Certain terms are defined for the purposes of this title as follows:
BALLOON SIGN: Any sign which is printed or painted on or suspended into the air by a hot air balloon, kite, or similar device. All balloon signs shall be considered temporary signs.
BANNER SIGN: Any sign printed or painted on fabric, lightweight plastic, paper, or flags or pennants, and used for attracting the attention of the public. All banner signs shall be considered temporary signs.
BILLBOARD: Any sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service or activity not necessarily conducted, sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located. A temporary construction sign that is located on a property that indicates a business, or use that is located off-site, but that may be expanding, re-locating or beginning a new business or use on the property where the temporary construction sign is located is not to be considered a "billboard" sign, by definition.
BUILDING COMMISSIONER: The Building Commissioner of the Village of Green Oaks.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: The Building Department of the Village of Green Oaks.
CANOPY OR MARQUEE: Any permanent roof-like structure constructed of metal or other noncombustible material projecting beyond a building or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of a building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather.
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL: A material which cannot be classified as "noncombustible" in accord with that definition.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN: A construction sign is a temporary sign identifying a business or use to be constructed on the subject property and may also include the name of the architect, engineer, contractor, subcontractor, or material supplier participating in construction on the lot where the sign is located.
DEVELOPER'S SIGN: Any freestanding nonilluminated sign which promotes and describes only the sale or rental of land or buildings in any development on that lot.
ELECTRONIC CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGN: An illuminated sign whose message content, either in whole or in part, may be changed by means of electronic programming and may include visual graphics with or without motion or animation with a fixed or changing display/message composed of a series of lights. Fuel price signs for an automobile service station that only display and change the numerical price value of fuel once daily shall be considered only an illuminated sign and not an electronic changeable message sign. Similarly, signs whose changeable message content only indicate the time and/or temperature shall be considered only an illuminated sign and not an electronic changeable message sign.
FESTOON SIGN: A string of ribbons, tinsel, small flags, or pinwheels. Festoon signs shall be considered temporary signs.
FLASHING SIGNS: Any illuminated sign on which such illumination is not kept stationary or constant in intensity and color at all times, but not including electronic changeable message signs.
FREESTANDING SIGN: Any sign supported by post, poles, pylons, uprights, braces or other supports placed upon the ground and not attached to any building.
IDENTIFICATION SIGN: Any sign which directs attention to an institution or public use, business, profession or to a commodity, service or entertainment sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located.
ILLUMINATED SIGN: Any sign which is illuminated by electric lights or luminous devices as part of the sign proper.
ILLUMINATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL: Any official traffic control device or sign which is illuminated by electric lights or luminous devices.
INCIDENTAL SIGNS: A sign pertaining to goods, products, services or facilities which are available on the premises where the sign is located, such as signs pertaining to trading stamps, credit cards, service information and pricing.
LOT: Any property, improved or unimproved.
LOT, UNIMPROVED: Any platted lot or tract of land used as a whole which is completely unoccupied by a building or structure and upon which no building or structure has been commenced.
MONUMENT SIGN: Any free standing decorative sign which advertises the business conducted on the premises.
MOVING SIGN: Any sign that has any external or visible part or parts that move, rotate or spin.
NONCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL: Any material which will not ignite at or below a temperature of one thousand two hundred degrees Fahrenheit (1,200°F) and will not continue to burn or glow at that temperature.
PERMITTEE: Any person, firm or corporation holding a permit pursuant to this title.
PERSON: Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation or organization of any type or kind.
PORTABLE SIGN: Any sign designed to be moved from place to place.
PREMISES: Any property, improved or unimproved.
PROJECTING WALL SIGN: Any sign which is attached directly to a building wall and which extends more than eight inches (8"), but not more than thirty six inches (36") from the face of the wall.
REAL ESTATE SIGN: A freestanding sign advertising the real estate upon which the sign is located as being for rent, lease or sale.
ROOF SIGN: Any sign erected, constructed or maintained wholly or partially upon or above the facia or parapet line of any building.
SHOPPING CENTER: Any concentration of two (2) or more retail stores or service establishments in one or more buildings, or on one or more adjacent lots, under single ownership or management, or with one or more of the following:
A. Common parking facilities;
B. Common stormwater detention or storm sewer facilities;
C. Common water distribution facilities;
D. Common sanitary sewer facilities; or
E. Without exclusive ingress or egress from public streets.
SIGN: Any device, including exterior clocks, temperature indicators, marquees, canopies, placards or other representations containing words, letters, printing, pictures, designs or combinations thereof used in the nature of advertisement, or directions calculated to attract public attention.
SURFACE AREA OF SIGN: The entire area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of the sign surface. It does not include any structural elements outside the limits of such sign and not forming an integral part of the display. All sides of a double or multiple faced sign structure shall be used in computing the total surface area except where specific provision is made to the contrary.
TEMPORARY SIGN: Any balloon sign, banner sign, festoon sign or pennant sign without a structural frame. The previously itemized types of temporary signs without a sign structure may not need to meet the construction standards of section 11-4-6 of this title as part of the approval by the Village Board. Some signs with a sign structure may also be included in the definition of a temporary sign in any district when the temporary sign, its dimensions and its structure are approved by the Board of Trustees as a special permit/temporary sign that may be displayed for more than thirty (30) days with a maintenance agreement approved by the Board of Trustees and shall be subject to the restrictions and conditions imposed by the Board of Trustees as part of the permit for this type of temporary sign including, but not limited to, the duration the sign is to be displayed.
VEHICLE SIGN: Any sign attached to an automobile, truck, trailer, vehicle or movable device which is parked for the purpose of display of same.
VILLAGE BOARD: The President and Board of Trustees of the Village.
WALL SIGNS: Any sign which is attached directly to a building wall, canopy or marquee and which does not have a sign cabinet that projects more than eight inches (8") from the face of the wall, canopy or marque.
WINDOW SIGN: Any sign installed inside a window and intended to be viewed from the outside.
ZONING ORDINANCE: The zoning ordinance of the Village of Green Oaks. (Ord. 91-06, 8-28-1991; amd. Ord. 2015-O-20, 11-18-2015; Ord. 2017-O-15, 9-27-2017; Ord. 2022-O-21, 10-26-2022)