The purpose of this article is to establish minimum standards
to safeguard life and property and promote public welfare and community
aesthetics by regulating the appearance, construction, location and
maintenance of all signs and billboards.
The following definitions are used in this article:
A temporary hood or cover which projects from the wall of
the building, which can be retracted, folded or collapsed against
the face of a supporting structure.
A sign which advertises goods, products or facilities, or
services not necessarily on the premises where the sign is located
or directs persons to a different location from where the sign is
located.
The unreasonable obstruction of view of a sign caused by
the placement of another sign.
Any sign designed to give any artificial light directly through
any transparent or translucent material from a source of light originating
within or on such sign.
Any sign on which the names and locations of occupants or
the use of a building is given. This shall include offices and church
directories.
Any sign whose message may be changed by electronic process,
including such messages as copy, art, graphics, time, date, temperature,
weather or information concerning civic, charitable or other noncommercial
activities or the advertising of products or services for sale on
the premises. This also includes traveling or segmented message displays.[1]
Any directly or indirectly illuminated sign on which artificial
light is not maintained stationary and constant in intensity and color
at all times when in use.
Any sign which is supported by structures or supports in
or upon the ground and independent of support from any building (also
referred to as "freestanding sign").
Any sign which carries only the name of the firm, major enterprise,
institution or principal products offered for sale on the premises
or combination of these.
A sign that is illuminated from a source outside of the actual
sign.
Any sign attached to and made part of a marquee. A marquee
is defined as a permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a
building wall at an entrance to a building or extending along and
projecting beyond the building's wall and generally designed and constructed
to provide protection against weather.
Any sign which does not conform to the regulations of this
article.
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground which is
designed to be easily moved from one location to another.
Any sign extending more than 18 inches, but less than five
feet from the face of a wall or building.
Any sign which is used to offer for sale, lease or rent the
property upon which the sign is placed.
Any sign erected upon or over the roof or parapet of any
building.
A sign shall include anything that promotes, calls attention
or invites patronage (or anything similar to the aforementioned) to
a business, location or product.
Any sign intended to be displayed for a short period of time,
including real estate, political or construction site signs, and banners,
decorative-type displays or anything similar to the aforementioned.
In the Historic District (HB-2), signs must be professionally manufactured
at a size no greater than 25 square feet and subject to approval by
the Zoning Administrator as to the location, placement and time period
for display.
[Amended 7-3-2006[2]]
Any sign attached to, erected on or painted on the wall of
a building or structure and projecting not more than 18 inches from
such wall.
Any sign located completely within an enclosed building and
visible from a public way.
[Amended 7-3-2006[1]]
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Zoning Districts
|
Types of Signs Permitted
|
|---|---|
|
R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-MH
|
2, 3, 6
|
|
B-1, B-2
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
|
|
I-1, M-1
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
|
|
A-1
|
1, 2, 3, 6, 7
|
|
C-1, G-1
|
1, 3, 6, 7
|
|
HB-2
|
See § 520-31E(7)
|
A.
Type 1. Directory signs advertising a business or activity conducted,
an area of interest or a service available at a specific location.
Such signs shall be not more than 12 square feet in gross area. There
shall be not more than two such signs relating to any one such use
in the approaching direction along any one street. No such sign shall
be more than 10 miles away from the location to which it relates.
Such signs may be permitted by the Zoning Board of Appeals if the
Board shall find it necessary for directing the traveling public.
Permit required.
B.
Type 2. Signs advertising a customary home occupation or professional
office. Such signs shall not exceed two square feet in gross area,
shall be attached to the building and, if illuminated, shall be indirectly
lighted. No permit required.
C.
Type 3. Signs advertising the sale, rent, or lease of the property
on which the sign is placed. Such sign shall not exceed four square
feet in gross area and may be placed at the right-of-way line of the
street. No permit required.
D.
Type 4. Signs located off premises advertising a general brand of
product, an area of interest, a business conducted or a service available.
Such signs shall not be more than 100 square feet in gross area and
erected outside a line parallel to and 50 feet from the street right-of-way
line. Permit required.
E.
Type 5. Signs on the premises of commercial and industrial buildings
advertising a business conducted or a service available on the premises.
No sign shall exceed 40 square feet in gross area, be higher than
four feet above the top of the roof line or exceed the maximum height
limitation permitted in the district. Permit required.
F.
Type 6. On-premises signs advertising a public or semipublic use.
Such signs shall not exceed 32 square feet in gross area. There shall
be no more than one sign for each street upon which the property faces.
Permit required.
G.
Type 7. Recreational directory signs indicating the direction to
a cottage, resort, residence or similar use. Such signs shall not
be more than one square foot in gross area. Where a common posting
standard is provided, all such signs shall be attached to the standard
recreational directory. Permit required.
The following signs and related items shall not be included
in the application of the regulations contained in this article.
A.
Signs not exceeding one square foot in area and bearing only property
numbers, post box numbers or names of occupants of premises.
B.
Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection
with commercial promotion.
C.
Legal notices, identification information or directional signs erected
by governmental bodies.
D.
Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings, except
letters, trademarks, moving parts or moving lights.
E.
Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property,
but bearing no advertising matter.
F.
Signs erected by national, state, county or municipal governmental
agencies, including traffic and informational signs.
[Amended 7-1-2002[1]]
A.
Permit required. No persons shall erect, relocate, reconstruct or
maintain or cause the aforementioned within the Village of Trempealeau
of any signs without first having obtained and having in force and
in effect a permit therefor from the Zoning Administrator.
B.
Permits. Signs shall not be erected or altered until a permit has
been issued by the Zoning Administrator. Applications for a sign permit
shall be made in writing upon forms furnished by the Zoning Administrator.
The applicant shall file with the application plans and specifications
and provide information about the sign, including dimensions, materials,
illumination, wiring, height above grade, distance from lot line,
and by whom it shall be erected. Permits are not required for a copy
change when no change in business name is involved. Permit applications
along STH 35 (starting at the eastern Village boundary following Third
Street to Main Street and then commencing north on Main Street to
the northern corporate limit) are subject to rules and permitting
regulations as required by the WisDOT under § 84.106, Wis.
Stats.
C.
Permit fees. A permit fee as set by the Village Board shall be paid
to the Zoning Administrator for each sign permit issued under this
chapter, provided, however, that a fee shall not be charged for putting
an existing sign in conformance with this chapter or for a copy change
when no change in business name is involved. See Fee Service Schedule.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: The Fee Service Schedule is on file in the
Village Office.
D.
Exceptions.
(1)
Temporary signs. Permits are not required for temporary signs as defined in § 520-76; provided such signs do not exceed 25 square feet of display surface. Regulation of political signs shall conform to Wis. Stats. § 12.04.
(2)
Window signs. Window signs directing attention to a business or profession
conducted on the premises or to a product, service or entertainment
sold or offered on said premises shall be permitted without a permit
in all districts except the HB-1 Historic District.
E.
Prohibited signs.
(1)
No sign will be permitted that resembles the size, shape, form or
color of official traffic control signs, signals or devices.
(2)
No sign shall contain more than 100 square feet in gross area no
billboard shall exceed 360 square feet in area.
(3)
No sign shall contain or be illuminated by a flashing light in any
district.
(4)
No sign in a conspicuous state of disrepair shall be permitted to
exist. The Village Board may order removal on a twenty-day public
notice or immediately if public danger exists.
A.
All signs shall be removed by the owner or lessee of the premises
upon which the sign is located when a business which it advertises
has not been conducted for a period of six months or when, in the
judgment of the Village Board, such sign is so old, dilapidated or
has become so out of repair as to be dangerous or unsafe, whichever
occurs first. If the owner or lessee fails to remove it, the Village
Board may remove the sign at cost of the owner, following adequate
written notice. The owner may appeal the Village Board's decision
to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
B.
Alterations. Any sign which was erected before the adoption of this
sign article shall not be rebuilt or relocated without conforming
to all of the requirements of this article.
C.
Violations. All signs constructed or maintained in violation of any
of the provisions of this article are hereby declared public nuisances
within the meaning of this Code. In addition to the above penalty
provisions for violation of this chapter, the Village Board may bring
an action to abate the nuisance in the manner set forth in the Wisconsin
State Statutes.
Variances or exceptions to these sign regulations may be granted
by the Zoning Board of Appeals and decisions by the Village Board
may be appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
A.
Installation. All signs shall be properly secured, supported and
braced and shall be kept in reasonable structural condition and shall
be kept clean and well painted at all times. Bolts or screws shall
not be fastened to window frames. Every sign and its framework, braces,
anchors and other supports shall be constructed of such material and
with such workmanship as to be safe and satisfactory to the Village
Board.
B.
General requirements.
(1)
Awnings. Lowest part of any awning shall be seven feet above the
sidewalk. Signs are allowed directly on the awning or hanging on the
frame but not below seven feet.
(4)
Roof signs. No sign shall be located so as to project above the parapet
line, unless approved by the Village Board.
(5)
Illuminated signs. Any illuminated signs shall not interfere with
surrounding properties or traffic.
(6)
Projection. Signs including supports shall not project beyond five
feet of the face of the wall to which attached.
(7)
Blanketing. Blanketing of signs shall not be allowed.
(8)
Maintenance. All signs, including supports and attachments, shall
be properly maintained and have an appearance that is neat and clean.
C.
Exceptions to height and setback requirements. Signs may be allowed
in the setback area if they are below three feet or are pole-mounted
and above 12 feet to the bottom of the sign. The pole diameter of
pole-mounted signs shall not exceed 12 inches and shall not interfere
with reasonable vision clearance.
D.
Prohibitions.
(1)
No sign shall be erected so that any portion of the sign or its supports
is attached to or interferes with the free use of any fire escape,
exit, any required stairway, door, ventilator or window.
(2)
No sign shall be erected that will interfere with, obstruct, confuse
or mislead traffic.
(3)
Search lights. The Village Board may permit the temporary use of
a search light for advertising purposes in any district, provided
that the search light will not be located in any public right-of-way,
will not be located closer than 10 feet to an adjacent property and
will not cause a hazard to traffic or adjoining properties. Search
light permits shall not be granted for a period of more than five
days in any six-month period.
E.
Signs on public rights-of-way. Signs shall not be permitted on public
rights-of-way except for traffic control, parking and directional
signs and as otherwise specified in this chapter.
A.
A.
Signs eligible for characterization as legal nonconforming. Any sign
located within the Village of Trempealeau limits on the date of adoption
of this chapter or located in an area annexed to the Village of Trempealeau
hereafter which does not conform with the provisions of this article
is eligible for characterization as a legal nonconforming sign and
is permitted, providing it meets the following requirements:
B.
Loss of legal nonconforming status. A sign loses its nonconforming
status if one or more of the following occurs:
(1)
The sign is structurally altered in any way, except for normal maintenance
or repair, which tends to or makes the sign less in compliance with
requirements of this article than it was before alteration;
(2)
The sign is relocated;
(3)
The sign fails to conform to the Village requirements regarding maintenance
and repair, abandonment or dangerous or defective signs;
(4)
On the date of occurrence of any of the above, the sign shall be
immediately brought in compliance with this article with a new permit
secured therefor or shall be removed.
C.
Legal nonconforming sign maintenance and repair. Nothing in this
article shall relieve the owner or use of a legal nonconforming sign
or the owner of the property in which the sign is located from the
provisions of this article regarding safety, maintenance and repair
of signs.
All billboards, signs and other advertising structures shall be designed and constructed to withstand a wind pressure of not less than 30 pounds per square foot of area and shall be constructed to receive dead loads as required in Chapter 205, Building Construction, or other ordinances of the Village of Trempealeau.
A.
A billboard shall only be erected in areas that are zoned commercial
or industrial.
C.
No more than one billboard back-to-back shall be erected upon one
lot.
D.
The maximum size of billboards shall be 360 square feet.
E.
No billboards may be erected within 800 feet of another existing
billboard measured along or across the same right-of-way.
G.
The maximum height of billboards shall be 30 feet. In no event shall
the maximum height of any billboard exceed the height requirements
for buildings in the underlying zoning district regulations. Minimum
height shall be 12 feet above grade.
H.
Roof-mounted billboards (off-premises signs) shall be prohibited.
No billboards shall be erected within 100 feet of the intersecting
right-of-way of arterial intersections, and no billboards shall be
erected within 50 feet of the intersecting right-of-way of all other
streets.
Except as otherwise herein provided, all billboards and/or sign
messages shall be removed by the owner or lessee of the premises upon
which an off-premises sign/billboard is located when the business
it advertised is no longer conducted where advertised. If the owner
or lessee fails to remove the sign/billboard, the Village Board shall
give the owner 60 days' written notice to remove said sign/billboard
and thereafter, upon the owner's or lessee's failure to comply, may
remove such sign/billboard, any costs for which shall be charged to
the owner of the property or may be assessed as a special assessment
against the property, and/or the Village Board may take any other
appropriate legal action necessary to attain compliance.
