(a) Sign Setback. All required setbacks for signs shall be measured as the distance in feet from the applicable lot line, or other stated point of measurement, to the closest point on the sign structure.
(b) Sign Height.
(1) The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at the finished grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign.
(3) In cases where the finished grade at the required setback is below grade at street level, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the finished grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public or private street. See Figure 1117-A.
Figure 1117-A: Illustration of the measurement of sign height when the grade at the bottom of the sign is below the grade of the adjacent street.
(c) Sign Area. The surface of a sign to be included when computing maximum allowable square footage of sign area shall be calculated as established in this section.
(1) The calculation of sign area shall not include any supporting framework, bracing or decorative fence or landscaping wall unless such structural support is determined to constitute an integral part of the sign design by means of text or other message, as determined by the Zoning Administrator. See Figure 1117-B.
(2) For sign copy mounted or painted on a background panel, cabinet or surface that is distinctively painted, textured, lighted or constructed to serve as the background for the sign copy, the sign area shall be computed by enclosing such sign area with the smallest, single continuous perimeter around the background for the sign copy and determining its area. See Figure 1117-B and Figure 1117-C.
Figure 1117-B: Illustration of sign area calculation for a freestanding sign with a copy on a distinct, rectangular cabinet. The brick structural support is not included in the sign area calculation.
Figure 1117-C: Illustration of computing the sign area for wall signs with a background panel or cabinet.
(3) For sign copy where individual letters or elements are mounted on a building facade or window where there is no background panel, cabinet or surface that is distinctively painted, textured, lighted or constructed to serve as the background for the sign copy, the sign area shall be computed by enclosing such sign area with the smallest, single continuous perimeter that encloses all of the letters or elements associated with the sign. See Figure 1117-D.
Figure 1117-D: Illustration of sign area calculation for wall signs with individual letters and no definable sign background.
(4) In cases where there are multiple elements of sign copy on the same surface, any areas of sign copy that are within two (2) feet of one another shall be calculated as a single sign area that shall be computed by means of the smallest permitted shape that encloses all sign copy within two (2) feet of one another, otherwise the sign area shall be computed for each separate piece of sign copy. See Figure 1117-E.
Figure 1117-E: Illustration of sign area calculations for multiple sign areas on a window sign.
(5) When two identically sized, flat sign faces are placed back-to-back or in a V-angle (less than forty-five (45) degrees between sign faces) and with no more than twenty-four (24) inches in separation, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the sign faces.
(6) For three-dimensional signs that have more than two (2) faces or have two (2) faces that are separated by more than twenty-four (24) inches, the sign shall be measured as the total sign area of the two (2) largest sign faces.
(7) For structures and uses having no direct frontage on public roads, or lot widths that are wider than the street frontage (e.g., shopping centers with outlots), where street frontage is used in a calculation, the frontage shall be measured along a straight line that runs parallel with the street frontage at the widest point of the lot. This measurement shall be regardless of the presence of driveway entrances to the lot or the presence of smaller outlots in front of the applicable lot. See Figure 1117-F.
(8) Where a building is located across multiple lots under the same ownership, the lot width shall be measured as an aggregate of the lot widths of all lots and only one freestanding sign shall be permitted on each street frontage, regardless of the number of lots. See Figure 1117-F.
Figure 1117-F: The above image illustrates different methods of measuring lot width when calculating the amount of freestanding sign area permitted on a lot.
(d) Facade Measurements.
(1) When calculating the permitted sign area based on the width of any facade, such calculation shall be based on viewing the facade from a ninety (90)-degree angle (i.e., straight on) from the adjacent street, regardless of facade insets, offsets or angles. See Figure 1117-G.
Figure 1117-G: Illustration of facade width measurement on varied facade shapes.
(2) For multi-tenant buildings, the portion of a building that is owned or leased, and approved by the Central Ohio Joint Fire District for occupancy by a single occupant or tenant shall be considered a building unit for the purposes of this chapter. See Figure 1117-H.
Figure 1117-H: The above image shows independent buildings (1 and 4) as well as a multi-tenant building in between. The multi-tenant building has two building units as identified as 2 and 3 in the image.
(3) The primary facade shall include any facade that has frontage along a street and any facade that serves as the main access point to a building or building unit. All other facades shall be considered to be secondary facades for the purposes of this chapter provided such facades do not face a residential zoning district. See Figure 1117-I.
Figure 1117-I: Examples of the location of primary and secondary facades.
(4) When a site has primary and secondary facades as defined herein, the Zoning Administrator shall determine which facades shall be the primary building facades and which facades shall be the secondary building facades, as may be applicable.
(Ord. 2023-16. Passed 6-5-23.)