(a)
No sign shall be installed, erected, altered or used without first filing an application therefor and obtaining a permit from the city's administrative officer, except as provided in section 15-64. An application for a sign permit shall be made upon forms provided by the city's administrative officer and shall contain or be accompanied by such plans, drawings and specifications as are necessary to fully advise the city's administrative officer of the type, size, shape, location, construction and materials of the proposed sign and the building, structure or premises on which it is to be placed. The application shall detail all the copy or material to be placed on the sign, all of which copy and material shall be pertinent to the use of the property on which the sign is to be erected.
(b)
The
city's administrative officer shall approve or disapprove sign applications
for temporary signs.
(c)
The city's administrative officer shall refer all sign applications for permanent signs not excepted by section 15-64 to the architectural review board for review of location, design, scale, size, material, color, lighting and aesthetic appeal. The architectural review board shall recommend that the application be approved, disapproved or revised. If the application is approved, the city's administrative officer shall issue a permit for the sign. If the architectural review board recommends that the application be disapproved or revised, the applicant may appeal such recommendation to the city council for final action. If the city council approves the application after review of the architectural review board recommendation, the city's administrative officer shall issue a permit for the sign, otherwise it shall be denied. The architectural review board shall have the authority to approve any sign that may deviate from any regulation found within this code.
(Ordinance 2105, exh. A, adopted 7/23/2018)
(a)
Each
application for a sign permit shall include an agreement on the part
of those proposing to erect the sign and the owner and tenant of the
premises on which it is to be erected that they will protect, indemnify
and hold harmless to city against all liability in connection with
the erection, use and maintenance and removal of the sign, and that
they will comply at all times with all provisions of this article.
(b)
Except
as otherwise provided herein, it is unlawful for any person to erect,
alter, or relocate within the city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction
any sign, as defined herein, without complying with the following
requirements:
(c)
The
procedures to be followed in fulfilling the intent of these sign regulations
are as follows:
(1)
A
sign permit application must be obtained from the city;
(2)
The
sign permit application must be properly completed and returned to
the city staff, along with payment of the sign application fee established
by council;
(3)
The
administrative officer or his designated representative shall review
the sign permit application and, if the application is properly completed
and meets the general requirements of this Code, shall place the application
on the architectural review board's agenda or approve the sign request
if architectural review board approval is not required;
(4)
The
architectural review board will approve, reject or approve upon condition,
the sign permit application;
(d)
Sign
permit application—Information required. An application will
not be considered complete until all items listed below are submitted.
No application will be submitted to the board until it is considered
complete by the city staff. An application for a sign permit shall
contain the following information:
(1)
Name,
address, telephone number of the applicant and date of application;
(2)
Name,
address, telephone number of the business and name and telephone number
of the owner/manager;
(3)
Numerical
location of building structure upon its lot; block and plat designation;
and street address upon which the sign is to be located;
(4)
Position
of the sign on the building or on the ground in both site plan view
drawn to scale, and elevation views drawn to scale;
(5)
A
set of scaled drawings of the plans and specifications, including
size and color of the proposed sign and its various parts, the style
of lettering, the message, lighting, type of material of which it
is fabricated and the method of attachment to the building or to the
ground and indicating associated landscaping;
(6)
A
color sketch or color photograph of the sign and building, as well
as any contiguous street or building in order to display how they
would appear in relation to one another;
(7)
Name
of person or persons constructing or erecting the sign;
(8)
Written
consent of the owner of the building, structure, and land to which
or on which the sign is to be erected;
(9)
Location,
dimensions, and description of any existing sign(s) on the property;
(10)
Signed and sealed plans by a registered engineer including stress
sheets and calculations showing that the structure is designed for
dead load and wind pressures in any direction, for multi-tenant signs,
projecting signs, or any other sign that may pose a safety risk to
individuals, in the amount required by this and all other laws of
the state or federal government and ordinances of the city;
(e)
Representations
by applicant. All representations, whether oral or written, made by
the applicant or his agent on behalf of the application for a sign
permit under this chapter become conditions upon which the permit
is issued. It shall be unlawful for the permittee to vary from such
representations unless the permittee first makes application, as required
by the provisions of this chapter, to amend the permit and such amendment
is approved.
(Ordinance 2105, exh. A, adopted 7/23/2018)
(a)
(Reserved)
(b)
Only
one (1) permit and permit fee is required for an identification sign
even though all parts of the sign are not directly connected to one
another.
(c)
A two-sided
sign shall count as one (1) sign for the purposes of requesting a
permit and paying a fee.
(d)
A separate
fee shall be paid by each business listed separately on a directory
sign. If the shopping center is identified by a name or logo, the
landlord shall pay a separate fee. No fee shall be due from the landlord
for that portion of a directory sign that includes only the address.
(e)
A new
fee is not required to re-file or appeal an application that has not
been approved.
(f)
In addition to the application fees set out in paragraph (a), a separate building permit shall be required for erection of permanent signs, except those of a banner style, flat style less than one (1) inch thick, or a sign box insert replacement. The estimated cost of the sign and the cost of installation/erection of the sign(s) shall be used to determine the building permit fee as set out in the schedule of fees shown in section 5-30 [building permit fees] of this Code.
(Ordinance 2105, exh. A, adopted 7/23/2018)
Each permit issued shall bear a serial number.
(Ordinance 2105, exh. A, adopted 7/23/2018)
No permits shall be required for the following signs:
(1)
Signs
not exceeding one (1) square foot of display surface on a residence
or apartment building, stating the name and address of an occupant.
(2)
Maintenance
and repairs to existing signs for which a valid sign permit was obtained,
if required at the time of the initial installation, provided the
sign area or height is not increased.
(3)
Nonilluminated
signs pertaining to the sale or rental of property not exceeding a
display surface of thirty-two (32) square feet in business districts
B-1, B-2 and B-3 and not exceeding six (6) square feet in all other
zoning districts. Such signs shall be located entirely on private
property and affixed to a structurally sound building, fence, wall,
post, stake, or other structure on the premises advertised, and may
advertise property only for the use for which it is zoned. [The surface
area limitation noted above is for the total surface area of all signs
falling in this category, not per sign.]
(4)
Signs
or markers used by a public utility holding a franchise from the city
to designate bus stops.
(5)
Political
signs, erected wholly on private property (not including an easement
or other encumbrance that allows the city to use the property for
a public purpose) with the consent of the owner may be erected, but
are limited to a sign area of thirty-six (36) square feet, are six
(6) feet or less in height, and shall not be illuminated or have any
moving elements.
(6)
Signs
providing directions to churches, public schools, public buildings
or service clubs may be placed in any business or residential district
provided signs are not in excess of six (6) square feet and permission
of the owner of the property on which they are placed is first obtained
and provided that no more than four (4) such signs for any one (1)
institution may be placed in the city.
a.
Signs
erected by the City of Alamo Heights, to provide directions or identify
entrances to city limits, shall have no limits on numbers, size, or
area of signs.
(7)
Sign
or decal (or their equivalent) replicas located inside the business
of credit/charge cards accepted by the business, logo or name of check
approval agencies used or services provided (e.g. PULSE, ATM, etc.).
(8)
Decals
(or their equivalent) indicating business membership in chambers of
commerce and professional organizations or associations.
(9)
Decals
(or their equivalent) indicating the security service(s) employed
or used by the business.
(10)
Emergency
notification notices.
(11)
Any
notice, sign or license required by any government agency, law or
regulation.
(12)
Signs
indicating business hours of operation which do not exceed two (2)
square feet in size.
(13)
Signs
necessary to ensure safety.
(14)
Internal
directory signage inside a building and intended to assist pedestrian
traffic in a shopping center or office building (this includes the
business identification neatly painted or affixed to the window(s)
for pedestrians to be able to identify the business they are walking
by).
(15)
Signage
inside a business or office intended for the information and use of
customers inside the business or office building including, but not
limited to, identification and pricing of merchandise on display or
for sale, door or area identification signs, advertisements and information
on services available. This exemption applies even if the signs can
be seen through a window.
(16)
Signs
prohibiting activity (e.g. "no smoking", "no animals," "no entrance,"
"no soliciting," "no trespassing/private property," etc.).
(17)
Signs
announcing civic, community or charitable activities or functions.
(18)
Signs
outside restaurants or meeting establishments announcing routine or
periodic meetings of civic, community or service organizations (e.g.
Rotary, Lions, etc.).
(19)
Help
wanted signs.
(20)
Signs
that cannot be seen from the street.
(21)
Parking
signs (e.g. "no parking," "reserved," "space numbers," "directions,"
etc.) which do not exceed three (3) square feet in size.
(22)
Instructional
signs (e.g. "entrance," "exit," "drop off point," "pick up here,"
"deposit here," "order here," etc.) which do not exceed three (3)
square feet in size.
(23)
Signs
indicating availability of public telephones or restrooms.
(Ordinance 2105, exh. A, adopted 7/23/2018)
Any permit which does not comply with the provisions of this
article, or which is issued in violation of any provision hereof,
shall be void and no right or privilege whatever shall accrue thereunder.
(Ordinance 2105, exh. A, adopted 7/23/2018)
