City of Milwaukie, OR GENERAL PROVISIONS

The following words and phrases where used in this title shall, for the purposes of this title, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section:

"Area" or "area of a sign"

means the area to and within an established sign edge, frame or perimeter which encloses the limits of any writing, representation, emblem, figure, or character. The area of a sign having no such perimeter, or the area of a sign having an irregular shape, shall be computed by enclosing the surface area within a circle, square, rectangle, and/or triangle. The area of all signs in existence at the time of the enactment of the ordinance codified in this chapter, whether conforming or nonconforming, shall be counted in establishing the permitted sign area of all new signs to be allowed for an individual business on a premises. Where a sign is of a three-dimensional or round or irregular solid shape, the largest cross-section shall be used, as though it were a flat surface, to determine sign area.

Figure 14.04.030-1 Calculating Sign Area

"Awning"

means either a permanent or retractable structural extension off a building or structure which has a minimum ground clearance of 8 feet.

"City"

means the City of Milwaukie, Oregon.

"Clearance"

is measured from the highest point of the grade below the sign to the lowermost point of the sign.

"Display surface"

means the area made available by the sign structure for the purpose of displaying the message.

"Dissolve"

means the changing of an electronic display by means of varying light intensity or pattern, where one display gradually appears to dissipate or lose legibility simultaneously with the gradual appearance and legibility of a subsequent display.

"Downtown zones"

means the DMU, Downtown Mixed Use, and OS, Open Space, Zones, as defined in the Zoning Ordinance.

"Face of a building"

means all window and wall area of a building in one plane.

Figure 14.04.030-2 Building Face

"Fade"

means the changing of an electronic display by means of varying light intensity, where one display gradually reduces intensity to the point of being illegible or imperceptible and the subsequent display gradually increases intensity to the point of being legible or capable of being perceived.

"Flag"

means any fabric displayed on a flagpole that is the symbol of a national government or political subdivision.

"Frontage"

means the length of the property line of any one premises along each public street it borders. Each portion of the premises abutting a separate street shall be considered as a separate frontage.

"Height"

is measured from the highest point of the grade below the sign to the topmost point of the sign.

"Home occupation"

means an occupation carried on at a dwelling as an accessory use to the dwelling, with the activity conducted in such a manner as to give no appearance of a business, and with no infringement upon the right of neighboring residents to enjoy the peaceful occupancy of their homes.

"Install"

means to build, construct, attach, place, suspend, or affix and shall also include the painting of wall signs.

"Maintain"

means to permit a sign, sign structure or part thereof to continue, or to repair or refurbish a sign, sign structure, or part thereof.

"Manufacturing zones"

are the M, Manufacturing, and BI, Business Industrial, Zones as defined in the Zoning Ordinance.

"Marquee"

means a permanent roof-like structure attached to and supported by a building and projected therefrom.

"Neighborhood commercial zone"

means the C-N, Neighborhood Commercial Zone, as defined in the Zoning Ordinance.

"Occupancy"

means a property or portion of property that is possessed or used separately from other properties or other portions of the same property. Examples of occupancies include a store in a mall or an office in an office building.

Figure 14.04.030-3 Occupancy

"Other commercial zones"

means the C-L, Limited Commercial; C-CS, Community Shopping Commercial; GMU, General Mixed Use; NMU, Neighborhood Mixed Use; and C-G, General Commercial, Zones, as defined in the Zoning Ordinance.

"Parapet or parapet wall"

means that part of any exterior wall which extends above the roofline.

"Person"

means any natural person, firm, partnership, association, social or fraternal organization, corporation, estate, trust, receiver, syndicate, branch of government, or any other group or combination acting as a syndicate, branch of government, or any other group or combination acting as a unit.

"Premises"

means a lot, parcel or tract of land occupied, or to be occupied, by a building or unit or group of buildings and its accessory buildings under control of a person. If more than one business is located on the lot, parcel or tract of land, each separate business shall be considered as a separate premises.

"Prohibited electronic display"

means any part of the message or display on an electronic display sign that utilizes the following methods of presentation:

"Flash"

means sudden or intermittent electrical illumination.

"Scroll"

means the changing of an electronic display by the apparent movement of the visual image, such that a new visual image appears from the margins of the sign in a continuous or unfurling movement.

"Travel"

means the changing of an electronic display by the apparent horizontal movement of the visual image.

"Video display"

means providing an electronic display in horizontal or vertical formats to create continuously moving images.

"Projection"

means the distance by which a sign extends from its supporting structure.

"Residential zones"

means the R-MD and R-HD Residential Zones as defined in the Zoning Ordinance.

"Sign"

means the physical components of materials placed or constructed primarily to convey a message or other display and which can be viewed from a right-of-way or lot under other ownership. Displays permitted through Title 20 Public Art are not signs for purposes of Title 14.

Sign, awning.

"Awning sign" means a sign which is painted onto, attached, or affixed to the surface of an awning or is suspended underneath an awning. The display surface of an awning is measured as the distance from where the awning meets the vertical wall to the outermost projection of the awning times length.

Figure 14.04.030-4 Calculating Awning Area

Sign, banner.

"Banner sign" means a sign of lightweight fabric or similar material that can be mounted on a temporary basis. A banner sign may not be used as a wall sign.

Sign, bench.

"Bench sign" means a sidewalk bench which displays a message and is subject to the provisions of Chapter 12.20 of the Milwaukie Municipal Code.

Sign, cabinet.

"Cabinet sign" means a sign in which the display face is mounted on or attached to the front of a self contained box-like structure, which usually houses a light source, and is affixed to a building or other structure.

Sign, daily display.

"Daily display sign" means a nonpermanent sign normally associated with business activity which is placed out-of-doors during business hours for display and returned indoors during off-hours. Daily display signs may be constructed in a sandwich board (A-frame) style, mounted on a single pedestal, or other similar construction, and are intended to be unlit and easily moved.

Sign, electronic display.

"Electronic display sign" means a sign or portion of a sign on which the message or display is created by bulbs, light-emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, plasma display panels, pixel or subpixel technology, or other similar technology.

Sign, externally illuminated.

"Externally illuminated sign" means a sign illuminated by an exterior light source or luminous tubing which is primarily designed to illuminate only the sign.

Sign, fence.

"Fence sign" means a sign attached to the side of a fence on a permanent basis.

Sign, fin.

"Fin sign" means a sign which is supported by a pole or poles and partly by a building.

Figure 14.04.030-5 Fin Sign

Sign, flashing.

"Flashing sign" means any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation, or an externally mounted intermittent light source.

Sign, freestanding.

"Freestanding sign" means a sign wholly supported by a sign structure in the ground. Freestanding signs include pole signs and monument signs.

Figure 14.04.030-6 Freestanding Signs

Sign, hanging.

"Hanging sign" is a sign that is suspended below an awning or other portion of a building and typically oriented perpendicular to pedestrian or vehicular travel.

Figure 14.04.030-7 Hanging Signs

Sign, internally illuminated.

"Internally illuminated sign" means a sign which is wholly or partially illuminated by an internal light source from which source light passes through the display surface to the exterior of the sign.

Sign, kiosk.

"Kiosk sign" means any sign with multiple display surfaces for view by pedestrians that illustrates information about a specific area, such as the layout of a development, tenants, businesses, or landmarks.

Sign, marquee.

"Marquee sign" means a sign which is installed or maintained under, over, or on, and supported or partially supported by, a marquee. The area of a marquee sign is calculated as the greater of the two marquee areas; either parallel or perpendicular to the building face.

Figure 14.04.030-8 Calculating Marquee Area

Sign, monument.

"Monument sign" means any sign affixed to a base which has a width that is equal to or greater than the width of the sign.

Figure 14.04.030-9 Monument Sign

Sign, moving.

"Moving sign" means a sign with a visible moving part or visible mechanical movement, including signs which move in the wind or forced air, or by motors, clockwork, or other mechanical means.

Sign, neon.

"Neon sign" means an electric sign lighted by long luminous gas-discharge tubes that contain rarefied neon or other gases. A neon sign is a lighting display made of glass tubes that have been filled with a gas and bent into the shape of letters or decorative designs.

Sign, noncomplying.

"Noncomplying sign" means any sign that did not comply with applicable sign code standards when built or modified.

Sign, nonconforming.

"Nonconforming sign" means a sign that complied with applicable standards when created or modified but which does not comply with existing standards. Signs that did not require Planning Commission approval when created will not be considered nonconforming if approval from that body is currently required.

Sign, outdoor advertising.

"Outdoor advertising sign" means a sign that meets the definition of ORS 377.710(21).

Sign, pennant.

"Pennant sign" means a shaped, lightweight sign made of plastic, fabric, or other material (whether or not containing a message of any kind); suspended from a rope, wire, or string; usually in a series; and designed to move in the wind.

Sign, pole.

"Pole sign" means a freestanding sign in which the display face of the sign is supported on a base which may be tubular, columnar, or rectangular in shape and in which any portion of the base or support structure has a width that is less than the width of the display surface of the sign.

Figure 14.04.030-10 Pole Sign

Sign, projecting.

"Projecting sign" means and includes any sign which is attached to a building and extends more than 12 inches beyond the line of the building or more than 12 inches beyond the surface of that portion of the building to which it is attached.

Figure 14.04.030-11 Projecting Signs

Sign, roof.

"Roof sign" means a sign installed upon or above a roof or parapet of a building.

Figure 14.04.030-12 Roof Signs

Sign, temporary.

"Temporary sign" means any sign, regardless of construction materials, which is not permanently mounted and is intended to be displayed on an irregular basis for a limited period of time.

Sign, unsafe.

"Unsafe sign" means any sign determined to be a hazard to the public by the City Manager or duly authorized representative.

Sign, wall.

"Wall sign" means any sign painted on, attached to, or installed against the wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel to the plane of said wall, the angle of said wall not to exceed 30 degrees from the vertical. Wall signs may not project more than 12 inches from the wall to which they are attached. Painted wall decorations which include a message are considered to be wall signs. Banners and similar signs may not be used as wall signs.

Figure 14.04.030-13 Wall Signs

Sign, window.

"Window sign" means a sign, pictures, symbols, neon tubing, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information, that is placed within a window and directed toward the outside of the window. Window signs do not include painted or printed displays of a temporary nature.

Figure 14.04.030-14 Window Sign

"State highway"

means the entire width between the boundary lines of every State highway as defined in ORS 366.005, including but not limited to the Interstate System and the federal-aid primary system.

"Structural alteration"

means any change in a structure or components. Structural alteration does not include a change in copy or message, normal maintenance, or repairs that simply restore the sign to original condition.

Table 14.04.030 summarizes the types of signs. In the sign district sections that follow, regulations are discussed in terms of the categories listed in this table.

Table 14.04.030 Types of Signs
Sign Category	Sign Type
Wall signs	• Signs placed on parapets • Banners • Cabinet signs • Murals • Signs on the exterior of a window
Freestanding signs	• Pole signs • Monument signs • Billboards • Daily display sandwich board signs
Projecting signs	• Below an awning, eve, or marquee • Sign projecting from a structure
Window signs	• Signs on the interior of a window • Painted or printed temporary signs
Roof signs	• Signs mounted on a roof • Signs mounted on a parapet
Other signs	• Bench • Flags • Marquee • Awning

(Ord. 1733 § 1(1) (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 1880 § 6 (Exh. A), 2000; Ord. 1916 § 3 (Exh. B), 2003; Ord. 1917 § 3 (Exh. B), 2003; Ord. 1965 §§ 2, 3, 2006; Ord. 2040 § 2 (Exh. B), 2011; Ord. 2078 § 2 (Exh. B), 2014; Ord. 2106 § 2 (Exh. F), 2015; Ord. 2110 § 2 (Exh. G), 2015; Ord. 2112 § 2 (Exh. B), 2015; Ord. 2161 § 2, 2018; Ord. 2168 § 2, 2019; Ord. 2218 § 2 (Exh. B), 2022; Ord. 2224 § 2, 2022; Ord. 2229 § 2, 2023; Ord. 2235 § 2, 2023)