17-12-0900 Signs in residential districts.

   17-12-0901 Applicability. The standards of this section apply in all R and DR districts.

   17-12-0902 Permanent, On-premise Signs. The following standards apply to permanent, on-premise signs in R and DR districts.

For a printer-friendly PDF version of Table 17-12-0902, please click here.

USE GROUP		Maximum Number	Maximum Sign Face Area (sq. ft.)	Allowed Sign Types	Maximum Height of Freestanding Sign (feet)
Use Category Use Type
RESIDENTIAL
Household Living
	Detached House, Two-flat, Townhouse	1 per street frontage	1	Wall	NA
	Multi-Unit (3+ units) Residential, Single-Room Occupancy	1 per street frontage	9	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Group Living
	Convents and Monasteries, Family Community Home, Temporary Overnight Shelters, Transitional Residences, Transitional Shelters	1 per street frontage	1	Wall, Awning	NA
	Assist. Living (Elderly Custodial Care), Group Community Homes, Nursing Homes, Group Living Not Otherwise Classified	1 per street frontage	9	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
PUBLIC AND CIVIC
Colleges and Universities		1 per building + 1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 64 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6/20 (1)
Cultural Exhibits and Libraries		1 per street frontage	Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning	NA
Day Care		1 per street frontage	16	Wall	NA
Hospital		1 per building + 1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 64 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6/20 (1)
Lodge or Private Club		1 per street frontage	16	Wall, Awning	NA
Parks and Recreation (except as more specifically regulated)		1 per building + 1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Public Safety Services		1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Religious Assembly		1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 64 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6/20 (1)
School		1 per building + 1 freestanding	Freestanding: 64 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6/20 (1)
Utilities and Services		1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
COMMERCIAL
Funeral and Interment Service		1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Lodging
	Bed and Breakfast	1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Medical Service
	Government-operated Health Center	1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Office
	Foreign Consulates, Philanthropic and Eleemosynary Institutions	1 per street frontage	Freestanding: 32 Wall: 10% of wall	Wall, Awning, Freestanding	6
Residential Support Service		1 per ground- floor business establishment	16	Wall, Awning	NA
(1) Maximum freestanding sign height of 20 feet when such sign is located along a through street, as classified by the Chicago Department of Transportation, otherwise a maximum height of 6 feet.

 

   17-12-0903 Sign Features.

      17-12-0903-A Lighting. Signs in R and DR zoning districts may use only indirect lighting. Direct lighting and internal lighting of signs is prohibited, except in the case of allowed dynamic image display signs.

      17-12-0903-B Dynamic Image Display Signs. Dynamic image display signs are permitted in R and DR districts when such signs are freestanding, on-premise signs for public and civic uses that are located along a through street as classified by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Flashing signs are prohibited.

   17-12-0904 Off-premise Signs. Off-premise signs are prohibited in R and DR districts. A city digital sign may be located in an R district, or portion thereof, which consists of land or public way owned by the city or a federal, state, local or other unit of government, in whole or in part, and which is not improved with any residential buildings, subject to the separation requirements in Section 17-12-1201-A.4.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 4-14-10, p. 89020, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-12, p. 44485, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 4-30-14, p. 80382, § 5)