[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
A. 
All signs shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with the following standards:
1. 
General requirements.
a. 
All signs shall comply with applicable provisions of the current City adopted building and electrical codes.
b. 
Except for flags, temporary signs and window signs conforming in all respects with the requirements of this Chapter, all signs shall be constructed of permanent materials and shall be permanently attached to the building by direct attachment to a rigid wall, frame or structure or to the ground, as the case may be, in a manner acceptable to the Director of Public Works.
c. 
All signs shall be maintained in good structural condition, in compliance with all building and electrical codes and in conformance with this code, at all times.
d. 
Building marker or property identification signs such as cornerstones are permitted and do not count against the total area of signage provided such signs are less than four (4) square feet in area; have the wording etched in stone or cast in metal or other permanent material; and are permanently installed in the buildings.
e. 
Logos that will fit in a square having dimensions of eighteen (18) inches or less are not deemed to be a commercial message and can be placed on any sign other than window signs without being included in the sign area computations. Logos that will not fit in a square measuring eighteen (18) inches on each side are considered a commercial message and will count in all sign area computation.
2. 
Design loads. The following provisions shall apply to design loads:
a. 
Wind. The effect of special local wind pressures shall be thoroughly considered in the design; but the wind load shall not be assumed less than thirty (30) pounds per square foot (psf) of net exposed area.
b. 
Earthquake. Signs adequately designed to withstanding wind pressures shall generally be considered capable of withstanding earthquake shocks and related forces as provided in ICBO Building Codes as applicable.
3. 
Construction. All signs, including their supporting structure, foundation and methods of attachment, shall be designed and constructed in conformity to the provisions for materials, loads and stresses of IBCO Basic Building Code and the requirements of this Chapter.
a. 
All permanent signs, sign structures and non-structural trim shall be constructed of approved combustible or non-combustible materials.
b. 
Signs along all streets and boundaries shall not interfere with line of sight within twenty (20) feet of the point of intersection of pavement of:
(1) 
A vehicular accessway or driveway and a street.
(2) 
A vehicular accessway or driveway and a sidewalk.
(3) 
Two (2) or more vehicular accessways or driveways.
No sign which obstructs sight lines at elevations between two (2) feet and eight (8) feet above roadways shall be located on any corner lot within the triangular area formed by the intersection of the roadway centerlines, connecting them at points seventy (70) feet from their point of intersection for roads of collector category or less and one hundred twenty (120) feet for arterials.
c. 
Obstruction of egress, openings, ventilation. A sign shall not be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, window, door or other opening or so as to prevent free passage from one part of the roof to any other part thereof. A sign shall not be attached in any form, shape or manner to a fire escape or shall not be so placed as to interfere with an opening which is required for legal ventilation.
d. 
Letters, figures, characters or representations in cutout or irregular form which are maintained in conjunction with, attached to or superimposed upon any sign shall be safely and securely built or attached to the sign structure.
e. 
Illuminated signs. Illuminated signs produced in quantity (other than signs custom-built for specific locations) shall be constructed in accordance with the "Standards for Electric Signs (U>L>48) of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc." and bear the label of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
f. 
Electrical signs. All electrical signs, either temporary or permanent, shall be connected to permanent electrical service installed according to the requirements of the National Electrical Code, 1990 Edition. All wiring for newly constructed detached signs shall be underground, unless this is determined to be prohibited by the Building Inspector.
4. 
Wall sign regulations.
a. 
Single occupant building on a single zoned lot:
(1) 
One (1) wall sign per face of building facing a street or side street contiguous with the subject property or which faces a driveway or parking lot located between the street and the building.
(2) 
Sign area as determined by Article IV, Section 407.160 "Computations" is restricted to one-fourth (¼) square feet of sign area per lineal foot of street frontage, provided that no sign shall be required to be less than twenty (20) square feet.
(3) 
Maximum wall sign area is eighty (80) square feet.
(4) 
Not more than two (2) incidental signs, limited to a maximum of four (4) square feet for each sign, is allowed per building face.
b. 
Single-story building with multiple tenants on a single zoned lot:
(1) 
The total of all wall signage on a building may not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the wall area facing the street.
(2) 
One (1) building identity sign having an area of eighty (80) square feet or less for each commercial property.
(3) 
Each tenant having a grade level public entry from the street or side street contiguous with the subject property, or which faces a driveway or parking lot located between the street and the building, is entitled to one (1) wall sign.
(4) 
Wall sign area as computed by Section 407.160 "Computations" is restricted to one-fourth (¼) square feet of sign face per lineal foot of tenant frontage on a street, provided that no sign shall be required to be smaller than twenty (20) square feet.
(5) 
Maximum sign area per tenant is restricted to eighty (80) square feet.
(6) 
Not more than two (2) incidental signs, limited to a maximum of four (4) square feet for each face of each sign, are allowed per building face.
c. 
Multi-floor building with multiple tenants on a single zoned lot:
(1) 
The total of all wall signage on a building may not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the wall area facing the street.
(2) 
One (1) building identity sign having an area of eighty (80) square feet or less for each commercial property.
(3) 
Each grade level tenant having a public entry from the street or from a side street contiguous with the subject property or which faces a driveway or parking lot located between the street and the building is entitled to one (1) wall sign.
(4) 
Wall sign area as computed by Article IV, Section 407.160 "Computations" is restricted to one-fourth (¼) square feet of sign face per lineal foot of tenant frontage on a street, provided that no sign shall be required to be smaller than twenty (20) square feet.
(5) 
Maximum sign area per tenant is restricted to eighty (80) square feet.
(6) 
Not more than two (2) incidental signs, limited to a maximum of four (4) square feet for each face of each sign, are allowed per commercial property.
d. 
Single-story building with single tenant on a single zoned lot exceeding the minimum lot square footage required for the zoning district:
(1) 
The total of all wall signage on a building may not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the wall area facing the street.
(2) 
One (1) building identity sign having an area of eighty (80) square feet.
(3) 
Wall sign area as computed under the Section 407.160 "Computations" of these regulations is restricted to one-fourth (¼) square feet of sign face per lineal foot of tenant frontage on a street, provided that no sign shall be required to be smaller than twenty (20) square feet.
(4) 
Not more than six (6) incidental signs, limited to a maximum four (4) square feet for each face of each sign and total area of all wall signage not to exceed the maximum area calculated in Subsection (4)(d)(3) of this regulation.
5. 
Ground sign regulations.
a. 
General requirements.
(1) 
Each property accommodating a commercial entity is entitled to one (1) ground sign per street frontage. For purposes of this Section, a "commercial entity" is a single building housing one (1) or more businesses.
(2) 
Not more than one (1) face of the sign may be visible by the public from any point (except from points on or around the prolongation of the axis of a "V" shaped sign) on the street.
(3) 
The ground sign must display the street number in addition to the sign language. The street number does not count against the area limit of the sign, but the area allocated to the street number may not be larger than four (4) square feet.
(4) 
If there is not enough physical room between the building and the street to accommodate a ground sign, a building projecting sign may be authorized in accordance with the provisions of Article IV, Section 407.150 "Engineering, Design, Construction and Materials."
(5) 
Incidental signage intended to direct traffic flow or give other needed information is permitted provided there is no commercial message on the sign. A logo that will fit within a square measuring eighteen (18) inches on each side is allowed on the sign and will not be included in the sign area computations for the incidental sign. Incidental signs are not considered ground signs and do not count against the ground sign area restrictions.
(6) 
In the case of multiple tenant property, directory type signage in which the occupants of the retail space are listed are not permitted.
b. 
Placement and size.
(1) 
No part of the sign may be located within five (5) feet of the public right-of-way or be positioned in any manner that will interfere with the line of sight of pedestrians or vehicles attempting to enter or exit from the property.
(2) 
Sign area is restricted to one-fourth (¼) square feet per lineal foot of street frontage, but will not be required to be smaller than twenty (20) square feet nor may any sign be larger than eighty (80) square feet.
(3) 
Maximum height of sign is twenty (20) feet above grade level.
6. 
Window signage.
a. 
Window signage is permitted in an amount less than or equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the window area of any business engaged in retail sales who is located on the grade level of a building.
b. 
The area for window signage is in addition to any other permitted signage.
c. 
Any logo used in window signage is considered a commercial message and is to be included in the sign area computations.
7. 
Projecting signs.
a. 
Projecting signs are permitted only in those cases where a business is entitled to a ground sign but is prevented from installing one due to physical conditions. A permit application for a projecting sign that is rejected by the Director may be appealed to the Board of Adjustment.
b. 
Sign regulations.
(1) 
Maximum size is twenty-four (24) square feet per sign face and is not dependent upon building frontage or lot frontage.
(2) 
No more than two (2) faces per sign. Faces must be within eighteen (18) inches of each other.
(3) 
In all cases, at least ten (10) feet of clearance for pedestrian or vehicular traffic must be provided.
(4) 
No part of the sign may be closer than five (5) feet to the right-of-way.
8. 
Canopies and canopy signs.
a. 
For businesses directly fronting on a public pedestrian sidewalk, canopies may be installed for purposes of shielding pedestrians from the weather or to afford protection for merchandise in store windows that may be harmed by direct sunlight.
b. 
Canopies may bear lettering denoting the street address and business name by letters up to a maximum of twelve (12) inches in height and the width of the surfaces of the canopy to a maximum width of twelve (12) feet.
9. 
Temporary outdoor attractions. Attraction displays used in connection with a temporary outdoor attraction announcing a grand opening, a special event or the sale of merchandise shall be permitted and maintained subject to the following regulations:
a. 
A temporary outdoor attraction permit shall be obtained from the Department of Public Works prior to the erection of any attraction display. Applications for such permits shall provide a detailed site plan showing the location of the proposed attraction displays, their shape and size.
b. 
A maximum of five (5) attraction displays may be permitted on one (1) zoned lot at any given time.
c. 
Temporary outdoor attraction permits shall be limited to a maximum of forty-five (45) days during any six (6) month period. The time limitations set forth herein may be extended at the discretion of the Board of Aldermen.
d. 
Placement of displays shall not interfere with the safety of patrons, pedestrians or motorists.
e. 
Cold air or helium inflatables shall be roof or ground mounted, designed and tethered properly to resist movement and no higher than thirty (30) feet above grade.
f. 
Banners in excess of fifteen (15) square feet shall be wall mounted.
[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
A. 
The following principles shall control the computation of sign area and sign height.
1. 
Computation of area of individual signs. The area of a sign face (which is also the sign area of a wall sign or other sign with only one (1) face) shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle or combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed, but not including any supporting framework, bracing or decorative fence or wall when such fence or wall otherwise meets Zoning Ordinance regulations and is clearly incidental to the display itself.
Square foot area is computed by multiplying the length of the sign by the height, both at their greatest measurement comprising each word or symbol. Grid calculation of exact square foot area is acceptable with engineer's sealed calculations and drawing.
Logos that will fit in a square having dimensions of eighteen (18) inches or less are not deemed to be a commercial message and can be placed on any sign without counting against the sign area restriction. Logos larger than the above are considered a commercial message in all circumstances and will count in all sign area computations.
2. 
Computation of area of multi-faced signs. The sign area for a sign with more than one (1) face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one (1) point. When two (2) identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than eighteen (18) inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one (1) of the faces.
Logos that will fit in a square having dimensions of eighteen (18) inches or less are not deemed to be a commercial message and can be placed on any sign without counting against the sign area restriction. Logos larger than the above are considered a commercial message in all circumstances and will count in all sign area computations.
3. 
Computation of height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the lower of (1) existing grade prior to construction, or (2) the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding or excavating solely for the purpose of locating the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public street or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the zoned lot, whichever is lower.
[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
A. 
Any of the following shall be a violation of this Chapter and shall be subject to the enforcement remedies and penalties provided by this Chapter, the Zoning Ordinance and State law:
1. 
To install, create, erect or maintain any sign in a way that is inconsistent with any plan or permit governing such sign or the zoned lot on which sign is located.
2. 
Signs along all streets and boundaries shall not interfere with line of sight within twenty (20) feet of the point of intersection of pavement of:
a. 
A vehicular accessway or driveway and a street.
b. 
A vehicular accessway or driveway and a sidewalk.
c. 
Two (2) or more vehicular accessways or driveways.
No sign which obstructs sight lines at elevations between two (2) feet and eight (8) feet above roadways shall be located on any corner lot within the triangular area formed by the intersection of the roadway centerlines, connecting them at points seventy (70) feet from their point of intersection for roads of collector category or less and one hundred twenty (120) feet for arterials.
3. 
Obstruction of egress, openings, ventilation. A sign shall not be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, window, door or other opening or so as to prevent free passage from one part of the roof to any other part thereof. A sign shall not be attached in any form, shape or manner to a fire escape or shall not be so placed as to interfere with an opening which is required for legal ventilation.
4. 
Letters, figures, characters or representations in cutout or irregular form which are maintained in conjunction with, attached to or superimposed upon any sign shall be safely and securely built or attached to the sign structure.
5. 
Illuminated signs. Illuminated signs produced in quantity (other than signs custom-built for specific locations) shall be constructed in accordance with the "Standards for Electric Signs (U.L.48) of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc." and bear the label of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
6. 
Electrical signs. All electrical signs, either temporary or permanent, shall be connected to permanent electrical service installed according to the requirements of the National Electrical Code, 1990 Edition. All wiring for newly constructed detached signs shall be underground, unless this is determined to be prohibited by the Building Inspector.
[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
A. 
As soon as a sign has been erected, the permittee shall notify the Building Inspector who shall inspect such sign and approve the same if it is in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter. Footing inspections may be required by the Building Inspector for all signs having footings.
B. 
Building Inspector may from time to time, as he deems necessary, inspect all signs or other structures regulated by this Chapter for the purpose of ascertaining whether they are secure or whether they are in need of removal or repair. If the sign does not comply with the provisions of this Chapter, the Building Inspector shall notify the applicant in writing of such non-compliance and give the applicant thirty (30) days, or less if the Building Inspector determines a hazardous situation exists, to comply. All signs may be re-inspected at the discretion of the Building Inspector.
[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
Every sign or other advertising structure, together with all its supports or braces shall be kept in good repair. The sign location shall be free of rubbish and weeds. All structural members and all copy areas are to be kept painted and clean so as to prevent deterioration, oxidations, rust, paint fading, paint peeling or other unsightly conditions. After thirty (30) days' notice, in writing, the Building Inspector may order the removal of any sign that is not maintained in accordance with the provisions of this Section.
[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
Any sign, now or hereafter existing which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted or a product sold, shall be removed by the owner, agent or lessee having the beneficial use of the building, structure or land upon which such sign may be found. If the owner, agent or lessee fails to remove the sign, the Building Inspector shall remove it in accordance with Section 407.210 "Removal". These removal provisions shall not apply where a succeeding owner, agent or lessee conducts the same type of business or advertises a current product and agrees to maintain the signs as provided in this Article, makes application for permit and pays the fee as provided for in Article II of this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 2005-5 §1, 2-7-2005]
The Building Inspector shall order the removal of any sign erected in violation of this Chapter or any existing sign which has been abandoned or where lack of maintenance has created a hazard to the public safety. Thirty (30) days' notice, in writing, shall be given to the owner of such sign, or of the building, structure or premises on which sign is located, to remove the sign or to bring it into compliance with this Article. Upon failure to remove the sign or comply with this notice, the Building Inspector shall cause the removal of the sign. Any costs of removal incurred by the Building Inspector shall be assessed to the owner of the property on which sign is located and may be collected in the manner of ordinary debt or in the manner of taxes and such charge shall be a lien on the property. The Building Inspector shall refuse to pay costs so assessed. The Building Inspector may cause any sign which is an immediate peril to persons or property to be removed summarily without notice.