(a) Sandwich board signs are exclusively permitted within the defined central business district within the Downtown Development Authority. This defined area is bordered on the south by the railroad tracks, west by M-15 (State Street), north by Third Street, and east by a line beginning on the south at railroad tracks aligning with the fence along the eastern edge of merchants parking lot directly north to Third Street.
(b) Permitted Sign Types.
(1) Signs shall be a sandwich board type with multiple (minimum of two) or one continuous hinge across top.
(2) Signs must be portable and are intended to be set on the sidewalk.
(c) Signs shall have a maximum height of 42 inches and a maximum width of 24 inches. The minimum height of a sandwich board shall be not less than 36 inches and a minimum width of not less than 20 inches.
(d) Design.
(1) All sandwich board signs shall be maintained in a high-quality state, with no peeling, broken, cracked, or faded paint/vinyl.
(2) Lettering shall have crisp and sharp edges with a professional quality, either painted or vinyl.
(3) Signs are to have a flat surface.
(4) Signs shall have no more than two sign faces.
(5) Signs are intended to contain the name of the business it is intended to advertise on both sides.
(6) Signs shall not be illuminated, animated, have moving parts, or be electrically powered in any way.
(7) Signs shall contain a device (such as a chain, rope, cable, etc.) to prevent sign panels from spreading open and collapsing onto the ground.
(8) Edges shall have no protruding features that extend beyond the edges of the sign.
(9) Signs may contain three-dimensional type lettering and/or objects contained within overall area limits of the sign.
(10) Removable signage panels on thin sign board material such as aluminum, Centrex, or other quality sign grade material shall be attached to the sign frame with screws or through the use of slide rails. These materials are necessary to ensure high-quality interchangeable sign panels while enhancing the versatility of the sign. Flimsy fixtures including, but not limited to, Velcro, staples, or double sided tape, are not permitted.
(11) Signs are encouraged to be unique creations that have a high-quality appearance, reflecting creative hand-made craftsmanship through carvings, paintings, and other unique sign-making techniques.
(12) Combinations of sign colors are encouraged because they ensure contrast and clarity. The following color palette is suggested:
A. Background: Black, brown, dark green, medium to dark blue, burgandy.
B. Lettering: Black, brown, medium blue, medium to dark green, burgandy, goldenrod, and white.
(13) Signs may be a silhouette cut into a shape. Protruding features extending beyond the limits of the sign area that could cause a hazard to pedestrian traffic are not permitted.
(14) Temporary hand lettering is permitted only on a chalk or white board section of the sign comprising of an area not greater than 60% of any one side of sign, such as: "Daily Specials'' or "Sale Today" applications. This chalk or white board section may be on one or both sides of sign.
(e) Construction Materials.
(1) Signs shall be constructed using quality exterior sign board materials.
(2) Suggested materials: MDO board, Centrex, Alumiply, high density foam board, plastic (with weights).
(3) Materials not recommended (due to temporary exterior quality): Cardboard, OSB, plywood, Coraply, or Masonite.
(4) Signs shall not be constructed from materials that may cause a hazard to pedestrian traffic.
(5) Signs constructed with light materials such as plastic shall be weighted so they can remain stationary on windy days.
(6) Sign panels that are loose or lightly attached are not permitted.
(7) Items that are attached loosely or lightly to the sign panels are not permitted.
(f) Installation.
(1) Each building, including buildings with more than one (1) tenant, with exterior frontage is permitted to display one (1) sandwich board sign at a time.
(2) Placement on landscaped areas in front of business, between frontage of building and sidewalk is permitted. However signs are not permitted in landscaped areas between sidewalk and curb.
(3) If a business owns private property between the building and the sidewalk, the sign must be located in this area.
(4) Sandwich board signs do not have permanent fixtures. Therefore, they are placed outside of the business only during business hours and must be removed and placed indoors daily for storage after the close of business.
(5) Location of sign must be within fifteen (15) feet of the business entry on the sidewalk as far from the curb as possible and within business frontage of the building. Signs are not permitted to restrict the width of permissible sidewalk egress from the City's minimum commercial sidewalk width requirements.
(6) Signs are not permitted to be placed in front or adjacent to another business, commercial enterprise, or vacant land. In addition, placement of such signs is prohibited on City property (except within the permitted sidewalk right-of-way), including but not limited to parking lots, streets, or alleys.
(g) Examples of acceptable signs:
(h) Maintenance. Sandwich board signs must conform to the requirements set forth in Section 1292.09.
(i) Approval. Approval of sandwich board signs are subject to the permit requirements of Section 1292.03.
(j) Exceptions. Requests for exceptions from the regulation of sandwich board signs are subject to the administrative review requirements of Section 1292.08.
(Ord. 2007-04. Passed 10-8-07.)