Any sign which exists at the time of adoption of these sign regulations which does not conform to the provisions specified herein shall be regarded as a pre-existing or nonconforming sign.
All pre-existing or nonconforming signs are considered by these sign regulations to be incompatible with the intent and specifications of these sign regulations. Such nonconforming signs may be continued subject to the following provisions:
(a) All pre-existing and nonconforming signs shall be kept in good repair and be maintained in safe condition.
(b) Any pre-existing or nonconforming signs which are structurally altered, enlarged, relocated, replaced, reprinted, excluding normal touch-up, repainting or routine maintenance repainting, or involved in converting the sign through the replacing or changing of removable sign panels, shall thereafter comply with all of the requirements and provisions specified in these regulations.
(c) However, nothing contained in this section shall require the obtaining of a permit for, or prohibit the ordinary maintenance of a sign such as repainting a sign to contain the same general content and the same color(s), or the replacing or repairing of removable panels with panels of similar size, color(s) and general content. Such changes or maintenance of a sign which does not require a permit under this chapter shall not be required to be approved or considered by the Design Review/Historical Preservation Area Review Committee. Nothing in this section shall alleviate the requirements imposed by other sections within this chapter.
(d) Any pre-existing or nonconforming signs which are part of an establishment which discontinues its operation for a period of ninety consecutive days shall thereafter comply with these sign regulations.
(e) (EDITOR'S NOTE: Former subsection (e) hereof was repealed by Ordinance 1979-58, passed November 7, 1979.)
(Ord. 1997-11. Passed 3-19-97.)