A. Permits Required. All signs shall require a sign permit, except for address signs, political signs, temporary real estate signs, portable/temporary advertising signs, public service signs, and traffic signs. Sign permits shall remain valid as long as the sign for which the permit was issued has been constructed and maintained according to all requirements of this Ordinance, except signs requiring an Interim Use Permit shall have a term specified in Interim Use Permit.
B. Application for Permit, Application Fee. Application for a sign permit shall be made to the City Administrator on a form or forms prepared by the City. Each application must be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee and possible escrow for consultant review expenses, as established by the City Council. The application must contain at least the following information, unless waived by the City Administrator:
1. Name, address, and telephone number of the fee owner(s) of the property.
2. Name, address, and telephone number of the Contract for Deed purchaser(s) or lessee(s) of the property.
3. Street address of the property.
4. Legal description of the property.
5. A scaled site plan of the property showing the location and dimensions of all buildings, roads, driveways, and other improvements and topographical features, and the location(s) of the proposed sign(s). The application must be accompanied by scaled drawings of the proposed sign, including dimensions of the sign, freestanding sign height, ground clearance and property setback dimensions, sign content, and lettering dimensions.
6. The Zoning Administrator shall approve sign applications that are consistent with the requirements of this Ordinance, except applications requiring Interim Use Permits or Variances.
7. For signs which require an Interim Use Permit or for signs for which a Variance has been requested, the sign application procedure shall be administered and adjudicated concurrently with the Interim Use Permit application and Variance application prescribed in Chapter 7A of the Columbus City Code.
8. If the application is for a large off-premises dynamic sign in the I-35 Corridor, the site plan must illustrate the distance to the closest dynamic sign with a dynamic sign area exceeding 200 square feet, including dynamic signs on the opposite side of the highway.
9. If construction of a sign support structure is proposed which will require a Storm Water Management Plan under the provisions of Chapter 7D of the Columbus City Code, then a copy of the site plan or of a survey, altered to show the Storm Water Management Plan, shall be submitted with the application.
C. Approved Permits. The City Clerk shall issue a dated sign permit to the applicant upon receipt of all required permit fees and approval by the City Administrator or City Council. A copy of the permit shall be attached to a copy of the application and drawings and retained by the Clerk, according City records management policies.
D. Owner Responsibility. The permit owner shall be responsible for all the requirements of this Ordinance, including proper maintenance and the liability for expense for removal of illegal signs incurred by the City.
[§ 10-400 (now § 7B-400), amended by Ord. No. 83-2, effective May 25, 1983, and 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.]