Methuen, MA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

The billboard rule is § 11.22 of the Methuen Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, adopted by the Methuen City Council. Subsection B allows an application for a billboard special permit only in the BH and IL Zoning Districts. Under subsection C(1) the special permit granting authority is the Board of Appeals, and the Department of Economic and Community Development must give the Board a written recommendation before any permit is granted. The applicant must also meet the general special permit requirements of § 11.2B.

Subsection D adds billboard-specific criteria. The applicant must demonstrate compliance with the Outdoor Advertising Board Regulations, that the location does not adversely interfere with the uses of adjacent properties, that the billboard does not cause an adverse shadow or flicker on adjacent properties, and that it causes no noise that violates a state regulation or a local noise ordinance. The Board must also find the billboard in harmony with or suitable for the surrounding area, and it can weigh scenic beauty, the height and size of the sign, and the number of signs on the premises and in the area.

The ordinance contains no separate digital or electronic billboard section. The printed provisions that bear on a display that changes or lights up are the shadow and flicker criterion in D(3) and subsection G, which says no billboard permitted under the section shall have any moving parts. Separately, § 7.4C(1) prohibits signs any part of which move or flash and all beacons and flashing devices, except Christmas lights between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Subsection E sets a front yard setback of 40 feet, a side yard setback of 20 feet and a rear yard setback of 30 feet, notwithstanding the Table of Dimensional Controls. Under subsection F the permit lasts one year and is renewed annually, with a one-time application fee and an annual fee set in Appendix D.