(A) Accessible parking spaces signage. Signs for accessible parking spaces shall be a minimum of 5 % feet above ground level so as not to be obscured by parked vehicles.
(B) Home occupation signage. Lawfully permitted home occupations may display one sign on the premises announcing the name, business type, and telephone number of the home occupation. The sign may not exceed two square feet in area; square footage shall be calculated as provided in § 153.095. The sign may be free-standing or attached to the building or placed so as to be visible through a window. The sign itself may not be electrified or internally illuminated, but it may be lit by directional lighting attached to places such as frame of the sign or in the ground or by ambient light from other existing sources. In addition to the foregoing specific limits, all home occupation signage must comply with the requirements of the city’s Signage Standards and Regulations, §§ 153.090 et seq.
(C) Subdivision signs. Subdivision signs shall be permitted at each street entrance, provided that the following provisions are met:
(1) Display. Only the name of the subdivision or Planned Unit Development shall be included on the sign(s).
(2) Quantity. No more than two subdivision signs may be displayed at each entrance if integrated into a wall; otherwise, only one such sign shall be permitted at each entrance.
(3) Area. No such sign shall exceed 32 square feet in area.
(4) Height. No such sign shall exceed six feet in height.
(5) Location. The sign(s) shall be located at a minimum of ten feet from the right-of-way unless integrated into a median.
(D) Apartment/multi-family residential identification signs. Signs identifying an apartment or multi-family residence or complex name and/or address shall be permitted, provided that the following provisions are met:
(1) Display. Apartment/multi-family residential identification signs shall be void of any and all promotional material and/or information.
(2) Quantity. Only one such sign may be displayed per street frontage.
(3) Area. No such sign shall exceed 32 square feet in area.
(4) Height. No such sign shall exceed six feet in height.
(5) Location. The sign(s) shall be located at a minimum of ten feet from the right-of-way unless integrated into a median.
(E) Institutional signs. Signs identifying the premises of, or announcing the activities conducted by a church, school hospital, nursing home, or similar institutional facility in a residential district shall be permitted, provided that the following provisions are met:
(1) Quantity. Only one such sign may be displayed per street frontage of a single property.
(2) Area. The aggregate size of all institutional signs on a lot shall not exceed 32 square feet in area.
(3) Height. The height of any freestanding institutional sign shall not exceed six feet.
(4) Location. The sign(s) shall be located at a minimum of ten feet from the right-of-way.
(F) Free-standing individual business signs. One free-standing individual business sign shall be permitted in all non-residential districts provided that the following provisions are met:
(1) Pole or pylon signs. Pole or pylon signs shall not exceed the building height, or 35 feet in height, whichever is less. The maximum surface area of such a sign shall not exceed 100 square feet, per side.
(2) Monument signs. Monument signs shall not be higher than eight feet in height, and the maximum surface area of such sign shall not exceed 100 square feet, per side.
(3) Unified center signage. Shopping center under common ownership or management with shared parking, and with or without out lots, shall only be allowed to construct a unified-center sign rather man individual free-standing business signs. All other signage for the development shall be as prescribed by this chapter. A unified center sign may be approved, provided that it is in compliance an approved site development plan. The following minimum standards shall also apply:
(a) Display. Such signs shall indicate only the name of such center and the name and/or type of business of the occupants of the center.
(b) Free-standing unified center signs. Free-standing unified center signs should be monument style signs. In the event that a monument style sign is not feasible, as determined by the Planning Director, a pole or pylon sign may be used instead, provided that it is approved as part of a site development plan and meets the following minimum standards:
1. Height. In no circumstances shall a free-standing unified center sign exceed the building height, or 35 feet in height, whichever is the lesser of the two.
2. Surface area. The maximum surface area of such a sign shall not exceed 200 square feet.
(c) Wall-mounted unified center signs. Wall-mounted signs shall be permitted for unified centers in nonresidential districts, provided that the following provisions are met:
1. Area. The total area of the unified center sign shall be limited to 10% of the facade of the building, or 40 square feet, whichever is less.
2. Individual sign areas. Each portion of the sign identifying an individual business shall not exceed six square feet in sign area.
3. Location. A wall-mounted unified sign shall not extend above the roofline of the building on which it is located.
(G) Electronic changeable copy signs. Electronic changeable copy signs must meet the following standards.
(1) Location. In any district, the sign must be located on the site of the use identified or advertised by the sign. No electronic changeable copy sign shall be allowed in a historic district;
(2) Setback from residential. The leading edge of the sign must be a minimum distance of 100 feet from an abutting residential district boundary;
(3) Setback from historic district. The leading edge of the sign must be a minimum distance of 100 from an abutting historic district boundary;
(4) Setback from other electronic changeable copy, electronic graphic display or video display signs. Electronic changeable copy signs must be separated from other electronic changeable copy signs, electronic graphic display signs or video display signs by at least 35 feet;
(5) Orientation. When located within 150 feet of a residential use located in a residential district, or a historic district, all parts of the electronic changeable copy sign must be oriented so that no portion of the sign face is visible from an existing or permitted principal structure on that lot;
(6) Duration. In any non-residential, non-historic district, any portion of the message must have a minimum duration of eight seconds and must be a static display. No portion of the message may flash, scroll, twirl, change color, fade in or out or in any manner imitate movement; and
(7) Audio or pyrotechnics. Audio speakers or any form of pyrotechnics are prohibited in association with an electronic changeable copy sign.
(H) Signage for businesses in residential neighborhoods. Businesses operating in residentially zoned neighborhoods, either by virtue of being in continuous operation prior to the adoption of the city’s original zoning code (“grandfathered” business) or with the explicit approval of the city by variance or special exception, must ensure that any signage comports with the character of the surrounding residential structures and neighborhood, as well as complies with the requirements of the city’s signage standards and regulations, §§ 153.090 et seq. Because the character of particular neighborhoods varies throughout the city, and because the circumstances of each such business are unique, the Board of Zoning Appeals is hereby authorized to establish specific conditions and restrictions as to any and all signage of such businesses pursuant to the Boards’ power under I.C. 36-7-4-918.2 to impose reasonable conditions to its approvals.
(Ord. 4-2009, passed 3-9-09; Am. Ord. 8-2011, passed 4-11-11)