(A) Size. No sign shall exceed 128 square feet in area. See division (I) below for measurement of area.
(B) Regulations. Except as hereinafter provided, no signs shall be erected or maintained at any angle to a building or structure so that the sign extends or projects over the street or highway. No sign which is erected or maintained flat against any building or structure shall extend or project more that 12 inches from the building.
(C) Electrical signs. Electrical signs must be installed in accordance with the current Electrical Code and a separate electrical permit from the state must be obtained prior to placement.
(D) Flashing signs. All flashing, revolving and intermittently lighted signs and all portable signs are prohibited, except as specifically allowed in this section.
(E) Temporary signs.
(1) Temporary signs pertaining only to the construction, sale or rental of the premises are allowable provided they do not exceed nine square feet in any district and are removed within 30 days of the completion of construction, sale or rental.
(2) One temporary signs is allowed for special events such as grand openings and promotions subject to the following conditions.
(a) Time frame of use.
1. No temporary sign shall be erected for more than 14 days unless otherwise authorized by a temporary sign permit.
2. The use of temporary signs shall be limited to six independent time periods which do not exceed 90 days gross in any calendar year.
(b) Number. Only one temporary sign shall be allowed, but the sign may be supplemented by streamers, balloons and other similar peripherals.
(c) Size and height. No temporary sign for special events shall exceed 64 square feet in size, nor exceed the height standards for signs in the base zoning district.
(F) Sandwichboard signs. Sandwichboard signs are permitted in the DMU district and may be used as temporary signage subject to the following conditions.
(1) Four feet of clear space must be maintained in the center of all sidewalks for the passage of pedestrians.
(2) The sign shall conform to the following height and area maximums:
(a) Height: five feet; and
(b) Area: six square feet.
(3) All sandwichboard signs shall be placed 20 feet back from the Highway 210/Highway 169 Intersection.
(G) Prohibited signs. The following signs are prohibited signs:
(1) Any sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles any official traffic-control device or railroad sign or signal, or emergency vehicle signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic or which hides from view or interferes with effectiveness of any official traffic-control device or any railroad sign or signal;
(2) All off-premises advertising; and
(3) Signs painted, attached or in any other manner affixed to trees, rocks or similar natural surfaces, or attached to public utility poles, bridges, towers or similar public structures.
(H) Setbacks. Permanent signs can be allowed up to the right-of-way as long as there are no safety or maintenance concerns as determined by the Zoning Administrator.
(I) Area. The area within the frame shall be used to calculate the square footage. If the letters or graphics are mounted directly on a wall of fascia or in such way as to be without a frame, the dimensions for calculating the square footage shall be the area within the periphery around the letters or graphics in a plane figure bounded by straight lines connecting the outermost points thereof. Each surface utilized to display a message or to attract attention shall be measured as a separate sign and shall be calculated in the overall square footage. Symbols, flags, pictures, wording, figures or other forms of graphics painted on or attached to windows, walls, awnings, free-standing structures, suspended by balloons or kites or on persons, animals or vehicles are considered a sign and are included in calculating the overall square footage.
(J) Canopies, marquees and fixed awnings. Canopies, marquees and fixed awnings are an integral part of the structure to which they are attached. Where allowed, they shall meet the following requirements and the applicable square footage requirements.
(1) An awning, canopy or marquee may not extend out from the building more than 30 inches.
(2) Awnings, canopies or marquees may have no part of the structure other than supports nearer to the ground surface than seven feet.
(3) No sign, either illuminated or non-illuminated, may project below a marquee.
(K) Illumination. External illumination for signs shall be so constructed and maintained so that the source of light is not visible from the public right-of-way or neighboring residential properties.
(L) Height. The top of a sign, including its superstructure, if any, shall be no higher than 50% of the roof elevation of the building to which the sign may be attached or 30 feet above ground level, whichever height is less. Free-standing signs shall not exceed an overall height of 30 feet from ground level.
(M) Non-commercial speech. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, all signs of any size containing non-commercial speech may be posted in any number from August 1 in a (state) general election year until ten days following the (state) general election and 13 weeks prior to any special election until ten days following the special election.
(Ord. 332, passed 5-19-2008; Ord. 354, passed 11-1-2010) Penalty, see § 152.999