[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1000), 10-15-2002]
This Article establishes standards for the erection and maintenance
of signs in order to protect the safety of persons and property; to
promote the efficient communication of information; to protect the
public welfare; and to preserve and enhance the visual character and
economy of the City of Branson West. Except as otherwise provided,
no sign shall be erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated, or substantially
altered except in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1001), 10-15-2002]
Unless otherwise provided, the words and phrases defined in
this Section shall have the meanings indicated when used in this Article:
Any words, numbers, figures, devices, designs, or trademark
by which anything is made known, such as are used to designate an
individual, a form, profession, business, or a commodity and which
are visible from any public street.
Any sign substantially and permanently attached to, applied
on, structurally connected to, painted on, etched on, or supported
by any part of a building.
Any sign other than an attached sign, and including any inoperable
vehicle or any trailer located for the primary purpose of advertising.
A sign that draws attention to or communicates information
about a business, service, commodity, accommodation, attraction, or
other activity that is conducted, sold or offered at a location other
than the premises on which said sign is located.
A sign that draws attention to or communicates information
about a business, service, commodity, accommodation, attraction, or
other activity that is conducted, sold or offered at the location
where the sign is located.
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other
permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported from one
place to another, including, but not limited to, signs designed to
be transported on wheels; menu and sandwich board signs; balloons
or other inflatable figures and umbrellas used as signs.
Any sign erected and constructed wholly one (1) and over
the roof of a building, supported by the roof structure, and extending
vertically above the highest portion of the roof.
Any sign permanently attached to a motor vehicle.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1002), 10-15-2002]
A.
The
following provisions shall apply to all signs in the City:
1.
Prohibited signs. The following signs are specifically
prohibited.
a.
Signs which advertise or promote unlawful activity.
b.
Signs which may be confused with a traffic control signal, sign or
device, the light of an emergency or road equipment vehicle, or any
other governmental agency sign.
c.
Signs which hide from view any traffic or street sign, signal or
similar traffic control or directional sign.
d.
Portable signs, except as specifically allowed as a temporary sign in Section 400.730. Unless otherwise allowed under the provisions of this Article, all portable signs located in any district in the City of Branson West shall be removed within five hundred forty (540) days after the effective date of this Article.
2.
Sign illumination. All illuminated signs shall be
designed, constructed and located to eliminate or minimize glare.
Such signs shall not increase the lighting intensity upon adjoining
properties and shall not cause glare on roadways that creates a safety
hazard for motorists.
3.
Signs painted on building walls. Signs painted on
building walls are prohibited in all districts except for directional
and informational signs.
4.
Sign condition. All signs, including supports, braces,
and anchors, shall be kept in good repair. Unsafe signs in danger
of falling or breaking apart shall be removed or repaired by the sign
owner. All signs shall be installed and maintained in accordance with
the building codes of the City of Branson West.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1003), 10-15-2002; Ord. No. 40-2007 §§1 — 2, 7-10-2007]
A.
Sign Permits Required. Except as otherwise provided in Subsection (B), no sign shall be erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated, or substantially altered without first obtaining a sign permit for each sign from the City. Repainting or changing the message on a sign shall not be considered a substantial alteration and shall not require a sign permit. Applications for sign permits shall be in conformity with the sign permit requirements of Article III, Administration and Review.
B.
Signs Not Requiring A Permit. The following signs shall
not require a sign permit, but must be in conformance with all other
provisions of this Article. Such signs are allowed in addition to
all other signs allowed by this Article:
1.
Address numbers and name plates. Address numbers
and unlighted name plates not exceeding three (3) square feet in area
per dwelling unit or business. Such signs must be attached to the
principal structure, be parallel with the wall to which it is attached,
and no part of said sign may extend into any required yard setback.
2.
Banner signs. Banner signs are those consisting
of a flexible lightweight material, not exceeding twenty-four (24)
square feet of area. National, State, and municipal flags, or the
official flag of any other public or private entity, shall not be
considered banners. Four (4) banner signs per business premise are
permitted, posted for not more than (4) four weeks per permit per
calendar year after said permit fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) and
said application is submitted to the City of Branson West and approved
by Panning and Zoning Administrator or designee.
3.
Construction site signs. Construction site identification
signs, exceeding no more than one (1) sign per site, with such sign
exceeding no more than thirty-two (32) square feet in area.
4.
Directional signs. Signs directing and guiding traffic
on private property that do not exceed one and one-half (1½)
square feet each and that contain no advertising.
5.
Flags. Flags, pennants or insignia of any government
or non-profit organization when not displayed in connection with a
commercial promotion.
6.
Governmental signs. Signs erected by, or on behalf
of, or pursuant to the authorization of a governmental body, including
legal notices, identification and information signs, traffic and directional
signs, or regulatory signs.
7.
Neighborhood identification signs. Neighborhood
identification signs such as a masonry wall, landscaping or other
similar materials that are combined to display neighborhood identification.
The message of such signs shall display only the name of the neighborhood,
tract or district.
8.
Non-commercial signs. Signs proclaiming religious,
political, or other non-commercial messages that do not exceed sixteen
(16) square feet in area per side of sign and that are not internally
illuminated.
9.
Official signs. Official signs of a non-commercial
nature erected by public utilities.
10.
Real estate sale or lease signs. Detached or attached,
non-illuminated, temporary on-premise signs pertaining to the sale
or lease of the premise. Such sign in residence districts shall not
exceed twelve (12) square feet in area per side of sign. In commercial
and industrial districts, such sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32)
square feet in area per side of sign. Such signs shall be removed
within fourteen (14) days of sale or lease of the premises.
11.
Temporary special event signs. Temporary signs not
exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet in area per side of sign, erected
to advertise a special event of a civic, educational, philanthropic,
religious, political or similar nature. Such signs may be erected
no sooner than one (1) month before the event and shall be removed
no later than fourteen (14) days after the event.
12.
Vehicular signs. Signs painted on or permanently
attached to vehicles. Vehicular signs may not contain flashing or
blinking lights, nor any animation.
13.
Window signs. Any sign, symbol, or picture designed
to provide information about a business, activity, service or event
that is placed inside a window or upon the window panes or glass and
is visible from the exterior of the window. Window signs shall not
exceed fifty percent (50%) of the glass.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1004), 10-15-2002]
A.
The
following provisions apply to all signs in the "A-1" Agriculture District
and the "R-1", "R-2" and "R-MP" residence districts:
1.
Dwellings located in the "A-1" agriculture and "R-1", "R-2" and "R-MP" residence districts may use any non-business sign as described in Section 400.730(B), but no other signs are allowed.
2.
Only on-premise signs are allowed.
3.
Each premise in an agricultural district or a "R-1", "R-2" or "R-MP"
residence district containing a multi-family use, permitted non-residential
use, or legal non-conforming use is allowed the following attached
and detached signs:
a.
Attached signs. One (1) wall sign is permitted that
contains the name and logo of the business or establishment. The total
area of all wall signs shall not exceed one-half (½) square
foot per lineal foot of the wall length.
b.
Detached signs. One (1) detached sign is permitted.
No detached sign shall exceed sixteen (16) square feet in area per
side of sign or be more than eight (8) feet in height above the street
grade.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1005), 10-15-2002]
A.
The
following signs are permitted in the "R-3" Multi-Family Residence
District:
1.
Single-family and two-family dwellings may use any non-business sign as described in Section 400.730(B), but no other signs are allowed.
2.
Only on-premise signs are allowed.
3.
Each premise in the "R-3" residence district containing a multi-family
use, permitted non-residential use, or legal non-conforming use is
allowed the following attached and detached signs:
a.
Attached signs. One (1) wall sign is permitted that
contains the name and logo of the business or establishment. The total
effective area of all wall signs shall not exceed one (1) square foot
per lineal foot of the wall length.
b.
Detached signs. One (1) detached sign is permitted.
No detached sign shall exceed sixteen (16) square feet in area per
side of sign or be more than fifteen (15) feet in height above the
street grade.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1006), 10-15-2002]
Off-premise signs (billboards) shall be permitted only in the
"C-2" commercial district and in the "I-1" and "I-2" industrial districts.
In no case may a single side of such sign exceed eight hundred (800)
square feet in surface area. Any off-premise sign shall be located
a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet from any other off-premise
sign.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1007), 10-15-2002]
A.
Any
sign lawfully erected before the effective date of this Article, but
which does not comply with the requirements and restrictions of this
Article, shall be considered a legal, non-conforming sign and may
be continued subject to the provisions of this Section.
B.
A non-conforming
sign shall not be expanded in size or effective area, or altered in
any manner so as to increase the degree of non-conformity. Illumination
shall not be added to any non-conforming sign.
C.
A non-conforming
sign shall not be moved or replaced except to bring the sign into
complete conformance with this Article.
D.
Except
for safety requirements, a non-conforming sign shall not be structurally
altered so as to prolong the life of the sign. Non-conforming signs
may be repaired so long as the cost of materials and labor for such
work does not exceed within any twelve (12) month period fifty percent
(50%) of the value (tax value if listed for tax purposes) of the sign.
E.
If
a non-conforming sign is destroyed, it may not be repaired, reconstructed
or replaced except in conformity with the provisions of this Article.
A non-conforming sign is considered "destroyed" if damaged to an extent
where the cost of materials and labor to restore the sign or replace
it with an equivalent sign exceeds seventy-five percent (75%) of the
value (tax value if listed for tax purposes) of the damaged sign.
F.
Abandoned
or discontinued non-conforming signs shall be removed within thirty
(30) days after such abandonment by the sign owner, owner of the property
where the sign is located, or other party having control over the
sign. A sign shall be considered abandoned or discontinued if:
1.
For a period of six (6) consecutive months the sign advertises a
service, product or activity that is no longer operating, being conducted
or offered.
2.
For a period of twelve (12) consecutive months the sign is blank
or is maintained without an advertising message. For purposes of this
Section, a sign is considered blank if:
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1008), 10-15-2002]
A.
For
the purpose of calculating the number of signs and surface area of
signs in accordance with the provisions of this Article, the following
shall apply:
1.
A sign shall be considered a single display containing elements related,
organized and composed to form a unit. Where information is displayed
in a random manner without any organized relationship, each element
shall be considered a single sign.
3.
The sign surface area shall be calculated by adding the entire area
within a single, continuous perimeter, enclosing the writing, emblem
or other display, together with the material forming the background
of the sign, but excluding supporting framework or bracing that is
incidental to the sign. If a sign consists of more than one (1) section
or unit, all of the area, including the spacing between units, shall
be included in the calculation of the sign surface area.
4.
The sign surface area of two-sided or multi-sides signs shall be
computed by including the total of all sides designed to attract attention
or communicate information that can be seen at any one (1) time from
one (1) vantage point. The following shall apply:
a.
The surface area of a two-sided, back-to-back sign shall be calculated
by totaling the area of only one (1) side of the sign, as long as
the distance between the backs of the signs does not exceed three
(3) feet.
b.
The surface area of a double-faced sign constructed in the form of
a "V" shall be calculated by totaling the area of the largest side,
as long as the angle of the "V" does not exceed thirty degrees (30°)
and the distance between the backs of the signs does not exceed five
(5) feet.
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1009), 10-15-2002]
A.
Signs At Street Intersections. Street intersection sight
triangles shall reflect the street classification as established in
the Branson West Comprehensive Plan. Minimum requirements for sight
triangles shall be in accordance with the following table. The sight
triangle shall be measured along the right-of-way as illustrated in
Figure 1009.1. The City may require additional triangle area for clear
sight and safety as may be warranted by special condition or the recommendation
of the Administrative Official.
Signs may be erected in the street intersection sight triangles.
However, any such sign must be at least ten (10) feet above street
grade except for supports, which may not exceed one (1) foot in width
or diameter or be spaced less than ten (10) feet apart from any other
stationary object.
|
Street Sight Triangle Requirements
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Intersecting Street
|
Highway and Arterial
|
Collector
|
Local Residential
|
|
Highway and arterial
|
A
|
B
|
B
|
|
Collector
|
B
|
C
|
C
|
|
Local residential
|
B
|
C
|
C
|
|
Key:
A: 100 feet by 100 feet sight triangle
B: 30 feet by 30 feet sight triangle
C: 10 feet by 10 feet sight triangle
| |||
|
Figure 1009.1 Sight Triangles for Street Intersections
|
|---|
 |
B.
Signs At Street/Driveway Intersections.
1.
Signs may be erected in the street/driveway sight triangles. However,
any such sign shall be at least ten (10) feet above street grade except
for supports, which may not exceed one (1) foot in width or diameter
or be spaced less than ten (10) feet apart from any other stationary
object.
2.
Figure 1009.2 illustrates the measurement of a street/driveway sight
triangle. A street/driveway sight triangle shall be measured as follows:
A triangle formed by the intersection of a public street and
a driveway where the triangle area is that area encompassed within
two (2) intersecting lines formed by the edge of the pavement, curb,
roadway, or projection thereof and extending forty (40) feet down
the street from the right edge of the driveway when standing in the
driveway facing the street, and extending twelve (12) feet from the
edge of the street extending up the driveway pavement, and a third
(3rd) imaginary line connecting the other two (2) lines without overlaying
the pavement. On the left side of the driveway, the triangle is determined
by measuring sixty-five (65) feet down the street pavement from the
edge of the driveway and measuring twelve (12) feet down the driveway
pavement from the edge of the street, and an imaginary third (3rd)
line connecting the other two (2) lines without overlaying the pavement.
|
Figure 1009.2 Sight Triangles for Street/Driveway Intersections
|
|---|
 |
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1010), 10-15-2002]
A.
No
sign or supporting structure, other than a government sign, shall
be located in or over any public property or right-of-way, unless
the sign is attached to a structural element of a building and permission
has been obtained from the City.
B.
Wall
signs attached to a building shall not extend past the edge of the
wall. A wall sign is a sign in a parallel plane to and attached upon
a structure's wall.
C.
Projecting
signs shall have a minimum clearance of ten (10) feet above the highest
level of the ground under the sign at the sign's lowest point. A projecting
sign is a sign that is attached to and projects from the building
surface or face.
D.
Freestanding
signs shall meet the minimum setback requirements as established in
the following table:
|
Street Classification
|
Minimum Setback
|
|---|---|
|
Highway and arterial
|
15 feet
|
|
Collector
|
10 feet
|
|
Local residential
|
10 feet
|
[Ord. No. 1250 §1(1011), 10-15-2002]
Except as otherwise provided in this Article, no sign shall be erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated, or substantially altered without first obtaining a sign permit for each sign in conformance with the requirements of Article III, Administration and Review. Repainting or changing the message on a sign shall not be considered a substantial alteration and shall not require a sign permit.
