(A) Billboards (also known as outdoor advertising signs or off-premises signs) which advertise products, commercial or public service activities, not related to the occupancy and use of the premises, may be permitted as a special use in the Industrial Sign Overlay District, only along Interstate 57, and must conform to the requirements of this section. (Billboards are limited to industrial zones by Ord. 2329, adopted 4-13-1976.)
(B) Billboards are not permitted in any Residential, Commercial or U-TOD Sign Overlay District. Existing non-conforming billboards shall not be converted to LED, electronic, or other similar displays. Billboards in the Industrial Sign Overlay District changing their display or construction must conform to the requirements of this subchapter.
(1) Relationship to other laws.
(a) If a billboard site is adjacent to a federal-aid primary or interstate highway, a copy of a valid Illinois Department of Transportation sign permit must accompany the city permit application.
(b) Whenever an applicant for a permit does not own the proposed site, a fully executed site lease or other proof of consent to erect and maintain a billboard on the site must accompany the special use permit application.
(2) Height and clearance. Billboards must be freestanding. The maximum height of a billboard is 50 feet with a minimum vertical clearance of eight feet from ground at the base of the sign structure to the bottom of the sign board perimeter or casing.
(3) Number. Where a sign or billboard has two or more faces, the area of all faces in total must be included in determining the area of the sign, except that as follows.
(a) Where two such faces are placed parallel back to back and are at no point more than two feet from one another, the area of the sign will be measured as the area of one face if the two faces are of equal area, or as the area of the larger face if the two faces are of unequal area.
(b) Where two such faces are placed together creating a V shape with an angle no greater than 25 degrees, the area of the sign will be measured as the area of one face if the two faces are of equal area or as the area of the larger face if the two faces are of unequal area. Where two such faces are placed together creating a V shape with an angle greater than 25 degrees, the area of the sign will be measured as the total area of the two sign faces.
(4) Area and dimensions. The maximum permitted sign area of a billboard is determined by the type of road from which the owner or lessee intends it to be viewed and readable. The maximum permitted sign area for billboards adjacent to roadways in the city is as follows:
(a) Interstate 57: maximum area is 672 square feet.
(5) Illumination of billboards. The light from any illuminated billboard must be directed or shielded in a manner that minimizes to the maximum extent possible light trespass onto adjoining residential districts. Billboards shall not utilize changeable digital displays.
(a) Top- or bottom-mounted light fixtures are allowed on billboards provided at least 90% of the illumination is of the sign face.
(b) The source of illumination must not be directly visible from any right-of-way or adjoining property.
(c) Billboards are prohibited from having any flashing lights or animation in adherence to federal highway standards.
(6) Spacing and placement of billboards.
(a) Billboards must not be erected within 500 feet of any existing billboard on either side of the highway, roadway or street. Spacing of billboards will be measured by the minimum distance between outdoor advertising billboard structures measured along the nearest edge of the pavement between points directly opposite the billboards along each side of the highway and will apply to outdoor advertising billboard structures located on both sides of the highway involved.
(b) Billboards must be located a minimum of 200 feet from residential districts.
(c) All billboards must be located a minimum of 200 feet from any public park or outdoor recreation area.
(d) All billboards must be located at least 20 feet from any property line.
(Prior Code, § 166.120) (Ord. 2014-040, passed 7-8-2014; Ord. 2023-030, passed 5-23-2023) Penalty, see § 165.999