Sign Permits

In this episode of the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Podcast, host Gail Lucas and DPS Plan Reviewer Roger Waterstreet discuss the Sign Ordinance and what you need to know before you install an exterior sign. Tune in to learn the difference between permanent and temporary signs, what the reviewer is looking for on the sign permit application, what you should know about the permit and variance process, the role of the Sign Review Board, and more!

Do you have a question or an idea for a future DPS Podcast episode? Email your ideas and questions to dps.podcast@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The transcript of this episode can be found here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2163316/19666927-sign-permits/transcript

Transcript

Welcome And Meet The Sign Permit Plan Reviewer

Gail Lucas 0:10

Welcome to the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services podcast. I'm Gail Lucas, your host. Joining us on the podcast today is Roger Waterstreet, who is a plan reviewer in our zoning division and our resident sign guru in Montgomery County. Welcome to the podcast, Roger.

Roger Waterstreet 0:29

Thank you. Great to be here.

Gail Lucas 0:31

Before we begin, why don't you tell us a little bit about what your job is, what you do at DPS.

Roger Waterstreet 0:39

I'm as a reviewer, I'm responsible for reviews of residential and commercial projects, which includes review of sign applications to assure compliance with the sign ordinance. In addition, I'm staff liaison to the sign review board.

Gail Lucas 0:57

Okay. The sign ordinance is part of the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance, correct? Tell us what the ordinance does and why it's important.

Why The Sign Ordinance Exists

Roger Waterstreet 1:07

It's the intent of the sign ordinance to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community through certain objectives, such as to encourage the effective use of signs, okay, to promote economic development, to identify buildings and geographic areas and to promote public safety.

Gail Lucas 1:34

How does the sign ordinance promote public safety?

Roger Waterstreet 1:38

It sets limits on where signs can be placed. Okay, sure. And also it also sets restrictions on signage in the public right -of -way that might interfere with vehicle safety or pedestrian safety.

Permanent Vs Temporary Signs

Gail Lucas 1:55

Okay, that makes all kinds of sense. Why don't you tell us what's allowed and what's not allowed when it comes to signs? Because we see signs all over, we see signs on buildings, we see signs advertising all kinds of things. So tell us what the ordinance provides.

Roger Waterstreet 2:11

There are basically two levels of signs, permanent and temporary. Okay. Uh permanent are signs which are intended to be displayed indefinitely.

Gail Lucas 2:23

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 2:24

Requires a permit and is subject to height, size, and location u restrictions. Yes. Temporary are signs that would be displayed on a short short-term basis, um, perhaps to uh announce a yard sale u or a another special event u that would uh be installed and removed within a 90-day period.

Gail Lucas 2:51

Okay.

Digital Signs And Prohibited Signs

Gail Lucas 2:52

I notice in Montgomery County that you don't see, I don't even know what the technical term is or what it is, moving signs, signs that have scrolling information, or you see very few of those. Are those allowed in Montgomery County?

Roger Waterstreet 3:05

They the digital signs are permitted uh with restrictions. Okay. And that being that the message is time limited and there cannot be any movement within that that certain time frame.

Gail Lucas 3:21

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 3:22

Uh so as to uh reduce the possibility of distraction uh to motorists.

Gail Lucas 3:29

What other types of signs are prohibited in Montgomery County?

Roger Waterstreet 3:33

There are a few, uh one being um a sign that's attached to the property of others who the property owner did not give permission. That would be a sign maybe on a fence or a tree. Uh so it's always important that before a sign is installed that you get the permission of the property owner.

Gail Lucas 3:56

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 3:57

Another type of sign would be an unsafe sign, a sign that may have electrical or structural issues that creates a hazard. Sure.

How Sign Permits Get Reviewed

Gail Lucas 4:09

What do you look for when you get applications? All of our applications, again, are online. The sign application is online, so someone wanting a sign would have to apply through our e-services portal. But what are you looking at when you get these sign applications?

Roger Waterstreet 4:27

Well, once the permit application goes through the screening process uh to assure that it's it's complete, uh, the reviewer will look at uh the size of the sign, the height of the sign, and where the sign is located to verify that the sign is conforming to the sign ordinance. And so that's dependent on the zone of the property. A sign in a commercial zone would have different requirements as opposed to a sign in a residential zone. Sure.

Gail Lucas 4:59

What types of signs do we have in Montgomery County? We see signs on buildings, free sign signs. What kind of signs do typically?

Roger Waterstreet 5:07

Those are the two basic types. The wall-mounted signs, and then the other type is a freestanding sign. That's a sign that's self-supported. And you might see a freestanding sign at an entrance to a property that would identify that location.

Gail Lucas 5:22

Sure. And if my sign is lighted, I not only need a sign permit, but I also need an electrical permit. Is that correct?

Roger Waterstreet 5:30

That's correct.

Gail Lucas 5:31

Okay. Right.

Roger Waterstreet 5:32

We have to make sure that the sign meets the requirements of the electrical code.

Lighting, Electrical Permits, And Setbacks

Gail Lucas 5:39

Okay. Do signs have to meet setbacks and property line restrictions, those kinds of things?

Roger Waterstreet 5:45

That's more applicable to a freestanding sign. Okay. When a freestanding sign is installed at the perimeter of a property, uh, we have to review that location to verify that it is meeting the setback requirement. And part of the reason for that is that it's not going to be right up by the property line where it might create an obstruction for sight line for traffic.

Gail Lucas 6:11

Right, right, right. What if I can't meet those requirements?

Variances And The Sign Review Board

Gail Lucas 6:17

Is there a way, is there a sign variance? Is there, how would I go about saying my sign can't meet those necessarily requirements, but maybe it can meet some other requirements? How would someone apply for that?

Roger Waterstreet 6:29

There is a variance process that an applicant can submit a sign variance application, uh, and it would be uh accepted by DPS and then scheduled for public hearing before the sign review board. Okay. Sign review board has the authority to grant a variance in certain situations.

Gail Lucas 6:50

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 6:51

The only category of signs that they're not permitted to review and decide on are prohibited signs.

Gail Lucas 6:58

Okay. And you are the liaison to the Sign Review Board. Tell us what the Sign Review Board does.

Roger Waterstreet 7:05

The Sign Review Board is a five-member body who are appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Council. They are residents of Montgomery County, and it's required that at least one member be an architect.

Gail Lucas 7:21

Ah, okay.

Roger Waterstreet 7:22

Uh, and and be licensed, and also the other member must be a business owner.

Gail Lucas 7:28

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 7:29

So we get a wide you know spectrum of representatives that would hear the sign variance applications.

Gail Lucas 7:38

Does the Sign Review Board look at all sign applications or just those needing variances?

Roger Waterstreet 7:44

Just the sign variance applications. Okay. A DPS staff would review the signed permit applications.

Gail Lucas 7:50

How often does that board meet?

Roger Waterstreet 7:52

The board meets monthly.

Gail Lucas 7:54

Okay. Do we get that many sign variance applications?

Roger Waterstreet 7:59

It varies. Okay. Uh depending on circumstances. Uh you know, we may have two or three one month, and we may have six or seven the next month. So it's really a dependent on the timing uh, you know, of the applicant's uh submission.

Gail Lucas 8:15

Okay.

Fees, Permit Life, And Changing A Sign

Gail Lucas 8:16

And we've talked about how an a customer would apply for a sign. They would need to do that through our e-services or permits, uh permit applications are electronic. But how much does a sign permit cost?

Roger Waterstreet 8:29

The current fee is $373.

Gail Lucas 8:32

Okay. And how long is that valid for?

Roger Waterstreet 8:34

Uh the sign permit is valid for the life of the sign.

Gail Lucas 8:39

Ah, okay.

Roger Waterstreet 8:39

Uh so there is no renewal required annually for this sign permit. Uh it's just as long as the business is there and occupying that location and the sign remains the same, meaning it's not altered or moved, that permit is valid for that sign.

Gail Lucas 9:02

What if I want to revise my sign? Or if I want to alter my sign, how would I revise my permit?

Roger Waterstreet 9:08

One would need to submit a sign permit application because it would have to go again through the review process, because u if the sign were to be altered, enlarged, right, uh uh moved, it has to go through that review. So it would require a new sign permit.

Application Checklist And Pro Tips

Gail Lucas 9:26

So, what tips do you have for folks that are considering signs? Tell me what is important for people to know.

Roger Waterstreet 9:33

It's important that you uh plan ahead, right? Okay, be prepared, okay, do your research. Very important. Uh that you gather all the information and contact DPS if you have questions so that we get a complete application, uh, and then that application can go right into review, which would cut down on any delays.

Gail Lucas 10:00

What's included in the sign permit application? What do I need to make sure that I'm submitting to along with the sign permit application?

Roger Waterstreet 10:08

It would require uh for a wall sign, it would require uh building elevation drawing showing placement of the sign, uh and it would require a detailed drawing of the sign showing dimensions and any other characteristics of the sign, a current photo of the sign location, okay, uh, and um landlord authorization.

Gail Lucas 10:32

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 10:32

And that would be it. If it's electrical, again, as we we we spoke of, it would require an electrical permit to accompany that that permit application.

Gail Lucas 10:41

And so those requirements are the same whether it's on the building or freestanding?

Roger Waterstreet 10:45

Well, what the only difference with freestanding is because it's off of the building uh and on site, it requires a site plan.

Gail Lucas 10:54

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 10:54

So that's where we're gonna check for that setback requirement.

Gail Lucas 10:58

Okay. Anything else folks ought to know about signs if they're considering placing signs? Anything else they need to know?

Roger Waterstreet 11:06

I would again just reiterate, you know, be informed and you know contact the Department of Permitting Services. Uh, we're a resource that you know can provide the information up front to you so that in your planning. For a business owner, I would certainly emphasize that you hire a licensed professional installer.

Gail Lucas 11:30

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 11:31

Okay. Uh who knows the business and often they know the permit process, sure, which could be a great assistance in getting through that process to obtain a permit.

The Shark Week Sign Story

Gail Lucas 11:42

Roger, I know you've been you've been working with signs for a long time. Tell us a good sign story.

Roger Waterstreet 11:50

Well, as you can probably imagine, I've seen a lot of signs that have come through the permitting process, some creative uh and compliant.

Gail Lucas 11:59

Some creative.

Roger Waterstreet 12:01

But one that really stands out uh probably in my time at DPS was the shark sign.

Gail Lucas 12:09

Okay.

Roger Waterstreet 12:09

And that was a uh shark that was uh placed on the upper floor of a high-rise building in downtown Silver Spring during National Shark Week. Uh drew a lot of interest. Uh, and it was there for approximately a month. Uh, but uh it uh it got a lot of attention because you have the shark head on one end of the building, you have a tail on the other end of the building as if the shark was passing through the building.

Gail Lucas 12:38

I remember that sign. I remember for shark week. Yes, it got it did get a lot of attention.

Roger Waterstreet 12:45

Right.

Gail Lucas 12:46

Thank you so much for being with us, Mr. Water Street. My pleasure. Thank you for joining us on the podcast today.

Contact DPS And Subscribe

Gail Lucas 12:55

Remember, DPS is here to help you, our customer, succeed. It's important to know when you need a permit and why you need a permit. If you have questions or if you need information, please contact our customer call center at 240-777-0311. Or you can come into the DPS offices at 2425 Reedy Drive. We're on the seventh floor and we're here Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 o'clock p.m. There's always someone here that can talk with you, can get you to the right person, and help you get your questions answered. Thank you again for joining us, Roger Water Street. Thank you for joining us. You have an idea for a topic or have a question you'd like to see answered on the podcast, please send that to dps.podcast at MontgomeryCountymd.gov. And you can always get information about signs, about all of the permits that DPS issues on our DPS website. Please help us spread the word about our podcast, subscribe, and have your friends and family subscribe so that you always get our latest episode. I'm Gail Lucas. Thank you for joining us on our podcast. Remember, DPS is your project partner.

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