As used in this chapter:
ABANDONED SIGN. A sign which for a period of a specified number of consecutive days or longer as defined by this chapter no longer advertises or identifies a legal business establishment, product or activity; a sign which is damaged, in disrepair, or vandalized and not repaired within a specified number of consecutive days; a sign which contains an outdated message for a period exceeding a specified number of consecutive days.
ALTERATION. Any change in copy, color, size or shape, which changes the appearance of a sign; or a change in position, location, construction or supporting structure of a sign.
ANIMATION or ANIMATED. The movement or the optical illusion of movement of any part of the street graphic structure, design, or pictorial segment, including the movement of any illumination or the flashing or varying of light intensity; the automatic changing of all or any part of the facing of a street graphic.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL. Any projection, relief, cornice, column, change of building material, window, or door opening on any building.
AREA OF SIGN. The entire face of the sign including the advertising surface and any framing, trim, or molding, but not including the supporting structure. For wall signs without a frame, the sum of the area(s) of the smallest rectangle(s) or other geometrical figure(s) encompassing the signs letters and graphics.
AWNING SIGN. Any sign adhered to, painted on to, attached to, or supported by an awning.
BALLOON SIGN. A lighter-than-air gas-filled balloon or device, tethered in a fixed location, that has a sign with a message or graphics on its surface.
BANDIT SIGNS. See SNIPE or BANDIT SIGNS definition.
BANNER. A graphic composed of a logo or design on a lightweight material that deforms under light pressure that is either enclosed or not enclosed in a rigid frame and secured or mounted to allow motion caused by the atmosphere.
BANNER, STREET. A banner located beside a right-of-way that is attached to a pole or fixture that is designed by a governmental entity to display street banners.
BILLBOARD. A permanent, free-standing, changeable copy sign greater than 48 square feet and not to exceed 200 square feet, visible from the public right-of-way, that is available for rent by various advertisers and directs attention to a business, activity, commodity, service, entertainment, or communication conducted, sold, or offered either on the premise on which the sign is located or at a location other than the premise on which the sign is located. A billboard is anchored to the ground by permanent posts.
BUILDING IDENTIFICATION SIGN. Any sign containing the name or address of a building and may include hours of operation and emergency information, such sign being located on the same site as the structure.
BULLETIN BOARD. A particular type of changeable copy sign that displays copy in a casement made of glass, Plexiglas® or other materials.
CANOPY SIGN. A sign on a rigid multi-sided structure attached to a building or on any other freestanding structure that may have a roof with support but no walls.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN. A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters, or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged without altering the permanent physical face or surface of the sign. This includes manual, electrical, electronic, or other variable message signs.
CHANGEABLE ELECTRONIC VARIABLE MESSAGE SIGN (CEVMS). A self-luminous advertising sign that depicts any kind of light, color, or message change which ranges from static images to image sequences to full motion video. The CEVMS may also be referred to as an ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD (EBB) or a DIGITAL BILLBOARD (DBB).
COMMERCIAL MESSAGE. Any sign wording, logo, or other representation that, directly or indirectly, names, advertises, or calls attention to a business, product, service, or other commercial activity.
COMPREHENSIVE SIGNAGE PLAN (CSP). A coordinated program of all signs, including exempt and temporary signs for a business, or businesses if applicable, located on a development site. The sign program must include, but not be limited to, indications of the locations, dimensions, colors, letter styles, sign types, illumination, and maintenance plan of all signs to be installed on a site.
COPY. Any word, letter, number, emblem, or graphic affixed to the sign surface, either permanently or in removable form.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. An on-premises sign for the convenience of the public giving directions, facility information, and assistance around a site such as the location of exits, entrances, parking, amenities, and to encourage proper circulation.
DIRECTORY SIGN. An on-premises sign that displays the names, uses, or locations of the various tenants on the site.
DISABILITY GLARE. The effect of stray light in the eye whereby visibility and visual performance are reduced. For purposes of this chapter, glare exceeding 2,500 nits is considered to be disability glare.
DOUBLE-FACED SIGN. A sign with two faces either set parallel or up to a 45° angle. Any two sign faces set at an angle greater than 45° will be considered two separate signs.
ELECTRIC SIGN. Any sign containing electrical wiring, but not including signs illuminated by an exterior light source.
FACADE. That portion of any exterior elevation of a building extending vertically from grade to the top of a parapet wall or eaves and horizontally across the entire width of the building elevation.
FENCE. A freestanding, upright barrier marking a boundary and characterized by transparency or made of insubstantial materials. Examples include wrought iron fences, chain link fences, wooden slat fences, or vinyl fences.
FLASHING SIGN. A sign that contains either a random intermittent or sequential blinking or flickering light source or light sequence. An animated sign, CEVMS will not be considered a flashing sign unless it is programmed with sudden short outbursts of light, blinking lights, flickering lights, or lights varying in intensity.
FOOT-CANDLE. (Abbreviation: fc or ft-c). A unit of measure of the intensity of light from a uniform point source of light equal to one lumen uniformly distributed over a one square foot surface. Foot-candle was originally defined with reference to a standardized candle burning at one foot from a given surface.
FREE-STANDING SIGN. The general term for any sign which is permanently anchored into the ground or on a foundation. It is supported by one or more upright poles, columns, or braces, and is not attached to a building or any other structure.
FRONTAGE. The length of the property line(s) of any single premise along either a public way or other properties on which it borders.
GOVERNMENTAL SIGN. A sign installed and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function, or required by law, ordinance or other governmental regulation.
GRADE. The average level of the finished surface of the ground, paving, or sidewalk at the property line located at the closest distance to the sign unless otherwise specified.
HEIGHT. The vertical distance measured from the highest point of the sign, including the frame and any embellishments and the established grade.
HOLIDAY DECORATIONS. Signs or displays, including lighting, which are a non-permanent installation celebrating national, state, and local holidays or holiday seasons.
ILLEGAL SIGN. Any sign placed without proper approval or permits as required by law at the time of sign placement. Illegal sign will also mean any sign placed contrary to the terms or time limits of any permit and any nonconforming sign which has not been brought into compliance with any applicable provisions of this chapter. Any sign not removed after notification from the Land Use Administrator to remove the sign. A registered nonconforming sign that is otherwise maintained in compliance with this chapter is not considered an illegal sign.
ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign for which an artificial source of light is used in order to make readable the sign's message, including internally lighted signs, externally lighted signs, glowing signs, or radiating signs.
ILLUMINATION, EXTERNAL. An artificial light source outside the sign face that illuminates the sign and may be attached to or contained within the sign structure.
ILLUMINATION, INDIRECT. A source of external illumination located outside the sign face that lights the sign.
ILLUMINATION, INTERNAL. A light source that is concealed or contained within the street graphic and becomes visible in darkness through a translucent surface.
INFORMATIONAL SIGN. Public or private directional signs, street or traffic signs, address numbers, names of buildings, suites or rooms, and other signs of a similar nature.
INSTRUCTIONAL SIGN. A sign which provides direction or instruction to guide persons to facilities intended to serve the public (e.g., restrooms, public telephones, public walkways, parking areas, and commercial resort-community amenities, maps, housing units, or transportation schedules).
LENGTH OF FRONTAGE.
(1) For measurement purposes, the length of any primary or secondary frontage is the sum of all wall lengths parallel, or nearly parallel, to such frontage, excluding any such wall length determined by the Land Use Administrator as clearly unrelated to the frontage criteria.
(2) For buildings with two or more frontages, the length and allowable sign area is calculated separately for each such frontage.
(3) The building frontage for a building unit is measured from the center line of the party walls defining the building unit.
LIGHT TRESPASS. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNA) defines light trespass as "light that strays from the intended purpose and becomes an annoyance, a nuisance, or a detriment to visual performance." Light trespass can result in glare.
LOGO, LOGOGRAM, or LOGOTYPE. An emblem, letter, character, pictograph, trademark, or symbol used to represent any firm, organization, entity, or product.
MANSARD ROOF. Four-sided roof with each side having two slopes; the lower slope is almost vertical to allow extra roof space for the attic rooms.
MANSARD SIGN. A sign permanently affixed to a wall or surface designed to protect the edge of a room, such surface being no more than 30° from vertical.
MARQUEE. A permanent structure other than a roof attached to, supported by, and projecting from a building and providing protection from the elements.
MARQUEE SIGN. Signs or message areas on a permanent roof-like structure projecting from and supported by a building over a building entrance.
MECHANICAL MOVEMENT. An animated sign that physically revolves, moves up and down, or moves sideways.
MONUMENT SIGN. A ground graphic permanently affixed to the ground at its base, supported entirely by a base structure, and not mounted on a pole.
MURAL. A picture on an exterior surface of a structure. A mural is a sign only if it is related by language, logo, or pictorial depiction to the advertisement of any product or service or the identification of any business, otherwise it is considered a work of art as defined herein.
NONCOMMERCIAL SIGN. Any sign designed for a noncommercial expression not related to the advertisement of any product or service or the identification of any business.
NONCONFORMING SIGN. A sign which was lawfully installed prior to the adoption or amendment of the most recently adopted sign ordinance and was in compliance with all the provisions of the ordinance in effect at the time of its installation, but which does not presently comply with the current sign ordinance and city code.
OBSCENE. This refers to a work which:
(1) The average person applying contemporary community standards would find that, when considered or taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interests;
(2) The material depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way by representations of ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated; masturbation, excretory functions or lewd exhibitions of the genitals; tactile stimulation of the genitals; and
(3) The work when considered or taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
OFF-PREMISE SIGNS. Sign, graphics or display messages about a business, individual, goods, products, services, and activities available at a different location than where the sign is located.
ON-PREMISE SIGN. Sign, graphics or a display for commercial, industrial, institutional, service or entertainment purposes promoting products, uses or services conducted, sold or offered upon the same premises where the sign is located, and the purpose of which is to sell or identify a product, service or activity.
OWNER, PROPERTY. The person or persons recorded on the County's tax role as holding the title to a parcel of land; or a person in a long-term lease who has been given the right to develop the land through a signed, notarized contractual document.
OWNER, SIGN. The owner, occupant, or agent of a property who is in possession of and/or installs the sign, with or without a permit.
PARAPET. A part of a wall which extends past the roofline out from a smooth vertical wall surface - often between a building's first and second stories.
POLE SIGN. A sign which is permanently affixed in or upon the ground, supported by one or more structural poles, with air space between the ground and the sign face.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any street graphic that is not permanently attached to any structure, building, or the ground; and is designed and constructed to be movable from one location to another.
PRIVATE STREET. Primary access ways that are intended to provide vehicular access to multiple commercial businesses and/or ownerships and are not dedicated as a public thoroughfare.
PROJECTING SIGN. A sign which is supported by an exterior wall of a building or other structure, and which is constructed and displayed perpendicular to the face of the building or other structure so that both sides of the sign are visible.
READER BOARD. Any sign having changeable copy for the purpose of advertising events, sales, services or products provided on the site.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. A public or privately held area of land taken or dedicated for the passage of goods or people including roadways, streets, paths, alleys, walkways, sidewalks, curbs, lighting, planting strips, utility infrastructure, and drainage facilities.
ROOF SIGN. Any sign installed, constructed, and maintained upon a roof, parapet, or roof-mounted equipment structure.
SIGN. Any device, fixture, placard, structure, or surface that uses any colors, form, graphic, illumination, symbol or writing to advertise, announce the purpose of, or identify the purpose of a person or entity, or to communicate information of any kind to the public, when the same is placed in view of the general public.
SIGN CLEARANCE. The least vertical distance between the lowest point of any sign, including the framework, and the established grade at the sign.
SIGN FACE. An exterior display surface of a sign on which copy is placed.
SIGN STRUCTURE. Any structure that supports or is capable of supporting a sign or street graphic display.
SITE. All the contiguous ground area legally assembled into one development location which is a zoning lot. A zoning lot is defined as a permanent parcel (lot of record), multiple lots of record, or a portion of a lot of record.
SNIPE OR BANDIT SIGNS. Signs placed on or affixed to public property, utility poles, street furniture, trees, natural vegetation, rocks, or placed on or in a right-of-way without a city permit. Examples include but are not limited to handbills, posters, announcements, fliers.
STREET FRONTAGE. The distance along which a property line of a lot adjoins a public or private street.
STREET GRAPHIC. A lettered, numbered, symbolic, pictorial, or illuminated visual display designed to identify, announce, direct, or inform that is visible from a public right-of-way. The term STREET GRAPHIC includes signs, banners, pennants, streamers, moving mechanisms, and lights.
STRUCTURE. That which is built or constructed and requires location on the ground, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.
TEMPORARY SIGNS. A sign constructed of paper, cloth, canvas, plastic, cardboard, wall board, plywood or other like material without a permanent foundation or otherwise not permanently attached to the ground that appears to be intended or is determined by the Land Use Administrator to be displayed for a limited time not to exceed 90 days.
VEHICLE SIGN. Any sign permanently or temporarily attached to or placed on a vehicle, trailer, or boat which relates to a business, activity, use, service or product.
WALL. A freestanding, upright, solid, opaque structure enclosing a space.
WALL SIGN. Any sign attached to, installed on, or painted on an exterior wall of a building or structure including perimeter walls, with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel or approximately parallel to the plane of the wall including V-shaped signs.
WARNING SIGN. A sign containing no advertising material but which warns the public of the existence of danger.
WINDOW SIGN. Any temporary or permanent sign painted or affixed in any manner to a window or exterior glass door such that it is intended to be viewable from the outside.
WORK OF ART. A product of creative expression which does not contain the name of a business, property owner, products sold or services provided and is not otherwise intended to act as a commercial advertisement.
(Ord. 208, passed 5-24-2023)