Where terms are not defined in this Chapter and are defined in other chapters of the Zoning Code, they shall have the same meanings ascribed to them as in those chapters. Undefined terms shall have ascribed to them their meanings as found in the latest edition of Merriam Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language or such as the context herein may imply.
(1) “Abandoned sign” means a sign which no longer identifies or advertises a going concern, lessor, service, owner, product, and/or activity, and/or for which no legal owner can be found.
(2) “Administrator” means the City Manager, or his or her designated representative.
(3) “Aerial sign” means any balloon, or other airborne floatation device that is tethered to the ground or to a building or other structure to direct attention on a temporary basis to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment being conducted, sold or offered.
(4) “Animated sign” means any sign that uses movement or change of lighting to depict action or to create a special effect or scene (compare “Flashing sign”).
(5) “Area, sign on-premise or off-premise” shall be computed as including the entire area within a regular, geometric form or combination of regular, geometric forms comprising all of the display area of the sign and including all of the elements of the matter displayed.
A. The area of signs composed of individual letters, numerals or other devices shall be the sum of the areas of the smallest rectangles or other geometric figures encompassing the message. Frames and borders not being advertising matter shall not be included in the computation of surface area. In the case of irregularly shaped three-dimensional signs, the area of the display surface shall be measured on the plane of the largest vertical cross section.
B. Measurement of sign face area means that where a sign has two or more faces, the area of all the faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign.
(6) “Awning” means a shelter projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building constructed of non-rigid materials on a supporting framework (compare “Marquee”).
(7) “Awning sign” means a sign painted on, printed on or attached flat against the surface of an awning.
(8) “Back-to-back sign” means a sign consisting of two sign facings orientated in opposite directions.
(9) “Banner sign” means a temporary sign made of fabric or any non-rigid material with no enclosing framework.
(10) “Changeable copy sign (automatic)” means a sign on which the copy changes automatically on a lampbank or through mechanical means, e.g. electrical or electronic time and temperature units.
(11) “Changeable copy sign (manual) means” a sign on which copy is changed manually in the field, e.g. reader boards with changeable letters.
(12) “City” means the City of Clyde, unless the context clearly discloses a contrary intent.
(13) “Clearance” means the smallest vertical distance between the grade of the property on which the sign is to be located and the lowest point of any sign, including framework and embellishments, extending over that grade.
(14) “Construction sign” means a temporary sign identifying an architect, owner, funding source, contractor, subcontractor, and/or material supplier participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located.
(15) “Copy” means the wording and/or artwork on a sign surface in either permanent or removable form.
(16) “Directional/Information sign” means an on-premises sign giving directions, instructions or facility information and which may contain the name or logo of an establishment but no advertising copy, e.g. parking or exit and entrance signs.
(17) “Double-faced sign” means a sign with two adjacent faces oriented in the same direction and not more than 10 feet apart at the nearest point between the two faces, i.e. stacked or side by side refer to 1157.06 for limitations.
(18) “Electrical sign” means a sign or sign structure in which electrical wiring, connections, or fixtures are used.
(19) “Electronic message center.” See “Changeable copy sign, automatic.”
(20) “Facade” means the entire building front, including the parapet.
(21) “Facing” means that portion of a sign upon which advertising is affixed or painted and which is visible in only one direction at one time.
(22) “Festoons” means a string of ribbons, tinsel, small flags or pinwheels.
(23) “Flashing” means a sign that contains an intermittent or sequential flashing light source used primarily to attract attention. “Flashing sign” does not include changeable copy signs, animated signs, or signs that, through reflection or other means, create an illusion of flashing or intermittent light (compare “Animated sign” and Changeable copy sign”).
(24) “Freestanding sign” means a sign erected on a freestanding framework supported and affixed by one or more uprights or braces in or upon the ground.
(25) “Frontage” means the length of the property line of any one premises along a public right-of-way on which it borders.
(26) “Frontage, building” means the length of an outside building wall on a public right-of-way.
(27) “Government sign” means any temporary or permanent sign erected and maintained by the City, County, State or Federal Government for traffic direction or for the designation of or direction to any school, hospital, historical site or public service, property or facility.
(28) “Ground mounted sign” means any freestanding sign, other than a pole mounted sign, independently supported by the ground or mounted on a decorative wall or fence.
(29) “Height, sign” means the vertical distance measured from the highest point of the sign, excluding decorative embellishments, to the grade of the adjacent street or the surface grade beneath the sign, whichever is less (compare “Clearance”).
(30) “Identification sign” means a sign, whose copy is limited to the name and address of a building, institution or person, and/or to the activity or occupation being identified.
(31) “Illegal sign” means a sign which does not meet the requirements of this Chapter and which has not received legal non-conforming status.
(32) “Illuminated sign” means a sign with an artificial light source incorporated internally or externally for the purpose of illuminating the sign.
(33) “Incidental sign” means a small sign, emblem or decal informing the public of goods, facilities or services available on the premises, e.g. a credit card sign or a sign indicating hours of business.
(34) “Institutional sign” means any sign designating a hospital, nursing home, child care facility, place of worship, educational institution or club.
(35) “Lot” means a parcel of land legally defined on a subdivision map recorded with the Assessment Department or Land Registry Office, or a parcel of land defined by a legal record or a survey map.
(36) “Maintenance” means the cleaning, painting, repair or replacement of defective parts of a sign in a manner that does not alter the basic design or structure of the sign.
(37) “Mansard” means a roof with two slopes on each of its four sides, the lower slope being steeper than the upper slope.
(38) “Marquee” means a permanent roof-like structure of rigid materials supported by and extending from the facade of a building (compare “Awning”).
(39) “Marquee sign” means any sign attached to or supported by a marquee structure.
(40) “Multiple Faced sign” means a sign comprised of sections which rotate to display a series of advertisements, each advertisement being displayed for at least six (6) seconds continuously without movement; the duration of movement of sections between advertisements not exceeding two (2) seconds. For determination of permit fees, the total area of each display shall be calculated (i.e. 3 displays at 300 square feet each totals 900 square feet of sign area).
(41) “Nameplate” means a non-electric, on-premises identification sign giving only the name, address and/or occupation of an occupant or group of occupants.
(42) “Nonconforming sign” means a sign which was erected legally, but which does not comply with subsequently enacted sign restrictions and regulations; or a sign that does not conform to these regulations but for which a variance has been issued.
(43) “Occupancy” means the portion of a building or premises owned, leased, rented or otherwise occupied for a given use.
(44) “Official sign” means a sign erected by a governmental agency or its designee, setting for information pursuant to law.
(45) “Off-premise sign” means a permanent or temporary sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service or entertainment, which is not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished at the property on which said sign is located, e.g. billboards.
(46) “On-premise sign” means a sign that pertains to the use of the premises on which it is located.
(47) “Owner” means a person recorded as such on official records. For the purposes of this Chapter, the owner of property on which a sign is located is presumed to be the owner of the sign, unless facts to the contrary are officially recorded or otherwise brought to the attention of the Administrator, e.g., a sign leased from a sign company.
(48) “Painted wall sign” means any sign, which is applied with paint or a similar substance on the face of a wall.
(49) “Parapet” means the extension of a false front or wall above a roofline.
(50) “Person” means an individual, corporation, association, firm, partnership or other defined interest.
(51) “Point of purchase display” means the advertising of a retail item accompanying its display, e.g. an advertisement on a product dispenser.
(52) “Pole cover” means a cover enclosing or decorating poles or other structural support of a sign.
(53) “Portable sandwich board sign” means a sign with two display surfaces that is not permanently anchored to the ground or a structure and has a hinged, or A-frame construction that allows the sign to be displayed indoors or outdoors.
(54) “Portable sign” means any sign designed to be moved easily and not permanently affixed to a structure, building or the ground.
(55) “Premises” means a parcel of land with its appurtenances and buildings which, because of its unity of use, may be regarded as the smallest conveyable unit of real estate.
(56) “Projecting sign” means a sign, other than a flat wall sign, which is attached to and projects from a building wall or other structure not specifically designated to support the sign.
(57) “Real estate sign” means a temporary sign advertising the real estate upon which the sign is located as being for rent, lease or sale.
(58) “Right-of-Way” means a general term denoting land, property, or the interest therein, usually in the configuration of a strip of land, acquired for or devoted to transportation and utility purposes. When used in this context, right-of-way includes the roadway, shoulders, or berm, ditch and slopes extending to the right- of-way limits under the control of the City of Clyde.
(59) “Roofline” means the top edge of a roof or building parapet, whichever is higher excluding any cupolas, pylons, chimneys or minor projections.
(60) “Roofline sign” means any sign erected over or on the roof of a building (compare “Mansard” and “Wall sign”).
(61) “Rotating sign” means a sign in which the sign itself or any portion of the sign moves in a revolving or similar manner. Such motion does not refer to methods of changing copy.
(62) “Sign” means any device, structure, fixture or placard using graphics, symbols and/or written copy designed specifically for the purpose of advertising or identifying any establishment, products, goods or services.
(63) “Sign permit” means the official written approval for the creation, erection or construction of a sign issued by the City of Clyde.
(64) “Snipe sign” means a temporary sign or poster affixed to a tree, utility pole, fence, etc.
(65) “Subdivision identification sign” means any ground mounted, freestanding or wall sign identifying a recognized subdivision, condominium complex, or residential development.
(66) “Temporary sign” means any sign not constructed or intended for long-term use and which is not permanently mounted or placed in or on any premises.
(67) “Traffic control sign” means any traffic control sign, as defined in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, as published by the Ohio Department of Transportation under authority of Ohio R.C. 411.09.
(68) “Under-canopy sign” means a sign, which suspends beneath a canopy, ceiling, roof or marquee (see “Marquee sign“).
(69) “Use” means the purpose for which a building, lot, sign or structure is intended, designed, occupied or maintained.
(70) “V Type sign” means a sign structure which consists of multiple sign facings placed at angles to each other, with one end attached, oriented in different directions and not exceeding 10 feet apart at the open or applied point.
(71) “Wall sign” means a sign attached parallel to and extending not more than fifteen (15) inches from the wall of a building, including painted individual letter and cabinet signs, and signs on a mansard roof.
(72) “Window sign” means a sign painted on, attached to or suspended directly behind or in front of a window or the glass portion of a door and which sign is intended to be viewed from the outside.
(73) “Yard sign” means a temporary sign erected on a lawn, the ground or driveway of any premises. (Ord. 2002-034. Passed 5-7-02.)