All new billboards shall comply with the following:
A. Purposes and Intent:
1. The purpose of this Section 7.4.1312 is to limit the impact of billboards on the community; to improve the appearance of the Interstate 25, Highway 24, Highway 24 bypass, and Municipal Airport entryway corridors; to enhance the urban design of the greater downtown area; to ensure compatibility between billboards and adjacent land uses; and to limit the impact that billboards have on sign clutter in the community. The City recognizes that billboards are a necessary and appropriate advertising medium, and that there are acceptable and viable locations for billboards within the community.
2. It is the intent of this Section 7.4.1312 to address the following specific concerns regarding the impact of billboards upon the community:
a. The citizens of Colorado Springs and others visiting or traveling through the City are very concerned about the urban design and visual integrity of the City.
b. Billboards are often incongruous with the City's natural setting and features due to their large-scale figures, numbers, letters, and colors.
c. A billboard can dominate the view from vehicles and interfere with the occupants' enjoyment of the City's natural setting and features.
d. A high concentration of billboards may create traffic safety problems and distract attention away from public safety signs.
e. Billboards of excessive size or height should be downsized within a reasonable time period.
f. Billboards are incompatible with residential uses.
g. The Interstate 25, Highway 24, Highway 24 bypass, and Municipal Airport entryway corridors are major entryways to the City that are of particular importance in terms of urban design and public perception to citizens, visitors, and tourists.
h. The downtown planning area is an area in which urban design significantly influences the health and vitality of the total community.
B. Area, Height, and Face Standards: All billboards shall be constructed in accord with the Uniform Sign Code as set forth in this Part 7.4.13 and shall conform to the following standards:
1. Sign Area: New billboard faces and supporting framework shall not exceed the following sign areas:
a. New billboards shall be a maximum of two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet.
b. Replacement billboards, existing billboards four hundred (400) square feet or larger in face area may be replaced at a size up to four hundred (400) square feet; billboards with face areas less than four hundred (400) square feet and two hundred and forty-five (245) feet or greater shall be replaced at a size up to two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet. Existing billboards of less than two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet shall be restricted to their current size in the event they are relocated.
2. Height: Billboards shall not exceed the maximum height permitted for freestanding signs in the zone district in which they are located.
3. Faces: There shall be no more than two (2) billboard faces per supporting structure.
C. Location Standards: All billboards shall be located in accord with the following standards:
1. Zones: After the Effective Date, billboards shall be allowed as conditional uses in the following zones: MX-L, LI, GI, and BP.
2. Conditional Uses: All new billboards shall be required to obtain a conditional use permit in accord with Section 7.5.601 (Conditional Use Permit).
3. Location Standards:
a. Billboards shall be set back the same distance required for freestanding signs in the zone district in which they are located.
b. No billboard shall be placed on the roof of any building or structure.
c. No billboard shall cantilever over any building or structure.
4. Spacing Standards:
a. No billboards shall be spaced less than one thousand (1,000) feet from the nearest billboard, except billboards in GI zones shall be spaced no less than four hundred (400) feet from the nearest billboard. In determining the physical spacing of billboards, the City will consider existing billboards and approved conditional use billboard locations.
b. Distances between billboards shall be measured horizontally along the centerline of the street or highway to which the sign is directed as set forth in the figure below.
c. Only one billboard shall be placed within a radius of two hundred and fifty (250) feet from the center point of any street or highway intersection as set forth in the figure below.
d. No billboard shall be placed within five hundred (500) feet of any residential zone as set forth in the figure below.
5. Railroad Rights-of-way:
a. New billboards shall not be allowed to be placed within any railroad rights-of-way.
b. Existing billboards within a railroad right-of-way shall be grandfathered and allowed to remain in their current locations.
D. Maintenance and Discontinuance:
1. Maintenance: All sign supports, braces, guys, and anchors shall be kept in good repair. Faces of all signs shall be kept neatly painted or posted at all times. The City shall notify the sign owner or its agent of any sign that is not in proper state of repair. If corrective action is not taken within thirty (30) days, the City official may order the removal of the sign.
2. Discontinuance: The Manager may order the removal of any billboard, without compensation, upon which the advertising or other message has been discontinued for more than sixty (60) continuous days. The billboard shall be removed by the owner within thirty (30) days of notification by the City.
E. Billboard Credit: Permits to erect new billboards shall only be issued to those persons possessing a "billboard credit."
1. Billboard Credit: Billboard credits shall be issued by the City to those billboard owners who have removed a previously existing, lawfully erected billboard after the Effective Date. It shall be the responsibility of the permit applicant to show the ownership, location, and date of removal of the billboard.
2. Credit Basis: Billboard credits shall be issued on a per face and per structure basis. One credit shall be issued for each billboard face removed and one credit for each structure removed. If a billboard is not located upon a separate supporting structure, the building or other structure to which the billboard is attached shall constitute a single structure for the purpose of receiving one credit.
a. No credit shall be granted for the partial removal of faces.
b. No credit shall be granted for the removal of billboard faces that are less than eighty-four (84) square feet.
3. Use of Billboard Credits: A billboard credit may only be used in a location that meets all standards of this UDC.
4. Transfer of Credits: Credits may be transferred between parties through legal means.
5. Size: Credits will allow billboards to be reconstructed in the following sizes:
a. A credit for a new four hundred (400) square foot billboard will be issued for billboards that are removed that are in excess of three hundred and ninety-nine (399) square feet.
b. A credit for a new two hundred and forty-five (245) square foot billboard will be issued for billboards that are removed that are between two hundred and forty-five (245) and three hundred and ninety-nine (399) square feet.
c. A credit will be issued for a new billboard of equal size for billboards that are removed that are less than two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet.
F. Downsizing:
1. Restricted Corridors: All existing billboards that are directed toward and visible from and within six hundred and sixty (660) feet of Interstate 25, Highway 24, Highway 24 bypass, and airport entryway (Powers Boulevard between Fountain Boulevard and Milton Proby Parkway, Airport Entrance Road between Powers Boulevard and the airport terminal) corridors shall be downsized as follows:
a. Billboards larger than four hundred (400) square feet in face area before December 31, 1996, shall not exceed four hundred (400) square feet.
b. Billboards containing between two hundred and forty-five (245) and three hundred and ninety-nine (399) square feet in face area before December 31, 1996, shall not exceed two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet.
2. Downtown Planning Area: All existing billboards within the area of the FBZ district, as shown on the map below, on the Effective Date shall be downsized as follows:
a. Billboards larger than four hundred (400) square feet in face area before December 31, 1996, shall not exceed four hundred (400) square feet.
b. Billboards containing at least two hundred and forty-five (245) and less than four hundred (400) square feet in face area before December 31, 1996, shall not exceed two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet.
3. Nonrestricted Areas: All existing billboards, in areas other than the restricted corridors or downtown planning area, shall be downsized as follows:
a. Billboards larger than four hundred (400) square feet in face area before December 31, 1996, shall not exceed four hundred (400) square feet.
b. Billboards containing between two hundred and forty-five (245) and less than four hundred (400) square feet in face area before December 31, 1996, shall not exceed two hundred and forty-five (245) square feet.
G. Cap on Number of Billboards:
1. Restricted Corridors and Downtown Planning Area: There shall be a cap on the number of billboards within the restricted corridors or Interstate 25, Highway 24, Highway 24 bypass, Powers Boulevard (between Fountain Boulevard and Milton Proby Parkway) and the airport entrance road (between Powers Boulevard and the airport terminal) as well as within the downtown planning area. No new billboards shall be allowed within these areas except with the removal of an existing billboard from the same corridor/area. Permits for new billboards within the restricted corridors or downtown planning area will only be issued to those persons possessing a "billboard credit" indicating they have removed a billboard from the same corridor or downtown planning area. All new billboards within restricted corridors or the downtown planning area shall comply with the design standards as set forth in this Section 7.4.1312.
2. Citywide Cap: There shall be a limit of two hundred and eight (208) total billboard locations within the corporate limits.
H. Exemptions: This Section 7.4.1312 shall not pertain to the following types of off premises signs:
1. State approved signs within Colorado State highway rights-of-way.
2. Signs approved by the revocable permit process as set forth in Chapter 3, Article 2, Part 2 of this Code.
3. Off premises temporary signs that comply with the provisions of Subsection 7.4.1307F (Temporary Sign Types Additional Criteria).
4. Signs announcing a "special event" as defined in Section 3.2.403 (Definitions) of this Code.
I. General Provisions: All billboards are subject to the applicable provisions for signs as set forth in this Part 7.4.13, except Section 7.4.1311 (Nonconforming and Abandoned Signs). All billboards are subject to the provisions set forth in Part 7.5.8 (Nonconformities) except that where any provision of this Part 7.4.13 imposes a more specific requirement than imposed by Part 7.5.8, then that specific requirement shall govern. (Ord. 23-03)