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 billboard.
The following definitions are used in this article:
AWNING
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.
BILLBOARD
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.
BLANKETING
The unreasonable obstruction of view of a sign caused by
the placement of another sign.
DIRECTLY ILLUMINATED 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.
DIRECTORY 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.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE UNIT SIGN
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.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
FLASHING SIGN
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.
GROUND AND/OR POLE SIGN
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 a "freestanding sign.")
IDENTIFICATION 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.
MARQUEE 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.
PORTABLE SIGN
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground which is
designed to be easily moved from one location to another.
PROJECTING SIGN
Any sign extending more than 18 inches, but less than six
feet from the face of a wall or building.
REAL ESTATE SIGN
Any sign which is used to offer for sale, lease or rent the
property upon which the sign is placed.
ROOF SIGN
Any sign erected upon or over the roof or parapet of any
building.
SIGN
A sign shall include anything that promotes, calls attention
or invites patronage (or anything similar to the aforementioned) to
a business, location or product.
TEMPORARY SIGN
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.
WALL SIGN
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.
WINDOW SIGN
Any sign located completely within an enclosed building and
visible from a public way.
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.
All billboards, signs and other advertising structures shall
be designed and constructed to withstand a wind pressure of not less
than 30 pound per square foot of area and shall be constructed to
receive dead loads as required in the Building Code or other Ordinances
of the Village of Monticello.
No billboards shall be erected within 100 feet of the intersecting
right-of-way of signalized 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-premise 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 owners 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.