§ 220-81. Design standards and general regulations.

All signs erected and maintained in the Town of Canandaigua shall be in accordance with the following design standards:

A. 

Architectural harmony. Commercial speech signs and their supporting structure shall be in architectural harmony with surrounding structures and signs.

B. 

Lighting in all zoning districts.

(1) 

Angle. Exterior sign lighting shall illuminate only the sign and shall not be emitted or reflected so as to create a traffic hazard or nuisance.

(2) 

Flashing. No sign shall be illuminated by or contain flashing, intermittent, rotating or moving light(s). Sign-illuminating devices shall only emit light of constant intensity and color.

(3) 

Intensity. The intensity of light illuminating a sign shall not exceed that necessary to make the sign visible from the nearest public ways.

(4) 

All lighting. All sign lighting shall be compliant with the Town's dark sky lighting standards contained in § 220-77 of the Town Code.

C. 

Attention-getting devices. No sign shall consist, in whole or in part, of banners, balloons, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or similar fluttering devices or consist of animated or moving parts.

D. 

Projecting signs. With the exception of signs on awnings or canopies, no sign shall be erected or maintained which extends a distance of more than 18 inches from the front or face of a building. In no event shall a sign overhang or project onto any public right-of-way except as provided for herein.

E. 

Minimum setbacks and maximum sign areas.

(1) 

Minimum setbacks. Except for public safety signage erected pursuant to § 220-91 and temporary signs erected pursuant to § 220-85, no ground sign shall be erected within 15 feet of any boundary of any street, highway or public way nor within 15 feet of any lot boundary. No temporary sign erected pursuant to § 220-85 shall be erected within 15 feet of any boundary other than that of a street, highway or public way.

(2) 

Maximum areas. The maximum sign area specified herein shall be the maximum sign area permitted for a single display surface. Unless otherwise provided, although no single display surface shall exceed the maximum sign area, the total sign area of a two-sided ground sign may be twice the maximum sign area permitted for a single surface.

F. 

Hazards to public safety. All signs shall comply with applicable provisions of the State of New York Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. No sign shall be erected in such a manner as obstruct the view of a traffic sign, signal, or device. No sign shall be attached to a fire escape or to any door or window facilitating access to a fire escape. No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to interfere with any communication or energized electrical power lines.

Editor's Note: See Executive Law § 370 et seq.

G. 

Support. All signs shall be securely attached to a building or a structurally sound support. No sign shall be attached to a fence, utility pole or tree. Signs may be erected or maintained upon the roof of a building or structure, but may not exceed the height requirement of this chapter.

[Amended 7-15-2019 by L.L. No. 3-2019]

H. 

Maintenance. All signs and all structures supporting signs shall be adequately maintained. Display surfaces and support structures shall be kept neatly painted and in good repair at all times. Failure to so maintain a sign or support structure may constitute abandonment and subject a sign to removal pursuant to this section.

I. 

Temporary signs. Signs advertising a temporary situation in any district may only be displayed in accordance with the provisions in this article.

J. 

Aesthetic impact to be reviewed. When reviewing applications that include signs, the Planning Board shall also consider the type of sign(s) and their suitability to the particular neighborhood, including the sign's aesthetic design, form, proportion, color, material, surface treatment and position. In addition to any other requirements prescribed within the Town Zoning Law, plans shall only be approved which reflect a reasonable conformity of design, lettering, lighting and material for all signs on a parcel and do not have an unnecessarily negative aesthetic impact.