(a) The following functional types of signs are permitted in "C-1," "C-2" and "C-3" Zoning Districts:
(1) Bulletin boards;
(2) Business signs;
(3) Identification signs;
(4) Directional signs; and
(5) Temporary signs.
General regulations pertaining to some of these functional sign types are given by this section. Supplementary regulations can be found in Section 1282.11.
(b) The following structural types of signs are permitted in “C-1,” “C-2” and “C-3” Districts:
(1) Awning and canopy signs;
(2) Free-standing signs;
(3) Marquee signs;
(4) Projecting signs; and
(5) Wall signs.
(c) Two signs per establishment are permitted in “C-1,” “C-2” and “C-3” Districts, except that a sign oriented towards an interstate highway and meeting the criteria established in subsection (g) hereof shall be allowed in addition to the two other signs allowed. Only one projecting sign per zoning lot is allowed. Except for one high-rise free-standing sign meeting the criteria for interstate highway orientation established by subsection (g) hereof, only one free- standing sign per zoning lot is allowed.
The allowance of two signs per owner in these districts shall pertain to ground level owners and/or occupants of which at least seventy-five percent in a given building have street exposure. In the case of multilevel office buildings, or multiple businesses in a building where less than seventy-five percent have street level exposure, signage shall be limited to two per zoning lot and shall be controlled by standards applied to the entire building.
(d) Minimum sign setback shall be as follows in “C-1,” “C-2”and “C-3” Districts:
(1) No part of a free-standing sign shall be within ten feet of a street right of way nor within twenty feet of the intersection of corner right-of-way lines.
(2) No projecting sign extending into a street right of way shall be larger than six square feet nor extend more than one foot into such right of way, and no projecting sign within ten feet of a street right of way shall be larger than twenty-five square feet.
(3) Marquee, awning and canopy signs shall be an integral part of the structure to which they are attached.
(e) Illumination of signs is permitted in “C-1,” “C-2” and “C-3” Districts, provided that illuminated signs facing an “R,” “S-PUD” or “A” District shall not have exposed neon tubing nor an exposed visible light source, unless such signs are more than 100 feet distant from such noncommercial zoning districts.
(f) Temporary signs up to sixteen square feet in area may be displayed on any zoning lot in “C-1,” “C-2” and “C-3” Districts for not more than fourteen days in a ninety-day period. Such temporary signs may include banner signs securely affixed flat against a building or structure. A shopping center on a zoning lot of at least two acres shall be permitted no more than two temporary signs at any one time. Provisions relating to signs for grand openings are provided in Section 1282.11.
(g) Heights of signs which are free-standing in “C-1,” “C-2” and “C-3” Districts shall not exceed twenty feet in height, except that a sign oriented towards an interstate highway within 600 feet, the highway surface being at least ten feet above the grade level of such sign, shall have the following standards apply:
(1) Such sign shall be separated from other free-standing signs on the same zoning lot by at least seventy-five feet.
(2) No part of such sign shall be closer than fifty feet from the intersecting right of way of two non-interstate public roads, nor closer than ten feet to a right of way other than an interstate highway.
(3) No part of such sign shall be closer than ten feet from another zoning lot.
(4) The difference in elevation between the bottom of the sign and the top of another free-standing sign on the same zoning lot shall be at least twenty feet.
(5) Such sign shall not be larger per face than:
A. The greater of either fifty square feet or 1.75 square feet per foot of height above average grade on the zoning lot; and
B. One square foot for each 150 square feet of lot area.
(6) The maximum height (top of sign) shall be 115 feet above the average grade of the zoning lot.
(h) The maximum size for permitted signs in a “C-1,” “C-2” and “C-3” District shall be as follows, unless specifically allowed by other provisions of this chapter:
(1) Bulletin boards, twenty-seven square feet;
(2) Free-standing signs may be the larger of either twenty-five square feet, one square foot per foot of building frontage, or one square foot per four linear feet of lot frontage on a public street, with an upper size limit of seventy square feet;
(3) Awning, canopy and marquee signs, not exceeding in area the area of the awning, canopy or marquee to which they are attached, and meeting the same size restrictions as for projecting signs;
(4) Directional signs, four square feet:
(5) Temporary signs, sixteen square feet;
(6) Wall signs not exceeding the following limits:
A. Two square feet for each linear foot of building frontage shall be allowed to a maximum sign area of 200 square feet.
B. The wall sign area limitations given by paragraph (h)(6)A. hereof may be increased by one square foot for each six linear feet the sign is set back from the minimum zoning set back line.
C. Separate commercial uses of a retail or service nature having no building frontage, but which are located in a structure of which at least seventy-five percent of the other businesses therein have street exposure at the first story level, shall be permitted twelve square feet of sign area for the first 500 square feet of floor area or part thereof and an additional one square foot of sign area for each fifty square feet in excess of the first 500 square feet of floor area, to a maximum permitted sign area of 200 square feet.
D. No wall sign may be mounted in such a way that any part extends above the surface of the wall to which it is attached.
(7) Projecting signs, not exceeding the following limits:
A. Subject to other applicable restrictions pertaining to projecting signs, the basic size standard for such signs shall be one square foot of sign area per linear foot of building associated with a given owner fronting a thoroughfare, to a maximum sign area of fifty square feet.
B. Signs projecting into a public right of way shall be limited to six square feet in area and shall not project into the right of way more than one foot.
C. A building fronting a thoroughfare and having a projecting sign which does not encroach into the right of way shall be allowed a minimum projecting sign area of ten square feet.
D. No projecting sign within ten feet of a public right of way shall exceed twenty-five square feet in area.
E. Projecting signs shall provide at least fifteen feet of clearance beneath when over an area used by motor vehicles and ten feet of clearance beneath when over an area used by pedestrians. In all other cases, there shall be at least four feet of clearance beneath projecting signs.
F. Projecting signs shall be subject to the same height limitations as wall signs.
(Ord. 82-7. Passed 2-9-82; Ord. 85-1. Passed 1-22-85; Ord. 89-26. Passed 9-12-89; Ord. 90-11. Passed 4-10-90; Ord. 90-15. Passed 5-8-90; Ord. 90-31. Passed 11-13-90; Ord. 91-18. Passed 11-26-91; Ord. 16-17. Passed 12-12-06; Ord. 18-01. Passed 2-27-18.)