(A) Permit required. Prior to the erection or structural alteration of sign, a zoning permit shall be secured from the Zoning Administrator. Exceptions to the permit requirements of this section shall include:
(1) Address signs bearing only the property numbers, post box numbers, name of occupants or other identification of the premises, limited to one per building entrance and two square feet of area;
(2) Historical signs designated by the state or federal government, limited to ten square feet per parcel, unless otherwise approved by the Historic District Commission; and
(3) Government signs erected on behalf or pursuant to the authorization of a government body, including street signs, legal notices, informational signs and regulatory signs.
(B) Historic district. No sign shall be permitted or approved in the Civic and Commercial Historic Overlay District without first acquiring a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic District Commission. Should the Historic District Commission have more strict regulations, those shall control. This requirement shall not apply to a copy change of existing signs.
(C) Design and condition. All signs and sign structures shall be properly maintained and kept in a good state of repair.
(D) Right-of-way. No sign shall be placed in the right-of-way except permitted awning, canopy and marquee signs with approval by the agency managing the right-of-way. Small temporary signs in the DC, CC and PSP zoning districts may be placed on the sidewalk during business hours in accordance with the provisions of this section, and provided the small temporary sign still allows four feet of unobstructed sidewalk clearance.
(E) Clear vision area. No sign above three feet shall be placed in any required clear vision area.
(F) Traffic interference. No sign shall be erected or maintained which simulates or imitates in size, color, letter in or design of any traffic sign or signal or other word, phrase, symbol or character in such manner as to interfere with, mislead, confuse or create a visual impediment or safety hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
(G) Public right-of-way. The standards in this section shall not be applicable to any sign not visible from a public right-of-way.
(Ord. 160, passed 4-21-2022) Penalty, see § 153.999