(A) Compliance with chapter. No sign shall be erected, installed, constructed or painted in the city, except in compliance with this chapter and unless it shall conform to and meet the requirements of this chapter.
(B) Enforcing officer. The City Building Official and inspectors or any other city employee duly appointed by the City Council shall be the enforcing officer of this chapter.
(C) Permit applications. The application for a sign permit shall be made upon forms provided by the city and shall state or have attached thereto, the following information:
(1) Name, address and telephone number of applicant and owner of the sign;
(2) Location of building, structure or lot to which or upon which the sign is to be attached or erected;
(3) Position of the sign or other advertising structures in relation to nearby buildings or structures;
(4) A scaled drawing or photograph of the plans and specifications and method of construction or attachment to the building or in the ground;
(5) Copy of stress sheets and calculations showing the structure is designed for dead load and wind velocity in the amount required by the city’s Building Code and if requested by the city building official;
(6) Name of person erecting the structure; and
(7) Other information as the city may require.
(D) Permit fees. Permit fees for business and monument signs shall be as specified in the appendix to Chapter 35.
(E) Variance; authorized. To provide reasonable flexibility in the sign regulations, the Council may approve a variance for a sign otherwise not permitted by these regulations where an exception would not be inconsistent with the intent of the sign regulations.
(F) Variance; conditions to granting. No variance shall be granted unless the Council shall find that either condition (a) or (b) hereinafter set forth exists:
(1) All of the following requirements must be met:
(a) Special conditions exist which are peculiar to the land, structure, building involved and which are not applicable to other lands, structures or buildings in the same district;
(b) The special conditions and circumstances do not result from the actions of the applicant;
(c) A literal interpretation of the provisions of these regulations would deprive the applicant of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same district and the terms of these sign regulations;
(d) That granting the variance requested would not confer on the applicant any special privilege for a use not common to other lands, structures or buildings in the same district; and
(e) The proposed use of the property shall have an appearance that will not have an adverse effect upon adjacent properties and there will be no deterrence to development of vacant land.
(2) Any proposed signage beyond the maximum square footage permitted would have the primary function of providing a public service.
(G) Variance; requests, fees. All requests for variances shall be made in writing to the city on the form provided by the city and the request shall include the fee specified in the appendix to Chapter 35. All information required when applying for a sign permit, as outlined in this division shall be required before the request for a variance is considered by the Council.
(‘81 Code, § 6-108) (Ord. 495, passed 9-20-90)