[R.O. 2013 § 425.010; Ord. No. KK354 § XXVIII, 3-14-1988; Ord. No. KK885, 6-19-2006]
A. 
For the purpose of this Chapter, all signs shall be considered a structure. All signs legally existing at the effective date of this Chapter may remain in use under the conditions of legal non-conformance. Signs in legal non-conformance shall not be enlarged, moved, lighted or reconstructed. The advertising display of said signs may be revised.
B. 
Signs shall not be erected, enlarged, constructed or otherwise installed without first obtaining a sign permit. All signs shall be constructed in such a manner and of such material that they shall be structurally sound and safe. Scale drawings of the sign and support details shall be furnished to the Zoning Administrator with the application for a sign permit and a permit fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
[R.O. 2013 § 425.020; Ord. No. KK354 § XXVIII, 3-14-1988]
A. 
The following are classifications of various types of signs and various types of supports:
1. 
Functional Types.
a. 
Advertising Sign. A sign which directs the attention of the public to any goods, merchandise, property, business, service, entertainment or similar use and is not located on the premises of the subject being advertised.
b. 
Bulletin Board Sign. A sign that indicates the name of an institution or organization on whose premises it is located and which may include the name or names of persons connected with it, and other messages.
c. 
Business Signs. A sign which directs attention to a business, profession, products, services or entertainment sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located.
d. 
Construction Sign. A temporary sign indicating the names of the contractors, suppliers, architects, engineers, landscape architects, and similar artisans involved in the design and construction of a structure, complex or project during the construction period and located on the premises of the project.
e. 
Identification Sign. A sign giving the name and address of a building, business, development or establishment. Such signs may be wholly or partly devoted to a symbol or logo.
f. 
Nameplate Sign. A sign giving the name, title and address of the owner or occupants of a building or premises on which it is located.
g. 
Real Estate Sign. A sign pertaining to the sale or lease of a lot or tract of land on which the sign is located, or to the sale or lease of one (1) or more structures, or a portion thereof on which the sign is located.
2. 
Structural Types.
a. 
Marquee Sign. A sign that is mounted on, painted on, or attached to, an awning, canopy or marquee. The signs shall not project above, below or beyond the awning, canopy or marquee.
b. 
Ground Sign. Any sign placed upon and supported by the ground and with the bottom edge of the sign less than six (6) feet above the ground. Said sign shall not be attached to, or supported by any building or other structure.
c. 
Pole Sign. Any sign placed upon and supported by the ground and with the bottom edge of the sign six (6) feet or more above the ground. Said sign shall not be attached to, or supported by any building or other structure.
d. 
Projecting Sign. A sign that is wholly or partly dependent upon a building for support and which projects more than twelve (12) inches from such building.
e. 
Wall Sign. A sign fastened to or painted on a wall of a building or structure in such a manner that the wall becomes merely the supporting structures or forms the background surface, and which does not project more than twelve (12) inches from such building.
f. 
Roof Sign. A sign totally supported on the roof of a structure. Roof signs shall not project more than twelve (12) inches beyond the face of the building.
[R.O. 2013 § 425.030; Ord. No. KK354 § XXVIII, 3-14-1988]
A. 
The following are general standards that apply to all signs:
1. 
Gross Area Of Sign. The gross area shall include the entire area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of the sign, exclusive of the base on which it is mounted or from which it is suspended. On lots where more than one (1) sign is located, the total gross area of all the signs shall not exceed the maximum gross area permitted by this Chapter. The area of wall signs consisting of letters mounted or painted on a wall shall be the smallest rectangular figure encompassing all of the letters.
2. 
Sign Heights. The sign height shall be measured from the ground elevation at the base of the sign to the highest element of the sign.
3. 
Illuminated Signs. Illuminated signs are signs designed to give forth artificial light or designed to reflect light derived from any source.
a. 
Illuminated signs shall be designed so as to reflect or direct light away from any residential dwelling district.
b. 
Lighted signs in direct vision of a traffic signal shall not have red, amber or green illumination.
4. 
Flashing Or Moving Signs.
a. 
Flashing or moving signs are illuminated signs on which the artificial light is not constant in intensity and color at all times. For the purpose of this Chapter, revolving, rotating, moving and animated signs and signs with moving lights or signs which create the illusion of movement shall be considered a flashing sign.
b. 
A sign whereon the current time and temperature is indicated by intermittent lighting shall not be deemed as a flashing sign if the lighting changes are limited to the numerals indicating the time and temperature.
5. 
Accessway Or Window. Signs shall not block any required accessway or window.
6. 
Signs On Trees Or Utility Poles. Signs shall not be attached to trees or utility poles.
7. 
Electrical Considerations. Signs constructed of metal and illuminated by any means requiring internal wiring or electrically wired accessory fixtures shall maintain vertical clearance of ten (10) feet. Accessory lighting fixtures attached to non-metal frame signs shall maintain vertical clearance of ten (10) feet. Metal ground signs shall not be located within eight (8) feet vertically and five (5) feet horizontally of electric conductors.
8. 
Traffic Safety.
a. 
Signs shall not be maintained at any location where by reason of its position, size, shape or color, it may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or be confused with any traffic or railroad control sign, signal or device, or where it may interfere with, mislead, or confuse traffic.
b. 
Signs located within three (3) feet of a driveway or within a parking area shall have its lowest elevation at least ten (10) feet above the curb level. Signs shall not project over any public rights-of-way.
c. 
Signs shall not be placed within the sight triangle of any intersections, including parking space entrances.
9. 
Lineal Street Frontage. In those districts where gross sign area is allocated based on lineal street frontage and the tract or parcel is adjacent to more than one (1) street, the lineal street frontage shall be computed as follows:
a. 
For those tracts or parcels located on major streets as designed in the Major Street Plan of the Comprehensive Plan, the lineal street frontage shall be the distance of that property line abutting the major street.
b. 
For those tracts or parcels not located on a major street, the lineal street frontage shall be one-half (1/2) the sum of all the street frontages.
[R.O. 2013 § 425.040; Ord. No. KK354 § XXVIII, 3-14-1988]
A. 
Total Exemptions. The following signs shall be exempt from the requirements of this Chapter.
1. 
Flags or emblems of a governmental or of a political, civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organization, displayed on private property.
2. 
Signs of a duly constituted governmental body, including traffic or similar regulatory signs, legal notices, warnings at railroad crossings and other instructional or regulatory signs having to do with health, safety, parking, swimming, dumping, and other similar subjects.
3. 
Memorial signs displayed on public or private property.
4. 
Small signs, not exceeding three (3) square feet in area, displayed on private property for the convenience of the public, including signs to identify entrance and exit drives, parking areas, one-way drives, restrooms, freight entrances, and other similar signs.
5. 
Score boards in athletic facilities.
6. 
Signs advertising garage or other similar sales.
B. 
Exemptions From Sign Permit. The following signs are exempt from the sign permit requirements, but shall comply with all of the other regulations imposed by this Chapter.
1. 
Bulletin board signs, not exceeding one hundred (100) square feet in gross area, accessory to a church, school or public or non-profit institution.
2. 
Business signs when located on property used for agricultural purposes and pertaining to the sale of agricultural products produced on the premises.
3. 
Real estate signs not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet in area.
4. 
Construction signs not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet in area.
[R.O. 2013 § 425.050; Ord. No. KK354 § XXVIII, 3-14-1988]
A. 
Agricultural District.
1. 
Functional Types Permitted. All functional types of signs are permitted.
2. 
Structural Types Permitted. Structural types of signs permitted are pole and wall signs.
3. 
Number Of Signs Permitted. One (1) sign per six hundred sixty (660) feet of frontage.
4. 
Maximum Gross Area.
a. 
Advertising signs: six hundred (600) square feet.
b. 
Bulletin board signs: twenty-four (24) square feet.
c. 
Business signs, Agricultural: twenty (20) square feet.
d. 
Construction signs: thirty-two (32) square feet.
e. 
Identification signs: twenty-four (24) square feet.
f. 
Name plate signs: two (2) square feet.
g. 
Real estate signs: twelve (12) square feet.
5. 
Maximum Height. Fifty (50) feet.
6. 
Required Setbacks. None, except as required by State and federal law.
7. 
Illumination. Advertising, bulletin board and identification signs that do not exceed twelve (12) square feet may be illuminated at public and semipublic locations.
B. 
Residential Districts.
1. 
Functional Types Permitted. All functional types of signs are permitted except advertising signs. Home occupation signs are not permitted.
2. 
Structural Types Permitted. Structural types of signs permitted are ground and wall signs.
3. 
Number Of Signs Permitted. One (1) sign per zoning lot plus one (1) additional real estate sign in accordance to Subsection (B)(4)(f) hereinbelow.
4. 
Maximum Gross Area.
a. 
Bulletin board signs: one hundred (100) square feet.
b. 
Business signs: two (2) square feet.
c. 
Construction signs: thirty-two (32) square feet.
d. 
Identification signs: one hundred (100) square feet.
e. 
Name plate signs: two (2) square feet.
f. 
Real estate signs: six (6) square feet per lot.
g. 
One additional sign not to exceed one hundred (100) square feet in area announcing the sale of lots and houses in a subdivision may be located in said subdivision. Said sign shall be removed at the end of three (3) years or when seventy-five percent (75%) of the lots have been sold, whichever occurs first.
5. 
Maximum Height. Fifteen (15) feet.
6. 
Required Setback. Signs shall not be placed closer to the front property line than one-half (1/2) the depth of the front yard.
7. 
Illumination. Bulletin boards and identification signs may be indirectly illuminated with incandescent or fluorescent lighting.
C. 
Services And Offices And Neighborhood Business Districts.
1. 
Functional Types Permitted. All functional types of signs are permitted except advertising signs.
2. 
Structural Types Permitted. Structural types of signs that are permitted are ground, pole and wall signs.
3. 
Number Of Signs Permitted.
a. 
Ground Signs: two (2) per zoning lot.
b. 
Pole sign: two (2) per zoning lot.
c. 
Wall signs: no limitation.
4. 
Maximum Gross Surface Area. Two (2) square foot for each lineal feet of street frontage. Signs shall not exceed a gross area of one hundred (100) square feet.
5. 
Maximum height: thirty (30) feet.
6. 
Required Setback. None.
7. 
Illumination. Illuminated signs are permitted.
D. 
Central Business, Highway Business And General Business Districts.
1. 
Functional Types Permitted. All functional types of signs are permitted.
2. 
Structural Types Permitted. All structural types of signs are permitted.
3. 
Number Of Signs Permitted.
a. 
Marquee signs: No limitations.
b. 
Ground signs: two (2) per zoning lot.
c. 
Pole signs: two (2) per zoning lot.
d. 
Projecting signs: one (1) per zoning lot.
e. 
Wall signs: No limitations.
f. 
Roof signs: one (1) per zoning lot.
4. 
Maximum Gross Surface Area. Four (4) square feet for each lineal foot of street frontage. Signs shall not exceed a gross area of six hundred (600) square feet.
5. 
Maximum Height.
a. 
Roof signs: twenty (20) feet above the highest point of the structure on which the sign is located.
b. 
All other signs: thirty (30) feet except one hundred (100) feet in the Highway Business District.
6. 
Required Setback. None except that advertising signs shall maintain the same setback that is required for principal structures.
7. 
Illumination. Illuminated signs are permitted.
E. 
Light Industrial And Heavy Industrial Districts:
1. 
Functional Types Permitted. All functional types of signs are permitted.
2. 
Structural Types Permitted. All structural types of signs are permitted.
3. 
Number Of Signs Permitted. Two (2) per zoning lot.
4. 
Maximum Gross Surface Area. Four (4) square feet per lineal foot of street frontage. Signs shall not exceed a gross area of six hundred (600) square feet.
5. 
Maximum Height.
a. 
Roof sign: twenty (20) feet above the highest point of the structure on which the sign is located.
b. 
All other signs: one hundred (100) feet.
6. 
Required Setback. None, except that advertising signs shall maintain the same setback that is required for principal structures.
7. 
Illumination. Illuminated signs are permitted.