A. 
General freestanding sign regulations.
(1) 
All freestanding signs, with all parts, braces and supports thereof, shall be located entirely behind the property line and shall not project over the public right-of-way or other adjoining lands.
(2) 
All freestanding signs shall not be placed as to obstruct sight distance for both on-site and off-site traffic.
(3) 
No residential land use shall have a freestanding sign except as exempted in § 170-8, exempted signs or temporarily permitted in § 170-14, temporary signs. However, a freestanding sign(s) shall be permitted at the entrance from an existing road to a residential development and maintained by a property owner's association or similar entity.
B. 
Sign area. All freestanding signs unless stated otherwise herein shall have a maximum area of 32 square feet if single-faced and 64 square feet if double-faced, with no dimension being longer than 12 feet. However, the sign area of freestanding signs may be increased by 50% if the height of the freestanding sign, including support structure, is no greater than eight feet.
C. 
Number of freestanding signs permitted.
(1) 
Residential developments. One freestanding sign per motor vehicle entrance to a residential development shall be permitted with a maximum of three freestanding signs permitted per residential development. The sign permit and license shall be in the name of the property owner's association or the name of the property owner in the case of a residential development with dwelling units for rent.
(2) 
Nonresidential developments. The number of freestanding signs shall be calculated as follows:
(a) 
Each individual lot shall be permitted to have one freestanding sign.
(b) 
Additional freestanding signs shall be permitted on a lot if said lot abuts more than one public or private street, with a maximum of three freestanding signs per lot. The freestanding signs shall not be placed along the same road frontage, each of which shall be situated in a manner to be visible from each corresponding street.
(c) 
If an individual lot is located at the intersection of two arterial streets or an arterial and collector streets, one freestanding sign in addition to that permitted above shall be permitted provided that the freestanding sign is no greater than 10 square feet in sign area if single-faced or 20 square feet in sign area if double-faced.
(d) 
Drive-through establishments. In addition to the number of freestanding signs permitted above, a drive-through establishment shall be permitted to have one freestanding sign per drive-through lane located adjacent to each lane.
D. 
Height. The height of all freestanding signs shall be no greater than 15 feet.
E. 
Nonstructural wall signs. Signs attached to a wall not incorporated into the structural support of a building shall be considered freestanding signs and in addition to the regulations stipulated above have the following regulations:
(1) 
The wall in which the sign is attached is made of permanent structural material which can withstand the natural elements and is considered decorative in color and texture and incorporates landscaping into the overall design of the sign. An example would be the placement of a sign on a brick retaining wall.
(2) 
The area of the sign on the wall shall not exceed 48 square feet.
(3) 
The top of the sign attached to the wall shall be no higher than eight feet.
F. 
Freestanding sign bonus. A development located in the Planned Research and Business Park or Medical Campus District shall be permitted to receive the following regulatory relief from the freestanding sign regulations noted above if the development is covered by an approved signage master plan pursuant to § 170-21, Signage master plan.
(1) 
Freestanding signs located in the Planned Research and Business Park Zoning District or the Medical Campus Zoning District shall have maximum sign area of 64 square feet if single-faced and 128 square feet if double-faced. However, the sign area of freestanding signs may be increased by 50% if the height of the freestanding sign, including support structure, is no greater than 10 feet. Otherwise the number shall be calculated based on § 170-10B above.
(2) 
If a development within the Planned Research and Business Park or Medical Campus Zoning Districts has applied for approval of a signage master plan, it shall be permitted to have one freestanding sign for every four acres of development with the acreage dependent on the land planning unit size of the approved preliminary plan for such. Otherwise the number shall be calculated based on § 170-10C(2) above.
All signs affixed to a building or structure shall be regulated as follows:
A. 
General building sign regulations.
(1) 
A building sign shall not project horizontally more than five feet from the wall of a building or side of a structure.
(2) 
A building sign shall not project vertically above the top of a building, structure wall or parapet. A building sign is also permitted on the roof of a building or structure only if such sign does not project vertically above the roofline of a building or structure. See Figure 10 for examples.
170 figure 10.tif
Figure 10. The top image would be permitted as a roof sign that does not extend above the highest point of the roof. The bottom image would not be permitted as the sign extends above the highest point of the roof.
(3) 
No building sign shall be closer than two feet to the right-of-way line.
(4) 
Any building sign which extends laterally from a building wall above a sidewalk or similar pedestrian/bicycle facility by more than 12 inches shall have a clearance of at least eight feet below a building sign.
(5) 
Any building sign located above a driving surface shall have a minimum clearance of 16 feet.
B. 
Sign area. All building signs shall be restricted in terms of area, as noted below including an overall sign area for all signs as follows:
(1) 
No sign which projects more than 12 inches horizontally from the wall of a building or structure shall have a sign area greater than 15 square feet if single-faced or 30 square feet if double-faced.
(2) 
Any sign located on the roof of a building or structure as permitted in § 170-11A(2) shall not be permitted to have a sign area greater than 32 square feet if single-faced or 64 square feet if double-faced.
(3) 
All other building signs shall have no restrictions in terms of number given that the total area of all building signs do not exceed the total permissible sign area pursuant to § 170-11C.
C. 
Total permissible sign area. The total sum of the area of all signs affixed to a building except those exempted pursuant to § 170-8, Exempted signs, shall be calculated as follows:
(1) 
Calculating the total permissible sign area of building signs shall be done based on the gross floor area (GFA) of either the entire building or individual tenant spaces using the following methods:
(a) 
Single-tenant building. Permissible sign area shall be based on the GFA of the entire structure.
(b) 
Multitenant building.
[1] 
For multitenant buildings in which all tenants have their own external entrance available for use by the general public, the total permissible sign area shall be based on the GFA of the individual tenant space.
[2] 
If a multitenant building has a mixture of tenants with their own external entrances available for use by the general public and tenants that do not, the total permissible sign area shall be calculated based on the GFA of each individual tenant space with their own external entrances plus the total calculated permissible sign area calculated on the GFA of the remainder of the building.
(c) 
Multibuilding lot. Gross floor area shall be measured for each building on a given lot separately utilizing one of the two appropriate methods above.
(2) 
The total permissible sign area for all building signs that are not exempt pursuant to § 170-8, Exempted signs, or located in the Planned Research and Business Park District or the Medical Campus District shall be calculated based on the GFA as noted above utilizing the following formula.
Formula for Calculating Total Permissible Sign Area for Building Signs
Gross Floor Area1
(square feet)
Formula per Gross Floor Area
Maximum Sign Area per Class
Up to 4,500
1 square foot of sign area per 30 square feet of GFA
150 square feet
4,501 - 30,000
Maximum sign area of previous class + 1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA - 4,500)/300])
235 square feet
30,001 and up
Maximum sign area of previous class + 1 square foot per additional 3,000 GFA (235 + [(GFA - 30,000)/3,000])
No maximum
1.
Gross floor area (GFA) shall be calculated using one of the methods in § 170-11C
Examples of Calculated Total Permissible Area for Building Signs
Gross Floor Area1
(square feet)
Formula per Gross Floor Area
Maximum Sign Area
(square feet)
900
1 square foot per 30 GFA
30
1,800
1 square foot per 30 GFA
60
2,700
1 square foot per 30 GFA
90
3,600
1 square foot per 30 GFA
120
4,500
1 square foot per 30 GFA
150
4,800
1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA-4,500)/300])
151
6,000
1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA-4,500)/300])
155
12,000
1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA-4,500)/300])
175
18,000
1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA-4,500)/300])
195
24,000
1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA-4,500)/300])
215
30,000
1 square foot per additional 300 GFA (150 + [(GFA-4,500)/300])
235
42,000
1 square foot per additional 3,000 GFA (235 + [(GFA-30,000)/3,000])
239
54,000
1 square foot per additional 3,000 GFA (235 + [(GFA-30,000)/3,000])
243
66,000
1 square foot per additional 3,000 GFA (235 + [(GFA-30,000)/3,000])
247
75,000
1 square foot per additional 3,000 GFA (235 + [(GFA-30,000)/3,000])
250
1.
Gross floor area (GFA) shall be calculated using one of the methods in § 170-11C
(3) 
PRBD and MC. The total permissible sign area for all building signs that are not exempt pursuant to § 170-8, Exempted signs, and located in the Planned Research and Business Park District or the Medical Campus District shall be calculated based on the GFA as noted above utilizing the following formula.
Formula for Calculating Total Permissible Sign Area for Building Signs in the PRBD and MC Zoning Districts
Gross Floor Area1
(square feet)
Formula per Gross Floor Area
Maximum Sign Area per Class
Up to 4,500
1 square foot of sign area per 25 square feet of GFA
180 square feet
4,501 - 30,000
Maximum sign area of previous class + 1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA - 4,500)/250])
282 square feet
30,001 and up
Maximum sign area of previous class + 1 square foot per additional 2,500 GFA (282 + [(GFA - 30,000)/2,500])
No maximum
1.
Gross floor area (GFA) shall be calculated using one of the methods in § 170-11C
Examples of Calculated Total Permissible Area for Building Signs in the PRBD and MC Zoning Districts
Gross Floor Area1
(square feet)
Formula per Gross Floor Area
Maximum Sign Area
(square feet)
900
1 square foot per 25 GFA
36
1,800
1 square foot per 25 GFA
72
2,700
1 square foot per 25 GFA
108
3,600
1 square foot per 25 GFA
144
4,500
1 square foot per 25 GFA
180
4,800
1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA-4,500)/250])
181
6,000
1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA-4,500)/250])
186
12,000
1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA-4,500)/250])
210
18,000
1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA-4,500)/250])
234
24,000
1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA-4,500)/250])
258
30,000
1 square foot per additional 250 GFA (180 + [(GFA-4,500)/250])
282
42,000
1 square foot per additional 2,500 GFA (282 + [(GFA-30,000)/2,500])
286
54,000
1 square foot per additional 2,500 GFA (282 + [(GFA-30,000)/2,500])
292
66,000
1 square foot per additional 2,500 GFA (282 + [(GFA-30,000)/2,500])
296
75,000
1 square foot per additional 2,500 GFA (282 + [(GFA-30,000)/2,500])
300
1.
Gross floor area (GFA) shall be calculated using one of the methods in § 170-11C
(4) 
Number of. The number of building signs shall not be limited given that the area of all building signs meet the total permissible sign area standards as noted in § 170-11C above or except as follows:
(a) 
There shall be no more than one sign that extends horizontally from the wall of a building or structure as permitted in § 170-11A(1). If the building is a multiple-tenant building, then there shall be no more than one building sign that extends horizontally from the wall per tenant.
(b) 
There shall be no more than one sign that extends vertically above the wall of a building or structure as permitted in § 170-11A(2). If the building is a multiple-tenant building then there shall be no more than one building sign vertically above the wall per tenant.
(5) 
Height. A building sign may be mounted at any elevation on the side of a building. However, if said sign is mounted to a parapet, it shall be mounted in a fashion that no portion of such a sign exceeds 25 feet in height as measured from the existing average grade directly below the sign on said parapet.
(6) 
Exemptions from sign area calculations. Signs conveying messages on buildings of importance for the purposes of public health, safety and welfare shall be exempted, as follows:
(a) 
The following words shall be exempt from area calculations of § 170-11:
[1] 
"Fire" or "Fire Station."
[2] 
"Police" or "Police Station."
[3] 
"H" or "Hospital."
[4] 
"Emergency" or "Emergency Room."
[5] 
"Ambulance."
[6] 
Any other similar term or symbol conveying the identification of a building which is narrowly tailored to serve the compelling interest of public health, safety, and welfare given that such words or symbols be as basic as possible, limited to generally accepted terms or symbols recognizable to most, and contain no commercial advertisement.
(b) 
Such signs shall be located on the buildings for which they are identifying.
All permanent signs contained within Article III shall be permitted to contain an electronic or digital sign face with the following additional regulations:
A. 
Sign display/message. The display or message of all electronic or digital signs shall be regulated as follows:
(1) 
The display or message shall remain static or unchanged for a length of time to limit the number of displays or messages seen by motorists passing by. The formula and table below shall determine the time that the message stays static or unchanged.
(a) 
Formula: Distance in which a sign is visible, divided by the speed limit of adjacent street in feet per second. For purposes of this formula, 1,200 feet shall be used in calculation of visibility distance. The table below provides the minimum duration of messages for select speed limits.
Speed Limit (mph) of Adjacent Street
Minimum Duration of Individual Display/Message
(seconds)
25
33
35
23
45
18
55
15
(2) 
The display or message of any electronic or digital sign shall not or shall not appear to scroll, flash, undulate, pulse or portray explosions, fireworks, flashes of light or blinking or chasing lights; the display shall not appear to move toward or away from the viewer, expand or contract, bounce, rotate, spin, twist or otherwise portray movement or animation as it comes onto, is displayed on or leaves the sign board.
(3) 
Electronic or digital signs shall be exempt from the above display time regulations, § 170-12A(1) if it is part of a drive-through menu board of which the display or message is that of a customer's order and the sign is not legible or visible from the public right-of-way.
B. 
Location. Electronic or digital signs shall only be permitted in the Commercial or Industrial Districts as defined by § 200-8, Districts established.
C. 
Size. The area of a sign face on an electronic or digital sign shall be restricted as follows:
(1) 
Freestanding signs that contain an electronic or digital sign face shall not have a sign area larger than that permitted in § 170-10B or § 170-10F.
(2) 
Building signs that contain an electronic or digital sign face shall be limited in size to no greater than 50% of the total permissible sign area permitted in § 170-11C.
D. 
Brightness. All electronic or digital signs shall be equipped with automatic brightness level controls to reduce light levels at night, and under cloudy or other darkened conditions in accordance with the following:
(1) 
All electronic or digital signs shall have installed ambient light monitors and shall at all times allow such monitor to automatically adjust the brightness level of the electronic or digital sign based on ambient light conditions so as to minimize and keep consistent sign brightness.
(2) 
The maximum brightness levels for such signs shall not exceed 5,000 nits when measured from the sign's face at its maximum brightness during daylight hours.
(3) 
The maximum brightness levels for such signs shall not exceed 500 nits when measured from the sign's face at its maximum brightness between sunset and sunrise, as those times are determined by the National Weather Service.
(4) 
Written certification from the sign manufacturer must be provided at time of sign permit application certifying that the light intensity of the sign has been preset not to exceed the illumination levels established by this section, and that the preset intensity level is protected from end user manipulation by an approved method such as password protected software.
(5) 
Upon written request from the College Township Zoning Officer, the electronic or digital sign owner shall have the sign tested to determine if it does not exceed the acceptable brightness levels for daylight and night time operation.
E. 
All electronic or digital signs shall contain a default design that will freeze the device and/or message in one position with no more than a maximum illumination of 500 nits if a malfunction occurs.