A. Applicability: Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, move, construct, alter, or enlarge any Sign without first obtaining the appropriate permits and approvals.
B. Required Reviews and Approvals: Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, all Signs shall be subject to design review, either administrative staff level or board level review in accordance with this Title.
C. Structural Design Criteria: All monument Signs shall be designed to resist the minimum wind load as specified in the current City adopted International Codes.
D. Validity and Transferability: If work authorized under a permit has not been commenced within 180-days after the date of issuance, said permit shall become null and void. Permits are nontransferable.
E. Master Sign Plans: A "master Sign plan", as defined by this Chapter, shall be required to be submitted to the City for review and approval for the following:
1. Building complexes and business parks;
2. Multi-tenant Building and/or structures;
3. Shopping Centers and mini-malls;
4. Multiple Buildings on a single site or development; and
5. Any arrangement of Buildings or shops which constitute a visual entity.
F. The purpose of the master Sign plan is to coordinate Signs, and create a plan that establishes a Building or site's overall Sign design. The master Sign plan shall show Sign colors, styles and locations of Buildings, maximum size, illumination, and materials to be used.
G. The master Sign plan may be approved by the City with elements that require suspension or relaxation of the height, area, number of Signs, or locations of Signs specified within this Title if the City Design Review Board finds that extraordinary conditions exist which allow suspension or relaxation, but that any suspension or relaxation will still meet the intent of this Title and:
1. The development site contains unique or unusual physical conditions such as topography, proportion, size or relation to a public street that would limit or restrict normal Sign visibility.
2. The proposed or existing development exhibits unique characteristics of land use, architectural style, site location, physical scale, historical interest or other distinguishing features that justify variation from conventional development.
3. The proposed signage incorporates special design features such as logos, emblems, murals, statuaries or similar architectural elements that are designed in a manner determined by the City to be architecturally compatible to the Sign and area.
H. Concurrent:
1. All Sign applications made pursuant to this Chapter are required to be submitted for review at the time the respective Building design review application is made, unless otherwise specified in this Chapter. For commercial plats, a master Sign plan is required to be submitted with the plat for preliminary approval. This Section is not intended to apply to Sign applications made for the advertisement of businesses in existing Buildings where no changes are proposed to the Building at the time of the application.
2. Application for Permanent Sign Permits: Application for a Sign permit shall be made upon forms furnished by the Administrator and shall be accompanied by such information as may be required to ensure compliance with this Title Sign applications shall be accompanied by the following:
a. A site plan (to scale and fully dimensioned) showing the location of the site, all property lines, easements, Setbacks, landscaping areas, and indicating the location of all Signs;
b. An elevation drawing, footing design, connection details and specifications for all monument Signs. All drawings and details shall be to scale and fully dimensioned;
c. A master Sign plan is required to be submitted for any cluster of Buildings intended for business occupancy, or any single Building containing more than one business or any arrangement of business Buildings or shops which constitute a visual entity. These include developments such as Shopping Centers, mini-malls, business parks, and multi-tenant commercial, Office or industrial Buildings housing four or more businesses. Additionally, a master Sign plan may be submitted for a single business if the owner chooses to submit an application for a master Sign plan for said business;
d. Structural engineering calculations for monument Signs that are over fifteen (15') feet in height; and
e. An elevation, connection details and specifications for all attached wall Signs. All drawings and details shall be to scale and fully dimensioned.
I. Application for Temporary Sign Permits:
1. Application for temporary Signs as required in this Chapter shall be made upon forms furnished by the Administrator and shall be accompanied by such information as may be required to ensure compliance with this Title. Sign applications shall be accompanied by the following:
a. A site plan (fully dimensioned) showing the location of the site, all property lines, easements, Setbacks, landscaping areas, and indicating the location of all Signs;
b. An elevation drawing depicting the size, message or advertisement, connection method, and design color scheme; and
c. Fees: Sign permit applications shall be accompanied by fees as established by Council resolution.
J. Activities Exempt from Permit Requirements: The following activities do not require a Sign permit.
1. For Signs conforming to this Chapter, a permit shall not be required for a change of face, copy and/or logo on any such Sign, cleaning, and normal maintenance and repair of a Sign, provided that the Sign structure is not changed in any way and provided that the colors previously approved are not changed. (Ord. 895, 4-25-2023)