[Code 1971, § 3-34; Res. No. 84-93, 7-27-1993;
Res. No. 110-94, 11-8-1994; Res. No. 61-97, § 1, 6-10-1997]
Business signs in B-1 and B-2 business districts shall conform
to the following regulations:
(1)
Permits required. A sign permit shall be required before any sign
or billboard may be erected, altered, reconstructed, or displayed
within the city.
(2)
Application for permit. Written application shall be made to the
building inspector on a form provided by the building inspector and
shall be accompanied by complete plans and specifications showing
the construction, method of support, and materials to be used. Application
may be made by the owner or by the lessee of the property upon which
such sign is to be placed. The building inspector may require the
plans and specifications be signed by a professional engineer or architect
registered in the state.
(3)
Permit fees. Each application shall be accompanied by a fee, as established
by the common council, which may be amended or modified from time
to time. The building inspector may require proof of the monetary
value of the sign. Licensed signs at the enactment of this division,
August 14, 1984, must obtain permits of this division upon expiration
of the license procured under former section 3-39 of the Code of Ordinances
enacted in 1971. All other signs within the city must comply with
the requirements of this article on August 14, 1984.
a.
Upon the approval of the building inspector of such application and
of the place and manner of erecting the sign therein mentioned, and
upon his writing or stamping thereon the amount of the fee required
for the sign applied for, the applicant shall pay to the code enforcement
officer the fee prescribed by this division, and thereupon the code
enforcement officer shall issue to the applicant a license for the
sign applied for.
b.
Licenses shall be issued for a period of three years. New installations
approved will be for three-year periods following the issuance of
a permit. However, construction of an approved sign must be commenced
within 30 days after the issuance of the permit and completed within
60 days thereafter.
c.
A fee of $25 will be charged for a variance of this division when
it appears in front of the zoning board of appeals.
d.
License fees for the erection or maintenance of signs are as follows:
e.
A permit fee of $200 per year for sign installers shall be required
to be paid except temporary permits may be purchased for three months
at a fee of $75. Temporary permits shall be accompanied by the evidence
that the applicant shall have liability insurance in a minimum amount
of $10,000 property damage and $100,000 personal injury.
f.
Liability insurance must be obtained by the owner of a sign prior
to approval by the building inspector. Minimum liability coverage
is $10,000 property damage, and $100,000 personal injury. All liability
insurance policies shall be approved by the city attorney prior to
issuance of a sign permit.
(4)
Temporary permits. Temporary signs shall require a permit from the
building inspector, but a fee will not be required.
a.
A permit for a temporary sign may be issued for a period not exceeding
90 days, and such sign shall be removed within 24 hours after expiration,
unless an extension of time, not exceeding 30 days, shall have been
granted in writing by the building inspector.
b.
Materials, except frames, used in the construction of temporary signs
may be of lightweight material.
c.
Temporary signs shall conform to all other applicable provisions
of this article.
(5)
Unsafe, unlawful, and deteriorating signs. Whenever it shall appear
to the building inspector that any sign has been constructed or erected
or is being maintained in violation of the terms of this article,
or is unsafe or insecure; is a menace to the public, or has been allowed
to deteriorate, he shall give written notifications to the property
owner and/or tenant. Such sign shall be removed or repaired and placed
in a safe condition within 10 days after receipt of the written notification.
If the foregoing is not complied with, the city will have the sign
in question removed and the cost added to the property owner's
tax bill.
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If a sign has been damaged and presents an immediate threat
to the public, the building inspector may order the immediate removal
of said sign and take appropriate action to protect the public and
recover costs. Any time a business goes out of business or moves,
the owner or company shall remove all signs of said business.
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(6)
Sign mounting. All exterior signs shall be permanently mounted and
securely anchored.
(7)
Restrictions. Signs and billboards shall not in any way obstruct
the required door or window area of any building or structure.
(8)
Traffic control signs. Signs necessary for traffic control on private
property and containing no advertising may be erected, not to exceed
an area of 12 square feet per sign.
(9)
Exemptions. The provisions of this division shall not apply to the
following signs:
a.
Traffic signs erected by governmental bodies.
b.
Railroad warning signs.
c.
Municipal signs.
d.
Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings, and date of erection
when cut in any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other
combustible or noncombustible materials.
e.
Occupational signs denoting only the name and profession of an occupant
in commercial buildings and the name and nature of the occupancy in
public and institutional buildings. Such signs shall not exceed two
square feet in area.
(10)
Illumination. Signs may be illuminated at night by back lighting
or direct lighting only provided that the latter is so screened as
not to cast any direct light upon any residence.
[Code 1971, § 3-35]
Each business establishment shall be allowed the following types of signs only and which shall be installed at the business location only. However, ground signs and pole or pylon signs may not be used in combination. Further, any area allowed in a ground sign or a pole or pylon type shall be deducted from the total area allowed under section 3-83.
(1)
Wall sign. A sign attached to, erected against, or painted on the
wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign
in a plane parallel to the plane of the wall.
(2)
Ground sign. A detached sign erected upon or supported by the ground.
(3)
Pole or pylon sign. A sign supported by or suspended from a freestanding
column of concrete, structural steel, aluminum pipe, or structural
aluminum.
[Code 1971, § 3-36]
The total display area of all signs, including wall, ground,
pole, pylon, and window, permitted upon a single lot shall be determined
as follows:
[Code 1971, § 3-37]
(a)
Any sign attached to a building shall not extend more than 50% above
the roofline immediately behind the sign, and in no case shall the
sign extend above same roofline by more than five feet.
(b)
Wall signs shall not extend more than 12 inches from the face of
the building into any street, alley, sidewalk, thoroughfare, or other
public space.
(c)
Wall signs projecting six inches or more into any public space from
the face of a building shall have a clearance of not less than eight
feet between the bottom of such sign and the sidewalk level of any
public thoroughfare.
(d)
Glass in any wall sign must be safety glass or comparable material.
[Code 1971, § 3-38]
Two ground signs may be permitted not exceeding 65 square feet
in total area and subject to the following regulations:
[Code 1971, § 3-39]
One pole or pylon sign may be permitted not exceeding 65 square
feet in area and subject to the following regulations:
