For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:
ABANDONED SIGN: A sign which no longer advertises a bona fide business, owner, lessor, product or activity conducted.
ANIMATED SIGN: A sign with action or motion, flashing, color changes requiring electrical energy, electronic or manufactured sources of supply, but not including wind actuated elements such as flags, banners or specialty items. This definition does not include public service signs such as time and temperature units.
ARCHITECTURAL BLADE: A roof sign or projecting sign with no visible legs or braces, designed to look as though it could have been part of the building structure, rather than something suspended from or standing on the building.
AREA OF SIGN: The area of the face of the sign per side within a perimeter which forms the outside shape, including any frame, which forms an integral part of the display, but excluding the necessary supports or uprights on which the sign may be placed.
ART: Any form that is used to depict form or beauty that is not part of the commercial message of the sign.
AWNING: A shelter supported entirely by the exterior wall of the building or structure to which it is attached.
BANNER OR PENNANT: A temporarily placed piece of cloth, plastic, paper, or other such material varying in size, shape, or design, erected as an advertising device.
BILLBOARD: A large outdoor advertising sign and structure typically found in high traffic areas such as state highways or local arterial roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. Billboards range in size from ten by sixteen feet (10 x 16') to twenty five by one hundred feet (25 x 100') and may be double sided.
BUILDING COMPLEX: A building or group of buildings within a single architectural plan and/or a parcel of property housing two (2) or more commercial units of operation and providing common facilities or utilities, such as shopping centers, professional office buildings, etc. The building owner may elect to designate a building a complex.
BUILDING FACE OR WALL: All wall area including windows and doors of a building in one plane or elevation.
BUILDING FRONTAGE: The linear width of a principal building fronting the street address right of way.
CANOPY, AWNING OR MARQUEE SIGN: Any such sign attached to or constructed in or on a canopy or marquee.
CANOPY; STRUCTURAL: Any cover or structure that uses a permanent roof structure to provide protection from weather supported by upright support columns or the principal building itself.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN, AUTOMATIC: An electronically or electrically controlled time, temperature and date sign, message center or reader board, where different copy changes are shown on the same location.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN, MANUAL: A sign on which copy or sign panels may be changed manually, such as boards with changeable letters or changeable pictorial boards.
COMMUNITY OR CIVIC EVENT: A public event, which may be of interest to the community as a whole. This does not include any commercial products, goods or services.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN: A temporary sign identifying a building or construction site and the architects, engineers, financial institutions, contractors, and suppliers involved.
COPY: The wording on a sign surface.
DESIGN REVIEW: The process whereby the planning administrator, planning and zoning commission, or city council review sign design to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
DIRECTIONAL SIGNS: On premises incidental signs designed to guide or direct pedestrians or vehicular traffic.
FLASHING SIGN: Any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation or an externally mounted intermittent light source.
FREESTANDING SIGN: A fixed sign erected on a freestanding frame, mast, or pole and not attached to any building.
HEIGHT OF SIGN: The vertical distance measured from the adjacent street grade or upper surface of the street curb to the highest point of said sign.
INTERNALLY LIGHTED SIGN: A sign which is wholly or partially illuminated by an internal light source, from which source light passes through the display surface to the exterior of the sign.
MARQUEE SIGN: Any permanent rooflike structure projecting beyond a building. This is generally designed to provide protection from the weather and usually has changeable copy letters on it (i.e., a theater marquee).
MURAL: A picture or scene painted directly on a wall for aesthetic or artistic purposes.
NEON SIGN: Any sign or portion of a building illuminated or outlined by tubes using electrically stimulated neon or other gas.
NONCONFORMING SIGN: Any advertising structure or sign which was erected and maintained prior to the effective date hereof, and which fails to conform to all applicable regulations and restrictions of this chapter.
OFF PREMISES SIGNS: A sign mounted on property other than that occupied by the business being advertised by said sign.
PERMANENT SIGN: Any sign other than a temporary sign.
PORTABLE SIGN: Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or building, such as a sign on wheels, or sign supported by an A-frame apparatus or a heavy weight at the base which can be moved from place to place, or any other device in the form of a sign which is of a temporary nature.
PREMISES: An area of land with its appurtenances and building(s) which, because of its unity, is one unit of real property.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING: The building in which the primary use for the property is conducted.
A. In a single use, one business per property.
B. In a complex, the building or area of a building from which each business conducts its primary business.
PROJECTING SIGN: A sign, other than a wall sign, which is attached to and projects from a structure or building face.
REVOLVING SIGN: A sign which revolves or rotates about an axis.
ROOF SIGN: A sign erected upon or above a roof or parapet wall of a building and which is wholly or partially supported by said building. Supports must be an integral part of the design. There shall be no exposed wire or struts.
SANDWICH BOARD SIGN: A temporary sign that is generally constructed in such a manner as to form an "A" or a tentlike shape that is placed on, but not permanently attached to, the ground. This definition also includes signs of similar temporary nature but that are constructed with a base and a single upward sign face, forming an upside down "T".
SIGN: Any structure or natural object or part thereof, or device attached thereto or painted or represented thereon, which shall be used to attract attention to any product, place, activity, person, institution, organization, or business; or which displays or includes any letter, word, model, banner, flag, insignia, device or representation used as, or which is in the nature of, an announcement, direction or advertisement. A sign shall have no more than two (2) sides.
SIGN STRUCTURE: Any structure which supports or is capable of supporting a "sign" as defined in this section.
TEMPORARY SIGN: A sign which is not permanently affixed and has a limited one week display period, after which it is removed.
TOTAL SIGNAGE: The sum of all sign areas.
WALL SIGN: A sign painted on any surface area of a building, including windows and doors, attached to, or erected against, a wall, window or door of a building with the face parallel to the building wall and extending not more than one foot (1') therefrom.
WINDOW SIGN: Any sign installed for the purpose of viewing from the outside.
(Ord. 248, 7-12-2012; amd. Ord. 254, 1-15-2015)