Where terms are not defined in this chapter and are defined in other chapters of this Code, they shall have the same meanings ascribed to them as in those chapters. Undefined terms shall have ascribed to them their meanings as found in the latest edition of Merriam Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language or such as the context herein may imply.
1. Abandoned sign means a sign which no longer identifies or advertises a going concern, lessor, service, owner, product or activity, and/or for which no legal owner can be found.
2. Administrator means the Building Inspector, or his or her designated representative.
3. Aerial sign means any balloon or other airborne flotation device which is tethered to the ground or to a building or other structure which directs attention on a temporary basis to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold or offered.
4. Animated sign means any sign which uses movement or change of lighting to depict action or to create a special effect or scene, including flashing and video, but excluding methods of transition and frame effects as defined within. (Compare "Flashing sign.")
5. Area, sign shall be computed as including the entire area within a regular, geometric form or combination of regular, geometric forms comprising all of the display area of the sign and including all of the elements of the matter displayed.
a. The area of signs composed of individual letters, numerals or other devices shall be the sum of the areas of the smallest rectangles or other geometric figures encompassing the message. Frames and borders not being advertising matter shall not be included in the computation of surface area. In the case of irregularly shaped three dimensional signs, the area of the display surface shall be measured on the plane of the largest vertical cross section.
b. Measurement of sign face area means that where a sign has two or more faces, the area of all the faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign.
6. Awning means a shelter projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building constructed of non-rigid materials on a supporting framework. (Compare "Marquee.")
7. Awning sign means a sign painted or printed on, or attached flat against, the surface of an awning.
8. Banner sign means a temporary sign made of fabric or any non-rigid material with no enclosing framework.
9. Billboard. See "Off-premises sign."
10. Changeable copy sign (automatic) means a sign on which the copy changes automatically on a lampbank or through mechanical means, e.g. electrical or electronic time and temperature units (see "Electronic message display").
11. Changeable copy sign (manual) means a sign on which copy is changed manually in the field, e.g. reader boards with changeable letters.
12. City means the City of Elyria, unless the context clearly discloses a contrary intent.
13. Clearance, sign means the smallest vertical distance between the grade of the adjacent street or street curb and the lowest point of any sign, including framework and embellishments, extending over that grade.
14. Construction sign means a temporary sign identifying an architect, owner, funding source, contractor, subcontractor, and/or material supplier participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located.
15. Copy means the wording on a sign surface in either permanent or removable letter form.
16. Directional/information sign means an on-premises sign giving directions, instructions or facility information and which may contain the name or logo of an establishment but no advertising copy, e.g. parking or exit and entrance signs.
17. Double-faced sign means a sign with two (2) faces.
18. Downtown Commons Area means all of the properties included on both sides of the streets regardless of their zoning classifications and whether or not the legal addresses face the street (i.e. corner lots) of the following:
A. Broad Street (Cedar Street to Chestnut Street);
B. Court Street;
C. Middle Avenue (Broad Street to Fifth Street);
D. Lake Avenue (Broad Street to the west branch of the Black River);
E. Washington Avenue (north to the Black River Bridge);
F. Depot Street (west of Cedar Street);
G. Merchant Alley;
H. Chapel Street;
I. East Avenue (Conrail railroad tracks south to Fifth Street);
J. Second Street (Chestnut Street to Cedar Street);
K. First Place;
L. Commerce Court;
M. Temple Court;
N. Third Street (between the east and west branches of the Black River);
O. Holly Lane;
P. Fourth Street (between the east and west branches of the Black River);
Q. Barres Lane;
R. Fifth Street;
S. Tremont Street;
T. Chestnut Street;
U. Elm Street;
V. North Street (east of Chestnut Street);
W. Cedar Street;
X. West Avenue (Lake Avenue to Fifth Street);
Y. Unnamed alley (between and parallel to Chestnut Street and West Avenue);
19. Electrical sign means a sign or sign structure in which electrical wiring, connections, or fixtures are used.
20. Electronic message display/Electronic message center means a sign capable of displaying words, symbols, figures or images that can be electronically or mechanically changed by remote or automatic means.
21. Facade means the entire building front, including the parapet.
22. Face, sign means the area of a sign on which the copy is placed.
23. Festoons means a string of ribbons, tinsel, small flags or pinwheels.
24. Flashing means a method of attracting attention by utilizing sequential or intermittent display of light.
25. Freestanding sign means any sign supported on the ground by poles or braces and not attached to any building.
26. Frontage means the length of the property line of any one premises along a public right-of-way on which it borders.
27. Frontage, building means the length of an outside building wall on a public right-of-way.
28. Government sign means any temporary or permanent sign erected and maintained by the City, County, State or Federal Government for traffic direction or for the designation of or direction to any school, hospital, historical site or public service, property or facility.
29. Ground mounted sign means any freestanding sign, other than a pole mounted sign, independently supported by the ground or mounted on a decorative wall or fence.
30. Height of sign means the vertical distance measured from the highest point of the sign, excluding decorative embellishments, to the grade of the adjacent street or the surface grade beneath the sign, whichever is less. (Compare "Clearance.")
31. Identification sign means a sign, whose copy is limited to the name and address of a building, institution or person, and/or to the activity or occupation being identified.
32. Illegal sign means a sign which does not meet the requirements of this chapter and which has not received legal nonconforming status.
33. Illuminated sign means a sign with an artificial light source incorporated internally or externally for the purpose of illuminating the sign.
34. Incidental sign means a small sign, emblem or decal informing the public of goods, facilities or services available on the premises, e.g. a credit card sign or a sign indicating hours of business.
35. Institutional sign means any sign designating a hospital, nursing home, child care facility, place of worship, educational institution or club.
36. Lot means a parcel of land legally defined on a subdivision map recorded with the Assessment Department or Land Registry Office, or a parcel of land defined by a legal record or a survey map.
37. Maintenance means the cleaning, painting, repair or replacement of defective parts of a sign in a manner that does not alter the basic copy, design or structure of the sign.
38. Mansard means a slope roof or roof-like facade architecturally comparable to a building wall.
39. Marquee means a permanent roof-like structure of rigid materials supported by and extending from the facade of a building. (Compare "Awning.")
40. Marquee sign means any sign attached to or supported by a marquee structure.
41. Nameplate means a nonelectric, on-premises identification sign giving only the name, address and/or occupation of an occupant or group of occupants.
42. Nonconforming sign means a sign which was erected legally, but which does not comply with subsequently enacted sign restrictions and regulations; or a sign which does not conform to these regulations but for which a special permit has been issued.
43. Occupancy means the portion of a building or premises owned, leased, rented or otherwise occupied for a given use.
44. Off-premises sign means a permanent sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service or entertainment, which is not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished at the property on which said sign is located, e.g. billboards.
45. On-premises sign means a sign which pertains to the use of the premises on which it is located.
46. Owner means a person recorded as such on official records. For the purposes of this chapter, the owner of property on which a sign is located is presumed to be the owner of the sign, unless facts to the contrary are officially recorded or otherwise brought to the attention of the Administrator, e.g. a sign leased from a sign company.
47. Painted wall sign means any sign which is applied with paint or a similar substance on the face of a wall.
48. Parapet means the extension of a false front or wall above a roof line.
49. Person means an individual, corporation, association, firm, partnership or other defined interest.
50. Point of purchase display means the advertising of a retail item accompanying its display, e.g. an advertisement on a product dispenser.
51. Pole cover means a cover enclosing or decorating poles or other structural supports of a sign.
52. Portable sandwich board sign means a sign with two display surfaces that is not permanently anchored to the ground or a structure and has a hinged or A-frame construction that allows the sign to be displayed indoors or outdoors.
53. Portable sign means any sign designed to be moved easily and not permanently affixed to a structure, building or the ground.
54. Premises means a parcel of land, with its appurtenances and buildings, which, because of its unity of use, may be regarded as the smallest conveyable unit of real estate.
55. Projecting sign means a sign, other than a flat wall sign, which is attached to and projects from a building wall or other structure not specifically designated to support the sign.
56. Real estate sign means a temporary sign advertising the real estate upon which the sign is located as being for rent, lease, or sale.
57. Roofline means the top edge of a roof or building parapet, whichever is higher, excluding any cupolas, pylons, chimneys or minor projections.
58. Roofline sign means any sign erected over or on the roof of a building. (Compare "Mansard" and "Wall sign.")
59. Rotating sign means a sign in which the sign itself or any portion of the sign moves in a revolving or similar manner. Such motion does not refer to methods of changing copy.
60. Sign means any device, structure, fixture or placard using graphics, symbols and/or written copy designed specifically for the purpose of advertising or identifying any establishments, products, goods or services.
61. Sign permit means the official written approval for the creation, erection or construction of a sign issued by the City of Elyria.
62. Snipe sign means a temporary sign or poster affixed to a tree, utility pole, fence, etc.
(Ord. 98-176. Passed 8-3-98.)
63. Special event sign means a temporary sign for an event which occurs infrequently, no more than once per quarter.
(Ord. 99-56. Passed 4-5-99.)
64. Subdivision identification sign means any ground-mounted, freestanding or wall sign identifying a recognized subdivision, condominium complex, or residential development.
65. Temporary sign means any sign not constructed or intended for long-term use and which is not permanently mounted or placed in or on any premises.
66. Traffic control sign means any traffic control sign, as defined in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, as published by the Ohio Department of Transportation, under authority of Ohio R.C. 4511.09.
67. Under-canopy sign means a sign which suspends beneath a canopy, ceiling, roof or marquee. (See "Marquee sign.")
68. Use means the purpose for which a building, lot, sign or structure is intended, designed, occupied or maintained.
69. Wall sign means a sign attached parallel to and extending not more than fifteen (15) inches from the wall of a building, including painted individual letter and cabinet signs, and signs on a mansard roof.
70. Window sign means a sign painted on, attached to or suspended directly behind or in front of a window or the glass portion of a door and which sign is intended to be viewed from the outside.
71. Yard sign means a temporary sign erected on a lawn, the ground or the driveway of any premises.
72. Dissolve means a mode of message transition on an electronic message display accomplished by varying the light intensity or pattern, where the first message gradually appears to dissipate and lose legibility simultaneously with the gradual appearance and legibility of the second message.
73. Fade means a mode of message transition on an electronic message display accomplished by varying the light intensity, where the first message gradually reduces intensity to the point of not being legible and the subsequent message gradually increases intensity to point of legibility.
74. Frame means a complete static display screen on an electronic message display.
75. Frame effect means a visual effect on an electronic message display applied to a single frame to attract the attention of viewers.
76. Scroll means a mode of message transition on an electronic message display where the message appears to move vertically across the display surface.
77. Transition means a visual effect used on an electronic message display to change from one message to another.
78. Travel means a visual effect used on an electronic message display where the message appears to move horizontally across the display surface.
(Ord. 98-176. Passed 8-3-98; Ord. 2009-168. Passed 8-3-09.)