The erection and maintenance of all advertising
structures, signs, advertising devices, or displays shall conform
to the provisions of this article.
[Amended 3-7-2019 by L.L.
No. 1-2019]
The classes of signs and announcements which are exempt from fees and may be erected or maintained upon permit issued by the Superintendent of Buildings are described in this section. Such signs shall be subject to the provisions of §
175-57 of this article, except that it shall not be necessary for the owner thereof to make application for renewal as is provided for signs requiring fees unless there is a change in ownership or an alteration of said sign.
A. In residence districts:
(1) One sign displaying the street number and name and
profession of the occupant of the premises, not exceeding one square
foot in area; professional signs only to be illuminated.
(2) One sign containing four square feet or less upon
real property stating that the property or a part thereof is for sale
or rent. When not attached to a building, the same shall be located
to conform with the minimum front and side yard setbacks of the district
in which it is erected.
(3) Engineers', architects', building contractors', and/or
subcontractors' sign maintained on buildings or structures only while
construction is actually taking place, provided that no such sign
shall exceed four square feet in area or be located nearer to the
street line than the minimum setback required in the district in which
it is erected.
(4) A notice or advertisement required by law in any legal
proceeding or put up by public authority.
(5) A notice of any railroad, transportation or transmission company or corporation, necessary for the direction or information or safety of the public, said sign to project not more than 12 inches into the right-of-way and to conform to the provision of Subsection
B(1),
C,
D and
E, inclusive, of this article.
B. In business districts: Signs permitted in residence
districts are also permitted in business districts and, in addition
thereto, the signs hereinafter described:
(1) One sign displayed or painted on or applied or attached
to each wall of a building or storefront facing on a public street
and projecting not more than 12 inches from such wall, when used for
advertising the sale or rental of the premises on which it is erected,
or any business conducted or products sold in such building.
(a)
The maximum dimensions of such signs shall not
exceed those hereinafter specified.
[1]
On buildings or storefronts having a total street
frontage of 15 feet or less, for each individual business a maximum
vertical measurement of 2 1/2 feet and a maximum horizontal measurement
of 80% of the total street frontage.
[2]
On buildings or storefronts having a total street
frontage of more than 15 feet and not more than 25 feet, for each
individual business a maximum vertical measurement of three feet and
a maximum horizontal measurement of 80% of the total street frontage.
[3]
On buildings or storefronts having a total street
frontage of more than 25 feet and not more than 40 feet, for each
individual business a maximum vertical measurement of 3 1/2 feet
and a maximum horizontal measurement of 20 feet or 75% of the total
street frontage, whichever is the greater.
[4]
On buildings or storefronts having a total street
frontage of more than 40 feet and not more than 75 feet, for each
individual business a maximum vertical measurement of four feet and
a maximum horizontal measurement of 30 feet or 70% of the total street
frontage, whichever is the greater.
[5]
On buildings or storefronts having a total street
frontage in excess of 75 feet for each individual business a maximum
vertical measurement of 4 1/2 feet and a maximum horizontal measurement
of 52 1/2 feet, or 50% of the total street frontage, whichever
is greater.
(b)
If such sign is irregular in shape, it shall
not, at its greater vertical dimension extend more than six inches
above its permissible vertical measurement, nor shall such extension
exceed 10% of the maximum horizontal measurement.
(c)
No such sign shall be placed so that the top
of the sign shall be more than 15 feet above ground level.
(2) A sign upon a marquee constructed and maintained in
connection with a hotel or theatre, not exceeding 15 inches in height,
extending to the permissible outer limits of said marquee, no part
of which shall be less than 10 feet above the street surface.
C. One ground sign on a plot where a retail business
is conducted on undeveloped property, or one ground sign on developed
property where a retail business is conducted in a building having
a front yard setback, said sign to be set parallel to the street line,
except on corner lots, where it may be set diagonally to the corner.
D. An open space between the bottom of such signs and
the surface of the ground shall be maintained in accordance with the
measurements hereinafter set forth:
Sign Description
|
Minimum Open Space Required
(feet)
|
---|
Any part of sign set on a front property line
|
7
|
Maximum front yard setback of five feet
|
6
|
Maximum front yard setback of 10 feet
|
5
|
Maximum front yard setback of 15 feet
|
4
|
Maximum front yard setback of 20 feet or more
|
3
|
E. Such signs shall advertise only the business conducted or products sold on the premises, and the maximum dimensions of such signs shall be the same as for those provided in Subsection
B(1)(a) of this section.
F. Such signs shall also be subject to the provision as to height stated in Subsection
B(1)(c) of this section.
[Amended 3-7-2019 by L.L.
No. 1-2019]
A danger or precautionary sign containing two
square feet or less, relating to the premises, or a sign warning of
the condition or of dangers of travel on a highway may be erected
and maintained for a temporary period without application to the Superintendent
of Buildings for a permit.
[Added 2-10-1976 by L.L. No. 2-1976]
Signs located on the sides of buildings shall
be permitted subject to the following requirements:
A. Signs shall only be permitted on the sides of buildings
when such buildings have frontage on a public street; however, the
side of the building on which such sign is placed need not face a
public street.
B. The bottom edge of the sign shall not be less than
10 feet above the grade of the ground where it intersects the wall
on which such sign is placed.
C. If there is more than one business conducted in a
building and each of said businesses is conducted by a separate and
distinct occupant, a separate sign may be placed on the side of such
building by each such occupant; provided, however, no such occupant
may place more than one sign on the side of such building. If only
one sign is placed on the side of a building, it shall not exceed
20 square feet in area; if two signs are placed on the side of a building,
the total combined area of the two signs shall not exceed 30 square
feet; if three or more signs are placed on the side of a building,
the total combined area of all signs shall not exceed 50 square feet.
D. A single sign may contain the name of more than one occupant of a building, provided the sign otherwise conforms to the requirements of this article, and the size limitations set forth in Subsection
C hereof are observed.
E. Signs located on the sides of buildings shall advertise
only the business conducted in that building or the products sold
therein. Such signs may not be illuminated, either by direct or indirect
means. Lettering on such signs shall be painted or applied to a wood,
metal or plastic panel. No painting of letters directly on the side
of the building shall be permitted, nor shall the affixing of letters
of any kind or material on the side of the building be permitted.
F. The following signs are specifically prohibited: parking directions; temporary "sale" signs; lettering with directional arrows; lettering of an obviously amateur nature; all other signs except those specifically permitted under Subsection
E of this section.
G. The owner of the building shall be the primary party
responsible for compliance with the provisions of this article; however,
nothing herein contained shall be deemed to relieve the tenant or
occupant of a building from the responsibility of complying with the
provisions of this article.
H. Permits for signs located on the sides of buildings shall be required and obtained in accordance with the provisions of §
175-57 of this article, and the fees required at the time of making application for such a permit shall be in accordance with the provisions of §
175-58F of this article. Before the issuance of any permit for the erection or maintenance of a sign located on the side of a building, there shall be paid to the Superintendent of Buildings a cash deposit as provided in §
175-58G of this article.
[Amended 3-7-2019 by L.L.
No. 1-2019]
I. All applications for permits for signs located on
the sides of buildings shall be accompanied by the written permission
of the owner of the building. In the case of an application for a
sign on the side of a building which already contains one or more
signs, a sketch shall be included with the application, which sketch
shall adequately and clearly show the location of the signs, relative
to each other, and the dimensions of all signs, both existing and
proposed.