[Ord. No. 2753 §1, 3-1-2006; Ord. No. 2756 §1, 3-15-2006; Ord.
No. 2873 §§1 — 2, 1-16-2008; Ord. No. 3005 §1, 1-5-2011; Ord. No. 3789 §1, 11-19-2014; Ord. No. 3201 §1, 1-7-2015; Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
A. The following signs are prohibited:
1. Electronic message boards.
2.
Any sign not permitted by this Code.
3.
Off-site signs, except as may be otherwise allowed herein.
5.
Portable signs, except as provided herein.
6.
Any sign constituting a traffic hazard, including, but not limited
to, any sign that:
a.
Obstructs or otherwise interferes with the effectiveness of
an official traffic sign, signal or device;
b.
Conflicts with, or may be confused with, any authorized traffic
sign, signal or device;
c.
Obstructs or interferes with a motor vehicle operator's view
of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic;
d.
Produces a glare or otherwise interferes with a motorist's vision;
or
e.
Uses the words "stop," "look," "drive-in," "danger" or any other
word, phrase, symbol or character in such manner as to interfere with,
mislead or confuse traffic.
7.
Any sign that by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation,
location, size, obsolescence or other circumstance creates a hazard
to the public health, safety or welfare.
8.
Any sign that directs attention toward a business, product,
commodity, service or entertainment by means of a wind-operated mechanism,
flashing lights, revolving sign, searchlight or any other type of
fluttering, flashing, mechanical movement, including any person or
animal used for such purpose.
9.
Any sign using lighting that is not constant and fixed or on
which colors change.
10.
Any sign that is unpleasant, offensive or unattractive, including
any pornographic, obscene or lewd sign that would offend the senses
or sensibilities of a reasonable person.
11.
Any sign with light levels exceeding those needed for the task
and resulting in glare and indirect glare, where illuminated objects
are too bright compared to their surroundings.
12.
Any sign which physically projects more than eighteen (18) inches
beyond the plane of the wall or structure on which the sign is erected
or attached.
13.
Any flashing, fading, moving sign (only fixed, non-moving, non-animated
letters, characters may be utilized).
14.
Any sign painted directly on a wall, window or structure.
15.
Signs on public lands or rights-of-way.
17.
Vehicles displaying signage (vehicle signs) may not be parked
in parking areas nearest to the street or in a manner where the vehicle(s)
serve(s) as a de facto advertisement or signage. Generally, vehicles
with vehicle signs should be parked behind the building not visible
from the street except for brief loading and unloading.
[Ord. No. 2753 §1, 3-1-2006; Ord. No. 2873 §§1 —
2, 1-16-2008; Ord. No. 3005 §1, 1-5-2011; Ord. No. 3789 §1, 11-19-2014; Ord. No. 3201 §1, 1-7-2015]
A. Signs shall be constructed, erected, maintained, altered, enlarged,
relocated, illuminated and removed only as allowed by this Code and
in compliance with the City's building, electrical and other applicable
technical regulations.
B. Signs shall not be located closer than twenty (20) feet to any roadway
unless otherwise provided in this Code. Signs greater than thirty
(30) inches in height and located on lots or premises fronting intersecting
streets shall maintain a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet of clearance
along the intersection of the rights-of-way of said streets.
C. Lamps
may not exceed a CCT of two thousand seven hundred (2,700) K.
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
D. Total
outdoor light output, including proposed and existing street lights,
pedestrian lights, building lights, landscape lights, any other lighting
and signage shall not exceed five footcandles (5 fc). The applicant
must submit sufficient information to enable the Director of Planning
to determine compliance.
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
E. Illuminated signs shall be shielded or contain lamps of such reduced
intensity so as to not cause a glare on adjacent street or property
or otherwise constitute a public nuisance or a traffic hazard.
F. Phone numbers are not permitted as part of permanent wall or monument
signage. However, phone numbers may be included as part of permitted
window signage, but such numbers shall not exceed four (4) inches
in height unless otherwise allowed herein. Additionally, phone numbers
may be included as part of temporary signage, without restriction
to the letter/number height.
G. All signage, including temporary signs, must be professionally manufactured
and installed.
H. Numbers depicting the official address of a building as determined
by the U.S. Post Office and the Metro West Fire Protection District
are permitted, provided that:
1.
Business addresses are not greater than four (4) square feet
in size;
2.
Residential addresses are compatible with neighboring residences;
and
3.
All such addresses follow Metro West Fire Protection District
guidelines.
I. All signs must be constructed of materials compatible and/or consistent
with the main structure(s), as determined by the Code Enforcement
Officer.
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
J. Any sign not in compliance with all the provisions of this Code is hereby declared to be unlawful and subject to abatement and prosecution as provided in Section
410.100 of this Code.
K. The City of Ellisville or its authorized agents may erect signage
as it sees fit for the public health, safety or welfare, including,
but not limited to, corporate boundary and population signs, traffic
and parking regulation signs, warning signs, promotional signs and
public information signs.
[Ord. No. 2753 §1, 3-1-2006; Ord. No. 2873 §§1 —
2, 1-16-2008; Ord. No. 3005 §1, 1-5-2011; Ord. No. 3789 §1, 11-19-2014; Ord. No. 3201 §1, 1-7-2015]
A. Legal Non-Conforming Signs. Any sign located within
the City limits on the date of adoption of this Code or located in
an area annexed to the City thereafter that does not conform with
the provisions of this Code but which complied with applicable law
on the date of adoption of this Code or at the time of annexation
is a legal non-conforming sign. Any such sign required by a governmental
body to be moved for any public purpose may be relocated and allowed
to be maintained and used as it previously was.
B. Loss Of Legal Non-Conforming Status. A legal non-conforming
sign shall immediately lose its lawful status if:
1.
The sign structure is altered, replaced, relocated or moved [except as per Section
410.090(A) above].
2.
More than forty percent (40%) of the sign structure is damaged
by fire, explosion, collision, accident, vandalism or other act.
C. Maintenance And Repair. Nothing in this Section
shall relieve the owner or user of a legal non-conforming sign, or
the owner of the property on which the legal non-conforming sign is
located, from the provisions of this Code regarding safety, maintenance
and repair of signs. Any relettering, repainting, cleaning or other
normal maintenance or repair of the sign or sign structure shall not
constitute a forfeiture of the sign's legal non-conforming status.
[Ord. No. 2753 §1, 3-1-2006; Ord. No. 2873 §§1 —
2, 1-16-2008; Ord. No. 3005 §1, 1-5-2011 Ord. No. 3140 §1, 12-4-2013; Ord. No. 3789 §1, 11-19-2014; Ord. No. 3201 §1, 1-7-2015]
A. Permits. Permits shall be required for all signs
so identified in the district regulations.
B. Application. No permit may be granted until after
an application has been filed with and the appropriate fee paid to
the City Clerk. An application for a sign permit shall be made in
writing upon forms provided by the City. The permit request shall
be accompanied by plans and specifications as required by the Code
Enforcement Officer to determine compliance with this Code and may
include the following:
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
1.
The scale to which the plans are drawn;
2.
A site plan illustrating the location of the subject sign within
the project site, including dimensions of linear frontage, setback,
landscape areas, right-of-way lines and easements;
3.
Fully dimensioned architectural elevations, with total facade
area, depicting the placement of the proposed signage and any existing
signs;
4.
Detailed drawings of the proposed sign, including total sign
area, dimensions, colors, materials, proposed copy, letter style (exact
type face) and size;
5.
Method of any illumination and notes indicating:
a.
Whether the sign is U.L. approved; and
b.
That an electrical permit will be secured from St. Louis County
prior to installation; and
6.
Any other information deemed relevant by the Code Enforcement
Officer to determine compliance with this Code.
C. Owner Signature Required. Before a permit can be
granted for the installation of any sign, the applicant for the permit
must submit an agreement signed by the owner(s) of the property:
1.
Granting permission to the applicant to install the sign;
2.
Allowing the City to enter on such real property for code enforcement
purposes;
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
3.
Holding the City harmless from any damage caused by code enforcement
activity to such sign, the real property and any structures thereon;
and
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
4.
Acknowledging that such agreement shall bind the owner(s) and
any successor or assign.
D. Fee. The fee for sign permits is as follows:
[Ord. No. 3423, 7-17-2019]
|
Application Fee
|
Inspection Fee
|
---|
Temporary signs
|
$0.00
|
$0.00
|
Window signs
|
$0.00
|
$0.00
|
Wall and monument signs
|
$2.00 per square foot
|
2 at $25.00 each = $50.00
|
Tenant panels on a monument sign
|
$2.00 per square foot
|
$25.00
|
Permanent sign variance
|
$50.00
|
$0.00
|
Temporary sign variance
|
$0.00
|
$0.00
|
E. Permit Refusal/Revocation. The Code Enforcement
Officer shall refuse a permit for any sign that does not comply with
the requirements of this Code and may revoke any permit:
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
1.
For a sign that violates any provision of this Code, the Zoning
Ordinance or any applicable technical code or regulation; or
2.
That has been secured by subterfuge or fraud; or
3.
That has been issued by mistake, misunderstanding or error of
the City.
F. Sign Repair And Removal And Code Enforcement.[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
1.
The Code Enforcement Officer shall have the authority to take
such action as may be necessary to enforce this Code, including the
painting, repair, alteration, replacement, condition abatement or
removal of any sign that:
a.
Has not been properly maintained or repaired.
b.
Has become faded, dilapidated or is abandoned.
c.
Does not have the required permit.
d.
Is unsafe, hazardous or constitutes a public nuisance.
e.
Violates any of the provisions of this Code, the Zoning Ordinance
or any technical code or regulation.
2.
If any sign is deemed to require any such action, the Code Enforcement
Officer shall issue an order to the applicant, the property owner
and the business owner, if applicable, notifying such persons of the
Code violation(s) or other deficiency and demanding that the offending
condition be remedied within a prescribed time. If the order is not
complied with on a timely basis, the Code Enforcement Officer shall
take such action(s) as deemed necessary, at the expense of the property
owner, and in such event all costs associated with the City's action(s)
shall become a lien on the property, which such lien may be certified
to the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds by the City Clerk.
3.
The Code Enforcement Officer shall also have the authority to
issue a court summons for any signs which do not have the required
permit or are unsafe, hazardous or constitute a public nuisance and
may remove such signs as deemed necessary at the expense of the property
and/or sign owner.
4.
Signs removed by the Code Enforcement Officer shall be retained
for a period of fourteen (14) days and shall be returned to the owner
upon payment of the expenses of removal. If not claimed within that
time, they shall become the property of the City and may be destroyed
or sold for the payment of the expense of removal. If sold, any excess
from the proceeds of the sale shall be returned to the owner.
G. Appeals. The Code Enforcement Officer's rulings
may be appealed to the Architectural Review Board. The Architectural
Review Board shall have the authority to grant variances from the
requirements and restrictions of this Chapter, provided that the Board
determines that:
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
1.
Compliance with the applicable provision of this Chapter would
impose unnecessary non-economic hardship on a particular applicant;
and
2.
The requested modification will provide a result that is aesthetically
equal to or superior to that which would be allowed through the strict
application of the relevant provision; and
3.
Strict compliance with the relevant provision is not necessary
to promote the general spirit and intent of this Chapter.
H. Right Of Entry. Upon presentation of proper credentials,
the Code Enforcement Officer may enter any building, structure, property
or premises to perform any duty or to enforce any regulation imposed
by this Code.
[Ord. No. 3536, 11-16-2022]
I. Violations — Penalty. Violations of this Chapter
shall be punishable by fines not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00)
per day for each day violations continue or by imprisonment not to
exceed ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.