[R.O. 2008 § 410.050; Ord. No. 6232 § 1, 6-9-2016]
Any and all signage used within the City limits of O'Fallon, Missouri, shall be governed by this Chapter and all other applicable regulations of the O'Fallon Zoning Code as well as the City's building, electrical and other public safety ordinances. No person shall erect, relocate or alter (including sign face changes) within the City any sign or sign structure without first obtaining a sign permit with the exception of the following: signs which do not require a permit, as listed in this Chapter or other City ordinance, and the repainting, changing of parts and servicing of any structure that constitutes maintenance of an existing sign. Any sign not specifically provided for herein as a permitted sign or a prohibited sign shall be designated as a permitted sign or a prohibited sign by the appointed designee of the Planning and Development Department consistent with the stated purpose in Section
410.020 , and the most closely applicable provisions of this Chapter. If said sign is designated as a permitted sign, then said sign shall be subject to all limitations and provisions stated herein for a permitted sign which is most similar to said sign.
[R.O. 2008 § 410.060; Ord. No. 6232 § 1, 6-9-2016]
The following definitions shall be
used by these regulations to assist in the establishment of well-defined
signage regulations:
ACCESSORY SIGN
A wall sign that is mounted on a building or structure that
is accessory (or secondary) to the primary building or structure on
a lot. For the purpose of this Chapter, accessory buildings or structures
may include, but are not limited to, stand-alone ATMs, stand-alone
drive-up tellers, car washes and pump island canopies.
ACTIVE SALES OFFICE
An office located within a trailer, temporary structure or
display home within a subdivision for the sole purpose of selling
homes and/or home sites within that subdivision. The office must operate
at least thirty (30) hours per week.
AUXILIARY SIGN
A wall or freestanding sign or portion thereof located on
a lot. Examples of such signs include freestanding or wall-mounted
restaurant menu boards, the list of options available on an automated
car wash or similar information.
BANNER
A temporary sign of lightweight fabric, plastic or similar
material mounted on a building or pole either with or without a frame,
usually rectangular in shape, which allows slight movement by air.
BARKER
An individual, operating outside of a business's or other
entity's primary structure, who attempts to engage passersby through
verbal, physical or other contact in order to entice them into patronizing
said business or entity.
BEACON
A light with one (1) or more beams directed into the atmosphere
or directed at one (1) or more points not on the same lot as the light
source; also any light with one (1) or more beams that rotate or move.
BILLBOARDS
Any sign which: (i) is located on a lot, (ii) is visible
from any point of the travelled ways of an interstate highway, and
(iii) is not a roof sign, pylon sign, monument sign or projecting
sign.
BUILDING FACADE OR WALL
The exterior surface area of a building (including all windows
and architectural features) in a single elevation, between finished
grade and the top of the parapet wall or the line formed where the
wall meets the slope of a hip roof.
BUILDING FLOOR AREA
The amount of available floor space (measured in square feet)
contained within the building's physical structure.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN
A sign or portion thereof with a face designed specifically
to allow characters, letters, images or illustrations to be changed
or altered at will. A sign on which the only copy that changes is
an electronic or mechanical indication of time or temperature shall
be considered a "time and temperature" portion of a sign and not a
changeable copy sign for purposes of this Chapter.
CITY
The City of O'Fallon, Missouri.
CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
The officially designated representative of the City of O'Fallon
responsible for the enforcement of ordinances, property maintenance
and zoning issues. This may include his/her deputies or those designated
by the Director of Community Development, City Administrator and/or
the City Council.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN
A temporary sign erected on the premises on which construction
is taking place, during the period of such construction.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN
A sign that provides additional guidance or information on
pedestrian or vehicular navigation through a subject property by identifying
entrances, exits and routes of travel.
DISTRICT
A geographical subdivision as defined under the O'Fallon
Zoning Code and Zoning District Map.
ELECTION SEASON
The period from sixty (60) days prior to any election voted
in by the residents of the City until two (2) weeks after that election.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE SIGN
A sign or portion thereof with a face designed specifically
to allow characters, letters or illustrations to be changed or altered
electronically at will.
ERECT
To build, construct, reconstruct, attach, hang, rehang, alter,
place, affix, enlarge, move or relocate any signage or associated
structures and components.
FLASHING SIGN
Any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light
source or gives the illusion of an intermittent or flashing light
source (by animation or any other means). Automatic changing signs
such as public service time, temperature and date signs or electronic
message signs are not classed as flashing signs.
FREESTANDING SIGN
A self-supporting sign anchored to the ground, resting on
or supported by means of poles, stakes or any other type of base in
the ground. This type of sign includes ground signs, monument signs
and pylon signs.
FRONTAGE
The length of the subject lot along the street side. A lot
bordering more than one (1) street is considered to have a separate
frontage for each street.
GROUND LEVEL
The elevation of the ground upon which the sign and all associated
structures are placed. This elevation shall be the same as shown on
the approved grading plan, except when the sign rests upon a berm
or other area elevated above the surrounding ground. In such cases,
the elevation of the base of such berm or other area shall be considered
as the ground level.
GROUND SIGN
A self-supporting, freestanding sign not resting on, or supported
by, any solid base or similar structure, but which is supported by
a post or posts that give the overall sign a height of twelve (12)
feet or less above grade.
HEIGHT OF SIGN
The vertical distance measured from the ground level to the
highest point of the sign.
INCIDENTAL SIGN
A sign which is too small to be legible from the right-of-way
or a publicly accessible parking area.
INTERIOR SIGNS
A sign fully located within any building, arena, campus,
stadium or courtyard.
LOGO
A letter, character or symbol, registered with an independent
third party, used to represent a person, corporation or business enterprise.
LOT
A parcel, tract, plot or area of land accessible by means
of a street or other permanently reserved principal means of access.
It may be a single parcel separately described in a deed or plat which
is recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Deeds or it may
include parts of or a combination of such parcels when adjacent to
one another and used as one (1) as determined by development services.
MONUMENT SIGN
A self-supporting, freestanding sign resting on or supported
by a solid base or similar structure on a foundation in the ground.
Monument signs shall have a base that at its narrowest point is equal
to at least fifty percent (50%) of the width of the sign's sign face.
MULTIPLE-FAMILY PROJECT SIGN
A permanent ground sign located in, on or at an apartment
complex, condominium project or mobile home development.
MULTIPLE-TENANT DEVELOPMENT
Any building or collection of buildings constituting a unified
development that are subdivided into tenant spaces and/or have the
ability to be subdivided into tenant spaces.
NON-DURABLE SIGNS
Any sign that is intended for temporary use only (by way
of design or materials) that is installed and used as a permanent
sign.
NON-RESIDENTIAL LAND USES
Uses inconsistent with the permitted residential land uses
in Appendix A of the O'Fallon Zoning Code.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN
A sign located on property not owned or leased by the owner
of the sign.
OWNER
A person or entity who is recorded as such on official records
and has a vested or contingent interest in the property or business
in question.
PAINTED SIGN
A sign that is painted directly on a building facade or other
permanent structure. A painted sign is considered a wall sign.
PENNANT
A sign made of fabric, plastic or similar material, often
in series and usually mounted without a frame and hung from poles
and structures to allow movement by air. Such attention-getting displays
not specifically defined as a banner are considered pennants.
PICKET SIGNS
Any temporary signs that are not affixed to any type of building
or support structure, but are instead, carried by an individual as
part of a public demonstration.
PICKETER
An individual not located within the physical confines of
an entity or business, who attempts to engage patrons or passersby
through verbal, physical or other contact in order to communicate
a message.
PREMISES
An area of land with its appurtenances and buildings which,
because of its unity of use, may be regarded as the smallest conveyable
unit of real estate.
PROHIBITED SIGN
A sign that is not allowed to be erected within the corporate
limits of the City.
PROJECTING SIGN
A type of wall sign that is attached to and projects generally
perpendicular from a structure or building face to a distance of greater
than eighteen (18) inches.
PYLON SIGN
A self-supporting, freestanding sign resting on or supported
by pylon(s) or post(s).
RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW)
The area of land adjacent to the paved surface of any public
roadway that has been dedicated to or is maintained by the City, County,
State or any other government agency. For purposes of enforcing this
Chapter, the limits of this area shall be presumed to be either:
1.
Ten (10) feet from the curb line;
or
2.
When a sidewalk is in place, the
edge of the sidewalk farthest away from the paved surface of the public
roadway, whichever is greater.
ROOF SIGN
A sign erected or constructed wholly on the roof of a building,
supported by the roof structure.
SETBACK
The minimum horizontal distance between either: the face
of curb, the edge of pavement or the right-of-way line and the sign
structure as specified in this Chapter.
SIGN
Any object, devise, display, structure or part thereof, situated
outdoors, which is used to identify, display, direct or attract attention
to an object, person, institution, organization, business, product,
service, event, idea, belief or location by any means, including words,
letters, figures, designs, symbols, logos, fixtures, colors, illumination
or projected images.
SIGN AREA
The size of the sign face (panel) measured in square feet,
as defined by the calculations herein; or the area of the smallest
square or rectangle that can encompass all items of information if
it is a wall sign. The base of a monument sign is not considered part
of the sign area, unless it is incorporated as part of the sign itself.
SIGN FACE (PANEL)
The surface area of the sign structure or building facade
or wall on which items of information could be placed and/or viewed
simultaneously.
SIGN STRUCTURE
The sign and all parts associated with its construction.
STREET
A paved surface contained within a public right-of-way or
easement that serves as a permanently reserved principal means of
vehicular and pedestrian access between defined properties.
TEMPORARY SIGNS
A non-permanent, sign type, intended to be used for a short,
usually fixed period of time.
TRIM
The molding, batten, capping, nailing strips, latticing and
platforms that are attached to the sign structure.
USE
The legal purpose for which a building, lot, sign or other
structure is arranged, intended, designed, occupied or maintained.
WALL SIGN
A sign mounted on a building facade or other vertical building
surface. Wall signs shall not extend beyond the edge of any wall or
other surface to which they are mounted, nor shall the front of a
flush-mounted wall sign project more than eighteen (18) inches from
the wall's surface.
WINDOW SIGN
A sign placed on the internal side of a window or painted
on the inside or outside of a window as individual letters or symbols
and used for advertising purposes.
ZONING CODE
The Zoning Code of the City of O'Fallon and the current Zoning
District Map related thereto.