These regulations balance the need to protect the public safety
and welfare, the need for a well-maintained and attractive community,
and the need for adequate identification, communication, and advertising.
The regulations for signs have the following specific objectives:
A. To ensure that signs are designed, constructed, installed, and maintained
according to minimum standards to safeguard life, health, property,
and public welfare;
B. To allow and promote positive conditions for sign communication;
C. To reflect and support the desired ambience and development patterns
of the various zones, overlay zones, and plan zones and promote an
attractive environment;
D. To allow for adequate and effective signs whose dimensional characteristics
further the interests of public safety and the needs of the motorist,
where signs are viewed from a street or roadway.
E. To ensure that the constitutionally guaranteed right of free expression
is protected.
Where there is a conflict between specific sign regulations
and the base or general sign regulations of this chapter, the specific
sign regulations supersede the base sign regulations.
Embellishment or support cladding is not included in the sign
area unless it contains copy.
The following are exempt from the regulations of this article,
but may be subject to other regulations enacted by the City where
applicable:
B. Signs carved into a building or raised in integral relief on a building.
Signs or letters that are raised must be a physical part of the building
facade to qualify under this provision; they must be a part of the
physical construction of the building materials comprising the facade;
letters or signs that are merely attached to the exterior facade of
the building do not qualify, even if the same finish or color;
C. Signs required by federal, state, or municipal law;
D. Name and address. Up to two signs indicating address, number, and/or
name of occupants of the premises, which do not exceed two square
feet in area per side, and do not include any commercial advertising
or other identification;
E. Decals. Decals and/or logos affixed to windows or door glass panels,
such as those indicating membership in a business group or identifying
credit cards accepted at the establishment;
F. Handicapped parking space. Signs not exceeding two square feet in
area reserving parking for handicapped individuals;
G. Private drive signs. On-premises private drive signs are limited
to one per driveway entrance, not exceeding two square feet in area;
H. Public signs. Signs erected by government agencies or utilities,
including traffic, utility, safety, railroad crossing, and identification
signs for public facilities;
I. Security and warning signs. On-premises signs regulating the use
of the premises, such as "no trespassing," "no hunting," and "no soliciting"
signs that do not exceed one sign two square feet in area in residential
areas and one sign five square feet in area in Commercial, Manufacturing,
and Industrial Park Manufacturing Zones. These limitations shall not
apply to the posting of conventional "no trespassing" signs in accordance
with state law.
[Amended 9-28-2015 by Ord. No. 15-11; 11-16-2015 by Ord. No. 15-14]
A. Signs for each separate establishment within the Neighborhood and
Central Commercial Zones shall not exceed an aggregate area of 75
square feet and further provided that not more than two signs shall
be permitted.
B. Freestanding signs shall be limited to a height of 12 feet above
the grade level.
C. Electronic message centers are prohibited in Neighborhood and Central
Commercial Zones.
[Amended 9-28-2015 by Ord. No. 15-11; 11-16-2015 by Ord. No. 15-14; 6-19-2017 by Ord. No. 17-08]
General standards and sign features. The standards for permanent
signs in Service Commercial, Manufacturing, and Industrial Park Manufacturing
Zones are as follows. All such signs must conform to the regulations
of this section.
A. Signs for permitted uses other than a multitenant (three or more
tenants) development or professional building shall be permitted,
provided that the aggregate area of any such sign(s) shall not exceed
153 square feet and further provided that not more than one freestanding
sign shall be permitted. For establishments with more than one street
frontage, the total permitted aggregate sign area shall be increased
by 32 square feet for each additional street frontage beyond the first
and one additional freestanding sign shall be permitted for each additional
street frontage beyond the first.
B. Signs for a multitenant (three or more tenants) development or professional
building, including a directory of tenants engaged in professional
and/or commercial activity on the premises. Not more than two signs
shall be permitted per separate establishment, not exceeding an aggregate
area of 100 square feet. In addition, the parcel shall be further
permitted one freestanding multipanel sign, the area of which shall
not exceed 100 square feet, for each means of entrance to the premises.
C. Freestanding signs shall be limited to a height of 35 feet above
the grade level.
Signs may be illuminated consistent with the following standards:
A. A sign in any zone may be illuminated at night. Signs that are illuminated
at night may not exceed a maximum luminance level of 750 cd/m2 or nits, regardless of the method of illumination.
B. Signs that have external illumination, whether the lighting is mounted
above or below the sign face or panel, shall have lighting fixtures
or luminaires that are fully shielded.
C. All illuminated signs must comply with the maximum luminance level
of 750 cd/m2 or nits at least 1/2 hour
before apparent sunset, as determined by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, for
the specific geographic location and date. All illuminated signs must
comply with this maximum luminance level throughout the night, if
the sign is energized, until apparent sunrise, as determined by the
NOAA, at which time the sign may resume luminance levels appropriate
for daylight conditions, when required or appropriate.
D. On-premises signs do not constitute a form of outdoor lighting at
night, and are exempt from any other outdoor lighting regulations
that the City has adopted, or will adopt in the future.
No sign, advertising display, or structure, poster, or device shall be erected, moved, enlarged, replaced, refaced, or reconstructed except by permit from the City Manager and in accordance with this chapter. See Chapter
292, Permits and Approvals, Article
II, Building Permits; Certificates of Occupancy.
In areas under the joint overlapping jurisdiction of the Department
of Transportation and the City of Harrington with reference to setback
requirements of signs from the front lot line of a property, the more
restrictive regulation shall apply.