(A) Sign area.
(1) The sign and the area of any sign, including building-mounted and freestanding signs, shall be the entire advertising area of the sign containing text, decorative artwork, logos or other displayed information. Only the visible side(s) of freestanding signs with back-to-back sign areas shall be considered in calculating the sign area, with such signs being limited to a maximum of two sides per any one sign. The sign area of building mounted signs shall not include structural elements used to attach or support the sign that do not contribute to the display. The sign area of freestanding signs shall not include the support, pole, or monument base.
(2) Calculation of sign area. The following methods shall be used to calculate the total square footage of the sign area of any sign:
(a) Cabinet signs and signs other than individual letter signs. Sign area shall be determined by the outer edge of the sign background, frame or cabinet that encompasses all text, decorative artwork, logos or other information displayed. In instances where the background, frame or cabinet is an irregular shape, the sign area shall be calculated as the entire area within a continuous rectangular box drawn with straight lines at perpendicular angles to encompass the entire perimeter of the extreme limits of the background, frame or cabinet encompassing the background material.
(b) Individual letter signs. Signs which consist of individual letters that are mounted to a wall, or "raceway-type" signs that consist of individual letters that are mounted to a base that is mounted to a wall, which utilize the building wall as the background, and freestanding individual letters that are mounted to a monument base shall be considered individual letter signs. The sign area of such signs shall be calculated as the entire area contained within a continuous rectangular box drawn with straight lines at perpendicular angles to encompass the entire perimeter of the extreme limits of each line of text, decorative artwork, logos or other displayed information, calculated cumulatively as the total square footage of all of the aforementioned elements, including the space within and between letters, text and other displayed information in each respective line.
(B) Sign height.
(1) Calculation of sign height. The methods in this section shall be used to calculate the height of any sign.
(2) Freestanding signs. The height of a freestanding sign shall be measured as the vertical distance from the average finished grade of the ground below the sign excluding any filling, berming, mounding or excavating solely for the purposes of increasing the height of the sign, to the top edge of the highest portion of the sign. For the purposes of this section, average finished grade shall be considered the lower of the following measurements:
(a) The lowest elevation where the base of the sign meets ground level; or
(b) The top of the curb of the nearest public street adjoining the property upon which the sign is erected or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the lot on which the sign is located.
(c) The height of freestanding signs shall include the monument base bottom to top.
(3) Building-mounted signs. The height of any sign attached to or painted on a wall or parapet of a building that is mounted flush or parallel to the building wall shall be measured as the lowest point at the bottom, the sign background, frame or cabinet that encompasses all text, decorative artwork, logos or other information displayed to the top of the highest point on the sign. In cases involving multiple sign elements on any one building elevation, the cumulative height of all sign elements located directly above or vertically below any portion of another sign element on the same building elevation shall be used to calculate the total sign height. Sign elements not located directly above or below any portion of another sign element shall be calculated individually. The height of the building elevation shall be measured as the vertical distance between the finished floor elevation of the building and the predominant roofline of the building elevation upon which the sign is mounted, not including the architectural elements or appurtenances such as clock towers or cupolas.
(C) Sign setbacks and offsets.
(1) Any freestanding sign that is located adjacent to an arterial street shall be set back a minimum distance of 15 feet from the property line measured to the street side of its leading edge of the sign.
(2) Any freestanding sign that is located adjacent to a collector or local street shall be set back a minimum distance of ten feet from the property line measured to the street side of its leading edge of the sign.
(3) Freestanding signs within the CBD or MUD Districts shall maintain a minimum setback distance of two feet from the back of the sidewalk, or one foot from the property line (whichever may be applicable) which, for the purposes of this section, shall be defined as the edge of the sidewalk that is farthest away from the curb, gutter and street. In no event shall any sign be located within the public right-of-way or outside of the property boundary.
(4) Commercial and industrial freestanding directional signs as allowed by this section shall be set back and offset a minimum distance of five feet from all property lines measured to the leading edge of the sign.
(5) Distance separation. Distance separation between freestanding signs shall be measured along the street frontages adjacent to the subject monument signs. Distance between freestanding monument signs located on different street frontages shall be measured along the street frontage to the point of intersection of both street frontages. Freestanding signs shall be separated by at least 100 feet from all other freestanding signs.
(6) All freestanding signs shall be in accordance with the sight triangle and visibility requirements of this chapter.
(D) Design criteria.
(1) Freestanding, ground-mounted signs shall be constructed with a monumenttype base consisting of materials that are complementary and compatible with the architectural elements of the project building, business, and adjacent businesses. The height of the monument base of any sign shall not exceed 50% of the overall height of the sign. The width and length of such base shall be at least as wide and long as the bottom edge of the sign area.
(2) Freestanding signs shall be incorporated into a landscape plant bed with low landscape elements placed in front of signage to soften the sign and taller landscape placed behind single-sided signs to offer a backdrop.
(3) All freestanding signs which incorporate lighting shall be served by underground utility service; above ground utilities are not acceptable.
(4) Vertical clearance. Any projecting sign or awning mounted sign which projects over the public right-of-way, sidewalk or pedestrian area shall maintain a minimum of eight feet of unobstructed vertical clearance.
(5) Building-mounted signs shall be sensitively designed to be integrated with the architecture and scale of the building on which they are mounted.
(6) Electronic message centers. The provisions and limitations of this subsection are adopted to minimize driver distraction, protect corridor, community aesthetics, and protect the public health, safety and welfare. For the purposes of this section, electronic message center shall mean the portion of an on premise freestanding sign capable of displaying words or images that can be electronically changed by remote or automatic means. Electronic message center shall not include temporary city-owned messaging facilities. Permanent city-owned messaging facilities shall be subject to the limitations set forth herein. Signs containing an electronic message center shall be subject to the following limitations:
(a) Electronic message center signs shall be permitted in the following zoning districts only: commercial, industrial, educational, and the commercial portions of mixed-use.
(b) The maximum allowed size of an electronic message center in a freestanding sign shall be no greater than 50% of the total allowed sign area.
(c) The electronic message center must be programmed so that the displayed message does not change more frequently than once every ten seconds from one static display to another instantaneously and without the use of scrolling, flashing, fading or other similar effects. The message or image displayed must be complete without continuation in content to the next message.
(d) The electronic message center:
1. Shall not produce glare, the effect of which constitutes a traffic hazard or is otherwise detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare;
2. Shall not have moving text, images or varying light intensity;
3. Shall not exceed 600 candelas per square meter between dusk to dawn and 800 candelas per square meter during all other times, as measured at the sign's face;
A. Sign applicants may be required to submit a photometric plan to show the amount of candelas per square meter emitted at time of application; this plan must be signed and sealed by an Oklahoma licensed engineer.
4. Shall contain a mechanism for the sign to revert to a black screen if the sign malfunctions;
5. Shall be integrated harmoniously into the design of the larger sign face and structure;
6. Shall not be the predominant element of the sign and, if located at the top of a sign, must include a substantial cap feature above the electronic message center consisting of the same material, form, color and texture as is found on the sign face or structure.
(f) No temporary signs as provided in § 153.16(E) shall be permitted for any business for which a freestanding electronic message center has been approved by the city.
(f) The electronic message center must be provided with automatic dimming software, solar sensors or a comparable method as approved by the city to control brightness for nighttime viewing and variations in daytime light conditions. Each application for electronic message center approval shall include the manufacturer's specifications programmed to meet this requirement, along with a description of the proposed dimming method.
(g) In no event shall a freestanding electronic message center sign be allowed within 150 feet of the nearest residential district or development, with this distance being measured from the nearest portion of the sign to the nearest property line contained within any such residential district or development.
(h) Building-mounted electronic message centers shall only be permitted when displaying time and temperature or when displaying fuel pricing on a fueling station canopy, and shall remain subject to the size limitations of § 153.16(B)(2) for building-mounted signs, or not to exceed 20 square feet, whichever is less.
(Ord. 1974, passed 8-6-19)