The following provisions apply to all signs, except signs located within buildings and not visible from the exterior of the buildings.
A. Every parcel occupied with a structure shall have an address sign, clearly legible from the public street where access is located. Address signs may include numbering on a US Postal Service Mailbox, a monument with affixed address, or numbers affixed to a building. Address signs shall not exceed 4 square feet in area.
B. No sign shall be erected without first obtaining a permit, except address signs, garage sale signs, political signs, allowable public safety and traffic signs located within public rights-of-way.
C. No signs or notices may be located within public easements or rights-of-way or on utility poles, utility appurtenances, or trees within public rights-of-way, except street signs, traffic signs, public safety signs, authorized directional signs, and similar public service signs.
D. No sign shall be placed in a location that obstructs the view of drivers of vehicles or shall be placed in a location that is hazardous to pedestrians. The minimum sign setback at the intersection of public streets shall be no closer than 30 feet from the point of right-of-way intersection, as measured along the rights-of-way (other setbacks may apply).
E. No sign shall be designed to mimic traffic and public service signs or be placed in a location that obstructs the view of traffic and public service signs.
F. On-premises traffic directional signs (e.g. "one-way" or directional arrows), not exceeding 8 square feet in area and 5 feet in height are permitted for all commercial, industrial, and public/institutional uses.
G. Off-premises, non-advertising, public service directional signs (e.g. hospital, school, public/institutional facilities), not exceeding 8 square feet in area and 5 feet in height are permitted in all zoning districts.
H. No illuminated sign shall flash or change in illumination intensity, except for traffic signals, time and temperature signs, and as specifically permitted in this Ordinance.
I. No sign shall be painted on, attached to, or maintained upon trees, shrubs, or other natural features, except an address sign or subdivision monument sign which may be affixed to a landscape boulder.
J. No sign shall be painted on, attached to, or maintained upon a vehicle or trailer, except signs on vehicles and trailers which are related to the business and premises upon which the vehicles and trailers are kept or used in normal business functions.
K. No signs are permitted on accessory structures, except as specifically permitted in this Ordinance.
L. Signs are permitted on canopies covering the gasoline dispensing pump islands on properties approved for gasoline sales, provided the total signage square footage on the canopies does not exceed 120 square feet. Illuminated canopy signs are permitted. Dynamic canopy signs are not permitted.
M. Illuminated signs are permitted in all commercial and industrial districts and permitted for public/institutional uses in the Rural Residential District. The amount of ambient lighting from internally lit signs shall not exceed an intensity of illumination greater than 3 foot candles measured at the property line abutting any residential district boundary or 10 foot candles measured at other property lines. The source of illumination on externally lighted signs must be shrouded and shall not allow the light source to be seen from or impact public rights-of way or adjacent properties.
N. Portable/temporary advertising signs (including banners and pennants) are prohibited in all districts except as specifically authorized below:
1. Temporary signs which are coincidental to or used in conjunction with a seasonal civic, school, or church function.
2. Temporary garage sale signs not exceeding 16 square feet in area and not used at the same address more than 7 consecutive days, nor more than 4 times per year.
3. Temporary construction signs advertising a public, institutional, residential, commercial, or industrial development not exceeding 64 square feet in area are permitted on a construction site until the project is completed.
4. Portable/temporary advertising signs are allowed four times per year per business for grand openings, anniversaries, holidays, or other special events.
A. Temporary retail product advertising signs that are no larger than 4 square feet in area and are attached to buildings, gas pumps, or authorized outdoor product displays are exempt from the above restrictions in Subsection 4.
B. Signs for the sale of produce and agricultural products raised on the premises that are no larger than 16 square feet in area are exempt from the above restrictions in Subsection 4.
5. The period of use for any portable/temporary advertising sign shall not exceed 30 consecutive days for any single event, and there shall be a minimum of 14 days between the use of special event portable/temporary advertising signs.
A. Temporary retail product advertising signs that are no larger than 4 square feet in area and are attached to buildings, gas pumps, or authorized outdoor product displays are exempt from the above restrictions in Subsection 5.
B. Signs for the sale of produce and agricultural products raised on the premises that are no larger than 16 square feet in area are exempt from the above restrictions in Subsection 5.
6. Portable/temporary signs shall not exceed 64 square feet in area and shall not be located in public rights-of-way or any location obstructing vehicular visibility.
O. Legal nonconforming signs may not be expanded but may be continued through repair, maintenance, restoration, or sign face replacement, unless:
1. the sign is discontinued for a period of more than one year (discontinued shall mean the use or business associated with the sign has been discontinued for a period of more than one year); or
2. the sign is destroyed by fire, neglect, or other peril to the extent of greater than 50% of its market value, and no building permit has been applied for within 180 days of when the sign was damaged.
P. Projecting signs shall be prohibited except as specifically permitted in this Ordinance.
Q. All signs shall be maintained in a safe and aesthetic condition at all times.
R. Political campaign signs may be permitted on private property in any zoning district, but may not be placed sooner than ninety (90) days preceding the election involved and must be removed within ten (10) days following the election.
S. No sign shall be erected or maintained in the window of a building, which occupies more than forty percent (40%) of the area of said window area.
T. Dynamic signs permitted in this Ordinance shall meet the zoning district requirements established in Article III and the following minimum standards:
1. The electronic display background color tones, illumination intensity, lettering, logos, pictures, illustrations, symbols, and any other electronic graphic or video display for advertising signs shall not change at intervals less than those prescribed in individual zoning district provisions.
2. The duration of the transition of the electronic image or message change of Dynamic signs with minimum intervals required prescribed between image or message change shall be instantaneous and include no fading, scrolling, or other special effects, except authorized Video Display signs.
3. All dynamic signs must be equipped with a default mechanism that will stop the messaging or freeze the image in one position when a malfunction in electronic programming occurs.
4. The sign must not exceed a maximum illumination of 5,000 nits (candelas per square meter) during daylight hours and a maximum illumination of 500 nits (candelas per square meter) between dusk to dawn, as measured from the sign's face at maximum brightness. All dynamic signs must be equipped with an automatic dimmer control or other mechanism that automatically controls the sign's brightness according to ambient conditions. In addition, all dynamic signs must be equipped with a default mechanism that will eliminate sign lighting or freeze the brightness at 500 nits when a malfunction in the automatic dimmer control occurs.
5. Small dynamic signs that are pedestrian-oriented, customer service signs and not highway-oriented, general advertising signs, such as drive-through restaurant menu boards and gas pump dispenser information, are permitted, but are not subject to restrictions on the frequency of message change intervals, illumination standards, or default equipment. Small dynamic signs are permitted up to four (4) square feet.
6. Dynamic signs, including video display signs, that are used for authorized outdoor sporting and recreation events, oriented toward patrons in grandstands or similar outdoor seating and not toward highways or off-premises viewing, are permitted, but are not subject to restrictions on the frequency of message change intervals, illumination standards, or default equipment.
U. Freestanding sign area is calculated by multiplying the outermost dimensions of the sign face and structure holding or encasing the sign face. The column(s) or pole(s) supporting the freestanding sign are not included in the area calculation of signage, provided the column or pole structure is not more than 4 square feet in circumference or dimension. Freestanding signs may have two sign faces, provided the sign faces are parallel to each other and separated only by the framing and support system.
V. Ground sign or monument sign area is measured by multiplying the outermost dimensions of the entire structure or the total area within a polygon surrounding an irregular shaped sign.
W. Sign height is the distance between the average ground elevation within 30 feet of the sign and highest point of the sign structure.
Wall sign area is measured from the outermost dimensions of the sign frame or the area within a polygon surrounding the message of individual lettering and/or logos and emblems attached to a wall. Wall signs may be attached to door or window awnings and shall be included in the maximum aggregate total sign area allowed.
[§ 7B-201, formerly § 10-201, amended by Ord No. 89-1, effective July 21,1989, amended by Ord. No. 07-02, effective March 1, 2007, amended by Ord. No. 10-06, effective May 6, 2010, amended by Ord. No. 13-01, effective January 31, 2013, amended by Ord. No. 19-06, effective December 19, 2019; amended by Ord. No. 20-04, effective September 3, 2020.]