(A) This section supplements existing sign regulations with regulations specifically designed to ensure compatibility and pedestrian scale of all signage in the Downtown Historic District. No sign shall be permitted, erected, established, or allowed to be erected or established, within the area governed by this subchapter, unless it is in conformity with this subchapter. It shall be unlawful to erect any sign in the area governed by this subchapter unless a certificate of appropriateness is granted by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC).
(B) The boundaries of the Downtown Historic District are established as the Downtown Historic District overlay zone and generally includes the area between the Ohio River on the east, Hogan Creek on the north, US 50 and Exporting Street to the west, and 5th Street on the south.
(C) The following procedures shall govern the application for, and issuance of, all sign permits within the Downtown Historic District.
(1) If a sign requires a permit under the provision of this section, a sign permit shall be obtained prior to the construction, placement, erection, or modification of such a sign in accordance with the requirements of this division.
(2) All requirements of § 152.146 must be submitted to the Planning Director or designee and be accompanied by a certificate of appropriateness.
(3) Proposals must be submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to obtain a certificate of appropriateness.
(4) Each permit/application for a sign or for approval shall be accompanied by the applicable fees as calculated from the current adopted fee schedule.
(5) At each monthly HPC meeting all proposals for a certificate of appropriateness shall be reviewed. The actions taken shall be one of the following.
(a) HPC will approve the certificate of appropriateness if the sign(s) conforms with all requirements of this section.
(b) The HPC rejects the certificate of appropriateness if the sign(s) fails in any way to conform with the requirements of this section. In case of a rejection, the HPC shall specify the division or divisions of the section or applicable plan with which the sign(s) is inconsistent and counsel the applicant to return at the next monthly meeting.
(6) Within six months of the issuance of a permit, the local building official shall cause an inspection of the new sign or for the modification of an existing sign. If the construction is not substantially completed at the time of inspection, the permit shall lapse and the local building official shall issue a letter regarding the lapse of the permit. If the construction is substantially complete but not in full compliance with this section and applicable codes, the local building official shall give the owner or applicant notice of the deficiencies and shall allow an additional 30 days from the date of inspection for the deficiencies to be corrected. If the deficiencies are not corrected by such date, the permit/application shall lapse. If the deficiencies have been corrected, the local building official shall reinstate the sign permit/application.
(D) All signs shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with the following standards.
(1) All signs shall conform to the general requirements of § 152.141.
(2) Signs shall be sized in proportion to the building. A certificate of appropriateness may be disapproved if the proposal is found to be excessive or non-proportional in relation to the building on which it is place or which it serves.
(3) Exposed surfaces of signs must be constructed of or appear to be constructed of metal, glass, stone, concrete, brick, cloth, or wood, or similar approved material. If synthetic materials are authorized, they shall have the same finished appearance as materials specified here.
(a) Plastic substrate, plywood or unfinished wood are not appropriate materials for signs and shall not be permitted.
(4) If signs are illuminated they shall be externally lit. Lighting directed toward a sign shall be shielded or recessed so that only the face of the sign is illuminated and does not shine directly into a public right-of-way or sidewalk.
(a) No colored lights shall be used.
(E) Sign types and standards.
(1) Monument sign.
(a) Ground signs shall only be permitted in the front yard of properties containing an appropriate landscaped front yard area.
(b) The maximum height of any ground sign shall be eight feet.
(c) Except for temporary signs permitted by the Zoning Administrator or designee, any permanent ground sign permitted pursuant to this subchapter shall be supported by at least two wooden posts, no less than four inches by four inches. However, the Historic Preservation Commission may allow single post signs and metal posts, if deemed more compatible with the building, property, and/or surroundings.
(d) A ground sign shall be permitted per property frontage.
(e) Sign shall not exceed an area of 32 square feet.
(2) Wall signs.
(a) Wall signs shall be mounted flush against the facade of the building adjacent to the front entryway of the unit.
(b) Appropriate locations for wall signage on buildings with more than one story shall be in the lintel space which separates the storefront from the upper floor, and the space above the transom in the storefront, where one exists (see figure on following page). Wall signs should be located on flat, unadorned parts of the building facade, somewhere above storefront display windows (where they exist) and below second-story windows (where they exist). If the building facade or storefront has a lintel strip or sign board, the wall sign should be placed directly on it. Wall signs should be located centrally on the facade. Sign boards should not exceed two and one-half feet in height.
(c) Sign should be attached through joints in the masonry rather than the brick itself.
(d) Sign shall not protrude more than six inches from the facade, when mounted flush against the facade of the building.
(e) No more than two wall signs shall be permitted per building facade of the leasable space.
(f) Wall signs, individually or in total allowed, shall not exceed more than 30% of the wall area on which they are displayed, or 1.5 square feet per linear feet of leased building frontage of the business or establishment, whichever is greater.
(3) Canopy and awning signs.
(a) Storefront awnings should be positioned either above the display window and below the transom window(s), or above both the display and transom windows but below the sign board area, cornice, or spandrel, where these architectural features exist. Such signs should be silk-screened or sewn onto the awning fabric, and they should be placed on the valance of the awning. Signs on canopies should be located on the primary face or top edge (or front-angled or sloped part) of canopies.
(b) Canopy signs shall have a ground clearance of no less than eight feet above the lowest ground elevation.
(c) Canopy signs shall cover no more than 65% of the area of the side faces (awning flaps) of the canopy and no more than 40% of the front (or front-angled or sloped) face of the canopy.
(4) Projecting signs.
(a) Projecting signs are permissible, but the Historic Preservation Commission may restrict them if other alternatives (wall, window, door, and awning) signs are also present or proposed.
(b) Sign should be placed near the entry door.
(c) Sign shall project perpendicular from the building.
(d) Sign shall be secured in place with a frame mount assembly.
(e) Sign may be suspended from an awning or similar type structure or affixed to a bracket-mount to the building or structure in a manner where the sign face sways; such motion shall not make a swinging sign a prohibited animated sign.
(f) Any sign that is suspended from the underside of a canopy (including awnings), shall be located perpendicular to the wall surface of a building.
(g) Sign shall have a ground clearance of no less than eight feet above the lowest ground elevation.
(h)
Sign shall project no more than 60 inches from the building face.
(i) Signs shall be limited to one per business or establishment.
(j) No projecting sign shall exceed an area of nine square feet per sign face.
(k) When applicable, projecting signs that encroach on city property shall obtain an encroachment permit.
(5) Window signs.
(a) Window signs may be displayed on or in display windows on the ground floor. Window signs in upper facade windows are generally not encouraged and should be justified by the applicant.
(b) Window signage should be painted. Applied vinyl letters are discouraged but may be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.
(c) No window advertising sign shall extend from one window to another.
(d) No window sign shall be installed above the level of second floor windows.
(e) Window signs shall not exceed 25% of the total window area of the business or establishment, or 32 square feet total of window signage for any single business or establishment, whichever is less.
(f) The number of window signs for any individual business or establishment is not limited by this subchapter but limitations may be imposed via the certificate of appropriateness.
(g) Window signs should be placed approximately three and one-half feet above the sidewalk.
(h) Window signs should not extend within 18 inches from the top or bottom of the display window glass.
(6) Door signs.
(a) Signs on doors should be located on or in the glazing of the doors. Painting of letters is preferred. Vinyl letters are discouraged but permitted.
(b) There shall be no more than two door signs for any individual business or establishment.
(c) The maximum area for any individual door sign shall be one and one-half square feet.
(d) There shall be a maximum of three square feet total area of door signs allowed for any single business or establishment.
(7) Sidewalk signs.
(a) Movable sandwich signs, also called A-frame and T-frame signs, may be used in the historic district, limited to one per business or establishment and be subject to standards as set in § 152.147.
(8) Temporary special event signage.
(a) Property owners in the historic district may apply for permits for special events and associated signage, as provided in § 152.147, except that gas or air-filled advertising devices shall not be allowed.
(F) The following sign types are prohibited in the Downtown Historic District:
(1) Signs prohibited under § 152.143;
(2) Internally illuminated signs;
(3) Bus shelter signs;
(4) Strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, except those exempt under § 152.142;
(5) Street bench signs;
(6) Temporary signs on street lights or utility poles;
(7) Animated signs.
(G) Exceptions.
(1) Variances. Variances to the requirements of this section may be approved as provided in § 152.243. A variance to the requirement for area, height, location, number of signs, or sign form may be approved if necessary to make the sign or a use reasonably visible from the abutting street to which the sign or use is oriented if without the variance such visibility would be impaired by topography, landscaping, or existing development.
(2) Design exceptions. The HPC may approve a special exception to one or more requirements of this section when it makes its review of the sign certificate of appropriateness that literal conformance to such requirements would be detrimental to the creation of a sign display of unusual or outstanding design quality, or would not take into consideration the unique characteristics of a property.
(H) Appeals.
(1) If HPC rejects a sign application, the applicant may then seek a hearing with the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(Ord. 2017-13, passed 12-4-17; Am. Ord. 2018-015, passed 10-8-18)