(A) Detached premise signs. Architecturally enclosed sign spaces shall adhere to the indicated sign envelope requirements.
(1) Monolith sign.
(a) A monolith sign is a detached sign with a height that exceeds 19 feet.
(b) Monolith signs are the tallest sign type.
(c) A monolith sign has a particular architectural form or visual expression and is therefore recognizable as much by its appearance as it is by its message.
(d) A monolith sign may be an accessory sign structure (such as a tower) or a pylon sign with at least a three-sided architectural enclosure.
(e) An architectural sign structure is a free-standing structure that is not a building, but may have the appearance of a building or building component, while being subordinate to the structure itself.
(f) Monolith signs shall be architecturally enclosed on at least three sides.
(g) The dimensional standards for this sign type are:
1. The height of the base of the sign space shall be 10.5% of the height of the structure, with a three-foot minimum;
2. The width of the four-side enclosure shall be no more than 39% of the height of the structure;
3. The edge clearance between the sign space and the edge of the structure shall be at least 15% of the width of the structure, with an 18-inch minimum; and
4. The height of the head clearance shall be at least 18% of the width of the structure.
(2) Elevated signs.
(a) Types of elevated signs. Elevated signs shall include:
1. Elevated pole signs;
2. Elevated post and panel signs; and
3. Elevated pylon signs.
(b) Standards for elevated signs. All elevated signs with an architecturally enclosed sign space shall adhere to the indicated envelope regulations as follows:
1. Elevated signs shall be taller than eight feet but not exceed 19 feet in height;
2. Elevated signs shall be architecturally enclosed on at least three sides;
3. The minimum ground clearance of the sign space is eight feet. This may be reduced to seven feet if the header enclosure is decorative (where decorative means that it is not a cap or box header). The recommended ground clearance of the sign space is 30% of the sign height;
4. The height of the vertical enclosure above the sign space, including the header, shall be 20% of the width of the sign;
5. The minimum width of a header that is a cap or box header is the width of the sign; and
6. The height of the pediment entablature of a decorative header enclosure shall be at least 8.6%of the total sign height.
(3) Ground signs.
(a) Types of ground signs. Ground signs shall include:
1. Monument ground signs;
2. Perimeter wall signs; and
3. Post and panel ground signs.
(b) Standards for ground signs. A ground sign is a detached sign whose principal support is provided by burying, anchoring or otherwise connecting the sign, or supporting structure thereof, to the ground. A ground sign is not a portable sign or attached sign. Ground signs with an architecturally enclosed sign space shall adhere to the sign space envelope regulations as follows:
1. Ground signs shall not exceed eight feet in height;
2. Ground signs shall be architecturally enclosed on at least two sides;
3. The cabinet or vertical enclosure of the sign space in a ground sign shall be at least 25% of the width of the sign space; and
4. The height of the base of a ground sign shall be at least 20% of the height of the sign space.
(B) Attached premise signs. A sign attached to or supported by any part of a building, including but not limited to a wall, roof, window, canopy, or awning. Attached premise signs are placed within the building envelope.
(1) Awning signs.
(a) An attached premise sign that is affixed to or directly a part of the visible surface of an attached awning, which meets city requirements.
(b) The maximum sign area of an awning sign is 42% of the awning area.
(c) The sign area within the awning fascia must leave at least a two-inch border at the top, bottom and corner.
(d) No signage is permitted on the side of the awning.
(2) Canopy signs.
(a) An attached premise sign that is affixed to or directly a part of the visible surface of an attached canopy, which meets city requirements.
(b) The maximum letter height of a canopy sign is 66% of the vertical dimension of the canopy fascia.
(3) Corner signs.
(a) An attached premise sign whose placement is aligned with the edge of a building façade.
(b) Corner signs shall be located six inches from the corner edge and four inches from the opening or jamb adjacent to that corner.
(4) Header signs.
(a) An attached premise sign placed within a building's exterior façade material, such as masonry, and placed above the door and/or windows of the building.
(b) The height of the header shall be equal to the height of the opening.
(c) The vertical dimension of the header sign shall not exceed 20% of the header height.
(d) The minimum ground clearance of a header sign is eight feet.
(5) Horizontal blade signs.
(a) An attached premise sign that is mounted so that it projects from a building or building arcade into the public way.
(b) The maximum sign area for a wall-mounted horizontal blade sign with no canopy cover is 20 square feet.
(c) The maximum sign area for a canopy-mounted horizontal blade sign is four square feet. This may be increased four square feet for each additional one foot increase in canopy height above 12 feet.
(d) Minimum ground clearance for a horizontal blade sign is eight feet.
(e) Maximum sign width of a horizontal blade sign at minimum ground clearance is four-and-a-quarter feet.
(f) Maximum horizontal projection of a horizontal blade sign at minimum ground clearance is five feet.
(g) A sloping line defines allowable increases in the maximum projection of a horizontal blade sign. The maximum angle of projection is 20 degrees, provided that the horizontal projection does not project over a street, a vehicular way or a fire lane.
(6) Marquee sign.
(a) A sign mounted on a building so that it projects from a building, either from the upper story or mid-story at canopy level, and often seen in artful forms in specialty shopping environments, in downtown areas or other similar conditions.
(b) Marquee signs may be either upper story marquee signs or canopy marquee signs.
(c) For an upper story marquee sign:
1. Minimum ground clearance is 12 feet;
2. The maximum vertical projection above the parapet is two feet; and
3. There shall be at least two-and-a-half feet horizontal distance between the outermost edge of an upper story marquee sign and the back of the closest curb. The closest curb may be either that of a street or a parking area.
(d) For a canopy marquee sign:
1. Minimum ground clearance is ten feet.
2. The maximum horizontal projection of a canopy marquee sign is six feet; and
3. There shall be at least a two-and-a-half feet horizontal distance between the outermost edge of a canopy marquee sign and the back of the closest curb. The closest curb may be either that of a street or a parking area.
(7) Mid-story signs.
(a) An attached premise sign that is located between floors, above the header and below the next story's window or balcony sill, or below the parapet.
(b) Mid-story signs shall be located four inches below the window sill or top of mid-story spandrel panel, and 4 inches above the header of the window below or bottom of the mid-story spandrel panel.
(8) Parapet signs.
(a) An attached premise sign that is located on a building's parapet, which is the portion of the building façade along the roof.
(b) Parapet signs shall be located six inches below the parapet cap or building cornice and four inches above the top floor window header below that parapet cap or cornice.
(C) Premise-independent signs. A sign displaying copy that pertains to a business, establishment, person, organization, activity, event, place, service, or product not principally located or primarily manufactured, sold, offered or performed on the premises on which the sign is located.
(1) Directional signs. Directional signs are on premise signs that provide orientation for the efficient and safe movement of traffic, or identify internal site destinations.
(a) Building-mounted directional sign. Directional signs that are mounted directly to a building.
(b) Frame-mounted directional sign. Directional signs that are within a frame, mounted between two poles or posts.
(c) Pole-mounted directional sign. Directional sign mounted to a pole that is used for other regulatory or directional purposes, such as traffic management.
(d) Utility-mounted directional sign. Directional sign mounted to a utility pole, such as a traffic light.
(2) Temporary signs. A sign that is constructed of lightweight or flimsy material, and is easily installed or removed by hand or by ordinary hand tools. Any sign that qualifies as a “structure” under the Building Code, and for which a building permit is required, is not within this definition.
(a) Sandwich board or “A” frame temporary sign. A temporary, collapsible sign typically made of wood or plastic, which is placed in the public sidewalk space.
(b) Banners.
1. An attached premise sign that is located on a building's parapet, which is the portion of the building façade along the roof.
2. The minimum ground clearance of the lowest point of the banner arm is eight feet above the ground elevation, as measured at the base of the banner standard.
3. The maximum height of a banner mounted on a detached banner standard is 18 feet.
4. A banner mounted on a building shall not be higher than one foot below the building cornice or parapet.
5. The maximum sign area for banners is 18 square feet.
6. Banner projection is measured from face of standard or face of building to the edge of the banner that is located at the greatest distance from the pole or building.
7. The maximum banner projection is two feet, eight inches for banners mounted on a detached banner standard.
8. The maximum banner projection for building-mounted banners is three feet, six inches.
(c) Portable sign.
1. A sign whose principal supporting structure is intended, by design, use or construction, to be used by resting upon the ground for support and which many be easily moved or relocated for reuse.
2. Portable signs shall include but not be limited to signs mounted upon or designed to be mounted upon a trailer, bench, wheeled carrier or other mobile structure, with wheels, resting or leaning on the ground or other structures, but not permanently attached thereto.
(d) Temporary post and panel sign.
1. A sign that is not permanent, and that is mounted on posts or frames that stick into the ground and can be easily removed, including, but not limited to: home sale signs builder/contractor signs, political signs, security signs, and school spirit signs.
2. The maximum sign area is 20 square feet unless specified for particular design districts.
(D) Special signs.
(1) Accessory structure sign.
(a) A sign painted on or mounted to the visible surface(s) of an auxiliary building/structure, such as storage structures, gas canopy, or other similar accessory buildings.
(b) Signs shall not be permitted on the roof of an accessory structure.
(c) The maximum sign area on the façade of an accessory structure shall not exceed 50 square feet or 50% of the façade area, whichever is less.
(2) Billboard. A permanent structure sign in a fixed location which is used for general advertising for hire, is used to display off-premise commercial messages, or constitutes a separate principal use of the property (in contrast to an auxiliary or accessory use). New billboards shall not be permitted in the city.
(3) Historic sign. A sign that has been designated as historically or culturally significant.
(4) Electronic message board or kinetic message sign.
(a) Definition. An electronically activated, changeable sign whose variable message or graphic presentation capability can be electronically programmed from a remote location. These signs use LED, LCD or other digital electronic technology as a lighting source.
(b) Brightness. Electronic message board signs shall be no brighter than 500 candelas per square meter at night, and no brighter than 5,000 candelas per square meter during the daytime.
(c) Duration of message display. Messages shall be displayed for at least eight seconds.
(d) Message interval. The maximum time permitted between consecutive message displays is 0.1 seconds for an electronic display and 0.5 seconds for a mechanical display.
(e) Size standards based on location. Electronic message boards shall meet minimum size standards based on the type of thoroughfare they front.
1. Electronic message boards located on streets with a permitted speed greater than 55 MPH shall be at least 25 square feet in size and shall be no more than eight feet wide.
2. Electronic message boards located on streets with a permitted speed between 40 and 55 MPH shall be at least 18 square feet in size and shall be no more than six feet wide.
3. Electronic message boards located on streets with a permitted speed less than 40 MPH shall be at least 12 square feet in size and shall be no more than four feet wide.
(f) Maximum permitted sign area for an electronic message board. The permitted sign area that may be occupied by an electronic message board sign is determined by sign type, as a percentage of total permitted sign area, as follows:
1. A ground sign with no enclosure: 18%;
2. A ground sign with a two-sided enclosure: 45%;
3. A ground sign with a three-sided enclosure: 49%;
4. An elevated sign with no enclosure: 17%;
5. An elevated sign with a three-sided enclosure: 27%;
6. An elevated sign with a four-sided enclosure: 38%;
7. A monolith sign with no enclosure: 17%;
8. A monolith sign with a three-sided enclosure: 27%; and
9. A monolith sign with a four-sided enclosure: 38%;
(g) No sequential messages or animated transitions shall be permitted.
(h) Freezing of display is required on malfunction.
(i) No video displays or video messages are permitted.
(j) Electronic message boards are not permitted closer than 5,000 feet to another electronic message board sign on roadways where permitted travel speeds reach 60 MPH or greater.
(k) Electronic message board signs are not permitted closer than 2,500 feet to another electronic message board sign on roadways where permitted travel speeds are between 40 MPH and 60 MPH.
(l) There is no spacing requirement for electronic message board signs on roadways where permitted speeds do not exceed 40 MPH.
(m) Electronic message board signs shall not be located within 1,100 feet of an interchange, at-grade intersection, toll plaza, curve, lane merge/weave area or entrance/exit from a controlled access highway.
(n) No animated, flashing, scrolling or oscillating elements are permitted on electronic message board signs.
(o) No changes in light color or intensity is permitted during message display.
(5) Kiosk.
(a) A freestanding structure upon which temporary information or notices may be posted.
(b) The maximum sign area for a rotating, cylindrical kiosk is equal to 2* (height of the kiosk).
(c) The maximum sign area for a stationary, rectangular kiosk is equal to (sum of the four sides)* (height of the kiosk).
(d) No portion of the base or cap of a kiosk may comprise the sign area.
(e) The maximum height of a kiosk is ten feet.
(6) Mural. A painting directly applied to a wall or permanent vertical structure.
(7) Roof sign. Any sign wholly erected on, affixed to, or supported by a roof of a building. A sign mounted on the roof portion of a building or on the uppermost edge of a parapet wall of a building and which is wholly or partially supported by such building.
(Ord. 01-2016-07, passed 1-26-16)