For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning respectively ascribed to them by this Section:
(a) "AWNING" means an architectural fabric projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached.
(b) "BANNER" means a non-rigid cloth, plastic, paper, or canvas sign typically related to a special event or promotion, that is cultural, educational, charitable, or recreational in its function, under the sponsorship of a for-profit establishment or non-residential use, or a public, private nonprofit, or religious organization.
(c) "BUILDING" means a structure which has a roof supported by columns, walls or air for the shelter, support or enclosure of persons, animals or chattels.
(d) "CANOPY" means an architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration; and is supported by the building to which it is attached and at the outer end by not less than one (1) stanchion.
(e) "CHANNEL LETTERS" means three-dimensional individually cut letters or figures, illuminated or non-illuminated, affixed to a structure.
(f) "CHARACTER" means any letter of the alphabet or any numeral.
(g) "CITY" means the City of Germantown, Ohio.
(h) "DISREPAIR, STATE OF" means:
(1) When any part of sign area is removed, disfigured, cracked, ripped, shedding, flaking or peeling, or any combination of these conditions.
(2) When any part of sign area becomes exposed to the elements.
(3) When any sign is allowed to stand with bent or broken sign facing, broken supports, loose appendages or struts which causes the sign to stand more than fifteen (15) degrees from the perpendicular.
(i) "FAÇADE" means any separate face of a building, including parapet walls and omitted wall lines, or any part of a building which encloses or covers usable space. where separate faces are oriented in the same direction, or in the directions within forty-five (45) degrees of one another, they are to be considered as part of a single façade.
(j) "FACE, SIGN" means the surface intended for the display of information on the sign.
(k) "FLAG" means any fabric or bunting containing the officially recognized and adopted colors, patterns, or symbols used as the official symbol of a government, political, or corporate entity.
(l) "FRONTAGE, BUILDING" means the maximum horizontal width of the ground floor of a building that parallels and faces an improved public right-of-way.
(m) "FRONTAGE, STREET" means the maximum horizontal width of a lot that parallels and faces an improved public right-of-way.
(n) "HEIGHT" as applied to a sign, shall be measured as the vertical distance between the highest part of the sign or its supporting structure, whichever is higher, and a level plane going through the nearest point of the improved public right-of-way, other than an alley. in the event a sign is equidistant from more than one (1) improved public right-of-way, none of which are alleys, the highest point shall be used.
(o) "INTERSECTION" means the junctions of the centerlines of any two (2) public rights of way, other than alleyways, crossing at grade, or, where the crossing is separated at grade, the intersection shall be the point at which expressway travel pavements converge or diverge, or the point at which any expressway interchange ramp intersects the expressway travel pavement.
(p) "PENNANT" means a flag or banner longer in the fly than in the hoist, usually tapering to a point.
(q) "PREMISES" means any lot or un-platted tract, or any combination of contiguous lots or unplatted tracts held under single ownership.
(r) "PROPERTY, UNIMPROVED" means any conforming or nonconforming lot or parcel not containing at least one (1) building or structure.
(s) "PROPERTY, VACANT" means any conforming or nonconforming lot or parcel containing at least one (1) building or structure, not currently used or occupied.
(t) "SETBACK" means the required distance between any point on private land and the nearest point at the edge of the nearest public right-of-way, other than an alley. Where a public way crosses a railroad right-of-way, the setback distance is to be measured from the public right-of-way line extended across the railroad right-of-way.
(u) "SIGN" means any device, display, flag, balloon, light, figure, object, picture, letter, word, message, symbol, plaque or poster visible from inside and outside the premises on which it is located and designed to inform or attract the attention of persons not on that premises, excluding searchlights.
(v) "SIGN, ABANDONED OR DISCONTINUED" means any sign which remains after the voluntary or involuntary termination of a permitted use. A permitted use has terminated if it is closed to the public for at least ninety (90) consecutive days. Seasonal or temporary uses are exempted from this determination.
(w) "SIGN, ADVERTISING" means any off-premises or off-site outdoor commercial sign, regardless of height, size or setback.
(x) "SIGN, ATTACHED" means any sign attached to, applied on, or supported by, any part of a building such as a wall, roof, window, canopy, awning, arcade or marquee which encloses or covers usable space.
(y) "SIGN, CHANGEABLE COPY" means any sign or portion thereof with characters, letters or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged manually without altering the face of the sign.
(z) "SIGN, DETACHED" means any sign connected to the ground which is not an attached sign, inclusive of signs on movable objects, except signs on vehicles which are moving or are parked only temporarily, incidental to their principal use for transportation.
(aa) "SIGN, DIRECTIONAL" means an off-premises sign whose content is limited exclusively to the identification of a specific premises or occupancy located elsewhere, and which tells the location of or route to that premises or occupancy.
(bb) "SIGN, ELECTRONIC READER BOARD" means a sign or portion thereof which can be electronically changed or rearranged without altering the face or the surface of the sign.
(cc) "SIGN, ILLUMINATED" means any sign which is directly lighted by any electrical light source, internal or external. This definition does not include signs which are illuminated by street lights or other light sources owned by any public agency or light sources which are specifically operated for the purpose of lighting the area in which the sign is located rather than the sign itself.
(dd) "SIGN, MONUMENT" means a permanent, detached sign mounted on a base or other supports and where the bottom of the sign face is located within three (3) feet of ground level.
(ee) "SIGN, OFF-PREMISES" means a sign erected, maintained or used for the purpose of the display of messages not appurtenant to the use of, products sold on, or the sale or lease of, the property on which it is displayed.
(ff) "SIGN, PERMANENT" means a sign that is not temporary.
(gg) "SIGN, POLITICAL" means a temporary sign intended to advance a political statement, cause, or candidate for office.
(hh) "SIGN, PORTABLE" means any sign not permanently attached to the ground and can be removed without the use of tools.
(ii) "SIGN, PREMISES" means a sign erected, maintained or used for the purpose of the display of messages appurtenant to the use of, products sold on, or the sale or lease of, the property on which it is displayed.
(jj) "SIGN, PROJECTING" means a sign that is attached to or projects more than eighteen (18) inches from a building face or wall, or from a structure whose primary purpose is other than the support of a sign.
(kk) "SIGN, REAL ESTATE" means a temporary sign advertising the sale, lease, or rental of the property or premises upon which it is located.
(ll) "SIGN, SUPPORT" means any pole, post, strut, cable or other structural fixture or framework necessary to hold and secure a sign, providing that such fixture or framework is not imprinted with any picture, symbol or word using characters in excess of one (1) inch in height, nor is internally or decoratively illuminated.
(mm) "SIGN, TEMPORARY" means a sign either portable or stationary that displays information relating to a use or event of limited duration permitted by the codified ordinances.
(nn) "SIGN, VEHICULAR" means any sign on a vehicle moving along the ground or on any vehicle parked temporarily, incidental to its principal use for transportation. This definition does not include signs which are being transported to a site of permanent erection.
(oo) "SIGN, WALL" means any sign attached to or erected against the inside or outside wall of a building or structure, with the exposed display surface of the sign in a plane parallel to the plane of the building or structure and extending less than 14 inches from the building or structure.
(pp) "SIGN AREA, EFFECTIVE" for both attached and detached signs, means the area enclosed by the minimum imaginary rectangle or vertical or horizontal lines which fully contains all extremities of the sign, exclusive of its supports. This rectangle is to be calculated from an orthographic projection of the sign viewed horizontally. When multiple panels make up a sign and the panels and frames are clearly separated the area shall be calculated separately for each sign panel and the area shall be the algebraic sum of the areas calculated. A viewpoint of this projection is to be taken which gives the largest rectangle of that kind, as the viewpoint is rotated horizontally around the sign. If elements of the sign are moveable or flexible, as a flag, or string of lights, the measurement shall be taken when the elements are fully extended and parallel to the plane of view. The effective area for attached signs shall mean the sum of the areas of minimum imaginary rectangles enclosing each word attached to any particular façade.
(qq) "STREAMER" means a ribbon-shaped or cord-like rope which may have pennants and/or banners attached and which is stretched or hung between two (2) or more supports.
(rr) "TREE LAWN" means the portion of property located between the curb or improved street and the sidewalk.
(ss) "WORD" for the purpose of this Chapter means the following:
(1) Any word in any language found in any standard unabridged dictionary or dictionary of slang.
(2) Any proper noun or any initial.
(3) Any separate symbol or abbreviation, such as "&", "$", "%" and "inc.".
(4) Any telephone number, street number or commonly used combination of numerals and/or symbols such as "$5.00" or "50%".
(5) Any symbol or logo which is a trademark, but which itself contains no word or character.
(6) Otherwise, each separate character is considered to be a word.
(Ord. 17-46. Passed 2-5-18.)