PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §1914, sub-§3,  as repealed and replaced by PL 1981, c. 318, §4, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
 
3.  Location.     An on-premises sign must be located within 1,000 feet of the location of the business, facility or point of interest. An on-premises sign must be located on land owned by the entity owning the business, facility or point of interest that is contiguous to the location of the business, facility or point of interest. The on-premises sign may not be separated from the location of the business, facility or point of interest by a public way. The location of a business, facility or point of interest includes the buildings, parking lots, storage and processing areas and other structures or features that are essential and customary to the conduct of the business, facility or point of interest but does not include driveways, fences or similar features.
Sec. 2. 23 MRSA §1914, sub-§5,  as repealed and replaced by PL 1981, c. 318, §4, is amended to read:
 
5. Interstate highways.   Not more than one on-premiseon-premises sign, advertising the sale or lease of the property, may be permitted on land adjacent to any portion of the interstate system, including ramps and interchange areas, whichthat is visible therefromfrom the interstate.
 
Not more than one on-premiseon-premises sign visible from any portion of the interstate system, including ramps and interchange areas, may be permitted more than 50 feet from the principal building or structure wherelocation of the business, facility or point of interest is carried on.
 
No on-premiseAn on-premises advertisement, located more than 50 feet from the principal building or structure wherelocation of the business, facility or point of interest advertised is carried on, may not exceed 20 feet in lenghtlength, width or height or 150 square feet in area, including border and trim, but excluding supports.
 
Any on-premiseon-premises sign located more than 50 feet from the principal structure wherelocation of the business, facility or point of interest is carried on that displays any trade name whichthat refers to or identifies any service rendered or product sold shallmust display the name of the advertised business, facility or point of interest as conspicuously as suchthe trade name.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, replaces the bill but preserves the essential purpose of the bill to allow on-premises signs at locations beyond 1,000 feet of the principal building where a business, facility or point of interest is carried on or practiced.
The amendment provides that on-premises signs must be located within 1,000 feet of the location of the business, facility or point of interest. The location of the business, facility or point of interest includes the buildings, parking lots, storage and processing areas or other structures or features that are essential and customary to the conduct of the business, facility or point of interest but does not include driveways, fences or similar features.
The amendment also provides that current restrictions regarding on-premises signs located adjacent to the interstate system are based on whether the sign is located within or beyond 50 feet of the location of the business, facility or point of interest rather than within or beyond 50 feet of the principal structure of the business, facility or point of interest.
Under the amendment, all on-premises signs must be located on land that is owned by the entity owning the business, facility or point of interest and contiguous to the location of the business, facility or point of interest. An on-premises sign may not be separated from the location of the business, facility or point of interest by a public way.