(a) SIGN: Any structure, or natural object such as a tree, rock, bush and the ground itself, or part thereof, or device attached thereto or painted or represented thereon, which is used to attract attention to any object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization or business, or which displays or includes any letter, word, banner, flag, pennant, insignia, device, direction or advertisement. For the purpose of these regulations the word "sign" does not include the flag, pennant, badge or insignia of any government or governmental agency, or of any charitable, religious, educational or similar organization.
(b) SIGN, ABANDONED: Any sign that advertises an abandoned business, lessor, owner, product, service, or use that no longer exists or is no longer located or present on the premises where the sign is displayed pursuant to further regulations contained in Chapter 1115 (Sign Regulations). Abandoned signs also include signs for which no legal owner can be found.
(d) SIGNS, AWNING, CANOPY OR MARQUEE. Awnings canopies or marquees are permitted for public convenience in all business and industrial districts.
(1) Signs may be attached to roof-like awning, marquee, or canopy structures extending from a building wall or covering a rule service island provided such signs are made a part of the awning, marquee, canopy and do not extend above the vertical surface of the awning, marquee or canopy.
(2) An advertising planned on an awning, canopy or marquee shall be limited to the name and/or logo of the of the name of the business, industry or pursuit conducted within the building.
(3) Awnings and canopies may be permanently placed in a space not exceeding twenty-four (24) inches in height on the front and sides.
(4) Internal illumination of a canopy or awning shall not be permitted.
(5) An awning sign shall have a vertical clearance of of eight (8) feet from a sidewalk, private drive or parking area.
(6) Awning, marquee or canopy sings may not encroach upon a public right-of-way except in the Downtown Architectural Design District; the awning or canopy may extend from a building over a sidewalk a distance not to exceed one-half (1/2) the width of the sidewalk.
(e) SIGN, BANNER: Any sign of lightweight fabric or similar material that is mounted to a pole, staff, or a building by a string, rope, wire, or frame at one or more edges. Flags shall not be considered banners. See Ornamental Banner, Pennant Banner, Promotional Banner and/or Street Banner.
(1) Ornamental Banner: An artistic and decorative banner attached top and bottom (or two sides) to permanent structural members on a post or building erected for another purpose and used by the Village, art groups, civic groups, or commercial organizations to give a festive appearance to a plaza, street, mall, or other public or quasi-public space.
(2) Pennant Banner: A lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material suspended from a rope, wire, or string, usually in series, designed to move in the wind. Rows of flapping pennants typically do not communicate any essential message other than to attract the attention of a passerby. Pennant banners are not permitted.
(3) Promotional Banner: A temporary banner used as a supplemental sign to make special public announcements, communicate events of general civic interest, or to announce sales, open houses and grand openings.
(4) Street Banner: A banner extending across a street, road, highway or alley. Street banners require approval of the Village Council.
(f) SIGN, CONSTRUCTION: A temporary, freestanding sign located on the premises of a construction site that may contain advertising in connection with the name of the building contractor or subcontractor, and may refer to materials, appliances, supplies, and building trades used in the construction.
(g) SIGN, DIRECTIONAL: Any sign directing ingress/egress traffic to a site. Directional signs are limited to six (6) square feet.
(h) SIGN, DOUBLE-FACED: Any sign with two display areas against back-to-back to each other or where the interior angle formed by the display areas is sixty (60) degrees or less, where one face is designed to be seen from one direction and the other side from another direction.
(i) SIGN, INCIDENTAL: A sign, generally informational, that has a non-commercial, directive purpose secondary to the use of the development site on which it is located.
(j) SIGN, FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: A temporary, freestanding sign located on the premises of a proposed development construction project which may contain advertising in connection with the name of the development firm, engineer, architect, development firm, building contractor, or real estate firm and may depict a plat map and conceptual drawings of the construction.
(k) SIGN, ILLUMINATED: Any sign illuminated by electricity, gas, or other artificial light including reflecting or phosphorescent light. Includes any system of lighting, string of lights, or group of lights located or arranged so as to cast illumination on a sign;
(l) SIGN, INTERIOR: Any sign located within the interior of any building, stadium, or shopping center or within an enclosed lobby or court of lobby, court or entrance of any theater that are not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the development site on which such sign is located. Interior signs do not require a sign permit.
(m) SIGN, GROUND-MOUNTED: A freestanding sign where the base of the sign structure is either on the ground, supported primarily by an internal structural framework with the appearance of a solid base, or the base of the sign structure is a maximum of twelve (12) inches above the adjacent grade affixed to the ground by support posts.
(n) SIGN, MANSARD: A sign permanently affixed to a mansard roof with a slope no more than thirty (30) degrees from vertical. Mansard signs are not permitted.
(o) SIGN, MOBILE: A portable sign mounted on a trailer.
(p) SIGN, BILLBOARD: A sign which advertises a commercial activity, service or product that is located on property other than property at which such activity or service occurs or which product is sold or manufactured, or an advertising device erected by a company or individual for the purpose of selling advertising messages for profit. Billboards are limited to display on parcels zoned M-1 Manufacturing or Highway-Business. A billboard sign may have two (2) faces. Billboard signs may have sign faces with a maximum of 300 square feet.
(q) SIGN, ON-PREMISES: A sign which is located on the same site as the activity or property advertised, and has as its purpose the identification of the activity, its products or services, or the sale or lease of the property on which the sign is located, rather than the purpose of general advertising. It must be located upon property either owned or leased and used by the advertised business or profession for the purpose of conducting the business activity.
(r) SIGN, POLE: A freestanding sign where the sign base is more than twelve (12) inches above grade supported by one or more pole structures anchored in the ground and independent from any building or other structure.
(s) SIGN, PORTABLE: 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 on wheels; signs converted to A-or T-frames; menu and sandwich board signs; balloons used as signs or inflatable devices 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 daily operations of the business. Balloons and inflatable devices used as signs are prohibited.
(t) SIGN, PROJECTING: Any sign which projects from the exterior of a building. A projecting sign may not project more than thirty-six (36) inches from a building face.
(u) SIGN, ROOF: Any sign erected, constructed and maintained wholly upon or over the roof or parapet wall of any building with principal support on the roof structure.
(v) SIGN, TEMPORARY: A sign intended to be displayed for a maximum period of 30 consecutive days and up to a maximum of 90 days annually and not permanently attached to a building or the ground.
(w) SIGN, WALL: Any sign, painted on, attached to or erected against the wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel to the plane of the wall.
(x) SIGN, WINDOW: Any sign which is affixed to, painted on, or placed inside a window so as to be read or viewed from the outside. The glass or clear plastic portion of an exterior door shall be considered a window for purposes of this definition.
(Ord. 2014-50. Passed 12-18-14.)