(a) In the interest of promoting the general health, safety and welfare of the residents of the Village of Golf Manor ("Village"), as more fully set forth in the following purposes, these regulations are herein established to provide for the use, location, size, height and design of signs, in order to ensure that all signs are appropriate to, and compatible with, the character of the associated uses and of the surrounding area.
(b) In establishing these purposes, the Village has determined that no sign shall be permitted, erected or maintained as a main or accessory use except in accordance with the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance, unless such sign is exempted from the provisions of this Chapter.
(c) In establishing these purposes, the Village has determined that, without adequate regulation and design standards, signs may become a nuisance. The number of signs in the Village is excessive and is unduly distracting to motorists and pedestrians, creates a traffic hazard, and in some places reduces the effectiveness of signs required to protect the public. As the appearance of the Village is marred by the excessive number, oversized and poorly-designed signs, both residential and business property values are adversely affected. Therefore, the number of such distracting signs ought to be reduced and signs permitted should comply with the standards of this chapter in order to reduce the aforementioned effects.
(d) In view of the foregoing, any sign that does not conform to the regulations of this Chapter 1149 ("Chapter"), or any subsequent amendment thereto, shall therefore be deemed a public nuisance, and as such, must be abated as provided herein. It is further declared that the regulations contained in this chapter are the minimum regulations necessary to abate the nuisance and to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
(e) More specifically, the purposes of these regulations are to:
(1) Enhance and protect the physical appearance of the community.
(2) Promote and maintain attractive, high value residential, business, retail, commercial and industrial districts, and preserve the scenic and natural beauty of designated areas.
(3) Provide necessary, yet reasonable and appropriate, signage for all residential, institutional and business uses in the community.
(4) Ensure that signs are located and designed to maintain a safe and orderly pedestrian and vehicular environment, and to avoid confusion or hazardous conflict between traffic control signs and devices, and any other permitted sign.
(5) Enhance traffic and pedestrian safety.
(6) Provide the public with a safe and effective means oflocating businesses, services and points of interest within the Village.
(7) Protect the rights of property owners and occupants to display messages protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Therefore, the purpose of these regulations include the intention to remove any doubt that it is the public's right to receive and display messages protected by the First Amendment, including but not limited to, religious, political, economic, social, and philosophical messages subject, however, to reasonable regulations to assure safety and minimize visual blight. It is the further purpose of these regulations to affirm that an expedient appeal process exists that addresses these First Amendment concerns.
(8) Provide review procedures that enable and ensure the comprehensive evaluation of a sign's appropriateness to the site, building and surroundings, adherence to these purposes, and consistent enforcement of this Chapter's regulations.
(9) Establish and enforce a reasonable procedure for the eventual removal of legally nonconforming signs.
(10) Prohibit all signs not expressly permitted by this Chapter.
(Ord. 2018-11. Passed 8-13-18.)