The following regulations shall control the computations of sign area, height, and setback.
(A) Sign face or area.
(1) The total sign area shall be measured as the area enclosed by one rectangle, the sides of which make contact with the extreme point or edges of the sign. The area of a sign composed of characters or words, if such characters or words are standalone, without framing or additional backdrop, shall be the smallest rectangle which encloses the entire group of characters or words. For mixed-case lettering the rectangle shall encompass either the ascending or descending letters but not both. (See illustrations below.)
(2) Sign area calculations shall exclude the supportive structure if such structure does not form or include a part of the advertisement of the sign.
(3)
The sign area for a sign with more than one face (multi-faced signs) shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one point.
(4) When two identical sign faces are placed back-to-back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any one point at the same time, and when such faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than 24 inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces.
(5) No more than two display faces shall be permitted for freestanding and projecting signs.
(6) In the case of irregularly shaped three-dimensional signs, the area of the display surface shall be measured on the plane of the largest vertical cross section.
(7) Where a free-standing sign or sign structure is mounted along the roadway that has a higher grade level as compared to the grade directly below the free-standing sign or structure. Height of such sign or structure will be measured from the roadway grade, to the highest point of the free-standing sign or structure. (See illustration below.)
(8) When calculating sign area, fractional amounts are not required to be rounded.
(B) Street and building frontage.
(1) The building frontage is the length of an outside building wall on a public or private street.
( 2) For multi-oc cupant buildings , the portion of a building that is owned or leased by a single occupant shall be consider ed a building unit. The building frontage for a building unit shall be measured from the centerline of the dividing walls defining the building unit
(C) Sign height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the average natural grade at the base of the sign or support structure to the top of the highest attached component of the sign.
(D) Sign setback.
(1) The required setbacks for a sign shall apply to all elements of the sign including its frame and base.
(2) The setback of a freestanding sign shall be measured horizontally from the edge of the sign frame to the street right-of-way line or lot line, as applicable.
(Ord. 2018-06, passed 7-9-2018, § 155.187; Ord. 2023-28, passed 9-14-2023)