The regulations set forth in this division shall apply specifically to any nonresidential zone, including commercial and planned development zones. Only the types of signs referred to herein may be erected in such zones, except for signs referred to in section 3.09.062 hereof.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.240)
Real estate signs shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area, provided that riders or additional plates not exceeding two (2) in number and two hundred and forty (240) square inches in area in the aggregate may be attached. Such signs shall be erected or constructed so that no portion thereof exceeds a height of four (4) feet from the ground. In addition, a temporary “Open” sign, not to exceed two (2) square feet in area, may be used for a maximum of eight hours per day when the dwelling is open. Real estate signs must be removed not later than ten (10) days after the transaction pursuant to which the property is sold or leased is closed. There shall be allowed only one real estate sign per site. If the property to be sold or leased includes a building with glass frontage, one real estate sign not to exceed six (6) square feet in area may be placed behind each thirty feet (30') of length of glass frontage, such sign or signs to be in lieu of any other real estate signs on the site.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.241)
(a) 
For the purposes of determining allowable sign location and size, a building shall be considered as facing (fronting) or abutting, as the case may be, one street only.
(b) 
For the purposes of determining allowable sign location and size, a building or business shall be considered as fronting on the street upon which the main entrance or address of such building or business is located, unless such business shall be located within a courtyard or facing a parking area with its main public entrance fronting on the courtyard or parking area, in which case the business shall be considered as fronting on such courtyard or parking area. “Street frontage” shall mean the length of the wall of the building facing the street upon which it fronts.
(c) 
Business and building identification signs, except for shopping center signs (section 3.09.148) and institutional signs (section 3.09.150), shall be wall signs, provided that projecting signs may be utilized as business signs when erected in accordance with and subject to the requirements of section 3.09.012. All other type signs allowed by section 3.09.141 of this article may be either wall or ground signs.
(d) 
Wall signs shall be located as specified herein. Ground signs shall be located in nonresidential zones in the same manner as provided for in residential zones pursuant to section 3.09.108, except for institutional signs and shopping center signs, as provided for in sections 3.09.150 and 3.09.148, respectively.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.242)
Business identification signs shall comply with each and all of the following regulations:
(1) 
Ground floor businesses.
Business identification signs shall be limited to those businesses having ground floor street frontage, except as provided in subsection (4) hereof.
(2) 
Location.
Business identification signs shall be limited to those portions of a building within which such business is located, and sides of a building fronting a public street or private property under the same ownership, which is contiguous with a public street. Such signs shall not face or abut alleys or private property owned by others.
(3) 
Number and area.
(A) 
Except as specifically permitted herein, not more than one business identification sign shall be permitted on a permitted side or wall of a building as to any one business located therein. Signs located on the side of the building where its main entrance or address is located shall not exceed two (2) square feet in area for each one foot of first story street linear frontage that such business occupies or utilizes within a building; provided that, if such sign is one other than a sign composed solely of individual letters, the permitted area shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of such square footage, and in no event shall any sign exceed one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet. A parking area, owned by or used exclusively for or by the business requesting a sign permit, which is located immediately and entirely underneath a second floor occupied by such business, shall be considered part of the building and ground floor occupancy for purposes of determining the extent of street frontage. Businesses having their main entrance or address on or abutting a parking area shall be permitted signs as if the parking area were a street.
(B) 
Permitted signs located on a side of the building other than where its main entrance or address is located shall not exceed two (2) square feet for each one linear foot of first story street frontage that such business occupies within a building; provided that, if the sign is other than one composed solely of individual letters, the permitted area shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of such square footage, but in no event shall a sign authorized under this subsection exceed thirty (30) square feet in area.
(C) 
An additional business identification sign relating to the same business shall be permitted for each fifty feet (50') or portion thereof of street frontage of such business for the purpose of listing the business name, address, operating hours, and other business locations. Such signs shall not exceed five (5) square feet in area.
(D) 
An additional business identification sign relating to the same business shall be permitted adjacent to an entrance to the business if such entrance is other than on a wall or side of the building permitted in subsection (2) of this section and provided such additional sign abuts an alley, street, or other public right-of-way and is below a height of eight (8) feet above grade and further provided such additional sign shall not be lighted or illuminated when facing a residential zone, whether or not such residential zone is located across an alley, parking lot, or other such visually open area from said additional sign. Such signs shall not exceed four (4) square feet in area.
(E) 
A business located on a corner of two (2) public streets and having a public entrance located at such corner so that such public entrance directly faces neither street shall be permitted one business identification sign at and parallel to such entrance in lieu of one business identification sign located on a street frontage.
(4) 
Business located on other than ground floor.
(A) 
A single business occupying at least fifty percent (50%) of the floor area located above the ground floor of any building shall be permitted one business identification sign. Signs shall be:
(i) 
Located within the upper twenty percent (20%) of the exterior vertical wall surface of that floor level;
(ii) 
Located on the side of the building's main entrance/address location;
(iii) 
No larger than two (2) square feet in area for each one foot of the building's first story street linear frontage; provided that, if such sign is one other than a sign composed solely of individual letters, the permitted area shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of such square footage; and
(iv) 
No larger than one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet.
(B) 
Multiple businesses located above or below the ground floor and occupying less than fifty percent (50%) of that level's floor area of any building shall be permitted one business identification sign at each ground floor entrance to such business not to exceed a maximum of six (6) square feet, which sign shall be shared equally by all such businesses desiring signage.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.243; Ordinance 24-020 adopted 7/23/2024)
Building identification signs shall be subject to each and all of the following regulations:
(1) 
Location.
(A) 
Building identification signs shall not be permitted below eight (8) feet in height above grade except for one sign not to exceed five (5) square feet in area adjacent to any public entrance to such building which entrance is for access to more than one business, office, or use, and which sign shall have identical text as other permitted building identification signs on the same building.
(B) 
Building identification signs shall be permitted only on the sides of building directly fronting or abutting a public street. Such signs shall not face or abut alleys or private property, except such property located within the boundary of the same parcel or property upon which such sign is located and abutting a public street.
(2) 
Number and area.
The total building identification sign area on any street side of any building shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the vertical exterior wall area of such frontage, excluding penthouse walls where such sign is to be located; provided that, if such sign is other than one composed solely of individual letters, the permitted area shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of two percent (2%) of such exterior wall. Not more than one building identification sign shall be permitted on any one wall, side, or frontage of any building, and not more than two (2) building identification signs shall be permitted for each building.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.244)
Construction signs shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet in area or eight (8) feet in height from the ground. Not more than one (1) such sign shall be permitted on any one site. All reference to parties involved in the construction shall be on a single sign. Signs on dumpsters identifying the dumpster company and the necessary phone numbers shall not exceed five (5) square feet in area each on two opposite sides of the dumpster. Signs on construction fences identifying the fence company shall not exceed one-half (1/2) square foot in area, and shall be placed on the construction fence in the rear yard of the property.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.245)
Lighted or illuminated signs shall not be permitted except for building and business identification signs. Outside exposed neon or other gas-filled luminous tube signs shall not be permitted. Hanging exposed neon tubing signs as business identification signs will be permitted on the inside of glass show windows provided that the size of such signs, including all outlines and delineations, shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the glass frontage where they occur. Such signs shall be a debit against the area allowed for business identification signs and may be allowed as an additional sign. Such signs located within a distance of five feet (5') from the window shall be subject to the provisions of section 3.09.020.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.246)
One ground or wall sign naming the shopping center and/or containing its address shall be permitted if approved by the building official as qualifying as a shopping center sign, as defined in this article, and if complying with the provisions of this section. Such sign shall be permitted for the street on which the shopping center fronts and shall not exceed thirty (30) square feet in area, forty-two inches (42") in height if a ground sign, or be located less than twenty-five feet (25') above grade if a wall sign. Any such ground sign shall not extend over or on public property. In addition, a ground or wall sign not exceeding twenty (20) square feet in area may be located at the principal entrance to the shopping center containing a directory of the businesses located within the shopping center. If a ground sign, such sign shall not exceed forty-two inches (42") in height, and if a wall sign shall not be located less than eight feet (8') or more than twenty feet (20') above grade.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.247)
Signs, including neon signs, located inside a building or structure and not otherwise excluded from the definition of a sign shall not obstruct more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the view or light through an opening of a building or comprise more than twenty-five (25) percent of the glass frontage. The area of any such sign shall be calculated in the same manner as provided for other signs in this article. Temporary window signs shall not require a permit and shall not be included as part of the allowable sign area subject to and limited by the following:
(1) 
Where merchandise is physically displayed behind shop windows or otherwise in view of the public from the street, the price of each separate item of such merchandise may be indicated in letters or numbers not exceeding three-fourth inch (3/4") in height attached or in near proximity to the displayed item.
(2) 
Where goods, services, rentals, or sales are not on physical display to the public, information concerning such goods, services, rentals, or sales may be indicated by temporary signs, the total aggregate area of which does not exceed ten (10) percent of the glass frontage of the business, and provided that the total of all signs of all types inside buildings or on windows or glass frontage does not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the glass frontage area.
(3) 
When a store or business is being closed or relocated, “Closing Out Sale” or similar signs may be displayed from inside the building facing each street on which the building fronts or abuts provided the aggregate area of such signs does not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the area permitted for a business identification sign pursuant to section 3.09.144, letters or numbers do not exceed twelve inches (12") in height, and prices are not advertised. A permit for such signs shall be obtained, and any such signs shall not be maintained for more than thirty (30) days in any consecutive 180-day period. When a business has been relocated, a sign giving the new address of the business may be displayed inside the building for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days utilizing not more than ten (10) percent of glass the front area.
(4) 
Announcements such as but not limited to available parking, acceptability of credit cards, trade association memberships, and the like, with letters or numbers not exceeding three-fourth inch (3/4") in height, may be displayed. Such announcements shall be limited to a total of one hundred fifty (150) square inches facing each street on which the building fronts or abuts.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.248)
Signs relating to schools, churches, hospitals, universities or similar institutions (and individual buildings comprising these institutions) may be (i) wall signs limited to twenty (20) square feet in area or (ii) ground signs limited to fifty (50) square feet in area and four feet (4') in height. Scoreboards on school or university athletic fields shall require a permit and shall be subject to the same limitations and requirements set forth in section 3.09.112 of this article.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.249)
In a nonresidential zone, a sign or billboard that contains primarily a political message on a temporary basis and that is generally available for rent or purchase to carry commercial advertising or other messages that are not primarily political, may be prohibited by this article on private real property, may require a permit or other approval by the city, may be restricted in size, and a charge may be levied against the owner for its removal.
(Ordinance 21-002 adopted 1/19/21)
In addition to permitted construction signs, one sign, not larger than one square foot in area, may be placed on or adjacent to the gateway through the construction barricade stating the name and telephone number of the person to be contacted in case of an emergency. When a business remains open while remodeling its premises, and a construction fence is required, one sign may be placed on the construction fence adjacent to the entrance to the business. Such sign shall not exceed twelve (12) square feet in area, and such sign may state only the name of the business and the fact that it is open for business while remodeling. One construction sign may be placed on the construction barricade on each street on which the property fronts or abuts. Each sign shall not exceed the limitations set forth in section 3.09.146 and shall be in lieu of any other construction signs.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.251)
(a) 
Theaters shall be allowed signs on permanent, fixed marquees. Such signs shall not exceed 10% of the front elevation of the theater and in no case shall such sign exceed 120 square feet in area.
(b) 
For the purposes of a theater, a product or service sign may include the name of the production, the names of the people associated with the production (such as stars, producer, director, etc.), the type of performance (such as premiere, reserved seat, etc.), the duration of the production and the time of the performances.
(c) 
If a production is not in progress, a product or service sign may include the name of the next production and the date such production shall be open to the public. Such sign shall not be installed or maintained more than thirty (30) days prior to the date when such production shall be open to the public.
(d) 
For the purposes of this section, the term “theater” shall include multiple theaters contained in the same building or structure being operated as a single business. In such circumstances, the multiple theaters shall be deemed to be only one “theater.”
(1996 Code, sec. 12.252)
A parking facility in a nonresidential zone shall be permitted not more than one ground, wall sign or projecting sign (pursuant to section 3.09.012(a)) adjacent to any street upon which an entrance exists. Such sign shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet of area on each face and shall not be higher than twenty feet (20') above grade if a wall sign or forty-two inches (42") in height if a ground sign. Such sign may have only the word “Park” or “Parking” and the name of the parking facility owner or operator validation information, and other messages required by law.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.253(b))
Signs or information on projecting overhangs and awnings allowed pursuant to the provisions of section 3.09.013 shall be permitted in nonresidential zones in addition to the other types of signs allowed under this division, but shall be included as part of the permissible area for a sign or signs with respect to either permissible area on a side of a building or total sign area allowed on a site. Signs on projecting overhangs and awnings shall not, however, be counted as additional signs with respect to the number of signs allowed if they are limited to name of business and address, and the letters or numbers thereof do not exceed seven inches (7") in height.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.254)
Business identification signs for gasoline service stations shall be limited to three (3) wall signs, each of which shall not exceed twelve (12) square feet in area and which may be located, respectively, on the sides and front of any portion of the facility comprising the particular service station, including any structure or covered area separate from the main office or building. Any such area or structure which is an extension from the main building shall be considered as an awning or marquee for purposes of maximum size of letters and prohibition of extension of signs above and below marquees or awnings. In addition, one price sign shall be permitted for any one service station. Lettering will be allowed on both sign faces, and no such sign shall exceed eight (8) square feet in area. Sign placement shall be such that the sign shall be located within a line (vertical plane) established by the roofed building area, but not on public property.
(1996 Code, sec. 12.255)