The purpose of this article is to protect and promote health, safety, general welfare and order through the establishment of comprehensive, uniform standards and procedures governing the construction, use, and style of signs or symbols serving as a visual communication media, aimed at persons upon public rights-of-way or private properties. It is intended that the opportunity for effective, aesthetically compatible and orderly communications be encouraged by reducing confusion and hazards resulting from unnecessary or indiscriminate use of signs. Hereafter, no sign shall be erected, constructed, altered, or modified except as regulated herein.
A. 
Hazardous signs. No sign shall, by reason of its shape, location, lighting, size, color, or intensity, create a hazard to the safe, efficient movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. No private sign shall contain words which might be construed as traffic controls, such as "stop," "caution," or "warning," unless such sign is intended to direct traffic on the premises.
B. 
Sign maintenance. All signs and sign structures shall be properly maintained in a safe, orderly condition, and parts and supports shall be properly painted at all times. Signs or sign structures which are rotted, unsafe, or which have otherwise deteriorated or have been defaced shall be repainted, repaired, or replaced by the leaseholder of the property upon which the sign is located.
C. 
Interference. No signs nor any guides, stays or attachments thereto shall be erected, placed, or maintained upon rocks, fences, or trees or in such a manner as to interfere with fire-fighting equipment or personnel or any electric light, power, telephone or cable wires or supports thereof. Signs shall not be screwed, nailed, stapled or otherwise affixed to any standing green timber unless approved by the Tribal Legislature.
[Amended 9-15-2022 by Ord. No. 22-41]
D. 
Signs within right-of-way. No signs other than governmental signs shall be erected or temporarily placed within any public right-of-way.
E. 
Portable signs. The temporary use of portable signs shall be allowed in commercial districts, provided that the total signage area does not exceed 120% of the size allowed in § 625-219. A portable sign may be placed within a front yard.
F. 
Clearance. All signs located over a public or private access route (sidewalk, mall, etc.) shall be located a minimum of 12 feet above grade level.
G. 
Display of information. All signs requiring a permit shall display in a conspicuous manner the permit number as required by ordinance.
H. 
Safe ingress and egress. No sign or sign structure shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent or deter free movement from any door, window, walkway, or fire escape, nor shall a sign or sign structure be attached to a standpipe or fire escape. No sign or sign structure shall impede the vision triangle of a driveway access to a property based on the type of public road being accessed.
I. 
Signs required by ordinance. All signs required by ordinance shall be permitted in all districts.
J. 
Parallel signs. If a freestanding sign or sign structure is constructed so that the faces are not parallel, the angle shall not exceed 30°. If the angle is greater than 30°, the total area of both sides added together shall be the calculated area and considered two signs. If the angle is less than 30°, only one sign, the larger if different size, shall be used for calculating square footage and number of signs.
625 Parallel Signs.tif
K. 
Front yard signs. One business freestanding sign may be placed within the front yard.
L. 
Obsolete signs. An obsolete sign or a sign which advertises an activity, product or service which is no longer being produced or conducted shall be removed within 90 days from the last date upon which the activity or service was produced or conducted. Responsibility for the removal shall be vested in the leaseholder of the property. If the lease is canceled, then the Department may remove any obsolete signs.
M. 
Illumination. All externally illuminated signs shall direct the source of light away from adjacent properties.
N. 
Double frontage lots. Lots having frontage on two streets or on a street and an alley shall be permitted to provide the maximum number and square footage of signs on each footage.
O. 
Copy area. In the C-1, C-2, UID-1, and 1-2 Districts the maximum square footage for an on-site freestanding sign can be increased to double the allowable sign area by approval of a conditional use permit.
(1) 
The permit shall be recommended for approval only if the committee finds that such a sign:
(a) 
Will be compatible with surrounding signs and the street setting in which it is to be located;
(b) 
Will not create or add to an excessive number of signs relative to the area in which it is located;
(c) 
Will not interfere with or confuse motorists or pedestrians; and
(d) 
Is consistent and compatible with the scale of the buildings on the premises.
(2) 
In evaluating the permit application, the committee shall consider such factors as:
(a) 
Proximity of the proposed sign to other freestanding signs.
(b) 
Size of the other signs in the area.
(c) 
Square footage, location, amount of street frontage, proposed setback for the sign, etc.
The following signs shall be allowed without a permit, in the front yard, excluding visual triangle areas, and as regulated in the subsections listed below:
A. 
Government uses. Signs of a public, noncommercial nature, including but not limited to safety signs, trespassing signs, traffic control devices, scenic or historical signs, memorial plaques, and community service signs the Department approves.
B. 
Directional signs.
(1) 
On-site directional and parking signs, intended to facilitate the movement of vehicles and pedestrians upon the premises, shall not exceed six square feet and shall not be illuminated.
(2) 
Off-site directional signs directing the public to a business shall not exceed six square feet; shall name only the business, distance, and direction to the business; and are limited to one sign in either direction of the business.
C. 
Integral signs. Signs attached to buildings or structures which name the building, date of construction, and commemorative actions.
D. 
Campaign signs. Election campaign or referendum signs, not exceeding six square feet in area, may be placed on the first day for circulation of nomination papers or the period beginning on the day on which the questions to be voted upon are submitted to the electorate and shall be removed 14 days after the day of election or vote on a referendum, except timelines for Tribal Election shall follow § 63-22. In residential districts, no such sign may be electrical, mechanical, or have an audio auxiliary.
[Amended 9-15-2022 by Ord. No. 22-41]
E. 
Nameplates. One sign which states the name of the occupant and a home occupation or farm-related business.
F. 
Holiday signs. Signs or displays which contain or depict only a message pertaining to a national or tribally recognized holiday, displayed for a period not to exceed 60 days.
G. 
Construction signs. Nonilluminated signs naming the architects, engineers, contractors, and other individuals or firms involved with the construction, alteration, or repair of a structure and the future use of the site. Such signs shall be confined to the construction site and shall be removed when the project is completed or upon occupancy of the structure, whichever comes first. No sign shall exceed 64 square feet.
H. 
Occasional yard/garage sale sign. One sign is allowed; it shall not exceed six square feet and shall be placed not more than two days prior to the sale and removed at the end of the sale.
I. 
Motor fuel pricing signs. One freestanding or canopy sign displaying the type of service offered, grade of fuel, and price of the motor fuel sold is allowed. Each type of service offered is allowed a maximum of 12 square feet. If, in the determination of the Department, one sign is not sufficient to convey the above information, two single-faced signs may be displayed at the appropriate points along the pump island in lieu of provisions set forth above.
A. 
Signs in all districts. Signs are regulated or prohibited in particular zoning districts according to their size, height, number, and location on the lot.
B. 
Permits required.
(1) 
Except as allowed in § 625-218, no sign shall be erected, constructed, enlarged or otherwise modified without first receiving a sign permit.
(2) 
A written notice, letter, or memorandum requesting a sign permit shall be made to the Department. Permits shall be issued if the proposed sign meets the requirements of this article and if in accordance with § 625-251A(4).
(3) 
A sign design and site plan shall be submitted prior to the issuance of the sign permit.
(4) 
A permit fee is required under Article XXXI (Fee Schedule) and shall be paid prior to issuance of a sign permit.
C. 
All residential and agricultural districts. One freestanding sign of not more than 32 square feet is permitted, provided that the sign is located not less than 15 feet from a property line or right-of-way line, nor shall it extend higher than 10 feet from grade level.
D. 
C-1, C-2 and TI-1 Districts.
(1) 
The gross area of a sign in square feet shall not exceed the linear frontage of the lot. Two signs are allowed per lot.
(2) 
One freestanding sign is allowed, after issued a sign permit, and shall not exceed 64 square feet. The sign may be in the front yard but cannot be located closer than 10 feet to any other property line and shall not extend below 12 feet and above 30 feet from final grade.
(3) 
Wall and roof signs shall not exceed 100 square feet nor extend more than five feet above the roof or parapet wall.
625 Front View C-1.tif
E. 
UID-1 and I-2 Districts.
(1) 
Area and number. The area in square feet of all signs shall not exceed four times the linear front footage of the lot; the area of all illuminated signs shall not exceed two times the linear front footage. Four signs are allowed per lot, two of which may be freestanding.
(2) 
Freestanding signs. The area of a freestanding sign shall not exceed 200 square feet. No part of the sign shall be located closer than 10 feet to a property line. The sign shall not extend into an area between four and 12 feet above grade, and the sign shall not be higher than 30 feet above grade.
(3) 
Attached signs. Attached signs shall not project more than 72 inches from the building nor extend higher than the roof of the building or into a public right-of-way. Projecting signs shall not exceed 200 square feet in area.
625 Front View UID-1.tif
F. 
Integrated shopping centers.
(1) 
Shopping centers with several separate businesses are allowed 2.2 square feet per linear front footage for wall and roof signs.
(2) 
One freestanding area identification sign shall be permitted with a maximum of 200 square feet. The content of the sign shall be limited to the name of the shopping center and the businesses contained therein. The sign may be located in the front yard but not within 10 feet of a side property line. The sign shall not extend below 12 feet nor above 30 feet from final grade.
[1]
Editor's Note: The table "District Regulations for Signs" is included at the end of this chapter.
Off-premises advertising signs are permitted in the UID-1 and I-2 Districts, subject to the following provisions:
A. 
Spacing. There shall be a minimum of 300 feet of separation between advertising signs on the same street facing traffic flow.
B. 
Parallel signs. Advertising signs may be double faced, with each side considered as facing traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Such signs shall be considered one when calculating sign area.
C. 
Size, height and length. Advertising signs shall not exceed 750 square feet in total area, including all faces, except parallel signs, nor shall the height exceed the permitted height of other freestanding signs in the district in which it is located. No advertising sign shall exceed 55 feet in length.
D. 
Setbacks. No part of an advertising sign shall be closer than the building setback lines of the district in which it is located.
E. 
Exclusionary areas. No advertising sign shall be erected or maintained within 100 feet of a residential, agricultural, or conservancy district boundary or within 500 feet of a public park.
A. 
Legal nonconforming signs may not be structurally altered or enlarged except in accordance with this article or reestablished after being brought into compliance.
B. 
Nothing in this article shall be construed as relieving the owner of a legal nonconforming sign from the provisions of this article regarding safety, maintenance, and repair of signs. However, no change in the sign structure or copy shall be made which makes the sign more nonconforming.
All signs for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the Department. The Department may enter any property during normal business hours to ascertain whether the provisions of this article are being obeyed. The Department shall order the removal of any sign that is not maintained in accordance with the provisions of this article.