17-12-0200 Applicability.

   Sign may be erected, placed, established, painted, created or maintained only in conformance with the standards, procedures, exemptions and other requirements of this Chapter and other applicable city regulations. In the event of conflict between the regulations of this chapter and those of other local, state or federal regulations, the more restrictive regulation governs, to the extent allowed by law.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275)

17-12-0300 Noncommercial messages.

   Any sign allowed under this chapter may contain any lawful noncommercial message that does not directly advertise a specific business, proprietary product or service, or any other commercial activity, so long as the sign complies with the size, height, and other requirements of this chapter.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 7-19-23, p. 1992, § 2)

17-12-0400 Transitional provisions.

   17-12-0401 All signs legally erected or installed before the effective dates specified in Sec. 17-1-0200 may remain in place and in use, subject to Sec. 17-15-0500.

   17-12-0402 All holders of permits for signs issued legally before the effective dates specified in Sec. 17-1-0200 may erect the signs that are the subject of such permits within the times allowed by such permits, and such signs will then be treated as though they had been erected before the effective dates specified in Sec. 17-1-0200 subject to Sec. 17-15-0500. However, such permits may not be extended or amended unless the sign that is the subject of such permit will conform to all of the requirements of this chapter.

   17-12-0403 All violations of the sign regulations repealed by this Zoning Ordinance will remain violations and all penalties and enforcement remedies will be available to the city as though the violation were a violation of this Zoning Ordinance. However, if the effect of this Zoning Ordinance is to make a sign that was formerly illegal or nonconforming become conforming, then enforcement action will cease except to the extent of collecting penalties (other than removal of the sign) for violations that occurred before the effective dates specified in Sec. 17-1-0200.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44391)

17-12-0500 Signs exempt from zoning regulation.

   The following are exempt from regulation under this Zoning Ordinance.

   17-12-0501 Any official sign, public notice sign or warning sign required by a valid and applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction;

   17-12-0502 Any sign that is inside a building and is legible only from the lot on which it is located and is not legible from the public way or adjoining lot;

   17-12-0503 Any sign inside an athletic field or other enclosed outdoor space, where the sign is not legible beyond the property line of the lot on which it is located;

   17-12-0504 Works of art with no commercial message;

   17-12-0505 Holiday decorations with no commercial message; and

   17-12-0506 Any city digital sign; provided, however, that notwithstanding such exemption, city digital signs shall be subject to the regulations set forth in this Title 17, Title 10 and Title 13 that expressly refer to and regulate city digital signs.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-12, p. 44485, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 2-13-13, p. 47133, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 1-23-19, p. 94952, Art. I, § 29)

17-12-0600 Measurements.

   17-12-0601 Sign Area.

      17-12-0601-A Signs Enclosed in Frames or Cabinets. The area of a sign enclosed in frames or cabinets is determined based on the outer dimensions of the frame or cabinet surrounding the sign face.

Figure 17-12-0601-A

      17-12-0601-B Back-to-back Signs. When the sign faces of a back-to-back sign are parallel or within 30 degrees of parallel, only one side is counted. If the sign faces are not parallel or within 30 degrees of parallel, each is considered one sign face and both faces are counted.

Figure 17-12-0601-B

      17-12-0601-C Individual Letters or Elements. The area of a sign comprised of individual letters or elements attached to a building wall is determined by calculating the area of the smallest square or rectangle that can be drawn around the letters and/or elements. Signs consisting of individual letters and/or elements will be measured as one sign when the distance between the letters and/or elements is less than 2 times the dimension of each letter and/or element.

Figure 17-12-0601-C

         1.   Exemption. For high-rise building signs, portions of individual letters and/or elements, which collectively form one individual letter sign, may extend beyond the dimensions of the smallest box that encapsulates all other high-rise building sign letters and/or elements; provided, (i) the total area of such extensions may not exceed 25% of the square footage contained within such box that encapsulates all other high-rise building sign letters and/or elements and (ii) the total square footage of such individual letter sign and any such extensions under (i) may not exceed the maximum high-rise building sign area square footage allowed at the corresponding building height at which the high-rise building sign is proposed.

Figure 17-12-0601-C.1

      17-12-0601-D Painted Wall Signs. The area of a painted wall sign is determined by calculating the area of the smallest square or rectangle that can be drawn around all of the sign elements. Sign elements will be measured as one unit when the distance between the elements is less than two times the length of each element.

      17-12-0601-E Awnings and Marquees. The area of a sign that is incorporated into an awning or marquee is determined by calculating the area of the smallest square or rectangle that can be drawn around all of the sign elements.

      17-12-0601-F Dynamic Image Display Signs. The area of a dynamic image display sign feature is determined by calculating the area of the smallest square or rectangle that can be drawn around the edge of each of the dynamic image display elements.

   17-12-0602 Sign Height. The height of a sign or sign structure is measured from the lowest point of the ground directly below the sign to the highest point on the sign or sign structure.

Figure 17-12-0602

   17-12-0603 Sign Clearance. Clearance is measured from the highest point of the ground directly below the sign to the lowest point on the sign structure enclosing the sign face.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 4-30-14, p. 80382, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 10-31-18, p. 87780, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 3-24-21, p. 29061, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-19-23, p. 1992, § 2)