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(a) The Dallas Arts District Extension Area (Planned Development District No. 708) was established on March 9, 2005, to complement the adjacent Arts District (Planned Development District No. 145). This approximately 17.4-acre area in the northeast section of the central business district, generally bounded by Woodall Rodgers Freeway, North Central Expressway, Routh Street, and Ross Avenue, represents a concerted effort on the part of the city and arts organizations to consolidate major art institutions in one mixed-use area.
(b) The guideline for development in the Arts District Extension Area is an urban design plan known as the “Sasaki Plan.” This plan is based on district-wide design and land use concepts, which include the creation of a pedestrian-oriented environment and a distinctive visual image for the district. Flora Street is defined as the major pedestrian spine and focus of development in the district. As a wide, tree-lined environment, Flora Street connects three subdistricts (Museum Crossing, Concert Lights, and Fountain Plaza) and provides continuity in a development framework for public institutions and private owners.
(c) The sign regulations in this division have been developed with the following objectives in mind:
(1) To protect the character of Flora Street and the Arts District Extension Area from inappropriate signs in terms of number (clutter), size, style, color, and materials.
(2) To enhance the image and liveliness of the Arts District Extension Area by encouraging compatible signs that are colorful, decorative, entertaining, and artistic in style while being functional and informative in purpose.
(3) To promote the commercial success of each individual tenant in the Arts District Extension Area and, in turn, the commercial success of all the tenants in the district collectively.
(4) To create a sense of design uniformity between signs and the other streetscape elements of the Arts District Extension Area and the Arts District.
(5) To help make the Arts District Extension Area an attractive place for the public to frequent by providing ease of direction to specific cultural institutions.
(6) To create a means of identifying the various types or categories of retail establishments along Flora Street.
(7) To identify and promote cultural events and activities consistent with the purposes of the Arts District Extension Area.
(8) To recognize that sign hardware is a part of the overall visual design of a sign, and to ensure that investments in signs and other structures in the Arts District Extension Area are not devalued by inappropriate or poor quality sign hardware. (Ord. 25920)
(a) In this division:
(1) ARTS DISTRICT means Planned Development District No. 145, established by Ordinance No. 17710, passed by the Dallas City Council on February 16, 1983 (the Dallas Arts District).
(2) ARTS DISTRICT EXTENSION AREA means Planned Development District No. 708 (the Dallas Arts District Extension Area).
(3) ARTS DISTRICT OFFICIAL LOGO means the official logo of the Arts District and the Arts District Extension Area, as depicted in Exhibit A in Division 51A-7.1200, “Provisions for Arts District Sign District.”
(4) AWNING SIGN means a sign that is or appears to be part of an awning.
(5) BLOCK means an area bounded by streets on all sides.
(6) BLOCKFACE means all of the lots on one side of a block.
(7) BUILDING CORNICE AREA means that portion of a building facade above the highest story, but below the actual roof structure.
(8) BUILDING IDENTIFICATION SIGN means any sign composed of one or more characters that identify a specific building’s name.
(8.1) BUILDING PLAZA AREA means an open area near a building often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, and places to sit.
(9) CBD STREETSCAPE PLAN means the Dallas Central Business District Streetscape Guidelines approved by the Dallas City Council on April 15, 1981, by Resolution No. 81-1118.
(10) CHARACTER means a symbol, as a letter or number, that represents information.
(11) DETACHED PREMISE SIGN means a sign that is both a detached sign and a premise sign as defined in Section 51A-7.102.
(12) DISTRICT ACTIVITY SIGN means a sign that promotes cultural events or cultural activities in this sign district, with no portion of the sign devoted to sponsorship.
(13) FLAT ATTACHED SIGN means an attached sign projecting four inches or less from a building.
(14) FLORA STREET FRONTAGE AREA means the “Flora Street Frontage Area” as defined in the Arts District Extension Area PD.
(15) GENERIC RETAIL IDENTIFICATION SIGN means a sign identifying a type or category of retail establishment without identifying a specific establishment.
(16) GOVERNMENTAL TRAFFIC SIGN means a sign, signal, or other traffic control device installed by a governmental agency for the purpose of regulating, warning, or guiding vehicular or pedestrian traffic on a public highway. Examples of these signs include stop signs, one-way signs, no parking signs, and electronic pedestrian and vehicular signalization devices and their fixtures.
(17) INSTITUTIONAL MOVEMENT INFOR- MATION SIGN means a sign showing the location of or route to a specific cultural institution or a parking area serving that institution.
(18) KIOSK means a small structure with one or more open sides used to display artwork or temporary signs.
(19) MARQUEE SIGN means a sign attached to, applied on, or supported by a permanent canopy projecting over a pedestrian street entrance of a building, and consisting primarily of changeable panels, words, or characters.
(19.1) MONUMENT SIGN means a detached sign applied directly to a ground-level support structure (instead of a pole support) with no separation between the sign and the ground, or mounted on a fence.
(20) PLAQUE means a permanent tablet, the contents of which are either commemorative or identifying.
(21) PRIVATE SIGNS means those signs that are not “public signs” as defined in this section.
(22) PROJECTING ATTACHED SIGN means an attached sign projecting more than four inches from a building.
(23) PROMOTIONAL SIGN means a sign that promotes a cultural event or activity.
(24) PUBLIC SIGNS means governmental traffic signs, institutional movement control signs, generic retail identification signs, promotional signs, or plaques or district activity signs as defined in this section.
(24.1) RETAINING WALL SIGN means an attached premise sign within the One Arts Plaza Subdistrict or the Two Arts Plaza and Three Arts Plaza Subdistrict that is integrated into a retaining wall.
(25) SASAKI PLAN means the urban design plan prepared by Sasaki Associates, Inc. in August, 1982 to serve as the guideline for development in the Dallas Arts District and Arts District Extension Area. The Sasaki Plan is attached to and made a part of the Arts District PD ordinance (Ordinance No. 25508).
(26) SIGN HARDWARE means the structural support system for a sign, including the fastening devices that secure a sign to a building facade or pole.
(26.1) TENANT IDENTITY SIGN means an attached premise sign within the Two Arts Plaza and Three Arts Plaza Subdistrict located on a building that is primarily used for office uses and that identifies a specific office tenant.
(27) THIS DISTRICT means the Arts District Extension Area Sign District.
(28) WINDOW SIGN means a sign temporarily or permanently attached to, applied on, or supported by a window.
(a) A person shall not alter, place, maintain, expand, or remove a sign in this district without first obtaining a sign permit from the city, except that no sign permit is required for:
(1) governmental traffic signs; and
(2) promotional signs other than banners.
(b) The procedure for obtaining a sign permit is outlined in this section. Section 51A-7.602 does not apply to signs in this district.
(c) No sign permit may be issued to authorize a sign in this district unless the director has first issued a certificate of appropriateness in accordance with this section.
(d) Section 51A-7.504, which establishes the special sign district advisory committee for special provision sign districts in the city generally, does not apply to this district. City planning personnel are responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the director concerning applications for permits to authorize signs in this district.
(e) Upon receipt of an application for a permit to authorize a sign in this district, the building official shall refer the application and plans to the director for a review to determine whether the work complies with this division. The director shall conduct his or her review so that a decision on issuance of the permit can be made within 30 calendar days from the date the completed application is submitted to the building official.
(f) The director shall solicit a recommendation from the planning staff before making a decision to approve or disapprove a certificate of appropriateness. The recommendation of the staff is not binding upon the director, and the director may decide a matter contrary to the recommendation of the committee.
(g) A decision by the director to grant a certificate of appropriateness may not be appealed. A decision to deny the certificate may be appealed by the applicant. An appeal is made by filing a written request with the director for review by the city plan commission. An appeal must be made within 10 days after notice is given to the applicant of the director’s decision. In considering the appeal, the sole issue shall be whether or not the director erred in making the decision, and, in this connection, the commission shall consider the same standards that were required to be considered by the director in making the decision, specifically, whether the work complies with this division. Decisions of the commission are final as to available administrative remedies and are binding on all parties.
(h) If the city plan commission fails to make a decision on an appeal by the applicant within 30 calendar days of the date the written request for an appeal is filed with the director, the application shall be considered approved subject to compliance with all other applicable city codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations. (Ord. Nos. 25920; 28073)
(a) This division does not apply to signs that are not visible from outside the premise on which they are located.
(b) Signs in this district are permitted in or overhanging the public way subject to city franchise requirements.
(c) No sign may obscure a window or a significant architectural element of a building.
(d) Sign hardware may be visible if its structural elements have been specifically devised for their intrinsic contribution to an overall visual effect. Utilitarian hardware intended only for functional purposes must be concealed from normal view.
(e) Mounting devices supporting a projecting attached sign must be fully integrated with the overall design of the sign.
(f) Materials, fasteners, and anchors used to manufacture and install signs must be resistant to corrosion.
(g) Paints and coatings must contain a UV inhibitor to retard the discoloration and fading effects of ultraviolet light. In addition to finish coats, bare metals must have a primer coat or other surface pretreatment as recommended by the paint or coating manufacturer.
(h) Electrical power required for signs must be supplied by means of concealed conduit from an appropriate power source to the sign in accordance with city codes and accepted practices of the trade. Electrical disconnects, transformers, and related apparatus, including wiring and conduit, must be concealed from normal view.
(i) No signs may be illuminated by an independent external light source.
(j) Burned out or defective lights in signs must be replaced within a reasonable time. Failure to comply with this provision may result in sign permit revocation.
(k) Banners are only allowed as promotional signs.
(l) Only those signs exempt from the Highway Beautification Act are permitted within 660 feet of a regulated highway. (Ord. 25920)
(a) Generic retail identification signs.
(1) This subsection applies only to generic retail identification signs as defined in Section 51A-7.2103.
(2) These signs are only permitted on Flora Street.
(3) These signs must be one-eighth inch thick aluminum disks that are 12 inches in diameter.
(4) Messages on these signs must consist entirely of graphic symbols or glyphs designed to identify a type or category of retail facility. They may not identify specific retail establishments.
(5) These signs must be mounted on streetlight poles. No more than six signs are allowed on a pole. When there is more than one sign, the second sign must be the same height as the first sign and located on the other side of the pole. Additional signs must be similarly paired and located immediately beneath the first two signs. Thus, the proper maximum configuration will be symmetrical and consist of three pairs of signs, with the second and third pairs being located immediately below the first pair.
(b) Governmental traffic signs.
(1) This subsection applies only to governmental traffic signs as defined in Section 51A-7.2103.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision in this division, these signs must comply with applicable statutory specifications.
(3) On Flora Street, these signs must be mounted on streetlight poles or on white cylindrical poles. On other streets, they must be mounted on white cylindrical poles or on other fixtures recommended in the CBD Streetscape Plan.
(4) The backs of these signs must be white.
(c) Institutional movement information signs.
(1) This subsection applies only to institutional movement information signs as defined in Section 51A-7.2103.
(2) On Flora Street, these signs must be mounted on streetlight poles or on white cylindrical poles. On other streets, they must be mounted on white cylindrical poles or on other fixtures recommended in the CBD Streetscape Plan.
(3) The backs of these signs must be white and incorporate the Arts District official logo.
(d) Plaques. Plaques must be made of bronze or stone and contain an inscription that relates to the Arts District or the Arts District Extension Area.
(e) Promotional signs.
(1) This subsection applies only to promotional signs as defined in Section 51A-7.2103.
(2) These signs must promote cultural events and activities. The portion of a sign devoted to sponsor identification, if any, must not exceed 10 percent of its effective area. No sign or portion of a sign may be used to advertise a specific product or service other than the cultural event or activity.
(3) Banners must be either flat against a building facade or mounted on streetlight poles. All other promotional signs must be affixed to city-franchised kiosks.
(4) No promotional sign other than a banner may be larger than 30 inches by 40 inches.
(5) No promotional sign may be permanent. Each sign must be removed no later than 30 days after its specific advertised event or activity has ended.
(f) District activity signs.
(1) This subsection applies only to district activity signs as defined in Section 51A-7.2103.
(2) District activity signs are permitted only on the first two floors in that portion of Flora Street Frontage area, at least 660 feet away from a regulated highway under the Highway Beautification Act.
(3) District activity signs are permitted up to any size as the display contained within the transparent portion of the street wall along Flora Street. (Ord. 25920)
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