Town staff propose overhaul of Greenburgh's sign code; digital displays limited to commercial districts

Liz Garrity, deputy building inspector for the Town of Greenburgh, told the board she has prepared a full rewrite of the town's sign and illumination law, which she said dates to 1969 and has been amended piecemeal.

Garrity said the draft adds missing definitions, clarifies how to measure sign area, and proposes district-specific rules for places such as the Hartsdale Center (HC) District. "It is from 1969," she said, noting the code had been updated over time but not modernized.

The draft would allow electronic messaging boards in high-density commercial districts with Planning Board approval, but it would bar moving animation and sequential displays to reduce traffic impacts: "No animation... No sequencing," Garrity said. She also proposed standards for illumination and lumen limits to give the town enforceable brightness rules.

Garrity said the rewrite removes the permit requirement for some window signage that occupies no more than 25% of a window and adds an "abandonment" rule requiring landlords to take down signage when a tenant vacates, to avoid misleading passersby.

To simplify compliance, staff proposed a sign matrix embedded in the code and posted on the town website so applicants could look up allowed signs by district and type. Garrity said she will circulate a redlined text to the board when it is finalized.

Board members asked staff to consult the Chamber of Commerce and local business stakeholders before finalizing details; no vote was taken at the meeting.