7.4.1307: SIGN TYPES AND CRITERIA BY SIGN CATEGORY:

   A.   Major Sign Types:

Table 7.4.13-A Wall Signs
Use	Permit Required	Maximum Size	Number	Maximum Height	Additional Criteria
Residential	Yes	40 sq. ft.	1	See Subsection B.1.f below	Allowance applies to properties with 3 or more units
Office	Yes	1 sq. ft. x building length	No limit, but shall not exceed max. total sq. ft. per elevation	See Subsection B.1.f below	See Subsection B.1 below
Commercial	Yes	1.5 sq. ft. x building length 2 sq. ft. x building length when set back >200 ft. from public ROW	No limit, but shall not exceed max. total sq. ft. per elevation	See Subsection B.1.f below	See Subsection B.1 below
Industrial	Yes	1.5 sq. ft. x building length	No limit, but shall not exceed max. total sq. ft. per elevation	See Subsection B.1.f below	See Subsection B.1 below
Mixed-Use	Yes	1.5 sq. ft. x building length	No limit, but shall not exceed max. total sq. ft. per elevation	See Subsection B.1.f below	Shall be part of a CSP See Subsection B.1 below
Civic	Yes	1 sq. ft. x building length	No limit, but shall not exceed max. total sq. ft. per elevation	See Subsection B.1.f below	Walls adjacent to residential uses do not qualify for signage allowance See Subsection B.1 below

 

Table 7.4.13-B Freestanding Signs
Use	Permit Required	Linear Property Frontage	Maximum Size	Number	Maximum Height	Setback	Additional Criteria
Residential	Yes	All	32 sq. ft.	1	7 ft.	None	Allowance for 3 or more units
Civic	Yes	All	64 sq. ft.	1	7 ft.	None	Lighting impacts to adjacent residential properties shall be limited and reviewed through the sign permit.
Office	Yes	<160 ft.	34 sq. ft.	1	7 ft.	None	Size area and height rounded to the nearest whole number
		≥ 160 ft.	0.25 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage	1	0.06 ft. per linear foot of lot frontage, max. 25 ft.		See Subsection B.2 below
		≥ 1,000 ft.	0.25 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage *Max. for all is 100 sq. ft.	2 plus 1 additional sign for every additional 1,000 ft. of lot frontage	25 ft.
Commerci al	Yes	<160 ft.	42 sq. ft.	1	7 ft.	None	Size area and height rounded to the nearest whole number
		≥ 160 ft.	0.35 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage	1	0.07 ft. per linear foot of lot frontage, max. of 30 ft.		See Subsection B.2 below
		≥ 1,000 ft.	0.35 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage	2 plus 1 sign for every additional 1,000 ft. of lot frontage	30 ft.
		≥ 1,500 ft.	0.35 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage *Max. of 150 sq. ft.	2 plus 1 sign for every additional 1,000 ft. of lot frontage	35 ft.
Industrial	Yes	< 160 ft.	34 sq. ft.	1	7 ft.	None	Size area and height rounded to the nearest whole number
		≥ 160 ft.	0.25 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage	1	0.06 ft. per linear foot of lot frontage, max. of 25 ft.		See Subsection B.2 below
		≥ 1,000 ft.	0.25 sq. ft. per linear ft. of lot frontage	2 plus 1 sign for every additional 1,000 ft. of lot frontage	25 ft.
		≥ 1,500 ft.	0.25 sq. ft. per linear foot of lot frontage *Max. of 150 sq. ft.	2 plus 1 sign for every additional 1,000 ft. of lot frontage	35 ft.
Mixed-Use	Yes	The size, number and height of signs is defined by the CSP. See Section 7.4.1308.

 

Table 7.4.13-C Electronic Message Center (EMC)
Use	Type	Permit Required	Maximum Size	Number	Hold Time	Transition Duration	Transition Method	Additional Criteria
Residential	Integrated into freestanding sign	Not permitted	N/A	None	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Office	Integrated intro freestanding sign	Not permitted	N/A	None	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Commerci al	Integrated into freestanding sign	Yes	Up to 50% of allowed sign area	1 per property	10 seconds	<1 second	Fade or dissolve	See Subsection B.3 below
Industrial	Integrated into freestanding sign	Not permitted	N/A	None	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mixed-Use	Integrated into freestanding sign	Yes - with CSP only	Up to 50% of allowed sign area	1 per property	10 seconds	<1 second	Fade or dissolve	See Subsecti n B.3 below
Civic	Integrated into freestanding sign	Not permitted	N/A	None	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

 

   B.   Additional Criteria for Major Sign Types:

      1.   Wall Signs:

         a.   The minimum sign area for each tenant shall not be less than twenty-five (25) square feet.

         b.   Each tenant may have multiple wall signs per elevation so long as the total wall sign area does not exceed the allowance established for each elevation.

         c.   Additional building signs are permitted for a building with five (5) or more floors, which is eligible for double the wall signage allotment. The additional allotment must be placed at the fifth-floor level or higher. All other wall sign criteria apply.

         d.   A wall sign extending more than twelve (12) inches from the building shall be considered a projecting sign.

         e.   Projecting signs are permitted, as part of the allowance for wall signs when designed and placed for the purpose of identifying the businesses for a pedestrian walking along the same side of the street as the business they seek or under a canopy projecting from the building.

            (1)   Signs projecting under a canopy shall have a maximum area of eight (8) square feet; the bottom of the sign shall be a minimum of eight (8) feet above the sidewalk.

            (2)   A sign projecting over a vehicular area shall not be less than fourteen (14) feet above existing grade.

            (3)   A sign projecting over a pedestrian area shall not be less than eight (8) feet above existing grade.

            (4)   The sign shall not project more than six (6) feet from the wall of the building on which the sign is placed. Adjacent projecting signs shall not be closer than twenty (20) feet.

         f.   The maximum sign height shall comply with the following:

            (1)   When attached to a pitched roof, a sign shall not extend beyond the roof pitch or peak of roof.

            (2)   When attached to the face of the wall or a flat roof, fifty (50) percent of the overall vertical height of the sign shall not extend beyond the roof line.

            (3)   No sign shall exceed the maximum height permitted in the zone district in which it is located.

      2.   Freestanding Signs:

         a.   Each property or parcel of land is allowed a minimum of one freestanding sign with an area defined by the linear frontage of the property.

         b.   No portion of a freestanding sign shall be in or project over a public right-of-way. No freestanding sign shall be placed within an existing or proposed easement.

         c.   As part of a CSP, the total permitted sign area may be aggregated into fewer and larger signs, at the election of the property owner within a commercial center, provided that the size of any single sign does not exceed the standard permitted sign area by more than thirty (30) percent.

         d.   Freestanding signage area is determined based on the primary frontage of the lot. The property owner determines the primary frontage and may place the sign accordingly. A commercial center may have two (2) primary frontages approved by a CSP.

         e.   An individual corner lot can pick one primary frontage for freestanding sign calculation. In the example shown here, the two hundred and six (206) feet of frontage is used for its sign calculation.

         f.   A corner commercial center with a Coordinated Sign Plan can use two frontages for the freestanding sign calculation. In the example shown here, over nine hundred (900) feet of frontage can be used for freestanding calculation.

      3.   Electronic Message Center (EMC): Electronic Message Centers (EMCs) are allowed subject to the following:

         a.   Shall only be allowed as part of a freestanding sign.

         b.   Are prohibited for residential uses, but may be allowed as part of a mixed-use CSP.

         c.   Shall be limited to static messages only, changed only through dissolve or fade transitions that otherwise shall not have movement or the appearance or optical illusion of movement, on any part of the sign structure, design, or pictorial part of the sign, including the movement of any illumination or the flashing, scintillating, or varying of light intensity. The transition duration between messages shall not exceed one (1) second.

         d.   Commercial messages displayed shall only direct attention to a business, product, service, activity, or entertainment that is conducted, sold, or offered on the premises on which the sign is located.

         e.   Shall have automatic dimmer software or solar sensors to control brightness for nighttime viewing. The intensity of the light source shall not produce glare, the effect of which constitutes a traffic hazard. Lighting shall not exceed five hundred (500) nits or zero point three (0.3) foot-candle between dusk to dawn as measured from the face of the sign.

         f.   Documentation shall be required from the sign manufacturer that verifies compliance with auto dimming and brightness requirements.

         g.   Temporary signage shall be prohibited on any property that has an approved EMC (see Subsection E below).

         h.   Any property that wishes to add an EMC component to an existing freestanding sign must comply with current sign code standards before the EMC is approved.

   C.   Minor Sign Types: Table 7.413-D provides criteria for minor signage permitted provided that it meets the requirements of this Part 7.4.13 and all other applicable City regulations. See Subsection D below for additional information related to minor signs.

Table 7.4.13-D Minor Sign Types
Use	Type	Permit Required	Maximum Size	Number	Maximum Height	Setback	Additional Criteria
All	Awning	Yes	A max. of 0.5 sq. ft. for each linear foot	N/A	N/A	May extend 6 ft. from the face of the building	At least 8 ft. above pedestrian way or 14 ft. above vehicular way Valance may extend 1 ft. below awning Not permitted above first story level of building See Subsection D.1 below
All	Building Plaque	No	6 sq. ft.	1 per building	8 ft. attached to building	N/A	Built into building or mounted flat against the wall of a building Lighting permitted
All	Canopy	Yes	A maximum of 0.5 sq. ft. for each linear foot	1 canopy per elevation	N/A	N/A	Mounted flush on the face of the canopy Lighting permitted
All	Corporate Flags	No	Not to exceed 3 ft. x 5 ft.	1	Max. height of zone district	Must meet required setback for accessory uses	See definition of Corporate Flag in Section 7.6.203C.
All	Decorative Flags	No	Not to exceed 3 ft. x. 5 ft.	1 per 20 ft. of lot frontage	Max. height of zone district	Must meet required setback for accessory uses	See definition of Decorative Flag in Section 7.6.203C.
All	Directional Signs	Yes	6 sq. ft.	Per permit	4 ft.	None	On premises only
All	Directory (freestanding)	Yes	64 sq. ft.	2 per entrance	6 ft.	15 ft. from ROW	Additional directories may be approved through a CSP
All	External Use	No	40 sq. ft.	N/A	N/A	None	Area is total for all external uses on the site, may be used in any combination
Commercial	Gas Island	No	32 sq. ft. total	1 per gas topper	N/A	N/A	Copy oriented to the ROW shall not exceed 2 in. in height
All	Historic Signs	Yes	Sign and structure must be at least 50 years old to qualify. See Subsection D.2 below
Commercial	Menu board/Drive through	Yes	75 sq. ft. per drive-through lane	2 per drive-through lane	6 ft.	10 ft.	Readable only by traffic in the drive-through lane Lighting permitted
All	Monument Sign	Yes	128 sq. ft.	2 signs per access from a major arterial or collector	7 ft.	None	See Subsection 7.4.1307D.4 below.
All	Motor Vehicle Signs	Signs that are permanently painted or affixed to a vehicle for advertising purposes. See Subsection D.3 below
All	Mural	No	Any portion of the mural that is considered a sign will deduct from the wall signage for that wall.
All	Window Signs	No	25% of the window(s)	None	N/A	N/A	Permitted on the first floor windows only Lighting permitted
All	Yard/Wall	No	6 ft.	1	4 ft. when freestanding	N/A

 

   D.   Minor Sign Types, Additional Criteria:

      1.   Awning and Canopy:

         a.   The sign or signs must be placed on the side of the awning or canopy from which it draws its allowed square footage.

         b.   Signs may not extend above, below, or beyond the awning or canopy.

         c.   Awnings and canopies may be backlit.

      2.   Historic Signs: May be kept, used, maintained, and displayed, subject to the following conditions:

         a.   The applicant must provide documentation that the sign has been at its present location for a minimum of fifty (50) years prior to approval of a sign permit.

         b.   The sign is structurally safe or capable of being made structurally safe without substantially altering its historic character. The property owner is responsible for making all structural repairs and restoration of the sign to its original condition.

         c.   The sign is representative of signs from the era in which it was constructed and provides evidence of the historic use of the building or premises.

         d.   Approved historic signs will not be considered abandoned so long as they continue to meet the conditions above.

         e.   Historic signs may be retained on a property in addition to new signs permitted by this Section 7.4.13.

      3.   Motor Vehicle Signs: Signs may be placed on motor vehicles provided:

         a.   Each sign must be permanently painted or affixed to the vehicle.

         b.   No sign shall project more than one foot above the roofline of the vehicle to which it is attached.

         c.   The vehicle upon which the sign is affixed must be used for the normal operation of the business and not primarily used to display signage.

         d.   The vehicle must be moved at least once every seventy-two (72) hours.

         e.   When not in use, the vehicle must be parked on the premises of the business that it advertises.

         f.   The vehicle must be parked in a legal parking space.

         g.   The vehicle may not block any other legally permitted signs.

         h.   Special event vehicles are exempt from this Subsection 7.4.1307D.3 (Motor Vehicle Signs).

      4.   Monument Sign or Subdivision Monument: Permanent subdivision monument signs must be incorporated into entryways from major arterials or collector streets. Monument or subdivision monument signs:

         a.   Shall include the name of the subdivision or development.

         b.   Shall be located at the principal street entrance to the subdivision or development.

         c.   Shall not be located in the public right-of-way without obtaining a revocable permit pursuant to Section 3.2.201 (Permits Required) of this Code.

         d.   Shall be constructed of masonry or other substantial materials.

         e.   May be placed on a subdivision wall, or other background, provided a sign permit is approved.

         f.   Shall be limited to two (2) signs per subdivision entrance (one (1) sign on each side of the entryway).

         g.   Shall be insured and maintained by the homeowners' association or other appropriate entity. Adequate provisions to maintain the sign must be provided by covenant or through the homeowners' association.

   E.   Temporary Signage Criteria: Temporary signs shall be allowed per property in addition to the permanent signage permitted in this Section unless otherwise stated in this UDC. The following chart provides criteria for temporary signage permitted provided that it meets the requirements of this Section and all other applicable City regulations. See Subsection F below for additional information related to temporary signs.

Table 7.4.13-E Temporary Signage Criteria
Use	Type	Permit Required	Maximum Size	Number	Maximum Height	Setback	Additional Criteria
All	Banner	Yes					Not attached to T-posts, walls, or fences Not permitted in landscape areas See Subsection F.1 below
All	Construction	No	6 sq. ft.	5 per lot frontage	N/A	2 ft. From street or public sidewalk	Additional allowances based on low size and additional criteria See Subsection F.3 below
All	Election	No	6 sq. ft.	5 per lot frontage	N/A	2 ft. From street or public sidewalk	Additional allowances based on lot size and additional criteria See Subsection F.3 below
All	Garage sale	No	3 sq. ft.	1	N/A	N/A	Used only during the duration of the garage sale and used only on the lot where the garage sale occurs
	Non-residential Inflatable Displays	Yes	N/A	5 per commercial event	Max. Height of the zone district	1.5 times the height of the display	See Subsection F.2 below
All	Model home sign	No	24 sq. ft.	1 per model	6 ft.	N/A
All	Off premises open house	No	6 sq. ft.	4 per open house - put up 1 hour before and removed 1 hour after	4 ft.	N/A	Private property only, landowner permission required May not be placed in public-rights-of -way or medians without revocable permit
All	Off premises real estate	No	32 sq. ft.	1	4 ft.	N/A	Private property only, landowner permission required May not be placed in public rights-of-way or medians without revocable permit Removed 14 days after sale or lease
All	Pennants	No	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Nonresidential portable A-frames	No	4 ft. X. 2 ft.	1 per individual storefront/tenan t or 1 per shared entrance	4 ft.	Within 10 ft. of the main entrance, on the ground surface and not on any vehicle or structure	Lighting not permitted Located only in front of the establishment to which the sign pertains Displayed only during business hours The sign cannot block a sidewalk
All	Real Estate	No	6 sq. ft.	5 per lot frontage	N/A	2 ft. From street or public sidewalk	Additional allowances based on the lot size and additional criteria See Subsection F.3 below
	Nonresidential Temporary Retail	No	32 sq. ft.	1 wall or free-standing	7 ft.	None	Removed when the use ends Attached to a structure or mounted on posts that are anchored securely into the ground Copy on price signs for merchandise that is displayed outside shall be limited to 2 in. in height

 

   F.   Temporary Sign Types Additional Criteria:

      1.   Banners:

         a.   Banners associated with residential uses:

            (1)   Size shall not exceed zero point two (0.2) square foot for each linear foot of property line.

            (2)   May be displayed for a maximum of ninety (90) days per calendar year. Display time may be any combination of consecutive days or equal weekend periods and is cumulative for all banners displayed on the property.

            (3)   Vertical banners attached to existing private light poles on residential properties shall be no larger than twenty-four (24) by forty-eight (48) inches and must be hung eight (8) feet from the ground in pedestrian areas and fourteen (14) feet from the ground in vehicular areas.

            (4)   Each banner must be kept in good repair (not frayed, faded, or sagging) and must remain firmly attached to the building or structure from which it is displayed.

            (5)   Banners hung between T-posts, attached to fences, retaining walls and/or vehicles and banners in landscape areas are prohibited.

            (6)   No banner may be illuminated, animated, or constructed of reflective materials.

            (7)   All banners shall display a City permit approval sticker on the bottom left hand corner of the banner.

         b.   Banners associated with nonresidential uses:

            (1)   Banners attached to single-story buildings shall not exceed three quarters (0.75) square foot for each linear foot of exterior building wall. For multiple-story buildings, banners shall not exceed five (5) percent of the area of the exterior building wall on which the banners are displayed. A banner must be attached to the exterior building wall from which it draws its allowed square footage. The allowed square footage can be split among several banners or allocated to one single banner.

            (2)   Vertical banners attached to existing private light poles shall be no larger than twenty-four (24) by forty-eight (48) inches and must be hung eight (8) feet from the ground in pedestrian areas and fourteen (14) feet from the ground in vehicular areas.

            (3)   Banners may be displayed for a maximum of ninety (90) days per calendar year. Display time may be any combination of consecutive days or equal weekend periods and is cumulative for all banners displayed on the property.

            (4)   Each banner must be kept in good repair (not frayed, faded, or sagging) and remain firmly attached to the building or private light pole from which it is displayed.

            (5)   All banners shall display the City permit approval sticker on the bottom left hand corner of the banner.

            (6)   No banner may be illuminated, animated, or constructed of reflective materials.

            (7)   Banners hung between T-posts, attached to fences, retaining walls or vehicles and banners located in landscape areas are prohibited.

            (8)   Banners shall be removed at the permittee's expense at the expiration of the applicable permit.

      2.   Inflatable Displays:

         a.   Inflatable displays are not permitted for residential uses.

         b.   Inflatable displays may be displayed for fourteen (14) days per commercial event.

         c.   No more than two (2) temporary sign permits for inflatable displays may be issued to a business, development, or property during a calendar year.

         d.   A maximum of five (5) inflatable displays are allowed per commercial event.

         e.   Inflatable displays shall be securely anchored or attached to prevent dislocation, entanglement or encroachment onto adjacent properties or public streets, and to prevent undue hazards to motorists or pedestrians.

         f.   Ground mounted inflatable displays must be set back from the property line one and one-half (1½) times the height of the inflatable display.

         g.   Roof mounted inflatable displays must not exceed the maximum height for the zone district. A tether is required to secure the inflatable display and shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in length.

         h.   Inflatable displays shall not be attached to fences, landscaping, utility poles or private light poles.

         i.   Inflatable displays that wave, lightly or rapidly, in an irregular manner and portable inflatable billboards are prohibited in all zone districts.

      3.   Election Signs, Construction Signs, Real Estate Signs: In addition to the allowances outlined in the temporary signs table in Subsection E above, the following allowances and standards apply to political/election, construction, and real estate signs:

         a.   Residential Uses/Property/Lots:

            (1)   One (1) to five (5) acres: One (1) sign per street frontage not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet per sign.

            (2)   Five (5) to ten (10) acres: Two (2) signs not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet per sign or one (1) sign not to exceed sixty-four (64) square feet.

            (3)   Greater than ten (10) acres: Three (3) signs not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet per sign or two (2) signs not to exceed forty-eight (48) square feet per sign or one (1) sign not to exceed ninety-six (96) square feet.

         b.   All Other Uses/Property/Lots:

            (1)   Less than one (1) acre: One (1) sign per street frontage not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet per sign.

            (2)   One (1) to five (5) acres: One (1) sign per street frontage not to exceed sixty-four (64) square feet per sign.

            (3)   Five (5) to ten (10) acres: Two (2) signs not to exceed sixty-four (64) square feet per sign or one (1) sign not to exceed one hundred twenty-eight (128) square feet.

            (4)   Greater than ten (10) acres: Three (3) signs not to exceed sixty-four (64) square feet per sign or two (2) signs not to exceed one hundred twenty-eight (128) square feet per sign.

         c.   Removal: These signs must be removed not later than fourteen (14) days after:

            (1)   Sale, lease, or removal of the property from the market.

            (2)   Issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or final building inspection.

         d.   Placement:

            (1)   Landowner permission is required before placing one of these sign types on or within the right-of-way in front of private or publicly owned property in accord with Subsection 7.4.1304D (Owner Authorization).

            (2)   Signs may not be placed within City owned right-of-way unless a revocable permit has been granted in accord with Subsection 3.2.217.D (Revocable Permits) of this Code.

            (3)   Signs may not be placed within State right-of-way without the express approval of CDOT.

            (4)   Signs are not permitted to be attached to public or City owned infrastructure, facilities, utility poles or signposts. (Ord. 23-03)