(A) Sign permit.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12, it shall be unlawful for any person to establish or cause any sign to be erected, structurally altered or relocated except as other otherwise exempted in §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12 without first obtaining a sign permit for each sign from the Department as required by §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12. This requirement shall not be construed to require any permit for a change of copy or displayed message, repainting, cleaning or other normal maintenance or repair of a sign or sign structure for which a permit has previously been issued, so long as the sign or sign structure is not modified in any way which violates the standards or provisions of §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12. No permit shall be required for signs, which are exempt from permits elsewhere in §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12. No new permit shall be required for signs which have been lawfully permitted and that conform with the requirements set forth in §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12 unless the sign is altered or relocated in a manner, which violates §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12.
(2) Sign permits issued by the Department shall be deemed null and void if the sign is not established within one year after the issuance of said permit. Permits for signs, which have been granted a variance, shall be deemed null and void after one year from the date such approval for variance is granted from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(3) No person shall establish any sign upon any property or structure without the consent of the owner or person entitled to possession of said property or building, if any, or their authorized representative.
(B) Sign permit application.
(1) To obtain a permit for the purpose of erecting, constructing, altering or relocating a sign, a permit application on file with the Department must be filled out by the applicant. Such application shall be accompanied by any information deemed necessary by the Department to assure compliance with appropriate regulations of §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12 including, but not limited to:
(a) Clear and legible drawings of the sign, sign structure and site that illustrates the location of the sign which is subject to the permit and all other existing signs on the same premises or on other premises which may be relative to the regulations for said sign;
(b) All property lines, easements, rights-of-way, adjacent roads, structures and other improvements;
(c) Drawings should show the dimensions, construction supports, sizes, and method of attachment of the sign;
(d) Supplemental information should also be submitted for any lighting or illumination of a sign or sign structure;
(e) Any applicable electrical permits shall be obtained in conjunction with a sign permit.
(2) The Director shall issue a permit for the sign if:
(a) It complies with all applicable regulations and restrictions contained in §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12;
(b) It has been authorized as a variance by the Board of Zoning Appeals;
(c) The premises on which the sign will be located, is in good standing and not deemed to be in violation of any ordinances by the Department.
(3) The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements contained herein:
(a) A sign specifically exempt from the provisions of §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12 as specifically stated in §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12;
(b) A sign that is deemed by the Director to be a permanent or integral architectural feature of the structure that contains it.
(4) The Director may, in writing, suspend or revoke a permit issued under provisions of §§ 158.030.01 through 158.030.12 whenever a permit is issued on the basis of a misstatement of fact or fraud after due notice by the Director. When a sign permit is denied or revoked by the Director, notice of the denial of the application together with a brief statement of the reason for the denial shall be given when requested.
(5) No sign permit issued hereunder shall be deemed to constitute permission or authorization to establish, erect or maintain an unlawful sign nor shall any permit issued hereunder constitute a defense in an action to abate an unlawful sign.
(6) An appeal may be presented to the Board of Zoning Appeals from either the Director's denial or the revocation of a permit or from the failure of the Director to formally grant or deny a permit within 30 days from the date of application for a sign permit or the denial thereof.
(C) Sign permit fees. Fees for sign permits shall be fixed by ordinance and contained on the Fee Schedule maintained by the Department, approved by the Plan Commission and adopted by the Common Council. Fees can be amended from time to time as deemed necessary and adopted by the Council.
(Ord. 4-C-10, passed 4-13-10)