1187.05 DESIGN STANDARDS.

   The following general design standards shall apply in all districts as applicable unless specifically modified elsewhere in this chapter.

(a)   Awning and Canopy Signs. Awning and canopy signs shall:

(1)   Be attached flat to the surface and made a part of the awning or canopy;

(2)   Not be illuminated; except that awnings or canopies which have a UL fire-resistant rating approval may be internally illuminated or backlit provided that the entire translucent area of an internally illuminated or backlit awning or canopy must be included as a sign in calculating the permitted sign area of the building or occupant;

(3)   Indicate only the name, address and phone number of the building or occupant, the principal uses of the premises and official design trademarks and may identify products or services sold on the premises where the sign is located.

(b)   Marquee Signs. Marquee signs shall:

(1)   Be attached to the top or face thereof;

(2)   Not extend more than four feet above the marquee;

(3)   Not extend below the marquee except in shopping centers and in compliance with Section 1187.08(b)(4) hereof;

(4)   Not extend beyond the limits of the marquee horizontally;

(5)   Only identify the name, address and phone number of the building or occupant, the principal uses of the premises and official design trademarks and may identify products or services sold on the premises where the sign is located.

(c)   Wall Signs. Wall signs shall only identify the name, address and phone number of the building or occupant, the principal uses of the premises and official design trademarks and may identify products or services sold on the premises where the sign is located.

(d)   Freestanding and Ground Signs. Freestanding and ground signs shall:

(1)   Only identify the name, address and phone number of the building or occupant, or the principal uses of the premises and design trademarks and may identify products or services sold on the premises where the sign is located;

(2)   Be located in a separate area which may be landscaped and which shall protect the sign foundation from vehicle encroachment;

(3)   Only be located in zones where expressly permitted;

(4)   Only be located in the center eighty percent (80%) of the property frontage, and no closer than five feet from a side property line. On a corner lot, the eighty percent (80%) may be measured from the corner to one side line or from the respective side lines and around the corner, at the option of the owner;

(5)   Set back distance shall be adequate so as to allow a clear view of oncoming pedestrian or vehicular traffic for vehicles entering or leaving the owner's or adjacent property owner's property. In no case shall the sign be less than two feet inside the front property line.

(6)   Ground sign height. Total sign height including support structures shall not exceed eight feet.

(e)   Attached and Projecting Signs. Attached and projecting signs shall:

(1)   Not be less than ten feet nor more than fifteen feet above a sidewalk;

(2)   Not be less than sixteen feet nor more than twenty feet above a driveway;

(3)   Only identify the name, address and phone number of the building or occupant or the principal uses of the premises and any design trademarks. Such signs may identify products or services sold on the premises where the sign is located.

(f)   Roof Signs.

(1)   For roofs with parapet walls, signs shall not extend higher than six inches above the top of the parapet wall.

(2)   For flat roofs, signs shall not be permitted on the roof surface.

(3)   For gabled roofs, signs shall not extend higher than the highest roof line of the building.

(4)   Roof signs shall be adequately supported by the building structure and secured to withstand designed windloads. The Building and Zoning Superintentent may require the approval of the construction plans for any roof sign by a structural engineer prior to the issuance of a sign permit.

(5)   Roof signs shall not extend beyond or overhang any exterior wall of the building upon which they are secured.

(g)   Shopping Center Signs.

(1)   For buildings in a shopping center, the sign area allocated to each building or business within a building shall be based on building frontage.

(2)   Sign area calculated from one building or business frontage, even if unused, shall not be allocated to another building or business unless a master signing plan is submitted for all signs in the shopping center and approved by the Planning Commission.

(3)   Where property or buildings are divided by sale or lease, signs which are no longer conforming shall be eliminated.

(4)   The Zoning Board of Appeals may approved by special permit the installation of a nonconforming sign to provide uniform signing among contiguous commercial development in a shopping center or a multiple use commercial building where the majority of the existing businesses have nonconforming signs, provided, however, that such sign shall be substantially similar in size, type and location to the existing nonconforming signs in the development.

(5)   A business or group of businesses which do not front on a public street shall be permitted.

A.   A single composite sign, equal in area to one-half square foot per lineal foot of the building face, to be erected adjacent to the nearest public street. The area allocation for the sign shall be as in subsection (g)(1) hereof. The sign shall further conform to the requirements of the appropriate zone classification.

B.   Individual wall, canopy or attached signs as allowed in the various zoning districts for purposes of business identification.

(h)   Subdivision Signs. In the case of the simultaneous offering for sale or lease of a group of five or more new buildings or improved lots which are under a single ownership and within the final plat of a single subdivision, the following signs shall be permitted subject to issuance of a permit. Only subdivision directional signs as defined herein shall be permitted in locations other than within the subdivision site boundaries. All subdivision signs shall only advertise the sale of buildings or lots within the City.

(1)   One on-site business sign and two off-site subdivision direction signs subject to the following provisions:

A.   The signs may be single or double-faced. For V-shaped signs, all display surfaces shall be included in aggregate permitted sign areas.

B.   Neither the horizontal nor the vertical dimensions of an on-site business sign shall exceed twenty-five feet including supporting structures. The total area of the sign face shall not exceed 200 square feet per side.

C.   The maximum area of any face of a subdivision directional sign shall not exceed thirty-two square feet. For the purposes of this section, a subdivision directional sign is one which informs the viewer as to the route or change of travel in order to arrive at the subdivision site. This type of sign shall display only necessary travel directions, the name of the land development, the name and/or any characteristic trademark or insignia of the developer.

D.   There shall be no additions, tags, streamers, devices, display boards or appurtenances added to the sign unless otherwise authorized by the Building and Zoning Inspector.

E.   Such signs may be established along any highway, street, or thoroughfare, except those streets declared as scenic by Council.

F.   Such signs may be maintained until building permits have been issued for eighty percent (80%) of the lots in the subdivision. All signs pursuant to this section shall be removed within fourteen days thereafter.

G.   Plantings, structures and combinations thereof designed to permanently identify and characterize a development or subdivision shall not be subject to subsection (h)(1)F. hereof, provided that no other commercial information is attached or included.

(2)   Prior to erecting any subdivision or subdivision directional sign authorized by this section, a permit must be issued by the Building and Zoning Division. The applicant shall file a written statement from the property owner, authorizing erection of the sign and access to the property by the applicant or the City to remove the sign.

(3)   During the sale of a house in a subdivision, one feature sign and one model home sign identifying the particular model, not exceeding two feet by three feet in size, plus three flags on each lot on which a model home is located and which fronts on an interior road in the subdivision shall be permitted. Such signs shall not exceed four feet in overall height and shall not be located closer than ten feet from any property line.

(4)   Signs permitted by this section may be lighted per Section 1187.03(k) provided they do not violate other provisions in this chapter.

(i)   Property Improvement Signs.

(1)   Signs identifying improvement services such as siding, re-roofing, painting, replacement windows, landscaping, and other such improvements are permitted only during the period that work is being performed.

(2)   Only one sign for each improvement is permitted.

(3)   The maximum square footage permitted is six square feet per sign and no permit is required.
(Ord. 134-06. Passed 11-13-06.)