Whenever the following terms appear in this
article, they shall have the meanings assigned to them in this article:
ALTERATION
Refers to any major alteration to a sign, excluding routine
maintenance, painting or change of copy of an existing sign.
ANIMATED SIGNS
Signs depicting action or motion, flashing or color changes.
AWNING
A hood cover which projects from the wall of a building and
of a type which can be retracted, folded or collapsed against the
face of the supporting building. The lowest part of any awning shall
be eight feet above the sidewalk.
BANNER
Any sign of lightweight fabric or similar material mounted
to a pole or building by a permanent frame at one or more edges.
BEACON
Any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere;
any light with one or more beams that rotate or moves.
BILLBOARDS
A billboard, poster panel, painted bulletin board or other
communications device which is used to advertise products, goods and/or
other services which are not exclusively related to the premises upon
which the sign is located. Billboards include off-premises signs.
BUILDING SIGNS
Any sign attached to any part of a building as contrasted
to a freestanding sign; any sign which identifies a business or group
of businesses, either retail or wholesale, or any sign which identifies
a profession or is used in the identification or promotion of any
principal commodity or service, including entertainment, offered or
sold upon the premises where such a sign is located.
BUILDING FACADE
That portion of any exterior elevation of a building extending
from grade to top of the parapet wall, eves and the entire width of
the building elevation.
BUSINESS FRONTAGE
The property line at the front of a building in which the
business is located or the location of the main public entrance of
the said building.
BUSINESS PROMOTION SIGNS
Any sign advertising special sales or promotions and allowed
as a temporary sign. These signs shall not exceed 65 square feet in
surface area.
[Added 6-3-2002 by Ord. No. 447]
CAMPAIGN SIGN
Any temporary sign which displays the name and/or picture
of an individual seeking election or appointment to a public office
or pertaining to a forthcoming public election referendum or advocating
political views or policies.
CANOPY SIGN
Any message or identification which is affixed to a projection
or extension of a building or structure.
COMMERCIAL MESSAGE
Any sign wording, logo, or other representation that directly
or indirectly names, advertises or calls attention to a business,
product service or other commercial activity.
CONSTRUCTION SIGNS
Signs placed at the site of construction identifying the
project or the name of the architect, engineer, contractors, financier
or other involved parties.
DIGITAL BILLBOARD
An off-premises sign capable of displaying multiple images
in succession that can be electronically changed by removed or automatic
means.
[Added 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
DIRECTION SIGNS
Signs erected on a premises or private property which bear
the address and/or name of businesses, institutions, churches or other
uses of an activity, plus directional arrows or information on location.
ELECTRIC SIGN
Any sign containing electrical wiring, but not including
signs illuminated by an exterior light source.
[Added 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
FLAG
Any fabric, banner or bunting containing distinctive colors,
patterns or symbols used as a symbol of government, political subdivision
or other entity.
FLASHING SIGN
An illuminated sign upon which a pattern of changing light
illumination where at least a portion of the sign illumination alternates
suddenly between fully illuminated and fully nonilluminated.
[Amended 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
FREESTANDING SIGN
Any stationary or portable self-supported sign not affixed
to any other structure; a sign supported by one or more columns, uprights,
or braces in or upon the ground not attached to or forming part of
a building.
GROUND SIGN
The entire bottom of a ground sign is generally in contact
with or in close proximity to the ground and is separate from buildings.
GOVERNMENTAL SIGN
A sign which is erected by a governmental unit for the purpose
of identification in directing or guiding traffic or other municipal
signs, legal notices, railroad crossings signs, danger and such temporary,
emergency or nonadvertising signs as may be approved by the Council.
INCIDENTAL SIGN
A sign, generally informational, that has a purpose secondary
to the use of the zone lot on which it is located such as "no parking,"
"entrance," loading only," "telephone" and other similar directives.
No sign with a commercial message legible from a position off the
zone lot on which the sign is located shall be considered incidental.
INFORMATIONAL SIGN
Any sign giving information to employees, visitors or delivery
vehicles but not containing any advertising or identification.
LOT
Any piece or parcel of land or a portion of subdivision,
the boundaries of which have been established by some legal instrument
of record that is recognized and intended as a unit for the purpose
of transfer of ownership.
NAME PLATE
A sign indicating the name and address of a building or the
name of an occupant thereof or a practice of a permitted occupation
therein.
NONCONFORMING SIGNS
Any advertising structure or sign which was lawfully erected
and maintained and which fails to conform to all the applicable regulations
and restrictions of this article.
ON-PREMISES SIGN
A sign which carries only advertisements strictly incidental
to a lawful use of the premises on which it is located, including
signs or sign devices indicating the business transacted, services
rendered, goods sold or produced on the premises, name of the business
and name of the person, firm or corporation occupying the premises.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN
A sign, including the supporting sign structure, which directs
the attention of the general public to a business, service or activity
not usually conducted or a product not usually offered or sold upon
the premises where such a sign is located.
PARAPET
A low wall which is located on a roof of a building will
be know as a "parapet" for the purpose of this article.
PORTABLE SIGNS
Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other
permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including,
but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels;
signs converted to A- or T-frames; menu and sandwich board sign; balloons
used as signs; umbrellas used for advertising; and signs attached
to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way,
unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of
the business.
[Amended 6-3-2002 by Ord. No. 447]
PROJECTING SIGNS
Any sign other than a wall sign which is affixed to the building
and which extends perpendicularly from the building wall.
PYLON SIGN
A sign with no visible secondary supports.
REAL ESTATE SIGN
A business sign located upon a property advertising that
particular property for sale or for rent or for lease.
RESIDENTIAL SIGN
Any sign located in a district zoned for residential uses
that contains no commercial message except advertising for goods or
services legally offered on the premises where the sign is located,
if offering such service at such location conforms with all requirements
of the zoning ordinance.
ROOFLINE
The uppermost line of a roof of a building or, in the case
of extended facade, the uppermost height of said facade.
ROOF SIGN
Any sign erected and constructed wholly on and over the roof
of a building, supported by the roof structure and extending vertically
above the highest portion of the roof and such that no part of the
sign is separated from the rest of the roof by a space of more than
six inches.
ROOF SIGN, INTEGRAL
Any sign erected or constructed as an integral or essentially
integral part of a normal roof structure of any design, such that
no part of the sign extends vertically above the highest portion of
the roof and such that no part of the sign is separated from the rest
of the roof by a space of more than six inches.
SETBACK
The distance from the property line to the nearest part of
the applicable building, structure or sign, measured perpendicularly
to the property line.
SIGN
Any structure, device, advertising, advertising device or
visual representation intended to attract the attention of the public
for any purpose, including but not limited to symbols, letters, figures,
illustrations, or forms painted or otherwise affixed to a building
or structure; any beacon or searchlight intended to attract the attention
of the public; and any structure or devise designed to border, illuminate,
animate or project a visual representation; provided, however, that
this definition shall not be held to include official notices issued
by any court or public office or officer in the performance of a public
duty and traffic control signs as defined in the Motor Vehicle Act.
SIGN AREA
That area within the marginal line of the surface which bears
the advertisement or, in the case of messages, figures or symbols
attached directly to the part of the building, that area which is
included in the smallest rectangular or geometric figure which can
be made to circumscribe the message, figure or symbol displayed thereon.
SIGN HEIGHT
The vertical distance measured from the grade to the top
of a sign.
SIGN STRUCTURE
The supports, uprights, brazing and framework for a sign,
including the sign area.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Nonprofit community or charitable events. Such signs shall
not exceed 65 square feet in surface area.
[Added 6-3-2002 by Ord. No. 447]
STREET
A strip of land or way subject to vehicular traffic and pedestrian
traffic and that provides direct or indirect access to property, including,
but not limited to alleys, avenues, boulevards, courts, drives, highways,
lanes, places, roads, terraces, trails or other thoroughfares.
STREET FRONTAGE
The distance for which a lot line of a zone lot adjoins a
public street, from one lot line intersecting said street to the furthest
distant lot line intersecting the same street.
SUSPENDED SIGN
A sign that is suspended from the underside of a horizontal
plane surface and is supported by such surface.
TEMPORARY SIGN
Any sign that is used only temporarily and is not permanently
mounted.
WALL SIGN
Any sign attached parallel to but within six inches of a
wall painted on the wall surface of or erected and confined within
the limits of an outside wall of any building or structure which is
supported by such wall or building and which displays only one sign
surface.
WINDOW SIGN
Any sign, pictures, symbol or combination thereof, designed
to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity,
event, sale or service that is placed inside a window or upon the
window panes or glass and is visible from the exterior of the window.
ZONE LOT
A parcel of land in single ownership that is of sufficient
size to meet minimum zoning requirements for area, coverage and use
and that can provide such yards and other open spaces as required
by the zoning regulations.
The following are prohibited signs.
A. Signs on private land without the permission of the
owner.
B. Signs on trees, shrubs and fences or which are painted
or drawn upon rocks or natural features or on public utility poles.
C. Signs on any right-of-way of public highways, except
as otherwise provided by law or allowed by the Zoning Administrator.
D. Flashing or strobing sign. An illuminated sign upon which a pattern
of changing light illumination where at least a portion of the sign
illumination alternates suddenly between fully illuminated and fully
nonilluminated.
[Amended 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
E. Signs which are structurally unsafe, in disrepair
or are abandoned.
F. Signs painted on or attached to any motorized vehicle
or trailer on a public right-of-way, public property or on private
property which provides the advertisement of products, services or
directs people to a business location.
G. Any sign which contains or consists of banners, pennants,
large balloons or inflatables, ribbons, streamers, strings of lights,
spinners or similar devices with the exception of those for which
a temporary permit has been permitted.
H. Street banners which are thrust over public property
unless such banners are for civic purposes and are approved by the
City.
I. Rotating, swinging or signs designed to create an optical illusion
of movement by means of a design giving the illusion of motion or
changing of copy, including, without limitation, a sign that presents
a pattern capable of reversible perspective.
[Amended 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
K. Unauthorized sign on public property. A sign placed on any curb,
sidewalk, post, pole, hydrant, bridge, tree, or other surface located
on public property or on a public easement, unless said sign is specifically
authorized by this article.
[Added 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
[Added 6-5-2017 by Ord.
No. 494]
A. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to erect,
construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, remove, convert or demolish,
equip, use or maintain any sign structure in this jurisdiction, cause
or permit the same to be done, contrary to or in violation of any
of the following provisions of the code.
The following shall constitute a violation of this sign code:
(1) Failure to purchase a permit before placing a sign.
(2) Failure to remove a sign when the permit has expired.
(3) Failure to maintain the sign in good condition.
(4) Failure to comply with electrical requirements of the code.
(5) Placement of a sign on a public right-of-way.
B. All violations of this code will be levied an administrative fee
not to exceed $100 per day of the sign in violation, not to exceed
$500, and such other remedies the City may seek.