The Arbor Vitae Sign Ordinance contains regulations for signs
in Arbor Vitae in Vilas County. The purpose of these regulations is
to require safe sign structures, protect good visibility along public
rights-of-way, enhance the aesthetic quality of the landscape and
promote effective and efficient signage opportunities for business
in Arbor Vitae. The size, shape, design, color and placement of any
sign and any lighting should be compatible to and harmonious with
the building which it identifies and with the area in which it will
be located.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct, alter
or relocate any sign within the zoning limits of Arbor Vitae without
first obtaining a permit from the Plan Commission. Any person or persons
in violations of any provision of this chapter or any lawful order
of the Plan Commission shall be subject to a fine of $200 per offense.
Each day that such violation continues shall constitute a separate
offense. All signs in Arbor Vitae shall require a permit which has
been approved by the Plan Commission for a one-time fee of $100 to
be issued by the Town Clerk with the following exceptions:
A. Real estate signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area which advertise
the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which said signs are
located, provided such signs are removed upon the sale, rent or lease
of the subject property.
B. Occupational and directory signs denoting only the name and profession
or business use of an occupant in a dwelling, commercial or institutional
building which are no more than six square feet.
C. Traffic or other governmental signs, legal notices, railroad crossing
signs, danger and temporary emergency signs and construction signs
located within public rights-of-way.
D. Temporary signs less than 24 square feet in size denoting owners,
occupants, architects, engineers or contractors of improvements under
construction providing such signs are removed upon completion of construction.
If 24 to 32 square feet, a permit is required and can be obtained
at the Town office for a fee. The permit would be good for 180 days
and can be renewed at no additional cost.
E. Seasonal holiday decorations providing such decorations are removed
within 60 days of the holiday or event.
F. Political signs not exceeding 12 square feet, providing such signs
are removed within 10 days following election, except that a sign
erected before a primary election may remain in place until seven
days after the next general election if the sign solicits support
for a candidate, political party or referendum question that is before
the electorate in both the primary and general election.
G. Signs required in Section 5.7 of the Vilas County 85 Ordinance for
the posting of shooting ranges for firearms.
H. Black and white residential directional signs measuring no greater
than eight inches by five feet on four inches by four inches supports
on all Town and county roads.
I. Local nonprofit organizations may promote a local event with signs
no more than two weeks prior to the event; signs to be removed within
24 hours after the event. Maximum sandwich-board to be eight square
feet per side.
J. The American flag, i.e., a fabric device following the design of
the official national flag of the United States, displayed in accordance
with applicable federal and state regulations, is exempt from this
chapter. However, any graphical representation of the American flag
shall be subject to all applicable provisions of this chapter.
All signs in Arbor Vitae shall be subject to the following standards.
A. Signage plan. No permit shall be issued for an individual sign requiring
a permit unless and until a common signage plan for the property on
which the sign will be erected has been submitted to the Plan Commission.
(1) Signage plan content. For any property on which the owner proposes
to erect one or more signs requiring a permit, the owner shall submit
to the Plan Commission a signage plan containing the following.
(a)
An accurate plot plan of the property at such scale as the Plan
Commission may reasonably require.
(b)
Location of buildings, parking lots, driveways and landscaped
areas on the property.
(c)
The maximum area of each individual sign, the height of each
sign, computation of the maximum total sign area, and:
(d)
An accurate indication on the plot plan of the location of each
existing sign.
(2) Freestanding sign. The Town of Arbor Vitae encourages the use of
monument-style signs with use of landscaping at the base and a maximum
height of 10 feet where the safety of the public entering the roadway
is not a concern (i.e., sign too close to road, blocks visibility).
(a)
No more than two off-premises directional signs relating to
the advertising of a specific premises shall be permitted in any one
direction along any one street, road or highway. No more than one
freestanding on-premises sign shall be permitted. A double-face sign
shall be considered one sign.
(b)
Sign size. The maximum area for any freestanding sign shall
be 38 square feet for each sign facing, exclusive of supports. No
sign shall exceed 18 feet above natural existing grade. If natural
existing grade is below the grade of adjacent road, then the adjacent
road grade shall be considered natural existing grade.
Exceptions:
[1]
A monument sign with a maximum height of 10 feet shall be allowed
an additional 20% increase in the total square footage, provided there
is landscaped area surrounding the sign base equal in square footage
to the size of the sign.
[2]
If the sign placement is such that a proposed freestanding on-premises
sign would be placed:
To 100 feet
|
38 square feet at 0 to 34 mph;
60 square feet at 35 to 55 mph
|
101 feet to 200 feet
|
60 square feet at 0 to 34 mph;
90 square feet at 35 to 55 mph
|
201 feet or more
|
108 square feet
|
[3]
Any future speed limit reduction shall not cause existing signs
to become nonconforming.
(3) Directory signs.
(a)
When more than one separately licensed business establishment
is located in a single building or property, a single directory sign
is permitted for the entire building complex.
(b)
The size of a freestanding on premise sign shall be computed
based on the following formula: 38 square feet dedicated to the building
or development name adjusted for speed and setback in the following
manner:
To 100 feet
|
38 square feet at 0 to 34 mph;
60 square feet at 35 to 55 mph
|
101 feet to 200 feet
|
60 square feet at 0 to 34 mph;
90 square feet at 35 to 55 mph
|
201 feet or more
|
108 square feet
|
(c)
Individual tenant sign size (up to four) shall be computed using
the following formula:
To 100 feet
|
10 square feet at 0 to 34 mph;
14 square feet at 35 to 55 mph
|
101 feet to 200 feet
|
14 square feet at 0 to 34 mph;
18 square feet at 35 to 55 mph
|
201 feet or more
|
22 square feet
|
(d)
The individual tenant signs shall be of a coordinated design
sharing all these design elements: size, shape and materials. Special
consideration shall be given for any directory sign requiring more
than four tenants.
It shall be the duty of the owner of any sign to maintain the
sign in a state of good repair and safety. The Town Board may order
repair of any sign in disrepair. The Town Board may order repair to
be done within a set time, and in all cases of repairs ordered, the
owner shall submit to the Town Board a letter certifying to the effect
that the designated repairs have been made. A period of 45 days shall
be allotted to have the repairs completed or the sign shall be removed.
Notification of such removal action shall be made to the owner or
responsible party within 10 days of the action to be taken. In all
cases where any sign is eminently or obviously unsafe, the Town Board
is authorized herewith to remove such sign as a public nuisance without
any demand for removal or repair of the same upon the owner or any
person maintaining such sign. The owner will be assessed for costs
of removal.
Applications which request a variance shall be referred to the
Plan Commission for a decision. A variance to the requirements of
this chapter may be approved by the Plan Commission where it finds
that the variance requested is for a sign with an exceptional design,
style, size, circumstance or distance.
A. Variance appeal process. The applicant can appeal the Plan Commission
decision to the Town Board requiring a majority voting margin to overturn
the Commission's decision.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AWNING SIGN
Any sign or graphic attached to, painted on or applied to
an awning or awning canopy. Any portion of an awning containing the
name of a business, or is otherwise a sign, shall be treated as sign.
The size is determined by measuring the rectangle containing any graphic
and/or letters.
BANNER
A long strip of cloth or material affixed to a pole, wire
or rope which is located outdoors and which has lettering on it as
an advertisement, greeting or similar message.
BUILDING FACE COMPUTATION
The square footage of the face shall be computed as the linear
feet of the wall times the height of the wall measured to the eave
line.
BUILDING FRONTAGE
The width of a building facing a street, or where a mall
exists, building frontage means that portion of the mall which is
perpendicular to the street. In the case of a corner lot, the building
frontage may be either of the street frontages, but not both, at the
option of the property owner.
CUT-OUT LETTERS
Cut-out letters mounted on a building surface, and letters
painted on a building are wall signs.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN
The traditional "arrow" signs that display the names of establishments.
DIRECTORY SIGN
A sign that serves as a common or collective identification
of two or more uses on the same property and which may contain a directory
to the uses as an integral part thereof or may serve as a general
identification for such developments as shopping centers, office buildings,
industrial parks and similar uses.
DOUBLE-FACED SIGN
The two sides of a double-faced sign must be parallel back-to-back
and no thicker than 12 inches.
FLASHING SIGN
A sign whose illumination is not kept constant in intensity
at all times when in use and which exhibits changes in light, color,
direction or animation. Illuminated signs which indicate the date,
time and temperature will not be considered flashing signs.
FREESTANDING SIGN
A sign that is supported by one or more columns, upright
poles or braces extended from the ground or from an object on the
ground, or that is erected on the ground where no part of the sign
is attached to any part of a building, structure, or other sign.
LIGHTING, INDIRECT
A light source separated from the sign surface, which illuminates
the sign surface by means of spotlights or similar lighting fixtures.
LIGHTING, INTERNAL
A light source enclosed within a sign, which illuminates
a sign by shining through a translucent surface of the sign.
NONCONFORMING SIGN
Any sign that was constructed in compliance with the applicable
requirements in force at the time it was installed, but which does
not comply with all of the regulations of this chapter or of any amendment
hereto governing signs.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
OFF-PREMISES SIGN
A sign which advertises a business, merchandise, product,
service or entertainment which is offered elsewhere than upon the
premises where the sign is displayed.
ON-PREMISES SIGN
A sign which advertises a business, merchandise, product,
service or entertainment which is offered on the premises where the
sign is displayed.
PORTABLE SIGN
Any sign which is designed to be transported by trailer or
on its own wheels, including such signs, even though the wheels may
be removed.
PROJECTING SIGN
A sign, other than a wall sign, which projects six inches
or more from, and is supported by, a wall of a building or structure
typically having two or more viewable sides, but for purposes of this
chapter, only one side need be counted as a side for measuring its
allowable area and the total sign count.
SANDWICH BOARD
A sign that is constructed with two pieces of material, connected
at the top, which pieces form a triangular shape and are self-supporting.
SIGN AREA
Shall be based upon the entire area of the sign with a single
continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of the actual sign
surface, including trim and borders, but excluding the structure upon
which the sign is placed.
SIGN or GRAPHIC
Any letters, pictorial representation, symbol, flag, emblem,
illuminated devices, displayed in any matter whatsoever, which is
used to attract attention to the subject matter for the purpose of
advertising or proposing a commercial transaction and which is visible
by the general public from any public right-of-way or public area.
However, this shall not include any official flag, emblem or insignia
of a government, school or religious group when displayed for official
purposes.
SIGN OWNER
The permittee with respect to any sign for which a sign permit
has been issued, or with respect to a sign for which no sign permit
is required, or for which no sign permit has been obtained, "sign
owner" means the person entitled to possession of such sign, the owner,
occupant and agent of the property where the sign is located and any
person deriving a benefit from the sign.
SIGN STRUCTURE
The poles, uprights, braces or framework necessary to support
a sign.
WALL SIGN
Any sign attached to, painted on, or erected against the
building or structure, including the smallest square, circle, rectangle,
triangle, or combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits
of the writing, representation, emblem, or other display, together
with any structure and/or material or color forming an integral part
of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign
from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed.