The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where
the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
A use incidental to the principal use of the building.
A shelter supported entirely from the exterior wall of a
building. Any signage located on an awning must first be approved
by the Village through the application process described below. Any
regulation regarding the awning structure or support may be found
in another section of this Code.
Any display sign which contains a message unrelated to or
not advertising a business transacted or goods sold or produced on
the premises on which the sign is located.
A ground or wall sign erected on a site designated on a building
permit issued by the Building Inspector as the site for construction
of a new building, which advises the public of pertinent facts regarding
the construction, management and leasing of the new building.
A temporary display designated for the entertainment or cultural
enrichment of the public and having no direct or indirect sales or
advertising content.
A structure or device that is arranged, intended, designed
or used as an advertisement, announcement or direction.
A sign made of lights or LED to create a changeable electronic
image, design, words, emblems or other such displays. An electronic
digital changeable copy sign may not change more than once every five
seconds. The five-second hold time is for the entire display and must
be followed by either a swipe or instant screen change. Scrolling
text from side to side is exempt from this provision.
To build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend or affix.
A sign erected on a freestanding frame, mast or pole and
not attached to any building.
Any material which will not ignite at or below a temperature
of 1,200° F. and will not continue to burn or glow at that temperature.
A display sign attached to or hung from a marquee, canopy
or other structure projecting from and supported by the building and
extending beyond the building wall, building line or street lot line.
Any sign visible to the general public in or on the interior
or exterior of a window or on an exterior wall that is illuminated
by bulbs, tubes or other lighting segments.
Restricted to the I-2 or I-3 Zone District. They shall not
be permitted on wall or roof locations.
Any sign or billboard which is freestanding, unsupported
by any building or structure and is attached to a frame, column, post
or pole.
Any sign which projects from any angle more than six inches
from the side of a building to which it is attached or is freestanding
and is attached to a frame, column, post or pole and projects from
any angle more than six inches away from its supporting structure.
A sign announcing the candidacy of a person running for public
office or issues to be voted upon at an election.
Any sign less than 16 square feet in area and less than 50
pounds in weight, supported on a base.
See overhanging sign regulations.
Any sign intended primarily to promote items of general interest
to the community, such as time, temperature and date, atmospheric
conditions, traffic control, etc.
A display sign which is erected, constructed and maintained
above any portion of the roof or external wall of a building. Roof
signs shall be prohibited.
A group of three or more stores, offices or shops selling
merchandise or services and served by a common off-street automobile
parking area which is located on private property. All stores, offices,
and shops served by one parking area shall be considered one shopping
center.
Announcement, declaration, and illustration insignia when
designed and placed so as to attract general public attention. Such
shall be deemed to be a single sign whenever the proximity, design,
content or continuity reasonably suggests a single unit, notwithstanding
any physical separation between parts. "Sign" shall include banner,
bulbs or other lighting devices, streamer, pennant, balloon, propeller,
flag (other than the official flag of any sports team, nation or state),
and similar devices of any kind, whether bearing lettering or not.
The molding, battens, capping, nailing strips, latticing
and platforms which are attached to the sign structure.
That part of the sign upon, against or through which the
message is displayed or illustrated. The "total surface area of a
sign" is the sum total of all exterior surfaces of the sign computed
in square feet. In the case of a broken sign (a sign with open spaces
between the letters) the total surface area shall be measured by multiplying
the height of the individual letters or combination of letters by
the distance between the outer edges of the two furthermost letters.
Includes any and all temporary signs, designed and intended
to advertise or contain information about or soliciting votes for
a candidate, political party, proposal or issue of any sort, or any
other matter relating to or at issue in one specific and particular
upcoming election, and further designed and intended to be temporarily
placed on lawns, trees or posts and not permanently affixed to any
structure. Billboards are specifically excluded from this definition.
Portable or wheeled signs, including those mounted to or attached
in any manner to trucks, trailers or motor vehicles are included within
this definition.
A display sign, banner or other advertising device constructed
of cloth, canvas, fabric, plastic or other light temporary material,
with or without a structural frame, or any other sign intended for
a limited period of display, but not including decorative displays
for holidays or public demonstrations.
A display sign which is attached directly to a building wall
or structure and the horizontal sign surface is parallel to the building
wall or structure.
Any sign which is applied with paint, film or similar substance
which simulates paint on the exterior surface of an interior or exterior
surface of a window or glazing surface; or any sign which is visible
to the general public either on or against the interior or exterior
surface or within 36 inches of a window or glazing surface.
In order to promote and protect the health, safety and general
welfare of the citizens of the Village and to facilitate an easy and
pleasant communication of ideas between people and still maintain
a pleasant environment for people to live and work, a comprehensive
system of regulation of signs and outdoor advertising structures is
hereby established. It is intended that this chapter shall:
A.
Permit public and private sign displays that are compatible with
their surroundings; aid orientation; identify activities; promote
the interests of persons, products or services; express local history
and character; or promote educational purposes.
B.
Encourage public and private signs that are appropriate to the zoning
districts in which they are located.
C.
Encourage public and private signs that are readable.
D.
Reduce competition between public and private signs.
E.
Control the number, size and location of signs to reduce visual clutter.
F.
Regulate the signs so that they do not obstruct vision or interfere
with the operation of motor vehicles.
G.
Require signs to be properly constructed and installed.
A.
No signs shall be erected on or over public property.
B.
No signs shall be erected which will in any way interfere with any
fire hydrant, traffic light, fire alarm box or streetlight, nor shall
any sign be erected in any location where, by reason of traffic conditions
or fire or explosion hazards, it would imperil public safety or interfere
with the functions of the Village Police or Fire Department.
C.
No sign shall be erected at the intersection of any streets in such
a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision or at any location where,
by reason of position, shape or color it may interfere with, obstruct
the view or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or
device or which makes use of the words "Stop," "Look," "Danger" or
any word, phrase, symbol or character in such manner as to interfere
with, mislead or confuse traffic.
D.
At street intersections, no signs, other than municipal traffic control
signs, shall be located within the triangle formed by the property
lines paralleling the streets and extending for a distance of 20 feet
each way from the intersection of the right-of-way lines at the corner
lot. No sign, signal, marking, device, blinking, oscillating or rotating
light or lights shall be erected so as to create a traffic hazard
E.
In no event shall any sign or outdoor advertising structure have
flashing or intermittent lights or be permitted to rotate or oscillate.
Where the use of reflectors and lights are generally permitted, the
use of string electric light bulbs which illuminate products which
are stored outdoors for sale is prohibited.
F.
No sign or any part thereof shall move, nor shall the illumination
of any sign or any part of such illumination be anything other than
a steady, continuously burning bulb or light.
G.
No sign of any type shall obstruct or be attached to a fire escape.
H.
No sign shall be attached to any door or window casing.
I.
No signs which swing free from their supporting structure shall be
erected over a street, alley or public space.
J.
No sign shall be constructed or maintained which does not advertise
a business transacted or goods sold or produced on the premises on
which the sign is located, except in the I-1, I-2 or I-3 Zone District.
K.
Electronic changeable copy signs shall be prohibited in all residential
zone districts. They shall also be prohibited at any property along
Prairie Street from Michigan Avenue to Kalamazoo Avenue. Additionally,
they shall be prohibited from properties along Main Street from Washington
Street to a point 500 feet north of the intersection of Main and Prairie
Streets. Any commercial or industrial zoned property where digital
on-premises signs are allowed may not exceed 50% of the total sign
area. This shall mean actual existing sign area, not possible sign
area allowed per the ordinance.
L.
It shall be unlawful for any person to display upon any sign or other
advertising structure any obscene, indecent or immoral matter.
A.
Obsolete signs. No person shall maintain, for more than 30 days,
a sign which has become obsolete because of discontinuance of the
business, service, or activity which it advertises; removal of the
business from the location to which it directs; or for any other reason.
The fact that an obsolete sign is nonconforming shall not be construed
as modifying any requirements of this section.
B.
Hazardous signs. All signs located in the Village shall be maintained
in a safe condition. No person shall maintain a sign which is deteriorated
or defective to a point of causing a hazardous condition which threatens
the health, safety or general welfare of the public, as determined
by the Building Inspector.
C.
Nonconforming signs. Nonconforming signs shall meet the following
restrictions:
(1)
A lawfully erected sign, the maintenance of which is made unlawful
by this chapter, may continue to be maintained exactly as it existed
at the time when the maintenance became otherwise unlawful under this
chapter.
(2)
No nonconforming sign shall:
(a)
Be changed to another nonconforming sign;
(b)
Have any change made in the words or symbols used or the message
displayed on the sign, unless the sign is a non-accessory advertising
sign or a bulletin board or similar type of sign specifically designed
for periodic changes of message;
(c)
Be structurally altered so as to prolong the life of the sign
or design of the sign;
(d)
Be reestablished after the activity, business or use to which
it relates has been discontinued for 30 days or longer; or
(e)
Be reestablished after damage by accident, vandalism or an act
of God if the damage is in excess of 50% of the sign's replaceable
value, as determined by the Building Inspector.
All signs shall be inspected by the Building Inspector. Signs
which are unsafe shall immediately be ordered removed or repaired,
depending wholly upon the condition of the sign. It shall be unlawful
for any person to fail to comply with such an order to repair or remove
any sign.
This chapter may also be enforced by injunction, suit for damages
or by any other appropriate remedy.
