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Town of Bedford, NH
Hillsborough County
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[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Bedford 11-14-2007, amended 11-5-2008. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Signs — See Ch. 275, Art. IX.
[Amended 3-25-2012]
Signs or banners for the purpose of announcing special events shall be allowed by a special event sign permit issued by the Town Council or its designee. Special events shall include, but are not limited to, grand openings; fund-raisers; concerts; performances; blood drives; announcement of awards or special recognition; and merchant special sales or displays.
This chapter does not apply to those classes of signs regulated by Chapter 275, Zoning, or any other local regulation or state law.
[Amended 3-25-2012]
A. 
Special event sign. Each special event sign permit allows for a maximum of three off-site signs or banners and one on-site sign or banner per special event. Such signs or banners may be displayed for a maximum of 120 days a year in total for all events. No more than four special event sign permits shall be issued to any business, nonprofit organization, or individual in any calendar year except within its first year of operation where no more than six shall be issued.
[Amended 1-14-2015]
B. 
Sandwich board sign. Each sandwich board permit allows for one sign to be displayed daily for up to one year. All sandwich board signs shall be removed at the end of the business day for the respective business or entity.
A. 
No special event signs or banners shall be located within public streets or rights-of-way, and no special event signs shall be affixed to utility poles or traffic sign installations. Special event signs or banners may be located on public property only if the event or activity is being held on that particular property.
B. 
Special event signs or banners shall be located on the property of the applicant or on other private property with a letter of written permission from that property owner submitted with the application. The proposed location of the signs or banners must be specifically indicated in the application and shall only be erected in those locations.
C. 
Sandwich board signs shall be located within seven feet of a building entrance and shall not impact more than 24 inches of a sidewalk area and must not be located in a manner which interferes with ADA accessibility, an emergency way, or overly restricts pedestrian movement.
[Added 3-25-2012]
[Amended 3-25-2012]
Special event signs and banners and sandwich board signs shall be maintained in a safe, neat and legible condition.
A. 
No special event sign or banner shall be illuminated or have moving or flashing components or exceed 32 square feet in area. No balloons or other inflatable sign structures shall be permitted.
B. 
No sandwich board sign shall be illuminated or have moving or flashing components or exceed 42 inches in height or 24 inches in width.
[Added 3-25-2012]
C. 
Structures, posts, framework, and alike erected for the express purpose of displaying special event signs shall be removed when the sign is not displayed.
[Added 1-14-2015]
The Town Council may waive any provisions of this chapter by a majority vote of the Council at a regular meeting for good cause shown or where, in the opinion of the Town Council, the chapter does not reasonably accommodate the special circumstances of a particular event.
[Amended 3-25-2012]
If a special event sign or banner or sandwich board sign is not removed by the applicant after the specified number of days allowed by the permit, or is found to be in violation of any provision of this chapter, the applicant may be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed $275 per day for each day that the sign remains displayed. If a special event sign or banner or sandwich board sign is maintained in violation of any provision of this chapter, the sign or banner may be removed by the Town of Bedford.
[Added 3-25-2012]
A. 
Any request for a waiver to the number of signs permitted under § 216-3 shall require an application fee of $100.
[Amended 1-14-2015]
B. 
An application for a sandwich board permit shall require an application fee of $100.