(a) The regulations contained within this chapter shall apply to all signs and to all zoning districts.
(b) No sign shall be erected, established, modified, created, or maintained in the City of Defiance without the issuance of a zoning permit as established in Section 1165.10 Zoning Permit and the payment of fees unless otherwise exempted in this chapter.
(1) No zoning permit is required for the maintenance of a sign or for a change of copy on painted, printed, or changeable copy signs.
(2) Changes of sign panels or letters require a zoning permit.
(c) No sign shall obstruct or interfere with traffic or traffic visibility, or resemble or imitate signs or signals erected by the city or other governmental agency for the regulation of traffic or parking.
(d) No sign shall be permitted as the principal use on a premises. Signs shall be permitted only as accessory uses unless otherwise specified in this chapter. Billboards and outdoor advertising devices are not permitted.
(e) Illumination.
(1) All signs, except as specifically stated in this chapter, may be illuminated by internal or reflected light, provided that such illumination shall:
A. Be shielded from all adjacent residential buildings and all streets;
B. Not have an intensity to cause glare visible to pedestrians or vehicle drivers, nor shall the illumination be of such brightness as to cause reasonable objection from adjacent residential districts; and
C. No illuminated sign shall be permitted if any part of the sign flashes on or off, has lighting that moves or illustrates movement, or displays changing degrees of intensity in illumination. This regulation applies to signs located outside of buildings, and to window signs inside buildings that can be seen from the outside. This prohibition on flashing, moving, or intermittent lighting shall not apply to public service devices exempted in Subsection 1179.04(b) or electronic messages centers permitted per Subsection 1179.07(c).
(2) Signs shall not be lighted so as to obstruct traffic control or other public information signs.
(3) Any sign having an outside power source shall obtain a permit and electrical inspection to govern safety and conformity with the National Electrical Code (NEC).
(f) Construction Standards.
(1) Signs shall be structurally sound and located so as to pose no threat to pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
(2) Signs shall be fabricated on and be of materials which are of good quality, of good durability and complementary to the building of which they become a part.
(3) All wiring, fittings, and materials used in the construction, connection, and operation of electrically illuminated signs shall be in accordance with the provisions of the National Electric Code (NEC).
(4) No sign of any classification shall be installed, erected, or attached to a structure in any form, shape, or manner that is in violation of building or fire code of the city or the State of Ohio.
(5) The construction, erection, safety and maintenance of signs shall comply with the state building codes.
(6) Permanent signs shall be constructed and erected to withstand wind pressures and shall be fastened, suspended or supported so that they will not be a menace to persons or property.
(7) No sign shall be erected so as to project over and obstruct any window, door, fire escape, balcony, platform, stairway, ladder, vent or other means of ingress of any building.
(8) No sign shall be attached to a utility pole, tree, trash receptacle, bench or other structure not intended or approved as a sign support.
(9) Temporary signs shall be durable and weather-resistant.
(g) No sign shall be erected on public property or within any public right-of-way except by governmental authorities in the discharge of a governmental function or pursuant to a license to occupy the right-of-way granted in accordance with Section 131.03 of the City regulations.
(h) Signs in the Central Business District and Design Review Board.
(1) Signs in the Central Business District are subject to review and approval of the Design Review Board as established in Section 1163.08 Design Review Board for Central Business District (CBD).
(2) A zoning permit is required in accordance with the requirements of Section 1165.10 Zoning Permit.
(3) The Central Business District as used in this section means the area bounded by:
A. The water's edge on the west bank of the Auglaize River between the centerline of Hopkins Street/Fifth Street and the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers;
B. The water's edge on the south bank of the Maumee River between the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers and the point at which the centerline of Jackson Avenue would intersect the water's edge if extended north of the intersection of Jackson Avenue and First Street;
C. The centerline of Jackson Avenue between the points of intersection with the water's edge on the south bank of the Maumee River and the centerline of Thurston Street;
D. The centerline of Thurston Street between the points of intersection with the centerlines of Jackson Avenue and Clinton Street;
E. The centerline of Clinton Street between the points of intersection with the centerlines of Thurston Street and Arabella Street;
F. The centerline of Arabella Street between the points of intersection with centerlines of Clinton Street and Jefferson Avenue;
G. The centerline of Jefferson Avenue between the points of intersection with the centerlines of Clinton Street and Fifth Street;
H. The centerline of Fifth Street between the points of intersection with the centerlines of Jefferson Avenue and Washington Avenue;
I. The centerline of Washington Avenue between the points of intersection with the centerline of Fifth Street; and
J. The centerline of Fifth Street between the points of intersection with the centerline of Washington Avenue and the water's edge on the west bank of the Auglaize River.
(Ord. 7675. Passed 11-11-14.)