Off-premises signs are permitted in the city. An off-premise sign shall be treated as a principal land use and may be on the same property as other principal land uses provided all standards of this subchapter are met for each land use.
(A) The following standards apply to both building-mounted and freestanding off-premise signs.
(1) Off-premise signs shall be permitted in the following zoning districts: I-1 (Open Industrial) District and I-2 (Enclosed Industrial) District.
(2) Off-premise signs shall be permitted by special exception in the business district.
(3) The maximum height of an off-premise sign above the road grade from which it is to be viewed shall not exceed 35 feet.
(4) Lighting for off-premise signs shall be indirect and non-flashing in nature.
(5) No off-premise sign shall be placed so as to obstruct the view of on-coming traffic or create any kind of traffic hazard.
(6) All signs shall meet the adopted city building code for signs.
(7) No off-premise sign structure shall be placed until such time as a permit shall have been issued for said placement in accordance with this subchapter.
(B) The following additional standards apply to freestanding off-premise signs:
(1) Each sign face shall contain no more than 300 square feet (12 feet x 25 feet) and no sign structure shall contain more than two such faces in the same direction and shall not be separated by more than 12 inches. All freestanding off-premises signs shall require approval by the Board of Public Works following recommendation by the City Plan Commission.
(2) Back-to-back freestanding signs may be separated in the shape of the "V" if the greatest point of separation between sign faces does not exceed 15 feet.
(3) The distance between legally erected freestanding off-premise sign structures shall be a linear measure taken along right-of-way lines of that side of the street on which the sign is to be located. Freestanding signs shall be at least:
(a) 500 feet or more from one sign to another on the same side of the street which need not be met where a physical obstruction exists which prevents viewing two off-premise sign structures at the same time.
(b) 100 feet to any residential district or to a church, school or health care institution. This measurement is taken along right-of-way lines of that side of the street on which the sign is located.
(4) The distance measured at a right angle from the right-of-way line to the leading edge of an off-premise sign structure shall be no less than 15 feet.
(C) The following additional standards apply to building-mounted signs:
(1) Each building-mounted sign face shall contain no more than 300 square feet (12 feet x 25 feet) and there shall be no more than one such face on any building wall facing in the same direction.
(2) No building-mounted sign shall exceed beyond the corner edge of the building to which it is attached.
(3) Building-mounted signs shall not be located closer than:
(a) 250 feet from any freestanding or building-mounted off-premise sign on the same side of the street.
(b) 100 feet to any residential district or to a church, school or health care institution. This measurement shall be a linear measure taken along right-of-way lines of that side of the street on which the sign is located.
(D) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 155.008, nonconforming off-premise sign structures may be continued, but may not be replaced or otherwise increased in nonconformity except as specified herein or as permitted by the provisions of this subchapter. Nonconforming off-premise sign structures may be maintained and repaired subject to the above restrictions.
(Ord. CO-90-2, passed 3-26-90; Am. Ord. CO-07-19, passed 12-10-07)