(A) Findings, purpose and effect.
(1) Findings. The City Council hereby finds as follows:
(a) Exterior signs have a substantial impact on the character and quality of the environment.
(b) Signs provide an important medium through which individuals may convey a variety of messages.
(c) Signs can create traffic hazards, aesthetic concerns and detriments to property values, thereby threatening the public health, safety and welfare.
(d) The city's zoning regulations include the regulation of signs in an effort to provide adequate means of expression and to promote the economic viability of the business community, while protecting the city and its citizens from a proliferation of signs of a type, size, location and character that would adversely impact upon the aesthetics of the community and threaten the health, safety and welfare of the community. The regulation of the physical characteristics of signs within the city has had a positive impact on traffic safety and the appearance of the community.
(2) Purpose and intent. It is not the purpose or intent of this sign subchapter to regulate the message displayed on any sign; nor is it the purpose or intent of this subchapter to regulate any building design or any display not defined as a sign, or any sign which cannot be viewed from outside a building. The purpose and intent of this subchapter is to:
(a) Regulate the number, location, size, type, illumination and other physical characteristics of signs within the city in order to promote the public health, safety and welfare;
(b) Maintain, enhance and improve the aesthetic environment of the city by preventing visual clutter that is harmful to the appearance of the community; and
(c) Improve the visual appearance of the city while providing for effective means of communication, consistent with constitutional guarantees and the city's goals of public safety and aesthetics.
(3) Effect. A sign may be erected, mounted, displayed or maintained in the city if it is in conformance with the provisions of these regulations. The effect of this sign subchapter, as more specifically set forth herein, is to:
(a) Allow a wide variety of sign types in commercial zones, and a more limited variety of signs in other zones, subject to the standards set forth in this subchapter;
(b) Allow certain small, unobtrusive signs incidental to the principal use of a site in all zones when in compliance with the requirements of this subchapter;
(c) Prohibit signs whose location, size, type, illumination or other physical characteristics negatively affect the environment and where the communication can be accomplished by means having a lesser impact on the environment and the public health, safety and welfare; and
(d) Provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this subchapter.
(B) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
ABANDONED SIGN. Any sign and/or its supporting sign structure which remains without a message or whose display surface remains blank for a period of one year or more, or any sign which pertains to a time, event or purpose which no longer applies, shall be deemed to have been abandoned. Signs applicable to a business temporarily suspended because of a change in ownership or management of such business shall not be deemed abandoned unless the property remains vacant for a period of one year or more. Any sign remaining after demolition of a principal structure shall be deemed to be abandoned. Signs which are present because of being legally established non-conforming signs or signs which have required a conditional use permit or a variance shall also be subject to the definition of ABANDONED SIGN.
AWNING. A roof-like cover, often of fabric, plastic, metal or glass designed and intended for protection from the weather or as a decorative embellishment, and which projects from a wall or roof of a structure primarily over a window, walk, or the like. Any part of an awning which also projects over a door shall be counted as an awning.
AWNING SIGN. A building sign or graphic printed on or in some fashion attached directly to the awning material.
BALLOON SIGN. A sign consisting of a bag made of lightweight material supported by helium, hot or pressurized air which is greater than 24-inches in diameter.
BUILDING. Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
BUILDING SIGN. Any sign attached or supported by any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
CABINET SIGN. Any wall sign that is not of channel or individually mounted letter construction.
CANOPY. A roof-like cover, often of fabric, plastic, metal, or glass on a support, which provides shelter over a doorway.
CANOPY SIGN. Any sign that is part of or attached to a canopy, made of fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door or entrance. A CANOPY SIGN is not a marquee and is different from service area canopy signs.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN. A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters, or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged without altering the face or the surface of the sign. CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS do not include signs upon which characters, letters or illustrations change or rearrange only once in a 24-hour period.
COMMERCIAL SPEECH. Speech advertising a business, profession, commodity, service or entertainment.
ELEVATION. The view of the side, front, or rear of a given structure(s).
ELEVATION AREA. The area of all walls that face any lot line.
ERECT. Activity of constructing, building, raising, assembling, placing, affixing, attaching, creating, painting, drawing or any other way of bringing into being or establishing.
FLAG. Any fabric or similar lightweight material attached at one end of the material, usually to a staff or pole, so as to allow movement of the material by atmospheric changes and which contains distinctive colors, patterns, symbols, emblems, insignia, or other symbolic devices.
FLASHING SIGN. A directly or indirectly illuminated sign which exhibits changing light or color effect by any means, so as to provide intermittent illumination which includes the illusion of intermittent flashing light by means of animation. Also any mode of lighting which resembles zooming, twinkling, or sparkling.
FREESTANDING SIGN. Any sign which has supporting framework that is placed on, or anchored in, the ground and which is independent from any building or other structure.
FRONTAGE. The line of contact of a property with the public right-of-way.
GRADE. Grade shall be construed to be the final ground elevation after construction. Earth mounding criteria for landscaping and screening is not part of the final grade for sign height computation.
GROUND SIGN. Any freestanding sign with its sign face mounted on the ground or mounted on a base at least as wide as the sign and which has a total height not exceeding eight feet.
HEIGHT OF SIGN. The height of the sign shall be computed as the vertical distance measured from the base of the sign at grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign.
HOTEL, MOTEL, MOTOR HOTEL. Any building or combination of buildings containing six or more rooms used for sleeping purposes by guests on a transient basis.
ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign which contains an element designed to emanate artificial light internally or externally.
INTERIOR SIGN. A sign which is located within the interior of any building, or within an enclosed lobby or court of any building, and a sign for and located within the inner or outer body, court or entrance of any theater.
ISSUING AUTHORITY. The City of Aurora Planning and Zoning Commission.
LEGALLY ESTABLISHED NON-CONFORMING SIGN. Any sign and its support structure lawfully erected prior to the effective date of this subchapter which fails to conform to the requirements of this subchapter. A sign which was erected in accordance with a variance granted prior to the adoption of this subchapter and which does not comply with this subchapter shall be deemed to be a legal non-conforming sign. A sign which was unlawfully erected shall be deemed to be an illegal sign.
MARQUEE. Any permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a theater building or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of that building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather.
MARQUEE SIGN. Any building sign painted, mounted, constructed or attached in any manner on a marquee.
MONUMENT SIGN. Any freestanding sign with its sign face mounted on the ground or mounted on a base at least as wide as the sign and which has a height exceeding eight feet.
MULTIPLE TENANT SITE. Any site which has more than one tenant, and each tenant has a separate ground level exterior public entrance.
NON-COMMERCIAL SPEECH. Dissemination of messages not classified as commercial speech which include, but are not limited to, messages concerning political, religious, social, ideological, public service and informational topics.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN. A commercial speech sign which directs the attention of the public to a business, activity conducted, or product sold or offered at a location not on the same premises where such business sign is located. For purposes of this subchapter, easements and other appurtenances shall be considered to be outside such platted parcel of land and any sign located or proposed to be located in an easement or other appurtenance shall be considered an off-premises sign.
ON-PREMISES MESSAGES. Identify or advertise an establishment, person, activity, goods, products or services located on the premises where the sign is installed.
PARAPET (WALL). That portion of building wall that rises above the roof level.
POLE SIGN. See PYLON SIGN.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign which is manifestly designed to be transported, including by trailer or on its own wheels, even though the wheels of such sign may be removed and the remaining chassis or support is converted to another sign or attached temporarily or permanently to the ground since this characteristic is based on the design of such a sign.
PORTE COCHERE. A roofed structure or roof-like cover, extending from the entrance of a building and which provides shelter over a doorway.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING. The building in which the principal primary use of the lot is conducted. Lots with multiple principal uses may have multiple principal buildings, but storage buildings, garages, and other clearly accessory uses shall not be considered principal buildings.
PROJECTING SIGN. Any sign which is affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than two feet beyond the surface of such building or wall face.
PROPERTY OWNER. Legal owner of property as officially recorded by St. Louis County.
PUBLIC NOTICES. Official notices posted by public officers, employees or their agents in the performance of their duties, or as directed by such officers, employees or agents.
PUBLIC STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY. The planned right-of-way for a public street.
PYLON SIGN. Any freestanding sign which has its supportive structure(s) anchored in the ground and which has a sign face elevated above ground level by pole(s) or beam(s) and with the area below the sign face open.
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. Any district zoned for residential uses.
ROOF. The exterior surface and its supporting structure on the top of a building or structure; the structural make-up of which conforms to the roof structures, roof construction and roof covering sections of the Uniform Building Code.
ROOF LINE. The upper-most edge of the roof, or in the case of an extended facade or parapet, the upper-most height of said facade.
ROOF SIGN. Any sign erected and constructed wholly on and above the roof of a building, supported by the roof structure, and extending vertically above the highest portion of the roof.
ROOF SIGN, INTEGRAL. Any building sign erected or constructed as an integral or essentially integral part of a normal roof structure of any design, so that no part of the sign extends vertically above the highest portion of the roof and so that no part of the sign is separated from the rest of the roof by a space of more than six inches.
ROTATING SIGN. A sign or portion of a sign which turns about on an axis.
SETBACK, FRONT. The minimum horizontal distance permitted between the public right-of-way and a structure on the premises. In instances in which a property fronts on more than one street, front setbacks are required on all street frontages.
SETBACK, REAR. The minimum horizontal distance permitted between the property line opposite the principal street frontage and a structure on the premises.
SETBACK, SIDE. The minimum horizontal distance permitted between the side lot line and a structure on the premises.
SHIMMERING SIGNS. A sign which reflects an oscillating, sometimes distorted visual image.
SIGHT TRIANGLE. A triangular area formed at the intersection of any street right-of-way lines by a straight line drawn between said right-of-way lines at a distance along each line of 20 feet from their point of intersection.
SIGN. Any letter, word or symbol, poster, picture, statuary, reading matter or representation in the nature of advertisement, announcement, message or visual communication, whether painted, posted, printed, affixed or constructed, including all associated brackets, braces, supports, wires and structures, which is displayed for informational or communicative purposes.
SIGN FACE. The surface of the sign upon, against, or through which the message of the sign is exhibited.
SIGN STRUCTURE. Any structure including the supports, uprights, bracing and framework which supports, or is capable of supporting, any sign.
SITE. A plot or parcel of land, or combination of contiguous lots or parcels of land, which are intended, designated, and/or approved to function as an integrated unit.
STRINGER. A line of string, rope, cording, or an equivalent to which is attached a number of pennants.
SUSPENDED SIGN. Any building sign that is suspended from the underside of a horizontal plane surface and is connected to this surface.
TOTAL SITE SIGNAGE. The maximum permitted combined area of all freestanding and wall identification signs allowed on a specific property.
VISIBLE. Capable of being seen by a person of normal visual acuity (whether legible or not) without visual aid.
WALL. Any structure which defines the exterior boundaries or courts of a building or structure and which has a slope of 60 degrees or greater with the horizontal plane.
WALL SIGN. Any building sign attached parallel to, but within two feet 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 building 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.
(Ord. 65, 1st Ser., passed 10-18-2013)