(A) 
Purpose.
The City Council hereby finds that the regulation of the size, quantity, illumination, movement, materials, location, height, and condition of all signs placed on private property within the City of Garland (1) is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of citizens of Garland, (2) promotes the free flow of traffic and protects pedestrians and motorists from injury and property damage caused by, or which may be fully or partially attributable to cluttered, distracting, or illegible signage, (3) is critical for the protection of property values and the aesthetic character of neighborhoods, and (4) is beneficial to economic development.
(B) 
Interpretation.
This article shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and Article I of the Texas Constitution. If any provision of this article is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such finding shall not affect the validity of other provisions of this article and may be given effect without the invalid provision.
(C) 
Governmental Signs.
As a general matter, this article is not intended to, and does not apply to, signs erected, maintained, or otherwise posted by governmental entities, the State, the federal government, or the City. However, Sections 4.69 and 4.71 of this article shall apply to signs erected, maintained, or otherwise posted by the State or any of its departments or agencies, any school district, county, appraisal district, other municipality, quasi-governmental agency, or the federal government.
(D) 
Substitution.
A noncommercial message of any type may be substituted for any allowed commercial message or allowed noncommercial message; provided, that the sign structure or mounting device is legal without consideration of message content. A substitution of a noncommercial message may be made without any additional approval or permitting. This provision prevails over any more specific provision to the contrary within this article. The purpose of this provision is to prevent any inadvertent favoring of commercial speech over noncommercial speech, or favoring of any particular noncommercial speech over any other noncommercial speech. This provision does not create a right to increase the total number or square feet of signs on a tract of land or property, nor does it affect the requirement that a sign structure or mounting device be properly permitted.
(E) 
Conflict.
In the event of a conflict between this article and an ordinance of the City, then the most restrictive provision shall apply.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 7040 adopted 2/19/19)
The following terms and phrases, as used in this Article 5, have the following meanings:
(A) 
“Sign”
means a name, identification, description, messages, display or illustration, which is affixed to, painted or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, or other surface that directs attention to or is designed or intended to direct attention to the sign face or to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization, or business. Signs located completely within an enclosed building, and not exposed to view from a street or public right-of-way shall not be considered a sign for purposes of this article. Each display surface of a sign or sign face shall be considered to be a sign. A closely associated grouping of signs, shall constitute a single sign where the distance separating each component does not exceed 2 feet from edge to edge.
(B) 
“Sign area”
means:
(1) 
the space enclosed within the extreme edges of the sign for each sign face, not including the supporting structure; or
(2) 
where attached directly to a building wall or surface, the space within the outline enclosing all the characters of the words, numbers, or design.
(C) 
“Sign face”
means the entire display surface area of a sign upon, against, or through which copy is placed.
(D) 
“Digital billboard”
means a sign, display, or device with a sign face of a minimum of 350 square feet, which is capable of producing an animated or moving digital image, copy, or video by electronic means, and is operated by an entity possessing an outdoor advertising license issued by the Texas Department of Transportation and all other governmental agencies having jurisdiction.
(E) 
“Electric”
means any sign containing electric wiring. This does not include signs illuminated by an exterior floodlight source.
(F) 
“Flashing”
means any illumined sign on which the artificial light is not maintained stationary or constant in intensity and color at all times when such sign is in use. For the purpose of this article any moving illuminated sign, except electronic programmable signs, shall be considered a flashing sign.
(G) 
“Freestanding”
means a permanent sign erected and maintained on a freestanding frame, mast or pole not attached to any building.
(H) 
“Regulatory sign”
means a sign that is required to be constructed, placed, or maintained by the federal, state or local government or by the property owner to the extent necessary to enforce a property owner’s rights.
(I) 
“Integral”
means a sign that is embedded, extruded or carved into the material of a building facade.
(J) 
“Marquee”
means a permanent canopy or covering structure, other than a roof or awning, bearing a signboard or copy projecting from and attached to a building.
(K) 
“Main entry”
means the front elevation of the tenant space or building where the primary entrance to the tenant space is located and where the building fronts the primary street address or parking lot servicing premises.
(L) 
(Reserved)
(M) 
(Reserved)
(N) 
“Portable sign”
means any device or sign without a permanent foundation or otherwise permanently attached to a fixed location, which can be carried, towed, hauled or driven and is primarily designed to be moved rather than be limited to a fixed location regardless of modifications that limit its movability.
(O) 
“Roof sign”
means a sign affixed to, applied on, or erected upon or above a roof or eave line of a building or structure. Signs attached to parapets or mansard roofs shall be considered attached signs.
(P) 
“Temporary sign”
means any sign that is readily removable, constructed of materials that are temporary in nature, such as paper, cloth, canvas, plastic sheet, or cardboard, and is reasonably determined by the Building Official to be displayed for a limited period of time.
(Q) 
“Virtual tenant” or “Virtual tenancy”
means a lease, rental, license, or other similar possession or use of a space or address, where the tenant, user, or licensee does not physically occupy the actual space. Examples may include but are not limited to: a post office box, automated teller machine, digital network, server or hard-drive, advertising space, or a vending machine or other similar unmanned kiosk, that is not owned and operated by the actual tenant for the space on which the vending machine or kiosk is located.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 7040 adopted 2/19/19; Ordinance 7196, secs. 1–2, adopted 2/2/21)