1117.08 SIGNS IN NONRESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
   The following are permanent signs allowed in the CC, VC, RO, ID, and P-I Districts:
   (a)   Freestanding Signs. All freestanding signs in nonresidential district shall be monument signs that meet the following requirements:
      (1)   A freestanding sign may be either a monument sign or pole sign unless otherwise specifically stated.
      (2)   Where a pole sign is proposed, the pole supporting the sign shall not exceed two feet in height and shall be surrounded by landscaping to screen the view of the pole.
      (3)   Only one freestanding sign shall be permitted along each street frontage.
      (4)   The monument sign shall be set back minimum of ten (10) feet from the right-of-way and fifteen (15) feet from any adjacent lot lines.
      (5)   No freestanding signs are permitted in the VC District.
      (6)   The maximum sign height and sign area shall be as established in Table 1117-1.
 
TABLE 1117-1: FREESTANDING SIGN ALLOWANCES
District
Maximum Sign Height
Maximum Sign Area
CC
8 feet
One square foot per lineal foot of street frontage or 40 square feet, whichever is less.
RO
6 feet
One square foot per four lineal feet of street frontage or 12 square feet, whichever is less.
ID
8 feet
One square foot per four lineal feet of street frontage or 30 square feet, whichever is less.
P-I
6 feet
24 square feet
      (7)   Freestanding signs may include manual changeable copy signs or electronic message centers as regulated by this chapter.
      (8)   Where a freestanding sign serves a multi-tenant building, it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to determine the messaging on the sign.
      (9)   Exposed sign foundations shall be constructed with a finished material such as brick, stone or wood.
   (b)   Building Signs. Except for the wall sign permitted in Section 1117.02(e), building signs shall not be permitted in residential districts unless accessory to an approved conditional use. In all other districts, building signs are permitted on principal structures in accordance with the following:
      (1)   The building sign area allowed in this section shall include the total amount of all wall, canopy, awning, projecting, and permanent window signs on each facade wall. Standards for each individual building sign type are established in this section.
      (2)   For the purposes of this code, wall, canopy, awning, projecting, and permanent window signs are all considered sub-types of building signs.
      (3)   Building signs shall not extend above the top of the roofline of the building to which it is attached. For canopy signs, the signs may be attached above the canopy, which is attached permanently to the building, provided that the sign does not extend above the top of the roofline of the building.
      (4)   Building signs may not be attached to mechanical equipment or roof screening.
      (5)   Building signs shall not include electronic message centers or manual changeable copy signs except on a canopy sign.
      (6)   Building Sign Allowance.
         A.   There is no maximum number of permitted building signs.
         B.   Where there is a building sign allowance for a primary facade, such building sign area shall only be attached to the primary facade.
         C.   Where there is a secondary facade, as determined in Section 1117.04(d), any building sign area allowed for the secondary facade shall be attached to the applicable secondary facade.
         D.   The building sign allowance shall be calculated for each building unit separately, as follows:
            i.   1.0 square feet of sign area per lineal foot of primary facade width of each building unit. The total cumulative sign area of all primary facade building signs shall not exceed the amount established in Table 1117-2.
            ii.   0.5 square feet of sign area per lineal foot of secondary facade width of each building unit. The total cumulative sign area of all secondary facade building signs shall not exceed the amount established in Table 1117-2.
            iii.   The maximum amount of primary facade and secondary facade building sign area allowances shall be as established in Table 1117-2.
 
 
TABLE 1117-2: MAXIMUM BUILDING SIGN AREA
District
Maximum Primary Facade Building Sign Area per Building Unit
Maximum Secondary Facade Building Sign Area per Building Unit
CC
150 square feet
75 square feet
VC
15 square feet on the first floor and five square feet on the second floor
15 square feet on the first floor and five square feet on the second floor
RO
15 square feet
15 square feet
ID
100 square feet
50 square feet
P-I
50 square feet
25 square feet
      (7)   Wall Sign Standards. Any wall sign shall comply with the following standards:
         A.   Wall signs shall be mounted on or flush with a facade wall and shall not project more than eighteen (18) inches from the facade wall or face of the building to which it is attached.
         B.   A wall sign may be mounted on the facade wall or mounted on a raceway or wireway.
         C.   No wall sign shall extend any closer than twelve (12) inches to either the top or side edges of the surface or facade wall to which it is attached. No wall sign shall cover or obscure any facade wall opening.
         D.   No wall sign shall extend above the parapet of the main building to which it is attached, nor beyond the vertical limits of such building.
         E.   Wall signs may be internally or externally illuminated except when attached to a facade that faces a residential zoning district, in which case the illumination of the wall sign is prohibited.
         F.   The wall sign allowance may be used for signs attached to roofed structures over fueling stations or to stand-alone accessory structure such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMS) or detached accessory buildings.
      (8)   Canopy or Awning Sign Standards. Any canopy or awning sign shall comply with the following standards:
         A.   Signage shall not cover more than twenty-four (24) square feet of any individual awning or canopy.
         B.   Canopies or awnings should not extend more than thirty-six (36) inches from the facade.
         C.   Signage may be mounted above any canopy that extends over a customer entrance provided that the maximum sign height over the canopy shall be eighteen (18) inches as measured from the top of the canopy to the top of the sign.
         D.   Only the area of the sign may be illuminated internally on a canopy or awning. The remainder of any canopy or awning shall not be illuminated or may be illuminated by an external source such as gooseneck lighting.
      (9)   Projecting Sign Standards. Any projecting sign shall comply with the following standards:
         A.   Only one projecting sign shall be permitted for each tenant of building space.
         B.   A projecting sign shall be perpendicular to the facade wall of the building to which it is attached and shall not extend more than four (4) feet from the facade wall to which it is attached.
         C.   Projecting signs shall maintain a minimum six-inch clearance from the facade of any building.
          D.   Decorative supporting structures for projecting signs are encouraged and shall not count toward the maximum square footage of signs allowed, however, in no case shall the supporting structure exceed six (6) square feet.
         E.   The maximum sign area for a projecting sign shall be twenty-four (24) square feet.
         F.   Projecting signs must be suspended from brackets or other supports approved by the building official and contain no exposed guy wires or turnbuckles.
         G .   Projecting signs shall not encroach into any right-of-way.
      (10)   Permanent Window Signs. Permanent window signs are permitted without a zoning certificate provided they comply with the following standards:
         A.   Window signs are prohibited in residential zoning districts with the exception that temporary signs may be placed in windows in accordance with Section 1117.09.
         B.   Window signs shall not contain flashing or blinking lights, or any type of actual perceived motion.
         C.   Window signs shall not occupy more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the window area in the VC and RO Districts and fifty percent (50%) in the window area of all other nonresidential districts. The sign area is based on the total window area, regardless of the presence of an awning, canopy, or other overhanging feature. Window areas separated by piers, architectural elements, or similar features that are not glass or window framing or support shall be considered separate and distinct window areas. See Figure 1117-K.
Figure 1117-K: The window area is illustrated within the dashed line area for the two storefronts in the above image. The dashed lines highlight two separate window areas due to the separation by an architectural feature not related to the windows.
   
   (c)   Drive-Through Facility Signs.
      (1)   Drive-through facility signs shall only be permitted in nonresidential zoning districts. Drive- through signs are prohibited in the VC District.
      (2)   One drive-through facility sign shall be allowed for each stacking lane in a drive-through facility provided the total aggregate sign area of all ground signs associated with each drive-through facility does not exceed seventy-two (72) square feet. In no case shall a single drive- through facility sign exceed thirty-six (36) square feet in sign area.
      (3)   Such signs shall be oriented so as to only be visible to occupants of vehicles in the stacking lanes of the drive-through facility.
      (4)   No drive-through facility sign under this section shall exceed six (6) feet in height measured from the grade of the adjacent driving surface to the top of the sign.
       (5)   Drive-through facility signs may be internally or externally illuminated. Up to one hundred percent (100%) of each sign may be an electronic message center if it complies with the following standards:
         A.   Any message change shall be a static, instant message change.
         B.   Only Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology or similar quality signs shall be permitted for electronic message centers.
         C.   The electronic message center shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
         D.   The electronic message center shall be turned off during the hours when the related business is closed.
      (6)   Drive-through facility signs attached to a facade wall of building shall be calculated as part of the building signage allowance in Section 1117.08(b).
      (7)   The maximum sign areas of this section shall not apply where the drive-through facility sign is located in a manner that is not visible from a public right-of-way or from an adjacent residential lot, as determined by the Planning Commission during the site plan review process.
   (d)   Driveway Signs.
      (1)   Driveway signs shall only be permitted where the lot contains multiple uses.
      (2)   Driveway signs shall only be permitted near driveway entrances to a public street.
      (3)   A maximum of two (2) driveway signs are permitted per individual driveway.
      (4)   Driveway signs shall be located within thirty (30) feet of the right-of-way.
      (5)   Each driveway sign shall not exceed four square feet in area and thirty-six (36) inches in height.
      (6)   Driveway signs may be internally or externally illuminated.
   (e)   Flags. No more than two (2) flags located on flagpoles or on wall-mounted posts provided that the following shall apply:
      (1)   No more than one flag pole is permitted on any lot.
      (2)   The maximum height of flag poles shall not exceed the maximum building height for structures in the subject zoning district, and a maximum area of forty (40) square feet for any individual flag attached to the pole.
      (3)   For flags affixed to a building, the maximum projection of the post shall be six feet and a maximum area of fifteen (15) square feet per flag. Such flags may project into the right-of-way provided they maintain a clearance of eight (8) feet from the bottom of the flag to the sidewalk surface and they do not encroach into the area of the right-of-way paved for streets.
      (4)   No zoning certificate shall be required for the use of flags.
         (Ord. 2023-16. Passed 6-5-23.)