A. Purpose The purpose of the following standards is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and enhance the natural, historical, architectural and landscape environment of the area of the City of Augusta comprising the Capitol Area as defined elsewhere in these Capitol Area Rules and Regulations by ensuring signs that:
(1) Enhance the appearance and dignity of the campuses and environs of Maine State Government;(2) Harmonize with the architectural style of the buildings or structures with which they are associated, and with the New England character of the City;(3) Allow pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists to see one another clearly, to readily discern their destinations, to park their vehicles in appropriately-designated and designed areas, and to reach their destinations in a safe, convenient, pleasant, and timely fashion; and(4) Pose no hazards to people or property.B. Adoption of the City of Augusta Sign Regulations The Capitol Planning Commission (CPC) hereby adopts by reference the City of Augusta Ordinances, entitled Sign Regulations, as the Sign Standards for the CPC Rules, applicable to all properties within the Capitol Area, except as amended, supplemented, or modified by the following provisions.
These Rules will always refer to the latest version of the City of Augusta Regulations Municipal Ordinance. However, the CPC reserves the right to review all proposed revisions to the Ordinance in whole or in part, and to make changes or revisions to any portion of the Ordinance to be applied in the Capitol Area in order to maintain the Purpose of these Rules. The Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) of the City of Augusta shall notify the CPC of all proposed revisions to the Ordinance, and shall forward proposed modified language to BGS for distribution to and review and comment by the CPC. The CPC shall have the opportunity to review and comment on these proposed modifications before a final action to adopt is implemented so that any changes proposed by the CPC, with consideration by the City, may be incorporated in the revised Ordinance.
C. General Standards (1) Permit required: A sign or advertising device of any nature, except as allowed by these standards, may not be erected, assembled, affixed out of doors, or painted on the exterior of a building or structure, without a permit from the CEO of the City of Augusta following the provisions of the Ordinance and State Law. Before any permit is granted for a sign, plans and specifications shall be filed with the CEO showing the location, dimensions, materials, landscaping, and required details of construction, including loads, stresses, and anchorage.(2) Review by the CPC: As a prerequisite to obtaining a sign permit from the CEO of the City of Augusta, applications for a sign permit in the following categories must reviewed for appropriateness and compliance with the standards of this section of the Rules by the CPC: (a) any application filed by an agency of Maine State Government or an authorized agent or representative thereof(b) any application filed by a private property owner within the State, Development, Gateway, or Arsenal zones of the Capitol Area(c) any application filed by a property owner within any other zone of the Capitol Area when the subject property has frontage on Capitol Street, State Street, Union Street, Arsenal Street, Child Street, or Hospital Street.(d) any municipal, county, regional, or federal governmental agency proposing to erect a sign within the Capitol Area.(3) Application process: Applications falling within any one or more of these categories, after preliminary review and approval by the Augusta CEO, shall be forwarded by the CEO to the State of Maine Bureau of General Services (BGS), which shall submit the application to the CPC for review according to a process detailed in these Rules. If the application meets applicable requirements, a Certificate of Appropriateness will be issued by BGS on behalf of the CPC to the CEO. Receipt of the Certificate of Appropriateness will be a prerequisite to final approval of the applications and issuance of a permit by the City of Augusta CEO.(4) Longevity of permits: Permits for signs within the Capitol Area shall be valid for five (5) years. When permits expire, another permit must be obtained and the sign must conform to existing requirements of these regulations and their amendments to receive a renewed permit.(5) Materials: Materials such as corrugated plastic, bulbous plastic letters, non-textured plastic, and gloss tile are prohibited. Traditional, durable materials such as wood, stone, or architectural metals are encouraged. Concrete may be used with CPC approval. Sign materials should be compatible with those of the building to which the sign is to be attached.(6) Clarity: Signs should be simple and use a minimal number of type faces or lettering styles in order to present a clear message.(7) Colors: Multiple colors may be used but the color scheme must be respectful of the sign's context (the landscape and neighboring buildings) and the colors of the building to which it is to be attached. The mounting fixtures for the sign may be a different, coordinated color. All colors must be approved by the CPC. In general, fewer colors are better, and the colors should be tasteful and coordinated with each other.(8) Placement: New signs should respect the size, scale and design of buildings and/or landscapes with which they are associated. New signs should not obscure significant features of the buildings or landscape elements to which they are attached or relate.(9) Existing signs, if determined to be of historic significance in their own right or to be a character-defining feature of a designated historic building or structure, or of a building or structure determined to be eligible for designation by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, shall be retained and restored if necessary, unless the applicant can provide proof that to do so would compromise the public health, safety, and welfare.D. Variations from the City of Augusta Sign Regulations The following revisions, supplements, and alterations to the City of Augusta Sign Regulations, Article 5.1.17 of the Municipal Ordinances, apply to all applications for signs to be erected, assembled, affixed out-of-doors, or painted on the exterior of a building or structure that affect properties within the Capitol Area.
(1) With reference to (3), off-premises signs shall be prohibited.(2) With reference to (4), internally-lit signs are prohibited.(3) With reference to (4)(a)(ii)(D), neon lighting is prohibited within the State Development, State House, Arsenal, East Campus, Riverview, and Capitol Complex Historic District zones.(4) With reference to (4)(a)(ii)(E), the CPC shall not permit any signage on private property that uses similar designs to those proposed by the State, unless the subject property is leased by a State agency, in which case signage shall be designed, fabricated and installed with review and approval by the CPC.(5) With reference to (4)(a)(ii)(G), no signage shall be erected or maintained upon trees or painted or drawn on rocks or other natural features.(6) With reference to (4)(b)(v), portable signs are prohibited.(7) With reference to (4)(d), roof signs are prohibited.(8) With reference to (4)(e), graphic displays shall be restricted to awning valances only.(9) With reference to (4)(f), vehicular signs are prohibited.(10) With reference to (4)(g), franchise signs are prohibited within the SD, SHCP, EC, Gateway, Arsenal, and CCHD zones.(11) With reference to (5)(a)(i), public safety sign design and location within the CCHD, SD, SHCP, EC, Arsenal, Gateway, and Riverview zones must be reviewed by the CPC.(12) With reference to (5)(a)(iii)(A), organization signs are prohibited within the SHCP, CCHD, SD, Arsenal, East Campus, Riverview, and Gateway zones.(13) With reference to (5)(a)(iii)(B), real estate signs are prohibited within the SHCP, CCHD, SD, Gateway, Arsenal, East Campus, and Riverview zones.(14) With reference to (5)(a)(iii)(D), temporary home sales signs are prohibited within the SHCP, CHD, SD, Arsenal, East Campus, Riverview, and Gateway zones.(15) With reference to (5)(a)(iii)(E), political signs are prohibited within the SHCP, CCHD, SD, East Campus, and Riverview zones.(16) With reference to (5)(a)(iv), signs identifying occupants of residential property are prohibited within the SHCP, CCHD, SD, Arsenal, East Campus, Riverview, and Gateway zones.(17) With reference to (5)(a)(v), flags or insignia of any government within the SHCP, CCHD, SD, Arsenal, East Campus, Riverview, and Gateway zones shall be reviewed by the CPC.(18) With reference to (5)(a)(vi), public notices within the SHCP, CCHD, SD, Arsenal, East Campus, Riverview, and Gateway zones shall be reviewed by the CPC.(19) With reference to (5)(b)(ii, iii, and iv), institutional signs, directional signs, and directories proposed by State and local governmental agencies shall be located, designed and installed with review and approval by the CPC.(20) With reference to (5)(b)(v), advertising and promotional signs are prohibited.(21) With reference to (5)(b)(vii), signage approved by the CPC shall supersede this section of the Augusta Sign Regulations in the SHCP, CCHD, SD, EC, and Riverview zones.(22) With reference to (5)(c)(iv)(A), projecting signs may be permitted if reviewed and approved by the CPC.(23) With reference to (5)(c)(iv)(D), internally lit signs are prohibited in the Capitol Area.E. State Facilities Signage and Wayfinding Signs proposed for erection, assembly, affixing out of doors, or painted on the exterior of a building or structure within the Capitol Area by any agency of Maine State Government must be designed, fabricated, erected, installed, reviewed and approved by the CPC.
Signs for special government sites, parks and memorials may vary as described below.
F. Special Government Sites, Parks and Memorials Large parcels of property within the Capitol Area owned by the State, County, Local, or Federal Government that are designed as special entities, such as parks or memorials, may incorporate signs based on unique signage and wayfinding plans that are integral with the landscape and/or architectural design of these entities, provided that such signage plans are reviewed and approved by the CPC. Signage and wayfinding plans shall be submitted to the CPC as part of the schematic, design development, and contract document packages during the design process.
New signs proposed for parks, memorials or sites after the initial installations are complete (i.e. subsequent installations) shall be designed, located and installed according to the standards of the original signage and wayfinding plan, preferably designed by the designer of the original installation, and shall be reviewed and approved by the CPC.
In no case shall standard State sign designs be used for subsequent signage on State-owned parcels, nor shall a sign protocol differing from the original designs be used unless proposed by the original sign designer and approved by the CPC.
Size, installation height, and quantity regulations for all signs in such areas shall be reviewed and approved by the CPC.
G. Privately-Owned Campuses Large privately-owned parcels of property within the Capitol Area that are designed as special entities, such as an office park or a residential development (such as the Arsenal), may incorporate signs based on unique signage and wayfinding plans that are integral with the landscape and/or architectural design of these entities, provided that such signage plans are reviewed and approved by the CPC. Signage and wayfinding plans shall be submitted to the CPC as part of the schematic, design development, and contract document packages during the design process.
New signs proposed for such parcels after the initial installations are complete (i.e. subsequent installations) shall be designed, located and installed according to the standards of the original signage and wayfinding plan, preferably designed by the designer of the original installation, and shall be reviewed and approved by the CPC. In no case shall the standard State sign protocol be used for subsequent signage, nor shall a different sign protocol be used unless proposed by the original sign designer and approved by the CPC.
Size, installation height, and quantity regulations for all signs in such areas shall be reviewed and approved by the CPC.
H. Memorial Signs, Tablets and Plaques Memorial signs, tablets or plaques containing the names of buildings, date of construction, or names of persons associated with the planning, design, funding and construction of a building, when cut into masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other appropriate, durable, historically-appropriate materials shall be permitted in addition to other permitted signs, when reviewed and approved by the CPC. Such signs, plaques or tablets shall respect the size, scale and design of buildings, structures, site development and landscape component that represent the context of the proposed new element(s).
I. Applicability of CPC Rules Title 23 M.R.S.A. sections1091 - 1025 and City of Augusta Ordinances shall always apply where they impose more restrictive provisions than these regulations and to all circumstances not otherwise covered by these provisions.
C.M.R. 18, 134, ch. 1, § 134-1-5, subsec. 134-1-5-9