestanding or building mounted, one- or two-sided,
may be a component of a larger sign or billboard, and shall conform
to the following minimum requirements, along with all other requirements
for signage within this chapter:
(1)
Electronic message center portion of the sign shall not make up more
than 75% of the actual sign surface. In no case shall an electronic
message center exceed 32 square feet.
(2)
Animation on static EMCs shall be limited to the actual changing
of the message. No flashing, blinking, or pulsating of lights shall
be allowed. Electronic message centers must be equipped to freeze
in one position or discontinue the display in the event that a malfunction
occurs.
(3)
Minimum display time. All illumination elements on the face of static
electronic changing signs shall remain at a fixed level of illumination
for a period of not less than five minutes.
(4)
No more than one EMC will be allowed per lot.
(5)
Software for operating the EMC must be able to show current and factory
brightness levels upon request. The owner/installer of electronic
message displays shall certify as part of the application that signs
will not exceed the brightness levels specified in this section.
Any applicant for a permit to locate a sign over the public
right-of-way, in accordance with this chapter, shall file with the
City a certificate of insurance indemnifying the City against any
form of liability in the minimum amount of $100,000. No permit shall
be issued prior to the receipt of said certificate and the permit
shall be valid only so long as the certificate remains in effect.
The policy shall provide for advance notification to the City in the
event of cancellation. Should the policy lapse or be cancelled, the
applicant shall remove the sign immediately.
A sign lawfully installed prior to the adoption of this chapter
for which a permit has been previously issued, or if a permit is obtained
for said sign within six months after the effective date of this chapter,
shall be deemed a permitted nonconforming sign. Such a nonconforming
sign shall, however, be subject to the following regulations:
A.
No nonconforming sign shall be altered in any way in structure or
material which makes the sign less in compliance with the requirements
of this chapter than it was prior to the alteration.
B.
No nonconforming sign shall be relocated to a position making it
less in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
C.
If the nonconforming sign is removed, except for maintenance or seasonal
storage, it shall be replaced only with a sign that is in conformance
with the provisions of this chapter.
D.
Should a nonconforming sign be destroyed by any means to an extent
of more than 75% of its replacement cost at the time of its destruction,
it shall not be reconstructed except in conformity with the provisions
of this chapter.
