The following regulations shall control the computation and measurement of sign area and height:
(a) Height.
(1) The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from normal grade at a point directly beneath the sign to the top of the highest component of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the lower of (i) existing grade prior to construction or (ii) the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berms, mounding, or excavating.
(2) In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public street or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the lot, whichever is lower.
(b) Square Footage.
(1) For a wall sign comprised of individual letters, figures or elements on a wall or similar surface of the building or structure, the area and dimensions of the sign shall encompass a regular geometric shape (rectangle, circle, trapezoid, triangle, etc.), or a combination of two regular geometric shapes, which form, or approximate, the perimeter of all elements in the display, the frame, and any applied background that is not part of the architecture of the building.
(2) When separate elements are organized to form a single sign, but are separated by open space, the sign area and dimensions shall be calculated by determining the geometric form, or combination of two forms, which comprises all of the display areas, including the space between different elements. Minor appendages to a particular regular shape, as determined by the Zoning Enforcement Officer or Planning Commission, shall not be included in the total area of a sign.
(Ord. 3227. Passed 4-23-18.)