The following definitions shall be used by this
article to assist in the establishment of clear-cut signage regulations.
In general, sign purposes refers to where or how a sign is used. Sign
types refers to the style of the sign, and sign measurement explains
how the dimensions of a sign are determined.
SIGN
Any object, device, display, structure, or part thereof,
situated outdoors and in view of the general public, which is used
to advertise, identify, display, direct or attract attention to an
object, person, institution, organization, business, product, service,
event, or location by any means, including words, letters, colors,
figures, logos, symbols, fixtures, or projected images. Signs do not
include the flag or emblem of any nation, organization of nations,
state, city, religious, fraternal, or civic organization; also merchandise
and pictures or models of products or services incorporated in a window
display, works of art which in no way identify a product, or scoreboards
located on athletic fields. Building colors and outline lighting which
do not convey a company identification, logo or message specific to
the use (as determined by the Zoning Administrator) are not considered
signs. Definitions of particular functional, locational, and structural
types of signs are listed in this Section. (Traffic control and other
public agency signs located within a right-of-way are not included
within this definition and are not regulated by the provisions of
this article.) Flags which display a corporate name, logo, color or
product produced on-site shall count as regulated signs. Signs identifying
the business or its products displayed in store windows and facing
out for exterior viewing shall also be considered signs.
A.
Sign purposes.
(1)
ADVERTISING SIGN (OFF-PREMISES SIGN)A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered elsewhere than upon the premises where the sign is displayed. Advertising signs include billboards. No new off-premises advertising signs shall be permitted within the Village.
(2)
AUXILIARY SIGNA sign which provides special information, such as price, hours of operation, or warning and which does not include brand names, or information regarding product lines or services. It may contain a business logo if the logo is under one square foot in area. Examples of such signs include "no trespassing" signs and signs which list prices of gasoline, up to one price listing sign per type of fuel, which must be displayed on a single structure.
(3)
BUSINESS SIGN:
(a)
ON-PREMISES SIGNA sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, offered, or manufactured upon the premises where the sign is located. Refer to §
325-106.
(b)
OFF-PREMISES SIGNA wall or monument sign located on a host property which provides direction to a subject business at an off-site location. Off-premises business signs are not permitted in the Village.
[Added 4-21-2014 by Ord. No. 03-2014]
(4)
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SIGNA permanent sign approved with a conditional use permit which may have changeable copy and which is limited to the display of information of interest to the general community regarding scheduled public events and public activities. Refer to §
325-104D.
(5)
DIRECTIONAL SIGN, OFF-PREMISESA sign which indicates only the name, direction, and/or distance of a governmental facility. This definition does not pertain to off-premises advertising signs. Refer to § 325-103A, the definition of "advertising sign."
(6)
DIRECTIONAL SIGN, ON-PREMISESA sign which indicates only the name, logo (if under one square foot), and or direction of a pedestrian or traffic facility, or a particular building within a complex of structures, on the property on which said facility or building is located; limited to four feet or less in height. Refer to §
325-102B(3).
(7)
GROUP DEVELOPMENT SIGNA sign displaying the collective name of a group of uses, such as the title of a shopping center, office park, or industrial park and its tenants. No sales or price information shall be permitted. Portions of the sign containing names of individual tenants shall be considered as part of the area of a group sign. Group signs shall only be permitted within developments serving two or more nonresidential tenants, and are permitted on any form of permitted business or identification signage. Refer to §
325-106C(1).
(8)
IDENTIFICATION SIGNA sign indicating the name and/or address of the project, property owner, tenant and/or manager of the property, address, and name and phone number of the property manager. Refer to §
325-105B(1).
(9)
TEMPORARY SIGNA sign or advertising display (including festoons, pennants, banners, pinwheels, inflatable, and similar devices) intended to be displayed for a certain period of time (as permitted by §
325-107). Included in the definition of "temporary signs" are retailers' signs temporarily displayed for the purpose of informing the public of a sale or special offer. If a sign display area is permanent but the message displayed is subject to periodic changes, that sign shall not be considered as temporary. A mobile or portable sign shall not be considered a temporary sign or used for such a purpose. Refer to §
325-107.
B.
Sign types.
(1)
AWNING SIGNA type of projecting, on-building sign (See definition of "projecting sign" below.) consisting of a fabric or fabric-like sheathing material.
(2)
FREESTANDING SIGNA self-supporting sign resting on or supported by means of poles, standards, or any other type of base on the ground. This type of sign includes monument signs and pylon signs. (Refer to definitions of "monument sign" and "pylon sign" below.) The base and support(s) of any and all freestanding signs shall be concealed and shall comply with the State Building Code. The height of a freestanding sign shall be measured per Subsection C(1). Refer to §
325-104C(1).
(3)
MARQUEE SIGNA type of projecting, on-building sign (See definition of "projecting sign" below.) sheltering the entrance and/or entrance approaches of a theater, auditorium, fairground, museum or other use, which advertises present and scheduled events.
(4)
MOBILE SIGNA sign mounted on a frame or chassis designed to be easily relocated, including vehicles and/or trailers whose principal commercial use is for signage. Refer to §
325-104C(2).
(5)
MONUMENT SIGNA type of freestanding sign (See definition of "freestanding sign" above.) whose bottom edge is located within one foot of a ground-mounted pedestal and whose top edge is located no more than 10 feet high. Refer to §
325-104A(9) and B(1).
[Amended 4-21-2014 by Ord. No. 03-2014]
(6)
PERSONAL GREETING AND CONGRATULATORY SIGNA temporary sign which is limited to 32 square feet, and which is limited to a noncommercial, personal greeting or message used to announce, congratulate, or greet members of a family or work staff.
(7)
PROJECTING SIGNA type of on-building sign, other than a wall sign which is attached to and projects more than one foot, generally perpendicular from a structure or building face. Refer to Subsection
325-104C(2).
(8)
PYLON SIGNA type of freestanding sign (See definition of "freestanding sign" above.) whose bottom edge is located more than one foot above a ground-mounted pedestal or whose top edge is located more than six feet high. (See "monument sign.")
(9)
WALL SIGNA type of on-building sign mounted parallel to a building facade or other vertical building surface. Refer to §
325-104C(1).
(10)
CONSTRUCTION SITE FENCE SIGNA temporary fence surrounding an active construction site which may include banner signage on all or any part of said fence.
[Added 5-6-2019 by Ord.
No. 04-2019]
C.
Sign measurement.
(1)
GROUND LEVELThe average elevation of the ground upon which the sign supports are placed, except when the sign supports rest upon a berm or other area elevated above the surrounding ground. In such cases, the average elevation of the base of such berm or other area shall be considered as the ground level. The berm shall have side slopes no greater than 5%.
(2)
SIGN AREASign area shall be measured in the following manner:
(a)
In the case of a sign placed within a frame,
a marquee sign, or other structure, sign area consists of the entire
surface area of the sign on which copy could be placed. The supporting
structure or bracing of a sign, including the supports of monument
signs not used for copy, shall not be counted as a part of the sign
face area unless such structure or bracing is made a part of the sign's
message. Where a freestanding on-premises sign (monument or pylon)
has two or more display faces, the total area of all of the display
faces which can be viewed from any single location shall be considered
the sign face area.
(b)
In the case of a sign whose message is fabricated
together with the background which borders or frames that message,
sign face area shall be the total area of the entire background.
(c)
In the case of a sign whose message is applied
to a background which provides no border or frame (such as individual
letters to a building face or awning), sign face area shall be the
combined areas of the smallest rectangles which can encompass each
word, letter, figure, emblem, and other element of the sign message
per a scaled, fully dimensioned drawing approved by the Zoning Administrator.
Where such drawing is not provided, said area shall be the smallest
area enclosed in a single rectangle.
(d)
Signs less than one square foot in area are
not regulated by this article.
(e)
The following illustration demonstrates how
sign face area is measured.
|
Sign Measurement Standards
|
For all temporary signs, the owner or tenant
must contact the Zoning Administrator and provide the name and address
of the applicant, and the description and location of the sign to
be erected prior to actual installation. Only one temporary sign may
be displayed on a property at any one time. If a lot contains more
than one business, each business can have up to 30 days to display
temporary signs, but none concurrently. Except as provided by Subsections
A through E below, any one lot is permitted to display a temporary
sign for a maximum of 30 days within any twelve-month period. Furthermore,
any one business is limited to a maximum of two temporary signs in
any twelve-month period. (Political signs are exempt from this restriction.)
A portable sign is not a temporary sign. Temporary signs shall be
set back a minimum of three feet from all property lines.
A. For each lot: one "For Sale," "For Rent," "Now Hiring/Help
Wanted," or "Garage Sale" sign, not more than six square feet in area.
B. For each lot: one "For Sale" or "For Rent" sign up
to 32 square feet for vacant commercial and industrial properties,
building or portions of buildings.
C. For construction on or development of a lot, one sign
not more than 32 square feet in area, indicating the name of the contractors,
engineers or architect, or products being used in the construction
of a building but only during the time that construction or development
is actively under way.
D. For a temporary event of public interest such as a
neighborhood garage sale or church fair, one sign, not over 32 square
feet in area located upon the property of the event or off-site location
approved by the property owner and the Zoning Administrator or Plan
Commission. Such sign shall not be erected more than 30 days before
the event and shall be removed immediately after the event. No event
shall use more than five such signs, regardless of the number of properties
involved.
E. Political signs are permitted without restriction so long as they locate per the requirements of §
325-104B(4), do not impair vision, or do not otherwise create a public nuisance. Such sign shall not be erected more than 30 days before the election and shall be removed within 48 hours after the election. Political signs shall be limited to a maximum of 32 square feet, and shall be limited to one sign per candidate for any property. Such signs may not be located on public property.
F. For each real estate subdivision that has been approved in accordance with the Village of Cottage Grove Land Division Regulations, two temporary development project identification signs are permitted to be located on some portion of the subject subdivision. Each such sign shall be not more than 32 square feet in area. These signs shall comply with the visibility standards of §
325-104A(9). These signs shall be permitted to remain within the subject subdivision until a time at which building permits have been issued for 80% or more of the lots in the subdivision.
G. One personal greeting/congratulatory sign per premises
shall be permitted for up to seven days, which is limited to eight
feet in height and 32 square feet in dimension and which is not intended
for commercial purposes.
H. For new businesses, one temporary "Now Open" sign,
up to 32 square feet shall be permitted for the first 90 days of operation.
[Amended 4-21-2014 by Ord. No. 03-2014]
A. Definition: Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, including but not limited to signs with an A-frame style with display on both sides, or flags or banners displaying commercial imagery or text and not mounted on a permanent foundation, and not including types of temporary signage specifically defined in §
325-107. Signs meeting the regulations of this section may be displayed without the need to obtain a permit.
B. No more than one sandwich board sign not to exceed 32 inches by 48
inches per customer entrance as long as the entrances are at least
20 feet apart shall be permitted. Flags or banners displaying commercial
imagery or text shall not exceed 12 square feet. A business shall
be allowed no more than a total of two sandwich boards or other movable
signs per property.
C. Sandwich board signs and other movable signage shall not impede pedestrian
ways or traffic visibility.
D. Sandwich board signs and other movable signage shall be located on
private property not more than 10 feet from the subject building or
building parking area and not in public right-of-way unless removed
daily.
E. Sandwich board signs may be placed in the following locations:
(1)
On the subject building wall; any sandwich board signs placed
on building walls shall not count toward the allowable number or area
of permitted signage.
(2)
In the street terrace areas only in a commercially zoned district.
Signs placed in the street terrace area must not impede vision for
traffic or pedestrians. These signs must also be removed daily.
Applicants for a zoning permit for a sign or
advertising structure may be required to execute a surety bond in
a sum to be fixed by the Village Board; and it shall be of a form
and type approved by the Village Board, indemnifying the municipality
by reason of the erection, construction or maintenance of such sign
or advertising structure. A liability insurance policy issued by an
insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Wisconsin,
and conforming to the requirements of this section, may be permitted
by the Village Board in lieu of a bond.