(b) Wall Signs. Every multiple-family residential complex, commercial or industrial building, and every separate nonresidential building in a residential zone may display wall signs per street frontage subject to the limiting standards set forth in Table 1184.08(1). For shopping centers, planned industrial parks or other multiple-occupancy nonresidential buildings, the building face or wall shall be calculated separately for each separate occupancy, but in no event will the allowed area for any separate occupancy be more than 100 square feet.
(1) Wall signs shall not extend into any street, sidewalk, alley or public thoroughfare for a distance greater than twelve inches, shall have at least nine feet clearance between the lower edge of the sign and the ground and fourteen and one-half feet clearance over any area used by motor vehicles.
(2) Wall signs made of glass shall not exceed twelve square feet when double strength glass is used and forty square feet when plate or wired glass is used.
(3) No wall sign shall be so erected as to cover the doors or windows of any building, or otherwise prevent free ingress and egress from any window, door or fire escape of any building.
(4) Each wall sign erected, hung or suspended or permitted under the terms of this chapter shall be securely fastened to a building or other structure upon the premises owned or occupied by the applicant and amply supported vertically and horizontally to prevent falling from its own weight or from wind pressure, and to prevent the same from becoming a hazard to persons using the public street or sidewalk in the vicinity of the sign.
(5) Wall signs comprised of paint, or other adhered material, which is applied directly to the building cladding, shall not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the code official, that the sign can be effectively removed.
TABLE 1184.08(1)
IDENTIFICATION SIGN STANDARDS-WALL SIGNS
LAND USE | AGGREGATE AREA (square feet) |
Single-family residential | Not Permitted |
Multiple-family residential | 40 |
Nonresidential in a residential zone | 80 |
Commercial and industrial | 2 square feet per lineal foot of building facing the street. May not exceed 120 sq ft. |
(c) Free-standing Signs. In addition to any allowable wall signs, every single-family residential subdivision, multiple-family residential complex, commercial or industrial building, and every separate nonresidential building in a residential zone shall be permitted to display free-standing or combination signs per street frontage subject to the limiting standards set forth in Table 1184.08(2).
(d) Directional Signs. Not more than two directional signs shall be permitted per street entrance to any lot. There shall be no limit to the number of directional signs providing directional information interior to a lot. For all zones, the maximum area for any directional sign shall be six square feet. Not more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of any directional sign shall be permitted to be devoted to business identification or logo, which area shall not be assessed as identification sign area.
(f) Real Estate Signs. Real estate signs shall be permitted in all zoning districts, subject to the following limitations:
(1) Real estate signs located on a single residential lot shall be limited to one sign, not greater than six feet in height and ten square feet in area.
(2) Real estate signs advertising the sale of lots located within a subdivision shall be limited to one sign per entrance to the subdivision, and each sign shall be not greater than thirty-two square feet in area six feet in height. Signs permitted under this section shall be removed within ten days after sale of the last original lot.
(3) Real estate signs advertising the sale or lease of space within commercial or industrial buildings shall be not greater than thirty-two square feet in area nor six feet in height, and shall be limited to one sign per street front.
(4) Real estate signs advertising the sale or lease of vacant commercial or industrial land shall be limited to one sign per street front, and each sign shall be not greater than six feet in height, and thirty-two square feet for property in Residential zones, or 100 square feet in all other zones.
(5) Real estate signs shall be removed not later than ten days after execution of a lease agreement in the event of a lease, or the closing of the sale in the event of a purchase.
(g) Development and Construction Signs. Signs temporarily erected during construction to inform the public of the developer, contractors, architects, engineers, the nature of the project or anticipated completion dates, shall be permitted in all zoning districts, subject to the following limitations:
(1) Such signs on a single residential lot shall be limited to one sign, not greater than six feet in height and ten square feet in area.
(2) Such signs for a residential subdivision or multiple residential lots shall be limited to one sign, at each entrance to the subdivision or on one of the lots to be built upon, and shall be not greater than six feet in height and thirty-two square feet in area.
(3) Such signs for nonresidential uses in residential districts shall be limited to one sign, and shall be not greater than six feet in height and thirty-two square feet in area.
(4) Such signs for commercial or industrial projects shall be limited to one sign per street front, not to exceed ten feet in height and 100 square feet.
(5) Development and construction signs may not be displayed until after the issuance of construction permits by the building official, and must be removed not later than twenty-four hours following issuance of an occupancy permit for any or all portions of the project.
(h) Special Promotion, Event and Grand Opening Signs. Signs temporarily displayed to advertise special promotions, events and grand openings shall be permitted for nonresidential uses in a residential district, and for all commercial and industrial districts subject to the following limitations:
(1) Such signs shall be limited to one sign per street front.
(2) Such signs may be displayed for not more than thirty consecutive days in any 3-month period, and not more than sixty days in any calendar year. The signs shall be erected not more than five days prior to the event or grand opening, and shall be removed not more than one day after the event or grand opening.
(3) The total area of all such signs shall not exceed ten square feet in any single-family residential district, thirty-two square feet in any multiple- family residential district and 100 square feet in any commercial or industrial district.
(i) Off-premise Signs. Signs displaying information about goods, services, uses, business, persons, subjects, etc. not relative to the premises upon which the sign is located shall be approved by the Planning Commission. Billboards or similar advertising signs shall be approved by City Council in consideration of a recommendation from the Planning Commission.
TABLE 1184.08(2)
IDENTIFICATION SIGN STANDARDS-FREE-STANDING
SIGNS a, b, c
LAND USE | NUMBER OF SIGNS | HEIGHT (feet) | AREA (square feet) | SPACING (feet) |
Single-family residential | Per Spacing | 6 | 40 | 1 per subdivision entrance a |
Multiple-family residential | Per Spacing | 6 | 40 | 1 per driveway a |
Nonresidential in a residential zone | 1 | 6 | 40 | N/A |
Commercial and industrial | 1 | See Figures 1184.08(1), (2) and (3) | See Figures 1184.08(1), (2) and (3) | 150 b |
a. For subdivision or apartment identification signs placed on a decorative entry wall approved by the code official, two identification signs shall be permitted to be placed at each entrance to the subdivision or apartment complex, one on each side of the driveway or entry drive.
b. For shopping centers or planned industrial parks, two monument-style free-standing signs not exceeding fifty percent (50%) each of the permitted height and area, and spaced not closer than 100 feet to any other free-standing identification sign, shall be permitted to be allowed in lieu of any free-standing sign otherwise permitted in this table.
c. For any commercial or industrial development complex exceeding 1,000,000 square feet of gross leasable area, or forty acres in size, such as regional shopping centers, auto malls or planned industrial parks, one free-standing sign per street front shall be permitted to be increased in sign area by up to fifty percent (50%).
(j) Special Event Signs in Public Ways. Signs advertising a special community event may be permitted in or over public rights-of-way, subject to approval by City Council and approval by the code official as to the size, location and method of erection. The code official may not approve any special event signage that would impair the safety and convenience of use of public rights-of-way, or obstruct traffic visibility.
(k) Portable signs and Devices. Portable signs shall be permitted only in non-residential districts, as designated in this code, subject to the following limitations:
(1) Not more than one such sign or device may be displayed on any property.
(2) Signs shall not exceed a height of six feet nor an area of thirty square feet.
(3) Such signs or devices shall be displayed not more than thirty consecutive days and not more than ninety days in any calendar year.
(4) Any electrical portable signs or device shall comply with NFPA 70.
(5) No portable sign shall be displayed prior to obtaining a sign permit.
(l) Political Signs. Political signs shall be permitted in all zoning districts, subject to the following limitations:
(1) Such signs shall not exceed a height of three feet nor an area of six square feet.
(2) Such signs for election candidates or ballot propositions shall be displayed only for a period of sixty days preceding the election and shall be removed within ten days after the election, provided that signs promoting successful candidates or ballot propositions in a primary election may remain displayed until not more than ten days after the general election.
(3) Such signs shall not be placed in any public right-of-way or obstruct traffic visibility.
(n) Canopy and Marquee Signs.
(1) The permanently-affixed copy area of canopy or marquee signs shall not exceed an area equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the face area of the canopy, marquee or architectural projection upon which such sign is affixed or applied.
(2) Graphic striping, patterns or color bands on the face of a building, canopy, marquee or architectural projection shall not be included in the computation of sign copy area.
(o) Awning Signs.
(1) The copy area of awning signs shall not exceed an area equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the background area of the awning or awning surface to which such a sign is affixed or applied, or the permitted area for wall or fascia signs, whichever is less.
(2) Neither the background color of an awning, nor any graphic treatment or embellishment thereto such as striping, patterns or valances, shall be included in the computation of sign copy area.
(p) Projecting signs.
(1) Projecting signs shall be permitted in lieu of freestanding signage on any street frontage limited to one sign per occupancy along any street frontage with public entrance to such occupancy, and shall not exceed an area of thirty square feet.
(2) No such sign shall extend vertically above the highest point of the building façade.
(3) Such signs shall not extend over a public sidewalk in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the width of the sidewalk.
(4) Such signs shall maintain a clear vertical distance above any public sidewalk of not less than nine feet.
(q) Under Canopy Signs.
(1) Under canopy signs shall be limited to not more than one such sign per public entrance to any occupancy, and shall be limited to an area not to exceed six square feet.
(2) Such signs shall maintain a clear vertical distance above any sidewalk or pedestrian way of not less than eight feet.
(r) Roof Signs.
(1) Roof signs shall be permitted in commercial and industrial districts only.
(2) Such signs shall be limited to a height above the roofline of the elevation parallel to the sign face of not more than twenty percent (20%) of the height of the roofline.
(3) The sign area for roof signs shall be assessed against the aggregate permitted area for wall signs on the elevation of the building most closely parallel to the face of the sign.
(s) Window Signs. Window signs shall be permitted for any nonresidential use in a residential district, and for all commercial and industrial districts, subject to the following limitations:
(1) The aggregate area of all such signs shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the window area on which such signs are displayed. Window panels separated by muntins or mullions shall be considered as one continuous window area.
(2) Window signs shall not be assessed against the sign area permitted for other sign types.
(t) Menu Boards. Menu board signs shall not be permitted to exceed fifty percent (50%).
(Ord. 16-20. Passed 3-17-20.)