# Sign Regulations in Holyoke, Massachusetts

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Holyoke, Massachusetts, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Holyoke, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/holyoke
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MA/Holyoke/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH86TRVE_ARTIIISISIMA)

## At a glance

Holyoke, Massachusetts regulates 6 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Detached Signs in the Shopping Center District (SC) zoning district are capped at Height of the main structure tall and 200 sq ft (Sec. Section 8.3.7(1)). Most commercial signs in Holyoke require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Floodplain Overlay District (FOD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Water Resource Protection Overlay District (WRPOD), Aquifer Recharge Area (WRPOD I, II, III), Water Protection Area (WRPOD A, B, C) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Shopping Center District (SC) | 2 | Height of the main structure | 200 sq ft | — |
| Professional Office Overlay District (POOD) | 1 | — | 6 sq ft | — |
| Office Park District (OP) | 1 | — | 100 sq ft | — |
| Entryway Business District (BE) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Arts and Industry Overlay District (AIOD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Downtown Residential District (DR) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District (SGZD), Gateway Subdistrict (SGZD), Downtown Mixed Use Subdistrict (SGZD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Low Density Multifamily District (RM-LD) | 1 | 6 ft | 40 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### Shopping Center District (SC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Detached Sign | Height of the main structure | 200 sq ft | — | — | One per entrance | At entrance(s) to shopping center | — | Section 8.3.7(1) |
| Attached Sign (Wall Sign) | — | — | — | — | — | On the building | — | Section 8.3.7(2) |

### Professional Office Overlay District (POOD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Office Sign | — | 6 sq ft | 2 ft (height) x 3 ft (width) | — | One per parcel | On the property where the office is located | — | Section 8.4.4(2), 8.4.3(3) |

### Office Park District (OP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | Not within 200 ft of any residence district | One | Within buildable area (not on roof) | — | Section 8.5.2(6), 8.5.2(1) |

## Prohibited signs in Holyoke

- No building, loading or unloading facility, trash or waste receptacle, or sign shall be constructed, erected or located within 200 feet of any residence district in an Office Park (OP) district (Section 8.5.2).
- No parking lot may be located within 150 feet of any residence district, unless in side or rear yards and fully screened, and not within 100 feet in any case in an OP district.
- No fence shall be located within 25 feet of any residence district in an OP district.
- No exterior lighting is allowed in OP districts except as necessary to illuminate driveways, parking areas and walkways.
- Outdoor storage of items not available for retail sales is prohibited in Entryway Business (BE) (Section 8.6.2.2).
- Chain link fences with razor wire or barbed wire are prohibited in the BE district (Section 8.6.2.3).
- All uses not expressly allowed are prohibited in Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District (SGZD) (Section 8.9.6).

## Signs exempt from permit in Holyoke

- In Professional Office Overlay District (POOD), parking in existence within the front yard prior to the adoption of the section is exempt from new parking location requirements (Section 8.4.4.3).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- In Shopping Center Districts (SC), the location for overnight storage of supply trucks must be indicated on the site plan (Section 8.3.5).
- In POOD, two sets of a site plan must be submitted with the permit application, including details of all proposed signs (Section 8.4.3). If the building is on the historic inventory, an additional site plan must be submitted for comment.
- AIOD (Arts and Industry Overlay District) projects exceeding 25 dwelling units or 50,000 gross square feet require AIOD site plan review and approval by the planning board prior to building permit issuance (Section 8.7.5).
- In SGZD (Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District), all projects will be reviewed under either a plan approval or plan review process as described in section 8-9.10. A concept plan and/or full site plan and affordable housing proposals are required (Sections 8.9.10 & 8.9.11).
- In POOD, a site plan prepared by a registered architect, landscape architect, or engineer is required, and must include details of all proposed signs including size, placement, construction, materials, colors, and design of lettering or symbols (Section 8.4.3.3).

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 3 districts in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 10 zoning districts in Holyoke — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Holyoke+MA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-holyoke

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