HomeMy WebLinkAboutLocal Law No. 2 of the Year 1987.pdfLOCAL LAW NO.2 OF THE YEAR 1987
SECTION 17.A. SIGNS - AI/IENDIYIENT TO SIGN ORDINANCE
The purpose of this local la* is to promote and protect the public health, welfare and safety of
the Village of Cayuga Heights by r-guhting existing and proposed indoor and outdoor signs of
all types.
As used in this local law unless otherwise expressly stated:
,'Sign" shall mean any material, structure or device of fixed location and stationary
components which is used to advertise or promote the interests of any person or business
when the same is placed in view of the general public.
"Indoor Signs" are signs inside of buildings, which are designed and placed to be read
from outside the building.
"Erect'shall mean to display, relocate, place, affix or maintain any sign, and shall also
include the painting of exterior wall signs.
The "face" of a building shall mean any outer surface of a building, which is visible from
any private or public street or highway except the roof or roofs.
The "fronf'of a building shall mean that face which contains the front entrance.
..Illuminated sign" shall mean any sign illuminated directly or indirectly by electricity,
gas, or other artifrcial light, including reflective or phosphorescent light originating from
outside the body of the sign or from within or behind it'
.,projecting sign" shall mean any sign which projects from the exterior of any building,
..On premises sign" shall mean any sign related to an activrty, business or profession
condueted, or to a commodity or service sold or offered upon the premises where such
sign is located.
..Sign area" shall mean the surface area of the sign including the frame, plate_or structure
ur.i to hold up any lettering or pictorial matter. In the event a sign is attached, painted or
applied to the front or face of a-building or is irregular in-shape the area of the sign shall
bi-taten as the area of the smallest rictangle that can be placed over the entire sign,
including it's lettering, devices, frame and decorative moldings along its edges, and back
glound, if of a different color than the predominant colo xcept as
otherwise provided herein. In the event that both upper tters are
used in a littered wall sign, the area shall be defined by that can
be placed over the series of lo*"t case letters plus the area of the smallest rectangles that
can be placed over the upper case letters. In the event thal a letter or letters or other
pictoriai matter are placed as separate units on background boards, the sign area shall be
ialculated as the sum of the areas of the backgrourrd boards. In the case of a fla-ior two-
sided freestanding sign, the sign area is considered to be the entire surface area of one
face of the sign.
"Free standing sign" shall mean any sign or sign structure not attached to the exterior of a
building.
"shopping center" or "multi-use commercial facility" shall mean any group of two or
more stores for which there is provided off-street parking'
A. General Regulations
nny ittuminated sign or lighting device shall employ only lights emitting a light of
constant intensity. The lights shall be so regulated as to direction and intensity that
they cause no nuisance or traffic hazard.
A sign may project horizontally not more than two feet from the front or face of a
building,
Outdoor signs may be placed only on the faces of a building.
Only "on premises signs" as provided in this local law are permitted.
The maximum heighi of any part of a freestanding sign shall be six feet above ground
level.
B. Permitted Siens in all Districts.
L The foliowing signs in any area of the Village are permitted without a permit:
a. Signs advertising the proposed sale, lease, or rental of the
premises upon which the sign is located, which sign shall not
exceed 4 square feet in area'
b, Professional nameplates that shall not exceed 2 square feet in
atea.
c. Signs denoting the name and address of the occupants of
premises used for residential pu{poses which signs shall not
exceed 1 square foot in area.
d. Directional (entrance/exit) signs on premises, each not
exceeding 2 square feet in area and which shall not include any
trademarks or names of businesses conducted or products sold.
e. A sign or notice, having afi area of 10 square feet or less, of a
public utility necessary for the direction, information, or safety
of the public.
Z. The following signs are permitted in any area of the Village of Cayuga Heights but
they shall not be erected or maintained without a permit as provided herein:
a, One sign and one bulletin board customarily incident to places
of worihip, libraries, museums, not to exceed 18 square feet
and to be located on premises of such institutions'
b. One sign not to exceed 6 square feet in area for social clubs or
societies, which shall be located on the premises of such
institution.
c, One sign of a temporary nature listing the arohitect, engineer,
contactor, or owner may be placed on pretnises where
construction, repair, or renovation is in progress. Such sign
shall be removed immediately upon completion of the project
or after a period of three years from the date of the permit,
whichever comes first.
d. Each building in a commercial zone may have one or two
signs, whose total area shall not exceed 20 square feet, Said
signs may be attached to or painted on the front or face of each
building or one or both signs may be indoor signs. Where there
are two signs they shall be attached to, painted on or applied to
the front and to the face or faces of the building in such a way
that they are at an angle or not less than 90 degrees from one
another.
e, Where more than one business occupies a single building, in
place of the sign restnctions in Section 2 (d), each business
may have one or two signs whose tOtal area shall not exceed 10
square feet. One or both signs may be an indoor sign'
f, If there are more than two businesses operated on any one
parcel or contiguous parcels, which pAlcel or parcels are under
the ownership, operation, management, or control of the same
person, persons, firms, or corporation involving a shopping
center or other multi-use facility, one free standing sign whieh
shall not exceed 18 square feet shall be permitted for the
parcel, parcels, development, or shopping center as a whole,
iegardleis of the number of separate businesses operated
thereon, provided that if such a sign is used, a sign of the kind
referred to in the first and second sentences of the preceding
section shall not be used.
g. signs advertising store hours and "rules" of conduct are
exempt from this local law.
C. Temporarv Signs
Att frn;A te*porary nature such as political or civic posters, and other signs of a
smallei nature, miy be erected without a permit for a period not to exceed thirfy days on
premises of any property owter by the property owner; with the condition that a period of
not less than eleven months shall elapse between the last day of one period of showing
and the first day Of the next. The maximum size shall be four square feet'
D. Application for Permit.
@ermitshal1bemadeinwritingbytheownerofthepremisesin
duilicate, upon forms prescribed and provided by the Zoning Offrcer and there shall be
attached a detailed, to-scale drawing or blueprint showing a description of the
construction details of the sign and showing all the lettering and/or pictorial matter
composing the sign; position of lighting or other extraneous devises; a location plan
showing the position of th. sign on any building or land, and its position in relation to
nearby buildings or structures and to any private or public street or highway.
E. Fees.
tn" follo*ing fees shall be paid upon issuance of the permit:
Application fee of five dollars ($5.00).
F. Procedures.
ft rftuff Ue the duty of the ZoningOfficer, upon the filing of an application for a permit to
erect a sign, io examine such plans, specification, and other data submitted to him
with the application, and, if necessary, the building or premises upon which it is
proposed to erect the sign or other advertising structure; and if it complies with this
local law, to approve the same and issue a permit.
If the said sign doei not comply with this local law, the Zoning Officer shall immediately
notify G applicant. An appeal from his decision may be made to the Board of
Appeals. (Etr 1ll1/76)
In making any determination or decision with respect to any proposed sign, any Village
officei or the Board having jurisdiction shall be guided by the general purpose of this
local law and shall also consider the following:
a. The purpose for which the sign is erected and the
distance from which the sign is intended to be or can
possibly be read and the character ofadjacent streets. In
all cases, the smallest sign which will suit the pulpose
shall be the guide, taking into account the legitimate
commercial or other interests which are intended to be
promoted by the sign, and speed limits and trafiic
conditions on adjacent streets.
b. The number of letters on the proposed sign' A sign with
only a few letters need not be as large as one with many
letters to be seen from the same distance'
c. Other signs in the vicinify of the proposed sign'
d. The character of the neighborhood' The proposed use
shall not be detrimental to the general amenity or
neighborhood character so as to cause a devaluation of
neighboring property or material inconvenience to
neighboring inhabitants or material interference with
the use and enjoyment by the inhabitants of the
neighboring ProPertY.
e. The protection of the public interest and the desirability
of maintaining open spaces, views and vistas insofar as
Possible.f, Any hardship imposed by this local law due to the
nature of the sign, its location and its purpose'
G.
Any sign which advertises a business n longer in existence on the premises shall be
'renived by the owner of the premises upon which such sign is located as soon as the
business cetmes to exist.
No sign, whether new or existing, shall hereafter be erected or altered except in
roifo.toity with the provisions of this law. However, nstwithstanding any provisions
contained herein, the sign must be kept clean, neatly painted and free from all
hazards, including but not limited to, holes in the sign, faulty wiring, loose fastenings
and the sign must otherwise be maintained at all times in good repair and shall not be
detrimental or dangerous to the public health or safely. If the Zoning Officer, or
Board of Trustees, shall find the any sign violates any of the foregoing provisions or
that such sign is unsafe or is an acfual or imminent traffic or other hazard or danger to
the public, he shall give witten notice which shall specifu the violations and the
items requiring correction or the removal of a sign, as thE case may be.
In the event of failure to comply with the requirements of said notice within the period
required therein, the permit for such sign shall be automatically revoked and such
sign shall be removed by the owner of the land on which such sign is erected.
H. Non-Conforming Signs.
Fny sign which has been in existence prior to the effective date of this local law and
which does not conform with the provisions and standards of this law and any
amendments thereto, shall be removed within 90 days from the effective date hereof'
I. Iregal Fees.
Wh*uo utty action at law is brought to collect a sum of money, the defendant shall pay
attomey's fees.
J. Violalions
F"ttrrr t" .omply with any of the provisions of this local law shall be deemed a violation
and the violator.ttutt b. iable to a fine of not more than $50,00 for each violation, and
each day's failure to comply shall be deemed a violation.
K. Validitv.
11ilt iection, subsection, phrase, sentence or portion of this local law is for any reason,
held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall
be deemed separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding shall not affect
the validity of the remaining portions hereof'
L. Effective Date.
this local law shall take effect on the twentieth day after adoption. (lll15l87)