(a) Bulletin boards for churches, schools, community, or other public, semi-public, or non-profit institution shall be permitted without a sign permit provided they do not exceed thirty (30) square feet of announcement area.
(b) No building wall shall be used to display advertising, except that pertaining to the use carried on within such building.
(c) In computing the area of any sign, all faces or panels or background areas contrasting with the face of the building on which advertising is displayed shall be considered sign area. For projecting signs or pole signs, freestanding signs, or secondary signs that are double- sided with identical copy on both sides and if both sides cannot be viewed at one time, only one side will be counted as the total sign area. For signs containing open spaces or separate letters, words and/or symbols, either free standing or attached to a non-contrasting background, sign area shall be determined to be the smallest rectangle enclosing all such advertising.
(d) Any sign covered by this Ordinance that would exceed these restrictions or any additional sign requested above the number permitted shall require approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
(e) Permanent subdivision signs built at the entrance to a housing development constructed of brick, stone, or other durable material and not causing any obstruction of driver vision at an intersection shall be permitted, without permit, provided that the sign is no taller than five feet. The sign may not be illuminated by anything other than landscape lighting mounted at ground level.
(f) No signs are permitted on the rear of a commercial or industrial building, unless the sign is intended to direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the parking area while on the same premises. Rear wall directional signs can be no larger than four (4) square feet, and may only be a wall sign that extends no further than six (6) inches from the wall.
(g) No sign shall be permitted to encroach on public right-of-way with the exception of projecting signs or wall signs which project from the wall more than six (6) inches and are attached to a building. No portion of these signs shall hang lower than ten (10) feet from the sidewalk or grade.
(h) Privately owned safety, traffic control or directional signs, including, but not limited to exit, entrance, clearance, parking, or no parking signs shall not require a permit unless any of the following conditions exist:
(1) Sign is illuminated.
(2) Sign exceeds four (4) square feet of area.
(3) Sign contains any advertising words, symbols, etc.
(4) Sign is free-standing.
(i) All persons seeking to erect or place a sign shall require a sign permit from the Zoning Inspector, unless this Ordinance, specifically, states that the sign does not require a permit. The application process is described in Section 1187.12 of this Chapter.
(Ord. 05-08. Passed 4-10-08.)