The general provisions for all signs are listed below:
(A) Design.
(1) All signs hereafter constructed or maintained shall conform to the provisions of this chapter and the provisions of the city code, promoting the health and welfare of the general public.
(2) Signs shall be designed to be consistent with the architectural treatment and overall character of the principal building and/or the overall site.
(3) Signs shall use materials or textures which are complementary to those used in the principal building and/or in the overall project.
(4) Signs shall use colors which match or complement the colors used on the building and/or in the overall project.
(5) No sign, other than an official traffic sign or similar sign, shall be constructed within the boundary of any street or public right-of-way unless specifically authorized herein, authorized by other city ordinances or regulations; or permitted by special city authorization.
(6) No temporary or permanent sign or sign structure, shall be erected or placed in a manner that would obscure vehicular visibility on or at the intersection of roadways; or at any location where its position, shape or color may interfere with or obstruct the view of, or be confused with, any authorized traffic sign, signal or device.
(7) All signs shall be designed and constructed to resist all weather conditions of central Arizona.
(8) The placement of new signs shall integrate with the established locational pattern of like sign types.
(B) Materials.
(1) All sign materials and components shall be of the quality and grade to resist specified wind and seismic hazard conditions of central Arizona.
(2) Combustible materials, other than approved plastics, shall not be used in the construction of any electronic signs.
(3) Sign materials to be used on the building facade shall be compatible with the design of the face of the façade.
(C) Sign anchors.
(1) All signs shall be securely anchored to resist the identified wind and seismic hazards existing in central Arizona.
(2) There shall be no visible angle iron supports, guy wire, braces, or supports. All sign supports shall be an integral part of the sign design.
(D) Sign illumination. Signs may be illuminated as provided by this chapter and specified by approved sign criteria, if applicable, in accordance with the following regulations:
(1) Sign lighting shall be of low intensity with effective provisions made to minimize spillover of light beyond the actual sign face. Examples of permissible illumination methods would include, but not be limited to, the use of appropriate cut-off style light fixtures, the use of down-light fixtures adjusted so as to avoid light spillover and interference with the vision of motorists, and the use of muted internal illumination. Prohibited forms of light spillover include, but are not limited to, spillover into adjoining properties, roadways and airspace. Lighting must not interfere with the vision of oncoming motorists.
(2) All illuminated signs shall adhere to the provisions provided in § 154.106 unless specifically modified herein.
(E) Maintenance.
(1) The property owner or tenant on which the sign is located shall be responsible to maintain all signage that has been approved or that has been issued a permit. Periodic maintenance shall be undertaken by the owner or tenant so that the signage continues to conform to the conditions imposed by the sign permit and does not constitute any danger or hazard to public safety, and is free of peeling paint, major cracks, or loose, dangling, or torn materials.
(2) Any damaged sign base shall be repaired within 30 days after receipt of written presentation/rectification of the issue by the Zoning Administrator to the property owner. Upon request, said period may be extended by the Zoning Administrator to accommodate conditions outside the control of the sign owner.
(3) All metal pole covers and sign cabinets shall not show any effect of rust and rust stains.
(4) Any internally illuminated sign cabinets or sign panels which have been damaged shall not be illuminated until repaired.
(5) If the sign is suspect to collapse, or determined to be unsafe by the city’s Inspector/Code Enforcement, or if any sign shall be unlawfully installed, erected or maintained in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, the owner thereof, or the person or firm using the sign, shall, upon written notice by the city’s Inspector/Code Enforcement, or immediately in the case of imminent danger, and in any case within not more than ten days after notice shall make such sign conform to the provisions of this chapter; or remove the sign. If, within ten days, full compliance with the notice has not occurred, the city’s Inspector/Code Enforcement may remove, or cause such sign to be removed, at the sole expense of the owner and/or user of the sign. Upon request, said period may be extended by the Zoning Administrator to accommodate conditions outside the control of the sign owner.
(6) The changeable letter panels of a permitted changeable copy sign shall be subject to the same maintenance requirements as imposed by the sign permit.
(F) Sign inspections. All signs for which a permit is required shall be subject to the following inspections, unless waived by the Zoning Administrator or designee:
(1) Footing inspections on all freestanding signs, including situations where square footage or panels are added to existing freestanding signs;
(a) Electrical inspections on all illuminated signs prior to clearance; and
(b) Final inspection which shall cover the sign location, structural members, and placement of the inspection marker in accordance with this subchapter.
(2) Any person installing or erecting a permanent sign as regulated by this subchapter shall ensure that the signs are marked with the maker’s name and the person or firm erecting the sign, the date of installation, and the permit number as approved by the City Manager or designee.
(G) Sign height measurements. Sign height measurements are determined as follows for each sign type:
(1) Freestanding signs. The overall height of a freestanding sign or sign structure is measured from the lowest point of the ground directly below the sign to the highest point of the freestanding sign or sign structure.
(a) Exception: Where a freestanding sign or sign structure is mounted along a roadway that has a higher grade level as compared to the grade level directly below the freestanding sign or sign structure, then the freestanding sign or structure’s height will be measured from the top of curb or the crown of the adjacent roadway (where no curb exists) to the highest point of the freestanding sign or sign structure.
(2) Wall signs or fascia mounted signs. Wall, fascia, mansard, and parapet signs. Height shall be the vertical distance to the top of the sign or sign structure from the base of the wall on which the sign is located.
(H) Sign area measurements. The “sign area” of each permitted sign shall be measured as follows:
(1) Background mounted signs. Sign copy mounted or painted on a background panel or area distinctively painted, textured or constructed as a background for the sign copy shall be measured as that area within the outside dimensions of the background panel or surface. The base of a freestanding monument sign shall not be calculated as sign area unless said base contains signage.
(2) Individual mounted signs. The area of a sign copy mounted or painted, as individual letters or graphics, against a wall or the fascia of a building or other structure that has not been painted, textured or otherwise altered to provide a distinctive background for the sign copy, shall be measured as the area enclosed by the smallest standard geometric shape or combination of geometric shapes capable of encompassing the perimeter of the background area of the sign.
(3) Two-part signage. In instances in which a sign consists of individual elements such as letters, symbols, or other graphic objects or representations that are painted, attached to, or otherwise affixed to a surface such as a wall, window, canopy, awning, architectural projection, or to any surface not specifically designed to serve as a sign background, the sign area shall be based on the sum of the individual areas of the smallest geometric shape or combination of geometric shapes capable of encompassing the perimeters of the individual elements comprising the sign.
(4) Sign frames or cabinets. The area of sign faces enclosed in frames or cabinets is determined based on the outer dimensions of the frame or cabinet
(5) One sign with one or more sign faces.
(a) One face: Area of the single face only;
(b) Two faces: If the interior angle between the two faces is 60 degrees or less, the sign area will be the total of one face only; if the angle between the two sign faces is greater than 60 degrees, the sign area will be the sum of the areas of the two faces.
(c) Three or more faces: The sign area will be 50% of the sum of the areas of all faces.
(d) Irregular shaped signs: To be measured based on the appropriate mathematical formula to obtain the sign area for a circle, an oval or irregularly shaped sign.
(e) Spherical, free-form, sculptural or other non-planar signs: The signage area shall be 50% of the sum of the sides of the of the areas using only the four vertical sides of the smallest cube that will encompass a sign.
(Res. R22-05-08, passed 5-3-2022; Ord. O22-05-02, passed 5-3-2022)