(A) Findings. The city finds:
(1) Exterior signs have a substantial impact on the character and quality of the environment.
(2) Signs provide an important medium through which individuals may convey a variety of messages.
(3) Signs can create traffic hazards and aesthetic concerns, thereby threatening the public health, safety, and welfare.
(4) The city’s zoning regulations include the regulation of signs in an effort to provide adequate means of expression and to promote the economic viability of the business community, while protecting the city and its citizens from a proliferation of signs of a type, size, location, and character that would adversely impact upon the aesthetics of the community and threaten the health, safety, and welfare of the community. The regulation of the physical characteristics of signs within the city has had a positive impact on traffic safety and the appearance of the community.
(B) Purpose and intent. It is not the purpose or intent of this chapter to regulate the message displayed on any sign; nor is it the purpose or intent of this chapter to regulate any building design or any display not defined as a sign, or any sign which cannot be viewed from outside a building. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to:
(1) Regulate the number, location, size, type, illumination, and other physical characteristics of signs within the city in order to promote the public health, safety, and welfare.
(2) Maintain, enhance, and improve the aesthetic environment of the city by preventing visual clutter that is harmful to the appearance of the community.
(3) Improve the visual appearance of the city while providing for effective means of communication, consistent with constitutional guarantees and the city’s goals of public safety and aesthetics.
(4) Provide for fair and consistent enforcement of the sign regulations set forth herein under the zoning authority of the city.
(C) Effect. A sign may be erected, mounted, displayed, or maintained in the city if it is in conformance with the provisions of this chapter. The effect of this chapter, as more specifically set forth herein, is to:
(1) Allow a wide variety of sign types in commercial zones, and a more limited variety of signs in other zones, subject to the standards set forth in this sign ordinance.
(2) Allow certain small, unobtrusive signs incidental to the principal use of a site in all zones when in compliance with the requirements of this sign ordinance.
(3) Prohibit signs whose location, size, type, illumination, or other physical characteristics negatively affect the environment and where the communication can be accomplished by means having a lesser impact on the environment and the public health, safety, and welfare.
(4) Provide for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter.
(Ord. 2011-06-07A, passed 6-7-2011)