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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Sign
(square feet)
|
|
R District
|
4
|
|
NMU
|
20
|
|
UMU
|
50
|
|
Downtown
|
50
|
|
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, 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 chart below:
|
District
|
Shopping Center Monument or Freestanding Sign Maximum
Area
(square feet)
|
|
Urban Mixed Use
|
15
|
|
Downtown
|
35
|
|
Commercial
|
100
|
|
Industrial
|
100
|
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.
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.
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.
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:
