31-25.1 Development Signs
A. Dimension Limitation. All ground signs shall be subject to the following:
1. For each foot of height over thirty (30) feet, there shall be a corresponding one foot of setback from the property line;
2. Lighting reflectors attached to the top of a sign may project above the top and beyond the face of such sign, and shall be excluded from all measurement requirements established by this subsection.
B. Height Limitation. Ground signs which exceed fifty (50) feet in height, measured from the ground level at the base of the sign to the top of the sign, shall be subject to the following:
1. No permit shall be issued by the chief building official until such issuance has been authorized by the mayor and city council.
2. The applicant for the permit shall submit the following to the chief building official for review and consideration by the mayor and city council:
a. A drawing showing the height, width, elevations, and electrical details of such sign;
b. Clear and convincing evidence that if the sign does not exceed fifty (50) feet in height the owner will suffer undue hardship and that said hardship is not shared generally by other properties in the area;
c. Clear and convincing evidence that the proposed sign will not be a substantial detriment to adjacent properties and the character of the surrounding area will not be changed by the erection of the proposed sign.
3. Ground signs exceeding fifty (50) feet in height shall be erected only on tracts of real estate adjacent to state and federal highways and occupied by the business premises advertised by the sign.
4. No permit shall be issued for any sign exceeding one hundred (100) feet in height, measured from the ground level at the base of the sign to the top of the sign.
5. In lieu of the permit fee set forth in this chapter, upon the granting of a permit for erection or moving of a sign exceeding fifty (50) feet in height, the applicant shall pay a fee of $250.00 to the City.
6. All other provisions of the Grand Island City Code pertaining to signs which are not inconsistent with this section shall apply to ground signs exceeding fifty (50) feet in height.
C. Number Limitations. There may be only one ground sign allowed for each one hundred (100) lineal feet or fraction thereof of street frontage for any one lot or tract. Notwithstanding this limit, any lot that fronts on more than one street may have at least one sign on each street. Streets vacated after January 1, 1990 may be included as frontage for number limitations.
D. Location Limitations.
1. No signs may be placed in city right-of-way.
2. At street intersections, no signs may be placed within the triangle formed by the intersections of maintained roadway, whether paved or graveled, of two intersecting streets and the line extended joining points measured thirty feet on each property line from the point of said property lines intersection, unless:
a. said signs are on posts with a width or diameter not greater than 18 inches; and
b. the bottom of said signs are not less than eight feet from the ground or the tops are no higher than twenty-four (24) inches from the ground.
E. The formula for determining the allowable area for ground signs shall be as follows: Four square feet of sign for each one foot of frontage on the lot where the sign is to be placed. In any event, the maximum square footage of any ground sign shall not exceed 800 square feet per side, regardless of frontage feet.
(Amended by Ordinance No. 9316, effective 09-13-2011) (Amended by Ordinance No. 9461, effective 12-24-2013)