(a) No person shall engage in the business of replacing, erecting or constructing signs within the City of Canton without a valid sign contractor's license.
(b) The Owner, developer or sign contractor shall meet with the Director of Planning prior to submission for zoning permit. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss early and informally the purpose and intent of the proposed signage and the criteria and standards contained herein.
(c) No sign requiring a permit shall be erected or installed without first having a zoning and/or building permit issued for it or obtaining Architectural Review Board (ARB) approval where applicable.
(d) The Director of Planning, Zoning Inspector and/or the ARB may approve, approve with minor changes or modifications, or disapprove any sign not prohibited nor exempt from permit requirements.
(e) If a sign contractor has outstanding zoning violation(s), no permits shall be issued to him and/or the firm until the violation(s) have been resolved.
(f) In order to apply for a sign permit, the applicant must provide the following information, in writing, to the City of Canton:
(1) Name of organization and location.
(2) Name, address, and telephone number of the Property owner, and the signature of the Property owner or duly authorized agent for the owner.
(3) Contact person and contact information.
(4) Description of the activities occurring on the site where the sign will be installed.
(5) Description of any existing signage that will remain on the site.
(6) Identification of the type of sign(s) to be erected by the applicant.
(7) Site plan depicting the locations of proposed signage and existing remaining signage.
(8) Two copies of a plan drawn to scale depicting:
A. Lot dimensions, building frontage, and existing cartways, rights-of-way and driveways.
B. The design of each sign face and sign structure, including dimensions, total area, sign height, depth, color scheme, structural details, materials, lighting scheme and proposed location.
C. Building elevations, existing and proposed facades, parapet walls, eave line and the location and size of all proposed and existing permanent signage.
D. Current photographs showing existing signs on the premises and certifying the date on which photographs were taken.
E. For digital displays a manufacturer affidavit verifying that the sign has been factory pre-set to comply with the brightness standards set herein.
F. Confirmation that an application has been approved by the ARB, where applicable.
(9) An application for a sign permit may be denied by the City of Canton if the application fails to comply with the standards contained herein.
(10) Upon denial of an application for a sign permit, the applicant has 30 business days to revise and resubmit the application for review by the City of Canton. In the alternative, the applicant may also appeal the decision of the Zoning Inspector to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(11) These permits shall not expire provided that such signs are not abandoned or destroyed. In the instance that substantial repair or replacement becomes necessary (i.e., repairs that costs more than 50% of the replacement cost of the damaged sign); the organization must apply for a new sign permit.
(g) Limited Duration Signs:
(1) A permit for a limited duration sign expires one (1) year after issuance and must be renewed annually via an application for a new permit.
(2) One (1) sign is allowed per permit. An applicant may request up to two (2) permits per address, but is subject to the size and number requirements set forth herein.
(3) An application for a limited duration sign permit must include:
A. A description of the sign indicating the number, size, shape, and dimensions, of the sign, and the expected length of time the sign will be displayed.
B. A schematic drawing of the site showing the proposed location of the sign in relation to nearby building and streets.
C. The number of signs on the site.
(h) Aerial Banners Across Streets.
(1) Applications for a permit shall be made by the organization sponsoring the event to the Director of Public Safety. A permit fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be charged regardless of the number of banner sites. No permit shall be issued for longer than ten days and may not be renewed to create a consecutive sequence of allowance.
(2) An applicant shall provide proof of liability insurance under a commercial general liability insurance coverage policy with a minimum coverage of one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence before a permit shall be issued.
(3) The Director of Public Safety is authorized to adopt banner size, safety standards and other regulations to carry out the purpose of this section.
(i) Neighborhood Association Vertical Banners.
(1) pplications for a permit shall be made by the neighborhood association sponsoring the banners to the Director of Public Service. A permit fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be charged for a maximum display of twenty banners. Banners may be permanently displayed provided that when damage and/or wear and tear occurs, the sponsoring association shall replace the banner in a reasonable amount of time. The City retains the right to remove any unsightly or damaged banners should the replacement guidelines be violated.
(2) The Director of Public Service is authorized to adopt banner specifications, safety and aesthetic standards and other regulations to carry out the purpose of this section. (Ord. 25-2019. Passed 2-25-19.)