[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.
EXEMPT SIGN
A sign that requires no sign permit.
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.[1]
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.
RIGHT-OF-WAY SIGNS
Any and all signage placed within the public rights-of-way.
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.
STREAMERS
See the definition for "pennant."
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.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Title IV, Appendixes.