It is the intent of the provisions of this chapter to achieve the following objectives:
1. To establish standards which would permit businesses in the City a reasonable and equitable opportunity to identify themselves;
2. To preserve and promote civic beauty and not allow signs which would detract from this objective because of unusual size, shape, height, location, condition, cluttering, or illumination;
3. To insure that signs in the City do not create a safety hazard;
4. To preserve and protect the value of land and buildings, and to preserve and protect landscapes;
5. To insure that every sign has good scale and proportion in relationship to its site and function, as well as to the signage and use of neighboring properties; and
6. To insure that signs are designed as an integral architectural element of the building and site.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
1. “Advertising sign” means a sign or billboard which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered elsewhere than on the premises.
2. “Allied business” means the same or similar business with common name such as new and used auto sales.
3. “Area identification sign” means a freestanding sign which identifies the name of a commercial or industrial complex consisting of three or more businesses.
4. “Area of sign” means that area within the marginal lines or extreme outside edge of the surface which bears and/or supports the advertisement (sign cabinet), or in the case of messages, figures, or symbols attached directly to any part of a building (no sign cabinet), that area which is included within three geometric shapes which can be made to circumscribe any message, figure, or symbol displayed thereon. For a sign with not more than two back-to-back faces, only the area of one side is computed in determining the sign area.
5. “Awning” means an attached canopy or similar structure designed to provide cover for entrances, walkways, and windows.
6. “Balloon sign” means an inflatable balloon or device used to draw attention to a business or product.
7. “Banded areas” means that portion of a building generally located along the front which is constructed for purposes of attaching building signs in a consistent and coordinated manner.
8. “Banner” means a temporary display of information on material such as canvas or plastic.
9. “Bench sign” means a sign attached to or a part of a sitting bench.
10. “Billboard sign” – see “advertising sign.”
11. “Building sign” means a sign attached to the exterior wall of a building.
12. “Business sign” means a sign which directs attention to the business or profession conducted on the premises. A “For Sale,” “For Lease” or “Information” sign is deemed a business sign. In order to be considered a business sign rather than an advertising sign, all of the gross surface area of the sign must pertain to the major functions or name of the business, the trade names of primary products or goods manufactured or sold on the premises.
13. “Changeable sign” means a sign or portion of a sign with separate inset letters, pictures, and/or symbols which can easily be removed and which are periodically changed. See also “reader board sign.”
14. “Construction sign” means a sign used temporarily at the construction site identifying the contractors, financer, supplier, and/or builder.
15. “Copy area” means the total area of the smallest three geometric figures that can be drawn around the sign cabinet or message on a sign.
16. “Development project sign” means a temporary sign located on the site of a new development, listing owners, developers, builders, and similar identifying information.
17. “Directional sign” means a sign erected upon private property to provide pedestrian or traffic directions and which may bear a company logo or color scheme in addition to the directional arrow or word message and may contain no additional advertising information.
18. “Double face sign” means a sign displaying identical information on opposite sides.
19. “Driveway median” means a raised median intended to divide or channel vehicular traffic.
20. “Flashing sign” means any illuminated sign on which the artificial light is not maintained both stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times when a sign is in use excluding electronic reader board signs and electronic video signs.
21. “Freestanding sign” means a pylon or ground sign that is not part of the principal structure.
22. “Gasoline pump island canopy” means a structure that provides shelter over gasoline pump islands.
23. “Grade of sign” means the lowest point of elevation of the finished surface of the ground, paving, or sidewalk within the area between the sign and a line five feet from the sign.
24. “Ground sign” means a sign, which is not a pylon sign, erected upon or supported by ground and not attached to any building.
25. “Identification sign” means a sign which bears the name and/or address of the occupant of the building.
26. “Illuminated sign” means any sign which has characters, letters, figures, design, or outline illuminated by electric lights or luminous tubes as part of the sign proper.
27. “Informational sign” means a sign, not intended to be viewed from off-site, that identifies building functions and is attached thereto, such as car wash bay or drive-in window.
28. “Major anchor/center sign” means a specially designed, masonry clad, freestanding sign used to identify single-tenant buildings that are in excess of 100,000 square feet or multi-tenant centers in excess of 150,000 square feet in building size.
29. “Menu board” means a sign listing drive-up items in conjunction with a business serving customers in a car.
30. “Monument development sign” means a ground sign intended to permanently identify by name a residential development.
31. “Moving device” means a device which moves or rotates to attract attention for advertising purposes.
32. “Multi-occupancy building” means a building designed to be occupied by two or more separate businesses.
33. “Non-commercial sign” means any sign that presents a message that is political, philosophical, social, or personal and does not advertise or sell a service, product, or other commercial undertaking.
34. “Pennant” means a small flag used for decorative purposes or to attract attention.
35. “Political sign” means a temporary sign which displays information pertaining to an upcoming governmental district, city, county, state, or national election.
36. “Portable sign” means a sign so designed as to be movable from one location to another and not permanently attached to the ground or to any immobile structure. A portable sign may consist of a panel supported by legs or wheels and/or a mobile structure such as a trailer, panel truck, semi-truck trailer, or other device whose primary function during a specific time period is to be stationary and used as a sign.
37. “Promotional sign” means a temporary sign which shall not exist for more than 30 days which promotes civic events or promotions limited to City-recognized activities, events, and/or celebrations.
38. “Pylon sign” means a freestanding sign erected upon a single post or posts or shafts that converge at a common base with the posts not more than 15 feet apart, with the display portion mounted on top thereof.
39. “Reader board sign” means a sign with separate inset electronic panels, letters, and/or symbols or changeable copy which can be easily removed and which are or is periodically changed. Electronic message boards are considered reader board signs if a single message is displayed for not less than seven (7) seconds and the text messages are in amber or a similar color with equal or lesser intensity colored lights. See also “changeable sign.”
40. “Real estate sign” means a sign intended to aid on the sale, rental, or lease of real property.
41. “Rear identification sign” means a sign located adjacent to the rear entrance to individual businesses to clearly identify the location for “deliveries.” This identification sign shall not be considered in computing the maximum permitted sign area for a business.
42. “Revolving sign” means a sign which rotates at a constant rate of revolutions per minute.
43. “Roof line” means that line at which an exterior wall surface of a building structure departs from a vertical plane.
44. “Setback for a sign” means the shortest distance between a property or public right-of-way line and the surface or main supporting structure of a sign, whichever is closest.
45. “Sign” means an accessory use depicting a name, identification, description, display, illustration, structure, device which is affixed to or painted or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, or other allowed outdoor surface or a piece of land, and which directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization, or business.
46. “Story” means that portion of a building included between the upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above, except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building included between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the ceiling or roof above.
47. “Temporary sign” means any sign which is erected for a limited time and/or special purpose.
48. “Traffic directional sign” means a sign erected by a public agency for the purpose of guiding vehicular and pedestrian traffic in a safe and convenient manner and which bears no advertising information.
49. “Video sign” means a sign containing electronic panels capable of producing full color video images and intended for this purpose to display full motion video similar to television or motion picture images
50. “Visibility triangle” means a triangular area established at the intersection of streets and driveways protected from encroachments greater than 30 inches tall and intended to protect the line of site of drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
51. “Digital advertising sign” means an off-site sign utilizing digital message technology, capable of changing the static message or copy on the sign electronically. A digital advertising sign shall contain static messages only, and shall not have animation, movement, or the appearance or optical illusion of movement, of any part of the sign structure, design, or pictorial segment of the sign. Each static message shall not include flashing, scintillating lighting or the varying of light intensity. A digital advertising sign shall not be considered a flashing sign, changeable sign or reader board sign.
(Ord. 1736 – Oct. 12 Supp.)
52. "Flag" means any sign printed or painted on cloth, plastic, canvas, or other like material with words, colors, patterns, or symbols that is attached or appended to a pole, staff, line or framing.
(Ord. 2074 - Jan. 22 Supp.)
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