Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, any business identification sign which does not comply with each and every regulation set forth in this section shall be unlawful. Business identification signs shall comply with each and all of the following regulations:
A. Location Of Signs: Business identification signs for ground floor businesses shall be affixed to that portion of an exterior wall which abuts the business or shall be located inside the space occupied by the business. Except as specifically provided in subsection B3 of this section, business identification signs for ground floor businesses shall also be limited to those sides of the building directly fronting on a public street. No such sign shall face abutting alleys or private property except as allowed pursuant to subsections B3 and D1 of this section. In addition, no such sign shall be located more than twenty five feet (25') above grade.
B. Number And Area Of Signs For Ground Floor Businesses: The following business identification signs for ground floor businesses may be erected:
1. A ground floor business with street frontage may erect a business identification sign which is located on the same street face of the building as the main entrance or address of the business and which does not exceed two (2) square feet in area for each one foot (1') of ground floor street frontage that such business occupies within the building. However, in no event shall such sign exceed one hundred (100) square feet.
a. A ground floor business with street frontage may also have a business identification sign located on a street face of the building other than the face that contains the main entrance or address of the business. Such sign shall not exceed two (2) square feet in area for each one foot (1') of ground floor street frontage that such business occupies within the building. However, in no event shall such sign exceed thirty (30) square feet in area.
b. Businesses having their main entrance or address on or abutting a courtyard shall not be permitted to have a business identification sign except as provided in section 10-4-608 of this article.
2. For each fifty feet (50') of ground floor street frontage that a business occupies along a face of a building, that business may have one business identification sign in addition to the signs permitted by subsection B1 of this section. The sign may only list the business name, address, operating hours, and other business locations. Such sign shall not exceed five (5) square feet in area.
3. A ground floor business with street frontage shall also be entitled to a business identification sign adjacent to an entrance of the business if such entrance is from a public right of way and through a wall of the building not permitted to otherwise contain a business identification sign pursuant to subsection A of this section. Such sign shall be below a height of eight feet (8') above grade. Such sign shall not be lighted or illuminated if it faces a residential zone, including a residential zone that is located across an alley, parking lot, or other such visually open area from said additional sign. Such sign shall not exceed four (4) square feet in area.
4. A business located on a corner of two (2) public streets and having a public entrance located at such corner so that such public entrance directly faces neither street shall be permitted one business identification sign at and parallel to such entrance in lieu of one business identification sign located on a street face of the building.
5. In addition to the standards set forth in subsections B1 through B4 of this section, all illuminated signs defined as "window signs" in accordance with the definition set forth in section 10-4-104 of this chapter and not otherwise exempted by subsection 10-4-301B of this chapter or subsection 10-4-608C3 of this article shall meet the following requirements:
a. No more than two (2) illuminated window signs shall be permitted for a business with a ground floor street frontage of less than thirty feet (30') in length.
b. The top edge of any illuminated window sign less than five feet (5') behind a street frontage window shall be set at the fixed height of seven feet (7') above sidewalk grade on all sites.
c. When used as a business identification sign as permitted by subsection B1 of this section, the total area of all illuminated window signs shall be the lesser of: 1) twenty five percent (25%) of the area otherwise allowable for a given frontage; 2) ten percent (10%) of the glazed area of a given frontage; or 3) fifteen (15) square feet.
d. The maximum character height within an illuminated five (5) square foot additional business identification sign for phone numbers, web sites, other locations and hours of operation, as permitted by subsection B2 of this section, shall not exceed three inches (3").
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if a proposed sign is the only illuminated window sign to be located at a business or establishment and such sign does not exceed a maximum dimension of three feet (3'), a maximum area of three (3) square feet, contains two (2) colors including white, and otherwise complies with the provisions of this section, including, without limitation, subsections B1 through B4 of this section, then such sign may be approved by the city's planning official without architectural commission review, provided the approval of such sign does not defeat the objectives of chapter 3, article 30 of this title and meets the criteria set forth in section 10-3-3010 of this chapter. The decision of the planning official may be appealed to the architectural commission by filing an appeal petition with the city planning official no later than fourteen (14) days after the official's decision. The petition shall be on a form designated by the city planning official.
C. Businesses Located On A Floor Other Than The Ground Floor: A business located above or below the ground floor of any building and not having its main entrance or address on or abutting a courtyard shall be permitted one business identification sign, or a portion thereof, at each ground floor entrance to such building. The sign shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area. The sign shall be shared by all such businesses desiring signage. For those businesses not located on the ground floor and having their main entrance or address on or abutting a courtyard, section 10-4-608 of this article shall govern the permissible signage for the business.
D. Accommodation: Notwithstanding the requirements contained in this section, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to the requirements contained in subsections A, B, and C of this section as follows:
1. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in subsection A of this section, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to allow a sign to be located on a wall abutting an alley or private property and not abutting a public street, if the sign is affixed to that portion of an exterior wall which abuts the business and the sign area does not exceed seventy five percent (75%) of the area otherwise permissible if the wall abutted a public street.
2. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in subsection B1 of this section, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to allow ground floor businesses located on a corner lot adjacent to two (2) public streets to increase the size of a business identification sign permitted by subsection B1 of this section and located on a nonentry street frontage if such sign does not exceed one hundred (100) square feet, the total combined sign area of the signs does not exceed one hundred thirty (130) square feet, and the total combined sign area does not exceed ten percent (10%) of the vertical surface area of that portion of the wall below twenty feet (20') in height and occupied by the frontage of the business.
3. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in subsections B2, B3, B4 and B5 of this section, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to allow multiple business identification signs in place of the individual signs otherwise permitted by those subsections if the total area of all business identification signs does not exceed the lessor of: a) one hundred (100) square feet, b) the total business sign area otherwise permitted by this section, or c) ten percent (10%) of the vertical surface area of that portion of the wall below twenty feet (20') in height and occupied by the frontage of the business. In addition to limitations a) through c) of this subsection D3, the maximum permissible area for all illuminated window signs permitted by accommodation under this subsection D3 is fifteen (15) square feet for the first fifty feet (50') in length of street frontage, with additional square feet permitted for each additional amount of street frontage thereafter up to a maximum of five (5) square feet for every additional fifty feet (50') in length of street frontage, and the total sign area for all other business identification signs within any unified sign plan that includes any illuminated window sign shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of what would otherwise be allowable by accommodation. For a business with a ground floor street frontage of less than thirty feet (30') in length, the maximum number of illuminated window signs permitted at such business by accommodation or otherwise is two (2).
4. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in subsection C of this section, with respect to businesses located above or below the ground floor, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to allow one freestanding or wall mounted business directory sign to be located at a building's street or courtyard entry if the size of such business directory sign is not greater than fifty five (55) square feet.
5. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-4-305 and article 6.5 of this chapter, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to allow projecting signs in place of the individual signs otherwise permitted by subsection B of this section if the total area of all business identification signs does not exceed the lesser of: a) one hundred (100) square feet, b) the total business sign area otherwise permitted by this section, or c) ten percent (10%) of the vertical surface area of that portion of the wall below twenty feet (20') in height and occupied by the frontage of the business. However, no more than two (2) projecting signs may be erected for any business and no projecting sign may have a dimension greater than four feet (4') nor an area greater than eight (8) square feet. Furthermore, there shall be at least eight feet (8') of clearance between the bottom of the projecting sign and the grade below.
6. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, with respect to ground floor tenants whose primary entrance is located on an alley, the architectural commission may grant a sign accommodation to allow one projecting business identification sign adjacent to that entrance in addition to any other signs authorized by this chapter. The projecting sign shall be located at least fourteen feet (14') above the grade of the adjacent alley and no more than twenty five feet (25') above such grade. The sign shall project no more than four feet (4') from the side of the building to which it is attached and shall not exceed six feet (6') in height as measured from the bottom of the sign. The sign shall not be illuminated after ten o'clock (10:00) P.M.
If a projecting sign authorized by this subsection encroaches over the public right of way, then such sign shall require a location approval from the city, as provided in section 10-4-657 of this chapter. (Ord. 80-O-1775, eff. 12-5-1980; amd. Ord. 93-O-2181, eff. 11-19-1993; Ord. 96-O-2257, eff. 5-10-1996; Ord. 96-O-2268, eff. 10-18-1996; Ord. 00-O-2345, eff. 5-19-2000)