Signs in the Commercial District shall be subject to the following.
(A) Building identification wall signs shall be displayed flat against the building and shall not project above the roofline of the building. Such signs:
(1) May be illuminated subject to the following:
(a) Illumination shall be internal or fully shielded to prevent glare;
(b) Internally illuminated signs shall have a dark opaque background with illuminated message only;
(c) Individually illuminated channel letter signs shall have recessed electrical raceways;
(d) No illumination of wall signs is permitted where the building faces a residential district.
(2) Permitted wall sign area.
(a) Total sign area shall not exceed 5% of the front wall area as defined by the width and height of the subject building's front elevation.
(b) In no instance shall a single wall sign exceed 200 square feet.
(c) Maximum vertical dimension of any wall sign shall not exceed 12% of the building height.
(d) Maximum horizontal dimension of any wall sign shall not exceed 15% of the building width.
(3) Placement of wall signs.
(a) A single "signature tenant wall sign" shall be permitted per 100 lineal feet of front building elevation. There shall not be more than one signature tenant sign per building side. The Village Council may modify this requirement for buildings larger than 200,000 square feet, as described in division (F)(6) below.
(b) Signs shall be allowed on the Telegraph "front" and any side with a public entrance. Signs facing a residential district shall not be illuminated.
(B) One freestanding or monument business identification sign may be permitted for every 300 feet of frontage on Telegraph subject to the following:
(1) A maximum of three monument signs shall be permitted per parcel. There shall be at least one entrance driver per each monument sign.
(2) Monument signs shall display the name of the complex and may include individual building addresses. In addition, such signs may also display the names of not more than six signature tenants, financial institution branch office tenants, restaurant tenants, leasing agents, or any combination of these.
(3) Total sign area for freestanding signs shall not exceed one-third of a square foot per lineal foot of parcel frontage up to a maximum of 200 square feet. Individual monument signs shall not exceed 100 square feet.
(4) Freestanding signs shall not exceed 15 feet above the grade of the nearest public sidewalk and shall be situated on a masonry, metal or similar base not less than 30 inches above grade. Post or pylon style signs are not permitted.
(5) Freestanding signs shall be set back at least five feet from a sidewalk and shall not occupy the clear vision area at the intersection of any entrance drive and the sidewalk. For purposes of this provision, the CLEAR VISION AREA is defined as a triangle 25 feet along both the sidewalk and the driveway curb, beginning at their point of intersection.
(6) Monument signs shall have a dark opaque background with a white message; all letters shall be in the same typeface. No logos are permitted. All monument signs on the same site shall be of the same material and design.
(7) Illuminated monument signs are permitted. Illumination shall be internal or fully shielded to prevent glare.
(8) All existing, freestanding "for lease" signs that serve the building under consideration shall be removed and incorporated into the new monument sign as a condition of monument sign approval.
(C) Necessary directional or regulatory traffic signs, each not more than two square feet in area. The signs shall be mounted having an overall height no higher than six feet above driveway grade.
(D) "For lease" signs may only be located on the monument sign for the premises where space is available for lease. Such sign may take the place of a tenant signage panel within the business center sign. The panel(s) may include the name and telephone number of the owner or agent making the offer. No such sign may be installed until a permit therefor has been issued by the Village of Bingham Farms. Permits, when issued, will be valid for one year. The Village Council may extend a permit for an additional period upon application of the representatives of the office building.
(E) "For Lease" signs not affiliated with monument signs, may be single or double sided and not to exceed three feet by four feet in total area.
(F) Internal directory signs. Freestanding directory signs are permitted within the interior of office sites, parks and complexes and shall not be included in the maximum allowable square footage of identification signage for the building or complex of buildings. Such signs may be up to 15 square feet and 96 inches in height and may be internally illuminated. A plan for the number and placement of internal directory signs shall be submitted for review by the Design Review Board.
(G) Other conditions.
(1) The design of all signs is subject to review and approval of the Design Review Board;
(2) No signs shall have any moving parts or flashing illumination;
(3) No signs shall be illuminated that face any residentially zoned property;
(4) No signs shall be located so as to be a hazardous to traffic safety;
(5) When located inside a building and visible from outside the building, no sign shall be lit or in any manner illuminated by artificial lighting nor be constructed of any light reflective materials;
(6) In the case of buildings larger than 200,000 square feet, the Village Council may determine, based upon a recommendation from the Planning Commission, whether the building qualifies as more than one building for purposes of determining maximum allowable sign area. The Planning Commission may determine that a principal building wing or similar architectural element may be treated in the same manner as a separate building.
(H) Political signs shall be solely for the purpose of providing information relating to the election of a person to public office, or to a political party, or the expression of a political opinion, or to any matter to be voted upon, and shall be permitted subject to the following conditions:
(1) Maximum area. Individual signs shall not exceed overall dimensions of three feet vertical and four feet horizontal. Such sign may be either a single- or double-faced flat surface. Permission to locate subject signs shall be obtained from the owner or occupant of property on which the sign is located. Failure to comply with this condition shall be cause for immediate removal of that sign.
(2) Signs shall not be attached to any utility pole, other sign, other sign parts or landscaping, including trees. Political signs shall be ground signs.
(3) Signs shall not be erected in such a manner that they will or reasonably may be expected to interfere with, obstruct, confuse or mislead traffic. No sign shall be erected in the right-of-way.
(4) Signs shall be removed within five calendar days after the election or event to which they relate.
(I) Signs not permitted.
(1) No other type of advertising signs or material, including but not restricted to advertising flags, electric lights, panels, fluorescent materials, pennants or similar paraphernalia, signs containing an audible message or sound, or signs containing any obscene, indecent or illegal matter, shall be used;
(2) No private signs, displays, exhibits or similar materials shall be used or maintained on or over streets, rights-of-way, easements or public utility poles and the like.
(O.C. § 5.84) (Am. Ord. 166, passed 10-23-00; Am. Ord. 182, passed 1-27-03; Am. Ord. 207, passed 8-27-07; Am. Ord. 223, passed 10-22-12; Am. Ord. 228, passed 9-23-13; Am. Ord. 233, passed 1-26-15; Am. Ord. 244, passed 6-26-17; Am. Ord. 245, passed 8-28-17; Am. Ord. 246, passed 1-22-18)