[Adopted 1-21-2014 by Ord. No. 679 (Title 4, Ch. 5, of the 1978 Code)]
This article is adopted under the zoning authority of the Village
of Warrensburg in furtherance of the more general purposes set forth
in the zoning ordinance adopted April 16, 2012, in Ordinance No. 660.
The general purpose of these regulations is to further an overall
plan for the enhancement of public safety, consistent community development,
preservation of property values, and the general welfare of the Village,
more specifically to aid in traffic control and safety by reducing
the distractive characteristics of signs along public highways, township
roads and streets, lessen congestion of land and air space, avoid
uncontrolled proliferation of signs, preserve the wholesome and attractive
character of the Village and the various approaches to its communities
and recognize that the general welfare of the public includes a plan
that provides for a community that shall be beautiful as well as healthful,
spacious as well as clean, and well-balanced in growth and development.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any structure, device, light or natural object including
the ground itself, or any part thereof, or any device attached thereto,
or painted or represented thereon, which shall be used to identify,
advertise or attract attention to any object, produce, place, activity,
person, institution, organization, firm, group, commodity, profession,
enterprise, industry or business, or which shall display or include
any letter, word, model, number, banner, flag, pennant, insignia,
device or representation used as an announcement, direction or advertisement,
and which is intended to be seen from off the premises or from a parking
lot. The word "sign" shall include signs which are affixed to the
inside of windows and glass doors and are intended to be seen from
roadways or parking lots. No other indoor sign shall be deemed a sign
within this article.
A sign which identifies a business or service or product
located within or without the Village limits and provides direction
to written description, address and/or graphic or pictorial illustration.
A sign displaying text, numerals, graphics or animation indicating
the names of persons associated with events conducted upon or products
or services offered upon the premises where the sign is maintained;
is illuminated internally by means of electric bulbs, LCD or other
similar methods; and is controlled electronically with the ability
to be programmed to change.
A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity,
service or entertainment sold or offered upon the premises where such
sign is located or to which it is affixed.
A triangular shaped area located at the intersection of any
combination of rights-of-way, private streets, alleys or driveways.
The height of the vision clearance area is from 3 1/2 feet above
grade to nine feet above grade of the vehicular driving surface. The
sides of the triangle shall be determined in one of the following
manners as the specific case may apply:
Twenty-five feet from the intersection of a street right-of-way
line or private roadway easements.
Twenty-five feet from the intersection of a street right-of-way
line and property line corresponding with a public alley or private
street.
Twenty-five feet from the intersection of a street right-of-way
line or private roadway easement and the edge of the vehicle travel
area on a driveway.
In all cases, the vision clearance triangle shall apply to any
combination of public streets, alleys, private streets and driveways
on all tracts of land and adjoining tracts thereto.
A.
Regulation. All signs, unless otherwise specified by ordinance, shall
conform to the requirements of this section. No on-premises sign,
poster, flag, outdoor display or other advertising device not meeting
the requirements mentioned herein shall be permitted.
B.
Permit required. Except as otherwise provided herein, it shall be
unlawful to erect, construct, reconstruct, enlarge or structurally
modify a sign without first obtaining a sign permit from the Building
Official.
[Amended 6-7-2021 by Ord.
No. 764]
A.
Prohibited signs. The following signs are prohibited in all districts:
[Amended 6-7-2021 by Ord.
No. 764]
(1)
Pennants, streamers, lines of whirling or spinning elements and similar.
(2)
Revolving or flashing beacons that resemble traffic control devices
or emergency vehicle signals.
(3)
Signs which are an imitation of, or resemble in shape, size, copy
or color, an official traffic sign or signal.
(4)
Signs portraying obscene, indecent or immoral matter.
B.
Flashing signs. Signs employing exterior brilliant, intermittent,
rotating or flashing lights, including electronic message unit signs,
shall not be permitted within 100 feet of the boundary of any VR District.
C.
Signs in the vision clearance triangle.
(1)
No portion of any sign, exclusive of the standard of a freestanding
sign, located within a vision clearance triangle, as herein defined,
shall be less than nine feet above the level of the sidewalk or, if
there is no sidewalk, the level of the lot line nearest the sign,
except that where traffic lights may be obscured, the minimum height
shall be 12 feet. The standard or support for a freestanding sign
within a vision clearance triangle shall be limited to the following:
1) a single pole or column with a maximum diameter or width of 24
inches or 2) a maximum of two poles or columns with a maximum diameter
or width of 18 inches each and further provided a minimum clear distance
of six feet be provided between such poles or columns.
[Amended 6-7-2021 by Ord.
No. 764]
(2)
Notwithstanding the above, a directional sign as herein regulated
may be located within the vision clearance triangle.
D.
Awning, canopy and sloping roof signs. Signs located on awnings,
canopies and marquees, and signs on sloping roofs with an angle relative
to flat grade of greater than 45°, shall be considered to be wall
signs and shall be included in the maximum number of signs and area
of signs as required for wall signs.
E.
Multiple signs on one standard. Two or more signs may be mounted
on the same standard of a freestanding advertising sign, provided
that the combined areas of such signs do not exceed the area requirements
for a single freestanding sign as provided herein.
F.
Corner lots. In addition to the signs allowed in or to project into
a front yard as herein above provided, such signs shall also be allowed
in the corner side yard of a corner lot, subject to the same conditions
and restrictions as those permitted in the front yard.
G.
Portable signs. No portable sign shall be in place more than a total
of 35 days per calendar year. One portable sign shall be permitted
per lot. Portable signs shall not exceed 32 square feet in area and
may not exceed five feet in height. The permit for a portable sign
shall stipulate the number and type of portable signs and dates of
display. Portable signs shall be permitted in the VB and VM Districts.
Illuminated elements are permitted, provided that the sign is located
a minimum of 50 feet from any side or rear lot line in a residential
district.
H.
Directional signs.
(1)
Directional signs are permitted for any use in any VO, VB and VM
District and shall not be counted towards the maximum number of freestanding
signs permitted.
(2)
No directional sign may exceed four square feet in area and shall
not exceed three feet in height.
(3)
Directional signs that contain advertising shall be counted towards
the maximum area of signs permitted; directional signs that contain
no advertising shall not be counted towards the maximum area of signs
permitted.
I.
Electronic message unit signs.
(1)
Electronic message unit signs may be located on the same sign structure
as nonelectronic message unit signs.
(2)
Electronic message unit signs located in VO, VB and VM Districts
may not be located within 100 feet of the boundary of any residentially
zoned district or residential use. Electronic message unit signs in
any residentially zoned district may not be located within 100 feet
of the property and/or lot line of any residential use.
(3)
No electronic message unit sign may exceed 50 square feet in area
in the VO, VB and VM Districts. Electronic message unit signs must
have a minimum front yard setback of 10 feet.
(4)
Electronic message unit signs may only display advertising information
related to the business or businesses located on the same premises.
(5)
Electronic message unit signs may also display time and temperature
as well as information which is nonprofit, civic or charitable in
nature.
(6)
Electronic message unit signs located in all zoning districts shall
be constant or steady in nature. Displayed messages shall not change
at a rate greater than one message per every six seconds.
(7)
Electronic message unit signs located in all zoning districts shall
not scroll or travel, grow, melt, x-ray, up or down, bounce, inverse,
roll, twinkle, snow or present pictorials or other animation at a
rate faster than one frame per one second. No electronic message unit
sign shall have both the background and foreground in motion simultaneously.
No electronic message unit sign shall have animation without rest.
(8)
A flashing display is prohibited in all residentially zoned districts.
Where permitted, repeated text or graphics shall not flash at a rate
faster than one frame per every one second.
(9)
Electronic message unit signs shall adjust brightness in response
to changes in light levels so that the signs are not unreasonably
bright for the safety of the motoring public and the comfort of the
neighboring uses. The spillover at any property line shall not exceed
0.5 footcandles.
J.
Signs in the right-of-way. No sign, except those necessary for traffic
and parking control, shall be posted in a right-of-way, boulevard
or other publicly owned space.
[Amended 6-7-2021 by Ord.
No. 764]
K.
Removal of abandoned signs. Abandoned signs and sign structures shall
be removed within 60 days. Signs and/or sign structures shall be considered
abandoned when any of the following occurs:
(1)
Signs that refer to businesses or products that are no longer in
existence or operation at the location of the sign for a period of
at least 60 days.
(2)
Multi-tenant signs but only as to the tenant or product that is no
longer in existence or operation at the location of the sign a period
of at least 60 days. The entire sign and structure shall be considered
abandoned when all businesses or products referred to on a multi-tenant
sign shall no longer be in existence or operation at the location
of the sign for a period of 60 days and the structure is nonconforming.
(3)
Nonconforming structures that refer to business or products no longer
in existence or operation at the location of the sign.
(4)
Signs or structures bearing visible damage for a period exceeding
60 days.
(5)
Signs or structures in which the internal illumination is no longer
fully functional or inoperative for a period exceeding 60 days.
(6)
Any sign with an open cabinet.
M.
Maximum height. The maximum height of all signs, as required herein,
shall be measured from the grade at the base of the sign to the top-most
sign element.
N.
Sign area. For the purposes of this article, the area of a sign shall
consist of the area of the smallest rectangle or sum of the area of
multiple contiguous rectangles (including air space and painted background,
but excluding frame or support materials) enclosing the extreme limits
of the sign display. Curved, spherical or any other shaped sign shall
be computed on the basis of actual surface area. Where a sign has
two opposite sides on the same plane, or where the opposite sides
are angled no greater than 30°, only the area of one side of the
sign shall be considered its total area.
O.
Occupant frontage. When required in this section, the maximum allowed
area of a wall sign shall be determined by the linear width in feet
of the occupant frontage in the building. For the purposes of this
section, "occupant frontage" shall mean that side or wall or portion
thereof of a building which is generally situated towards the street
and on which is usually (but not always) located the main public entrance
for an individual premises or business. In a single tenant building,
the occupant frontage shall be the width of the building, whereas,
for a multi-tenant building, the occupant frontage shall be the width
of that portion of the main building occupied by each premises or
business.
P.
Political signs. Outdoor political campaign signs are exempt from
the time period regulations and the number of temporary signs to be
displayed as outlined in the following subsections.
A.
General. Regulations in this subsection shall apply to the VB and
VM Zoning Districts.
B.
Freestanding signs.
(1)
Number per frontage: one; however, properties that have 500 feet
of linear frontage or more are permitted two freestanding signs and
properties with 800 feet of linear frontage or more are permitted
three freestanding signs.
(2)
Multi-tenant sign advertising three or more businesses: one per development.
(4)
Maximum height: 21 feet.
(5)
Minimum setbacks: five feet from any property line.
(6)
Illumination. Such sign(s) may be illuminated but nonflashing if
located a minimum of 25 feet from any residential side or rear lot
line.
C.
Wall signs.
(1)
Number per main building: no limit, provided that the aggregate square
footage of all wall signs does not exceed the maximum square footage
as required below.
(2)
Maximum area: 10% of the facade or wall on which the sign(s) is/are
attached or one square foot per linear foot of occupant frontage,
whichever is larger.
(3)
Illumination. A wall sign may be illuminated but nonflashing if located
a minimum of 25 feet from any residential side or real lot line.
(4)
A wall sign may not extend above the top of the wall where displayed.
A.
General. Regulations in this subsection shall apply to the VO Zoning
District.
B.
Freestanding signs.
(1)
Number per frontage: one.
(2)
Maximum area per sign: 50 square feet; properties containing five
acres of more may have a maximum area of 75 square feet.
(3)
Maximum height: 10 feet; properties containing five acres or more
may have a maximum height of 15 feet.
(4)
Minimum setbacks: five feet from any property line.
(5)
Illumination. Such sign may be illuminated but nonflashing if located
a minimum of 25 feet from any residential side or rear lot line.
C.
Wall signs. All uses may erect a wall sign, subject to the following:
(1)
Number per main building: no limit, provided that the aggregate square footage of all wall signs does not exceed the maximum square footage as required in Subsection C(2) below.
(2)
Maximum area per sign: 10% of the facade or wall on which the sign(s)
is/are attached or one square foot per linear foot of occupant frontage,
whichever is larger.
(3)
Illumination. A wall sign may be illuminated but nonflashing if located
a minimum of 25 feet from any residential side or rear lot line.
(4)
A wall sign may not extend above the top of the wall where displayed.
