(a) Permit Required. No person shall erect, repair, alter, relocate or maintain within the City any sign or other advertising structure except those exempted in subsection (g) hereof without first obtaining a sign permit from the Building Inspector, and making payment of the fee required by this section, except that minor repairs or maintenance not involving structural changes may be permitted without first obtaining a permit.
(b) Application for Permit. Application for sign permits shall be made upon blanks provided by the Building Inspector and shall contain or have attached thereto the following information:
(1) The name, address and telephone number of the applicant;
(2) The location of the building, structure or lot to which or upon which the sign or other advertising structure is to be attached or erected;
(3) The position of the sign or other advertising structure in relation to nearby buildings or structures;
(4) One drawing, blueprint or ink, of the plans and specifications of each sign indicating all dimensions, materials, colors, type of lettering and means of attachment to the building or ground;
(5) The name of the person erecting the structure;
(6) Such other information as the Engineering Department shall require to show full compliance with this chapter and all other ordinances of the City.
(c) Referral of Application to Architectural Board of Review. Approval of the Architectural Board of Review shall be obtained before issuance of any permit required hereunder, if in the Harbor Historical District.
(d) Issuance of Permit. It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector, upon the filing of an application for a sign permit, to examine all required plans and specifications as well as the premises upon which the sign is to be placed. If it appears that the proposed structure is in compliance with all the requirements of this chapter and all other ordinances of the City the sign permit shall be issued. If the work authorized under the sign permit has not been completed within six months after date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void.
(2004 Code)
(e) Permit Fees. Every applicant, before being granted a sign permit, shall pay to the City a permit fee for each sign or other advertising structure regulated by this chapter, except those exempted by subsection (g) hereof as set forth below:
(1) Signs Generally
Billboards | $100/50 square feet + $2.00 square feet over 50 square feet |
Pole signs | 35.00 + $2.00/$100.00 val. |
Wall signs | 25.00 + $2.00/$100.00 val. |
Hanging signs | 25.00 |
Ground signs | 30.00 |
Bulletin boards | 30.00 |
Planter signs | 30.00 |
Political signs | 25.00 |
Awning/canopy | 25.00 + $.10 square feet |
Directional signs | 10.00 (4 square feet) |
Face changes only | 1/2 sign fee |
Portable read-a-board signs | 200.00 annual fee |
Window signs | 25.00 |
(2) Electrical Signs.
$10.00 basic fee | |
Lamps | 3.00 each light |
Neon tube | .25 per foot |
Canopy | .25 per square foot |
(3) Plastic Face Each (square feet).
1 to 12 | $4.00 |
13 to 24 | 6.00 |
25 to 50 | 10.00 |
51 to 75 | 12.00 |
76 to 100 | 16.00 |
101 to 150 | 20.00 |
151 to 200 | 35.00 |
201 to 300 | 50.00 |
No electrical sign fee to be charged if faces only changed. | |
(4) Sign permit fees may be waived for non-profit, religious, charitable or community organizations, as long as they are in compliance with all other regulations governing signs.
(Ord. 2010-99. Passed 7-19-10.)
(Ord. 2010-99. Passed 7-19-10.)
(f) Authority to Revoke. The Building Inspector is hereby authorized to revoke any permit issued by it upon failure of the holder thereof to comply with any provisions of this chapter. (2004 Code)
(g) Permit Exemptions. The permit provisions of this section shall not apply to the following signs:
(2) Nameplates, limited to the name and address of the resident, for one- and two-family dwellings provided that no such sign exceeds one square foot in area and that no more than two such signs are displayed per residence;
(3) Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and dates of erection, provided that such signs do not exceed two square feet in area;
(4) Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger and such temporary, emergency or nonadvertising signs as may be approved by Council; and
(5) Seasonal signs/special displays. Special decorative displays used for holidays, public demonstrations or promotion of civic welfare or charitable purposes, when authorized by the municipal authorities, on which there is no commercial advertising, provided the City is held harmless for any damage resulting therefrom as provided in Section 1154.23 et seq.
(Ord. 2012-132. Passed 8-6-12.)