§ 4-173  GENERAL USE CONDITIONS FOR ON-PREMISES SIGNS; BUSINESS SIGNS.
   (A)   Maximum area allowable.  The number of signs, total area of all sign faces, location and design standards, on any lot or any street frontage must adhere to the following restrictions:
      (1)   For lots less than 150 feet wide, the total area for all signs on the premises pertaining to any one business shall not exceed 480 square feet.
      (2)   For lots 150 feet wide or greater, the total area of all signs on the premises pertaining to any one business shall not exceed 600 square feet.
      (3)   For lots larger than five acres with one frontage greater than 300 feet, the total area of all signs on the premises pertaining to one business shall not exceed 1,000 square feet.
   (B)   Display surface area.
      (1)   Ground signs.
         (a)   Area allowable: The greater of 48 square feet or one square foot per linear foot of street frontage up to 50 square feet per side and 100 square feet total for all sides at the setback line.
         (b)   Area allowable increase: for every one foot that a sign sits behind the setback line, add to area allowable one square foot per side up to 60 square feet per side and 120 square feet total for all sides.
         (c)   Frontage: one sign per street frontage.
         (d)   Height allowable: 25 feet at setback line.
         (e)   Height allowable increase: for every six feet that the sign sits behind setback line, add to allowable one foot in height up to 30 feet.
         (f)   Additional ground sign: For lots which are zoned commercial, and lie within 1,000 feet of I-35, one additional accessory ground sign may be erected. The additional sign can have a maximum height of 50 feet. No such sign may be constructed closer to the boundary line of any residentially zoned property than a distance equal to four times the height of the sign.
      (2)   Wall signs.  The display surface area of a wall sign is the sum of the area of the minimum imaginary rectangles enclosing each word attached to any particular facade.
         (a)   Area allowable:  The greater of 48 square feet or one square foot per lineal foot of frontage up to 100 square feet. For one business in a building larger than 30,000 square feet on a lot greater than three acres, the allowable wall signage for each building frontage shall be one square foot per linear foot of building frontage up to 400 square feet.
         (b)   Area allowable increase:  For every one foot that a sign sits behind the setback line, add to area allowable one square foot, up to 100 square feet.
         (c)    Height allowable:  The minimum height for wall signs is eight feet above a walkway and 15 feet above a drive surface.
            1.   The maximum height allowable shall not be higher than the eave or rafter line (top) of the wall on which the sign is located, whichever is higher.
            2.   Location:  Wall signs shall be located on a vertical surface of the building.
            3.   Projection:  Maximum projection of wall signs from the building shall be no greater than 15 inches. The end panels of such signs shall contain no item of information and shall not be counted in the computed sign area.
      (3)   Double or multi-faced signs.  All sides of a sign imprinted with a message or logo shall be calculated in the total sign area calculation.
      (4)   Projecting signs.  Allowed if the front of the structure is within four feet or less of the right-of-way. They are not allowed if a ground sign is used.
         (a)   Area allowable: The greater of 32 square feet or one square foot per linear foot of frontage up to 40 square feet per side and 80 square feet total for all sides at the setback line.
         (b)   Signs on two-story buildings may not extend above the sills of the second floor windows.
         (c)   Signs on one-story buildings may not extend above the cornice line.
         (d)   No projecting sign shall extend closer than two feet to the curb line or edge of pavement.
   (C)   Multiple signs in a single structure.  When a business has more than one sign on a single structure, the sign area is to be calculated by the individual geometric shapes of each sign.
   (D)   Shopping centers shall not exceed two square feet of signage for every 100 square feet of gross leasable area (GLA) within the shopping center.
      (1)   Wall signs shall not exceed an aggregate display surface area of more than one square foot per each linear foot of building wall to which the sign or signs is attached.
   (E)   Sign illumination.
      (1)   Signs may be illuminated which comply with the following conditions and any other applicable ordinances.
         (a)   All lighting used for the illumination of a sign shall be shielded so that the beams or rays of the light will not shine directly onto surrounding areas.
         (b)   Signs shall not be erected which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent, revolving or moving light.
         (c)   No sign shall be illuminated so that it interferes with the effectiveness or obscures any official traffic sign, device, or signal, or imitates or may be confused with any such official traffic sign, device or signal, neither shall it be permitted to have beams or rays directed on any portion of the traveled ways and be of such intensity or brilliance to cause glare or impair the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle or which otherwise interferes with any driver’s operation of a motor vehicle.
         (d)   Illumination shall not exceed 300 total foot lamberts of luminance.
   (F)   Digital signs.
      (1)   Digital signs, automated changeable copy signs, running light or twinkle signs, animated signs, revolving or rotating signs or signs with movement shall be subject to the following limitations:
         (a)   No such sign shall be located within 50 feet of the driving surface of a signalized intersection. The 50 feet shall be measured in a straight line from the nearest point on sign structure to the nearest point of the signalized intersection.
         (b)   No such sign shall be located within 20 feet of the driving surface of a street. The 20 feet shall be measured in a straight line from the nearest point on a sign structure to the nearest point of the street curb, or edge of the traveled roadway marked or understood as such.
         (c)   No such sign, if visible from a Residential Zoning District other than street, highway or freeway right-of-way, or if visible from a designated residential development area, shall be located within 200 feet of such district or area. The 200 feet shall be measured in a straight line from the nearest point on a sign structure to the nearest point of an R Zoning District or residential development area boundary line.
         (d)   No such sign shall exceed an illumination of 70 foot candles measured at a two-foot distance.
         (e)   No such digital sign shall display an illuminative brightness exceeding 500 NITs at any time between one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise or 6,500 NITs between one- half hour before sunrise until one half hour after sunset.
         (f)   No such digital sign shall display an illuminative brightness of such intensity or brilliance that it impairs the vision or endangers the safety and welfare of any pedestrian, cyclist, or person operating a motor vehicle.
         (g)   Not such digital sign shall resemble or simulate any warning or danger signal, or any official traffic control device, sign, signal or light.
         (h)   No such digital sign shall be permitted to operate unless it is equipped with:
            1.   A default mechanism that shall freeze the sign in one position of static message if a malfunction occurs; and
            2.   A mechanism able to automatically adjust the display’s illuminative brightness according to natural ambient light conditions by means of a light detector/photo cell by which the sign’s brightness shall be dimmed.
   (G)   Maximum number of signs.  Except for wall signs and exempt signs, the maximum number of business signs per lot of record shall be as follows:
      (1)   Individual lot - single business.  Only one ground sign shall be permitted per tract ownership, except:
         (a)   When there is a single ownership fronting on two streets, not to include alleys or driveways; one additional sign may be permitted if spaced at least 300 feet apart.
         (b)   Or when there is a single ownership on a contiguous lot with frontage in excess of 600 feet, one additional sign shall be permitted with at least 300 feet minimum separation between signs.
      (2)   Shopping centers.  A building or group of buildings which share a common parking facility and/or drive approaches shall place signs on a common project sign(s). Only one project sign shall be allowed except:
         (a)   When there is a frontage on two streets, not to include alleys or driveways; one additional sign may be permitted if spaced at least 300 feet apart.
         (b)   Or when there is frontage in excess of 600 feet, one additional sign shall be permitted with at least 300 feet minimum separation between signs.
      (3)   Free-standing single tenant at shopping centers.
         (a)   When free-standing buildings are located at shopping center locations, either as individually-owned properties, or lease sites, the free-standing buildings shall be considered part of the group of buildings in the shopping center. Ground signs for these occupancies may be permitted on the shopping center project sign.
         (b)   There shall be only one ground sign per free-standing single tenant building per occupancy or ownership.
   (H)   Maximum sign height and location.
      (1)   The maximum permitted sign height shall be measured from the average level of the grade below the sign to the topmost point of the sign or sign structure.
      (2)   Except or unless otherwise provided herein no sign or sign structure shall exceed a maximum permitted height of 30 feet.
      (3)   Any sign or sign structure located within 1,000 feet of the right-of-way line of an interstate highway may be erected to a height of not more than 50 feet above grade level of such thoroughfare at the point thereon nearest such sign or sign structure.
      (4)   No sign or sign structure shall be erected to a height greater than the horizontal distance from such structure to the nearest other property or right-of-way.
      (5)   Business signs, including projecting signs and ground signs, must maintain a minimum separation of 30 feet from other business signs.
   (I)   Setbacks.
      (1)   Approved signs with a display surface area of less than 300 square feet must be erected at least 150 feet from any Residential Zoning District.
      (2)   Signs with a display surface area larger than 300 square feet, which are visible from a Residential Zone other than a street, highway, or freeway right-of-way or if visible from a designated residential development area, must be set back at least 300 feet from such zone or area.
      (3)   Signs shall be set back a minimum distance of ten feet from a freeway right-of-way.
(Ord. 3215, passed 10-18-10)