(a) No person shall erect, replace or modify the structure of any billboard, with the exception of the message thereon, within the City, without first having secured a permit for such activity. The holder of such permit shall notify the Building Commissioner in writing ten days prior to any routine maintenance or any change in the message displayed thereon.
(b) Application for a permit to erect, replace or modify a billboard shall be made either by the owner of the billboard or the owner of the property on which the billboard is proposed or located.
(c) Three copies of the permit application shall be submitted to the Building Commissioner on forms furnished by the City at least forty-five calendar days prior to the date of proposed construction. The Building Commissioner shall retain one copy for the Building Department. The Building Commissioner shall provide one copy to the Fire Department and one copy to the Planning Commission, along with any recommendations of the Building Department, for consideration at the next regularly scheduled monthly Planning Commission meeting. Within forty-five days of initial receipt of the application by the Building Department, the Planning Commission shall review the application for compliance with the Building Codes of the City and the State and the requirements of this chapter. If at the end of the forty-five day period, the Planning Commission has not received any objection from the Fire Department or the Building Department, and the application demonstrates compliance with the Building Codes of the City and the State and the requirements of this chapter, the Planning Commission shall grant the permit. In the event the Fire Department, the Building Department or the Planning Commission finds that the application does not comply with the Building Codes of the City and the State and the requirements of this chapter, the Planning Commission shall either grant the permit with conditions designed to bring the application into compliance with the Building Codes of the City and the State and the requirements of this chapter, or deny the permit with a written statement of the reasons for denial.
(d) Applications shall include the following information:
(1) The name, address and telephone number of:
A. The owner of the billboard;
B. The billboard designer; and
C. The property owner.
(2) The initial message to be displayed on the billboard.
(3) Plans for billboard erection, replacement or modification. Such plans shall include the following:
A. A site location plan which shall be drawn to a scale of one inch equals fifty feet or larger and which shall indicate:
1. The exact proposed billboard location on the site by dimensions expressed in feet or decimal parts thereof from existing property lines, road and Interstate highway limited access right-of-way lines, and pavement edges;
2. The property lines of the site, with road right-of-way lines and Interstate or divided State primary highway limited access right-of-way lines accurately shown, as determined by actual survey and indicated by actual length and bearing;
3. All existing and proposed structures, poles, pavements, parking areas and fences within fifty feet of the proposed billboard location and all underground and overhead lines that exist within fifty feet of the proposed billboard location;
4. Adjacent properties, roads and right-of-ways within 600 feet of the proposed sign location shown to scale;
5. All billboards within 1,500 feet of the proposed billboard location;
6. Interstate and divided State highway pavement locations, which locations may be obtained from record information; and
7. Interchange locations, including the nearest point of the beginning or ending of pavement-widening of the exit or entrance roadway to the main traveled way of the Interstate highway or divided State primary highway within 600 feet of the proposed billboard location.
B. Detailed structural and foundation drawings indicating that the billboard will comply with the construction and maintenance standards set forth in Section 1124.04.
C. The signature and seal of the billboard designer.
(4) The cost of the erection, replacement or modification of the billboard, shown on the plans submitted.
(5) A copy of any permit application submitted to the Department of Transportation of the State of Ohio and, if the State permit has been issued, a copy of the permit, indicating approval for the location of the billboard in relation to the Interstate and/or divided State primary highway. In no event shall construction on any billboard commence until the Building Commissioner has received a copy of such State permit issued for the billboard.
(6) A certificate or policy of insurance showing purchase by the billboard owner of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) of liability insurance to cover liability arising from the construction, collapse, maintenance and removal of any billboard.
(7) A copy of that portion of any contract or agreement between the owner of the property on which the billboard is located and the billboard owner indicating any terms or conditions for maintenance and/or removal of the billboard; provided, however, that any term indicating the dollar amount of any payment between the parties may be redacted.
(e) A billboard permit shall expire ninety (90) days from the date of issuance unless the activity authorized under the billboard permit has commenced before the end of that period.
(f) Upon expiration of any permit, the City will provide notice to the permit holder. If the billboard has not been removed within thirty days after expiration of the permit, the billboard shall be removed at the owner's expense without further notice or action required by the City.
(g) Billboards shall be maintained in like-new appearance and good repair for the entire permit period. Billboards are subject to inspection by the Building Commissioner with or without notice. Deficiencies shall be corrected within thirty (30) days of notice to the permit holder. The annual fee to maintain a billboard permit shall be sixty-two dollars ($62.00) per static billboard and one hundred thirteen dollars ($113.00) per digital billboard, per sign face, per year. The annual fee shall be payable by January 31 of each calendar year. Upon failure to make the January 31 payment, the City shall notify the permit holder. The permit holder will have thirty (30) days after such notice to comply or the City may cancel the permit.
(Ord. 11139-2019. Passed 1-21-20.)