Sign regulations are intended to preserve Geneva's character and quality. This is why we here provide reasonable guidelines to control sign type, design, size, location, motion, illumination and enforcement. The intent of this chapter is:
(a) To promote and maintain high quality districts for all land uses, and attractive public and private facilities of all types, by permitting only signs appropriate to their surroundings and preventing the blighting influence of excessive signage;
(b) To eliminate conflict between traffic control signs and other signs which may be hazardous to public safety;
(c) To control the design and size of all signs so that their appearance will be aesthetically harmonious with an overall design for the area, in accordance with commonly accepted community planning and design practices;
(d) To promote clarity in sign communications while providing reasonable and appropriate opportunities to advertise goods and services and to identify properties.
(e) This chapter is not intended to infringe on the rights of free speech as protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, §11 of the Ohio Constitution. All sections in this chapter are to be construed, whenever possible, in favor of vigorous political debate and accommodation of the rights of residents and visitors to speak freely. All provisions of this chapter shall be interpreted in a content-neutral manner excepting solely for those narrow, legally-recognized exceptions explicitly identified in this chapter. All sections in this chapter shall be applied in accord with 15 U.S.C. §1121(b), as amended, and such other applicable Federal and Ohio laws as may now or hereafter be enacted, when in conflict with same.
(Ord. 3227. Passed 4-23-18.)