Signs permitted in zoning district
The following signs are permitted and shall be counted when calculating the quantity of signs permitted and the total allowable sign area; provided, however, that such signs shall conform to all other applicable regulations, and further provided that such signs shall be neither illuminated nor indirectly illuminated, except as otherwise specified herein:
A. Name and address, not to include any commercial advertising. Such signs shall not exceed three square feet in area per side, and shall be limited to one such sign per resident, family or use.
B. No trespassing sign, or other such signs regulating the use of the property on which it is located, provided such signs do not exceed three square feet in area.
C. Bulletin boards, for public or religious institutions when located on the property thereof, provided such signs do not exceed 15 square feet per side and bear no commercial advertising. Such signs may be indirectly illuminated.
D. For sale signs, one sign which shall not exceed six square feet in area and which advertise the sale, lease or rental of the real property on which it is located, and which may not be maintained for more than six months. Such signs in place for more than six months shall require a temporary sign permit as specified in section 6.7, item C.
E. Instructional or directional signs, identifying on-premises traffic, parking or other functional activity, such as lavatory facilities, telephone sections of a building, entrances, offices, etc., bearing no commercial advertising. There shall be no more than one sign for each applicable activity, and each sign shall not exceed two square feet in area, if wall-mounted, and four square feet if freestanding. Such signs may be illuminated or indirectly illuminated.
F. Signs erected by the Town of Exeter, the State of Rhode Island or the United States of America, pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function, or required by any law, ordinance or governmental regulation. Such signs may be illuminated or directly illuminated.
G. Memorial signs or tablets, and signs denoting the date of erection of buildings. Signs denoting the date of erection of building shall be wall-mounted and shall not exceed three square feet in area.
H. Signs identifying churches, and places of worship, or certified nonprofit educational institutions when located on the property thereof. Such signs may be indirectly illuminated, and may not exceed 15 square feet in area.
I. Election signs or political signs, permitted in all zoning districts, with [the] permission of the landowner. Election or political signs shall be removed within ten days after the election, with the candidate for office or his/her candidacy. Signs are not to exceed 32 square feet. No signs may be posted on trees, utility poles or traffic signs or similar public regulatory markers.
J. Accessory signs, incidental to a business or a profession conducted on the premises indicating hours of operation, credit cards, business affiliations, and the like, provided the total area of all such signs for a single business does not exceed two square feet per public entrance (noncumulative) and is wall-mounted at or immediately adjacent to the entrance to the building on the premises.
K. The following signs customary and necessary to the operation of gasoline filling stations, wall-mounted signs displayed over individual entrance doors consisting of the words "washing," "lubrication," "repairing," or words of similar import, provided that there shall be not more than one such sign over each entrance, and that the letters of such sign do not exceed ten inches in height; signs which consist of lettering or other insignia which are structural part of a gasoline pump, consisting only of a brand name, lead warning sign and other matter as required by law; one 2.5 square feet per side (maximum) sign indicating price per gallon of gasoline to be attached to the pump; also there may be one sign no larger than eight square feet per side using numbers no larger than 18 inches in height indicating price per gallon of gasoline along highways on which the legal speed limit is less than 35 mph, or one sign no larger than 12 square feet per side using numbers no larger than 18 inches in height indicating price per gallon along highways on which the legal speed limit is 35 mph or more, such sign shall be freestanding and shall have a clearance of at least seven feet from the ground.
L. Digital clocks, time temperature clocks, or other clocks which contain no advertising, and which may be illuminated or indirectly illuminated, and may not exceed 20 square feet in surface area.
M. Window signs, erected or maintained in the window of a building which are visible from any public or private street or highway, provided such sign shall not occupy more than 30 percent of the area of said window.
N. Temporary window signs, erected or maintained in the window of a building, which are visible from any public or private street or highway, provided such sign shall not occupy more than 30 percent of the area of said window, and shall not be in place more than 30 days.
O. Awning signs, less than ten square feet in area, not to exceed one such awning sign per use.
P. Sale of produce raised on land, signs shall be no larger than 12 square feet per side, or two signs no larger than six square feet each per side, and shall not be lighted in any manner.
Q. Signs notifying the public of an application pending before the planning board as provided in the land development and subdivision regulations.
(Amd. of 10-5-04)