The following supplemental regulations shall apply to permitted signs in non-residential zoning districts:
(a) Non-Ground Floor Uses. For uses not located on the ground floor and for ground floor uses which lack direct access from the building exterior, the following signs shall be permitted in addition to signs otherwise permitted for the building. Regardless of the number of such uses in a building, not more than one (1) wall or projecting identification sign, a maximum of twelve (12) square feet in area, shall be placed at each ground floor entrance providing access to the uses in question. In addition, for each such use, window signs not exceeding twenty (20) square feet in total area shall be permitted for display on the inside surface of windows within the subject space.
(b) Secondary Frontages and Entrances.
(1) Secondary Frontages. A building or building unit with frontage on a second street or with a customer building entrance from a rear or side parking lot shall be permitted total additional wall, window, projecting and canopy sign area not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the sign area otherwise permitted. Such signs shall be displayed so that the total sign area placed on any facade does not exceed the maximum sign area permitted for the building’s primary frontage. This provision shall also apply to buildings or building units with secondary frontage along the Cuyahoga River or Lake Erie and to buildings adjoining a freeway right-of-way.
(2) Secondary Entrances. For lots served by more than one (1) vehicular entrance, one (1) additional freestanding identification sign shall be permitted at each additional vehicular entrance if the minimum distance between any two (2) such signs is five hundred (500) feet as measured along street lines. Where such distance is less than five hundred (500) feet but more than three hundred (300) feet, a second free-standing identification sign shall be permitted if the height of each such sign is no greater than twelve (12) feet and the combined sign area of the two (2) signs is no greater than one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the maximum sign area permitted for a single free-standing identification sign on the subject property.
(c) New Businesses. Upon its initial opening, a new business establishment may display a temporary identification sign for a maximum period of sixty-two (62) days prior to installation of a permanent identification sign. Such temporary sign may be a wall, window or portable sign which shall conform with all regulations applicable to permanent signs (except clearly inapplicable structural requirements) and shall be counted as part of the maximum permitted permanent sign area. In addition, temporary window signs for such new businesses may cover up to seventy- five percent (75%) of window area. Strings of pennants, streamers, pinwheels, balloons and similar small lightweight objects shall be permitted for “grand openings” for a single period not exceeding seven (7) days within the first six (6) months after issuance of the initial Occupancy Certificate for a new business.
(d) Open Lots. For uses without buildings, and for uses on lots where building frontage in less than twenty percent (20%) of lot frontage, maximum sign face area for the use, including free-standing signs, shall be the greater of fifty (50) square feet or the figure resulting from the following formula where “LW” equals the width of the lot frontage, as defined in division (a)(2) of Section 350.05: LW x 1.0 = SQUARE FEET OF SIGNAGE. The area of a free- standing sign shall in no instance exceed one hundred (100) square feet.
(e) Major Public Assembly Facilities. For public assembly facilities located within the Central Business District and providing a minimum seating or attendance capacity of five thousand (5,000) persons, signage shall be permitted in accordance with the following standards contained in this division (e) which recognize the unique nature of these large-scale public assembly facilities. Except as provided in these standards, all other regulations of this Zoning Code shall apply to such signage.
(1) Type, Number, Height and Location of Signs. The City Planning Commission may authorize variations in otherwise applicable regulations of this chapter to the extent necessary to provide adequate information to the public.
(2) Electronic Changeable Copy Signs. Information displayed through electronically changeable copy on signs located on the premises of a qualifying public assembly facility or on property located within five hundred (500) feet of the qualifying public assembly facility and owned or leased by the owners of said public assembly facility shall be limited to the following:
A. Identification of the facility or events held at the facility;
B. Identification of the events held at other local public assembly facilities and identification of festivals and other special events held in the City;
C. Identification of products or services offered for sale on the premises of the qualifying public assembly facility;
D. Public service messages, such as time, temperature and information of a civil nature, including welcoming of visitors to the City;
E. Acknowledgement of organizations or individuals sponsoring events held at the facility or contributing to the construction or operation of the facility as sponsors or patrons.
(Ord. No. 1435-99. Passed 2-28-00, eff. 3-6-00)