As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meaning indicated:
ABANDONED SIGN
Any sign remaining in place which for a period of 90 consecutive
days or more no longer advertises or identifies an ongoing business,
product, service, idea, or commercial activity located on the site
or has not been properly maintained in accordance with the requirements
of this chapter.
BANNER
A suspended sign made of a flexible material such as canvas,
sailcloth, plastic, paper, or fabric of any kind, and intended to
be displayed on a temporary basis. A decorative banner is a banner
containing no message or logo that is displayed for the purpose of
adding color or interest to the surroundings or to the building to
which it is attached. A flag or canopy shall not be considered a banner.
CANOPY
A permanent roof structure over a space that is completely
unenclosed on at least two sides. A canopy may be attached to a building
or free-standing with four open sides as an accessory to a principal
building.
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.
ELECTRONIC VARIABLE MESSAGE SIGN
A changeable copy sign or portion thereof which can be electronically
changed or rearranged without altering the face or the surface of
the sign, not including signage or portions thereof displaying time
and temperature.
FACADE
Any separate face or surface of a building, including parapet
walls, canopies and roof surfaces or any part of a building which
encloses or covers usable space. Where separate facades are oriented
in the same direction, or where the inside angle at the intersection
of two surfaces is greater than 135°, they are to be considered
as part of a single facade.
FLAG
A device generally made of flexible material, such as cloth,
paper, or plastic, and displayed from a pole, cable or rope. It may
or may not include copy.
GARAGE SALE SIGN
A sign erected prior to or during an estate sale, yard sale
or rummage sale used to dispose of personal household possessions.
GROUND SIGN
Any free-standing sign that is supported by structures or
supports in or upon the ground and independent of support from any
building. A single sign structure having two identical or nearly identical
faces back to back shall constitute a single sign. For the purposes
of this definition, a ground sign is intended to refer to a primary,
permanent, ground-mounted sign, not a temporary sign or sign that
is ancillary to the primary sign, such as a directional sign or portable
sign.
HANGING SIGN
A sign that is suspended from the underside of a surface
and is supported by such surface.
LOT
Any piece or parcel of land, the boundaries of which have
been established by some legal instrument of public record, that is
recognized and intended as a unit for the purpose of a recordable
transfer of ownership. Where two or more lots are lawfully subject
to a single use or activity all such lots shall be considered a single
lot.
MEMORIAL SIGN
A sign or tablet memorializing a person, event, place or
structure.
PERMANENT
When used in reference to a sign, means that the sign is
constructed of durable materials and intended to exist for an indefinite
period of time or the duration of the time that the use or occupant
is located on the premises and is generally, but not necessarily,
affixed to the ground or structure. Unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise, the term "permanent" in this chapter is not intended to
mean literal permanence, but rather it is meant to distinguish such
signs from more transient or temporary signage.
PORTABLE SIGN
A type of temporary sign that is not permanently attached
to the ground or a building or not designed to be permanently attached
to the ground or a building, including but not limited to, trailers
or other vehicles that are used principally as a sign and are not
used daily for business purposes, posters, "sandwich boards" or other
freestanding signboards, regardless of whether such signs are attached
to the ground or to a building or structure.
PROJECTING SIGN
A sign that is attached to the wall of a building and projects
more than 15 inches beyond such wall.
PUBLIC WAY
Any city, county, or state right-of-way, any land between
the edge of a street and the boundary of a lot.
REAL ESTATE SIGN
A sign erected in during the period that the premises upon
which the sign is located is being actively marketed for sale, rental
or lease.
SIGN
Any display of lettering, logos, colors, lights, or illuminated
neon tubes visible to the public from outside of a building or from
a traveled way, that either conveys a message to the public, or intends
to advertise, direct, invite, announce or draw attention to any event,
goods, products, services, facilities, persons, property interest
or business.
WALL SIGN
A sign that is attached to a wall of a building and is affixed
parallel to the wall at a distance of not more than 15 inches from
the surface of the wall.
WINDOW SIGN
Any sign located completely within an enclosed building and
visible from a public way or placed upon a window. Merchandise or
merchandise displays within the premises and visible from the exterior
shall not be considered a window sign under this definition.
No sign shall hereafter be located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, converted or structurally altered without a zoning permit, except those signs listed in §
365-73 of this chapter, and without being in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. The sign shall also meet all the structural requirements of the Building Code.
The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements
of this chapter, but subject to restrictions as described herein:
A. Temporary signs not exceeding eight square feet in area erected while
the property on which the sign is located is offered for sale or lease.
Such signs shall be removed no later than seven days following sale
or lease of the subject property.
B. Temporary signs not exceeding four square feet in area erected prior
to an election or referendum. Such signs may be erected no earlier
than 60 days prior to an election or referendum and shall be removed
no later than seven days after the election or referendum.
C. Temporary signs not exceeding six square feet in area erected prior
to or during a garage sale. Such signs shall be posted no more than
one day prior to and shall be removed one day after the sale. (See
also Chapter 174-2, Garage Sales.)
D. Other signs permitted in residential and agricultural districts.
Except for billboards and signs on nonconforming uses, signs lawfully existing at the time of adoption or amendment of this chapter may be continued although the use, size, or location does not conform to the provisions of this chapter. However, it shall be deemed a nonconforming use or structure, and the provisions of Article
XVIII of this chapter shall apply.
The following signs are expressly prohibited in the Village:
A. Signs in public ways. Except for traffic signs, signs specifically
permitted to project into or be located in the public way by this
chapter, or any other sign so authorized by law, no signs shall be
placed upon, over, or in any public way. This prohibition shall include
temporary signs, including garage sale signs. Permits for signs projecting
into any street shall be revocable as provided by the Wisconsin Statutes.
B. Signs attached to any public utility pole or structure, street tree,
fence, fire hydrant, bridge, curb, sidewalk, park bench, or other
location on public property except as otherwise expressly permitted
under this Code.
C. Signs that create a traffic hazard. No sign shall be erected at any
location where it may, by reason of its position, shape, color or
other characteristics, interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be
confused with any authorized traffic sign, traffic signal or other
traffic device, nor shall any sign make use of the word "stop," "look,"
"drive-in," "danger" or any other word, phrase, symbol, or character
in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse traffic.
D. Animated signs, or signs having moving parts.
E. Billboards, outdoor advertising signs and any business or industrial
signs not located on the same property as the business or industry
advertised shall not be permitted in any district.
F. Street intersections. No sign or advertising device shall be erected
or maintained at the intersection of streets in such a manner as to
obstruct clear vision of the intersection.
G. Obstruction of openings. Any sign so erected, constructed, or maintained
as to obstruct or be attached to any fire escape, window, door, or
opening used as a means of ingress or egress, or for fire-fighting
purposes, or placed so as to interfere with any opening required for
legal ventilation is prohibited.
Every applicant for a zoning permit for a sign shall, before
the permit is granted, execute a surety bond in a sum to be fixed
by the Zoning Inspector, but not to exceed $25,000, and it shall be
of a form and type approved by the Village Attorney, indemnifying
the Village by reason of the erection, construction, or maintenance
of such sign. A liability insurance policy issued by an insurance
company authorized to do business in the state and conforming to the
requirements of this chapter may be permitted by the Village Attorney
in lieu of a bond.