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Inkster, MI Code of Ordinances
CITY OF INKSTER, MICHIGAN CODE OF ORDINANCES
ADOPTING ORDINANCES
CHARTER OF THE CITY OF INKSTER, MICHIGAN
TITLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE III: ADMINISTRATION
TITLE V: PUBLIC WORKS
TITLE VII: TRAFFIC CODE
TITLE IX: GENERAL REGULATIONS
TITLE XI: BUSINESS REGULATIONS
TITLE XIII: GENERAL OFFENSES
TITLE XV: LAND USAGE
CHAPTER 150: BUILDING REGULATIONS
CHAPTER 151: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FEES
CHAPTER 152: EXCAVATIONS AND QUARRYING OPERATIONS
CHAPTER 153: SIGNS
CHAPTER 154: SUBDIVISION CONTROL REGULATIONS
CHAPTER 155: ZONING CODE
CHAPTER 156: BLIGHT VIOLATIONS
CHAPTER 157: VACANT AND NEGLECTED PROPERTY REGISTRATION
TABLE OF SPECIAL ORDINANCES
PARALLEL REFERENCES
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§ 155.238 COMPLIANCE WITH THE ZONING CODE.
   Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the provisions of this chapter shall be strictly complied with. Where the conditions imposed by any provisions of this code are either more or less restrictive than comparable conditions imposed by provisions in the chapter, the regulations which are more restrictive or which impose higher standards or requirements shall govern.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01)
§ 155.239 APPEAL TO ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
   (A)   Any party who has been refused a sign permit by the Building Department for a proposed sign installation may file a claim of appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Upon receipt of the appeal and payment of an appeal fee as established by City Council, the Board shall schedule a date for an appeal hearing. At such hearing, the Board may grant such appeal and allow a variance to the provisions of this chapter as to non-temporary sign(s) upon a finding that:
      (1)   Because of the particular physical surroundings, shape, or topographical conditions of the property, compliance with the provisions of this chapter would result in a particular hardship on the owner, as distinguished from inconvenience or a desire to make more money;
      (2)   Strict enforcement of the provisions of this chapter would serve no useful purpose, and
      (3)   A variance would be in the best interest of the city and not against the spirit and intent of this chapter.
   (B)   In considering a request for erection of a temporary sign, the Board may consider, in addition to the factors above, their criteria enumerated below and may establish the appropriate setback of the sign, its size and location and may, by majority vote, reverse, modify or amend any order denying a temporary sign permit or may place reasonable conditions upon the issuance of such a permit. The criteria, along with any other factors found by the Board to be relevant to the request, shall include:
      (1)   Whether hardship or practical difficulty is the motivation of the request, i.e. an existing or otherwise permanent sign is out of commission or not yet erected;
      (2)   Whether the person or business presently and actually is going-in or going-out of business;
      (3)   Whether the type of sign structure would pose a significant risk to public health or safety on the premises or on adjacent public property, and
      (4)   Whether the benefit of the temporary sign to the general public and/or applicant under the circumstances outweighs any risk to traffic safety and the city’s desire to eliminate the accumulation of visual clutter in accordance with this chapter’s stated purpose.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01; Am. Ord. passed 2-20-17)
§ 155.240 REGISTRATION OF SIGN CONTRACTORS; LICENSING AND BONDING.
   Sign contractors, construction companies, maintenance companies, and individual builders or maintenance workers shall register annually with the Building Official or other official responsible for code enforcement prior to erecting, construction, or repairing any sign in the city. Such persons or companies shall be required to apply for and secure a business license in accordance with the general regulations of the city and shall post a cash bond, as established by resolution of City Council and may be amended from time to time, with the Building Department for each licensing year. The Building Official or other official responsible for code enforcement shall also be empowered to require a cash bond in an amount he or she deems appropriate for erection of a sign which, due to its size, location, type and manner of construction, may pose a risk to the health, safety and welfare of the general public during its erection or construction on site.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01)
§ 155.241 GENERAL LIMITATIONS AND PROVISIONS.
   (A)   Exceptions. The provisions of the chapter shall not apply to the following signs, provided such signs are in compliance with the provisions restricting placement of structures in the road right-of-way.
      (1)   Miscellaneous traffic and other official signs of any public or governmental agency, such as traffic control or directional signs, railroad crossing signs, trespassing signs, signs indicating danger, signs indicating the location of U.S.G.S. benchmarks, or signs used as aids to service or safety.
      (2)   Directional signs required for the purpose of orientation, when approved by the city or by the county or state government.
      (3)   Any flag, emblem or insignia of our nation, its governmental units, or its schools.
      (4)   Any sign which is located completely within an enclosed building, and which is not visible from outside the building.
      (5)   Tablets, grave markers, headstones, statuary, or remembrances of persons or events that are noncommercial in nature.
      (6)   Temporary decorations or displays celebrating the occasion of traditionally-accepted patriotic or religious holidays and special municipal and public school activities.
      (7)   Public safety and routing signs used on public and private construction sites.
   (B)   Prohibited signs. The following signs shall not be permitted or erected in any district:
      (1)   Signs which have flashing, blinking or moving lights, or expose incandescent light bulbs. This shall include strobe lights which are wholly located inside a building which are visible to the public outside the premises and are intended to attract the attention of persons not on the premises.
      (2)   Cloth and banner signs, pennants, spinners, and paper festoon signs.
      (3)   String lights used for commercial purposes, other than Christmas or other decorations.
      (4)   Any sign which has any visible moving parts, visible revolving parts, visible mechanical movement of any description, or other apparent visible movement achieved by electrical, electronic, or mechanical means, including intermittent electrical pulsation, or by action of normal wind current, except for marina signs located on the waterfront, time, temperature, and stock market signs as provided in this section.
      (5)   Any sign or sign structure which is structurally unsafe, or constitutes a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation or abandonment, or is not kept in good repair, or is capable of causing electrical shock to persons likely to come in contact with it.
      (6)   Any sign that obstructs a window, door or other opening that could be used for fire escape.
      (7)   Any sign which makes use of the words “Stop,” “Look,” or “Danger,” or any other words, phrases, symbols, or characters, in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
      (8)   Any sign or other advertising structure containing obscene, indecent, or immoral matter.
      (9)   Any sign unlawfully installed, erected, or maintained.
      (10)   Any sign now or hereafter existing, which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted, or product sold.
      (11)   Any sign attached to a standpipe, gutter drain, or fire escape, or any sign erected so as to impair access to a roof.
      (12)   Any sign that would project above the parapet line of any roof, except as permitted in § 155.251 (J) and as permitted with ground or freestanding signs.
      (13)   Projecting or overhanging signs, except permitted wall signs which may project up to 12 inches from the face of the wall.
      (14)   Any sign which is attached to a tree, fence, or utility pole.
      (15)   Portable or temporary signs, except as specifically provided for in this chapter.
      (16)   Signs painted on or attached to a parked vehicle, truck, trailer, or van, which is being used principally for advertising purposes, rather than for transportation purposes. This restriction shall not apply to permitted temporary truckload sales.
      (17)   Any other sign not specifically authorized by this chapter.
      (18)   Signs on street furniture, such as benches, newspaper stands, and trash receptacles.
      (19)   Billboards.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01; Am. Ord. –, passed –)
§ 155.242 STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS, MOUNTING.
   All signs shall be constructed and erected in a safe and stable manner in accordance with provisions of the city’s adopted building code, the National Electrical Code, and of this section. All electrical wiring associated with freestanding signs shall be installed underground. All signs must be mounted in one of the following ways:
   (A)   Flat against a building or wall.
   (B)   Back-to-back in pairs, so that the backs of the signs will be screened from view.
   (C)   Clustered in an arrangement, which will screen the backs of the signs from view.
   (D)   Mounted so that the backs of the signs are painted and maintained in a neutral color that blends with the surrounding environment.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01)
§ 155.243 MOTORIST VISIBILITY.
   No sign shall be located on or near any street corner or near any right-of-way, which would obscure vision of drivers using said street, and no sign shall in any way conflict with traffic control signals at the intersection of any streets. No sign shall be located so as to impair or impede the visibility of a vehicle entering into or exiting from a parcel of property.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01)
§ 155.244 ILLUMINATION.
   (A)   Signs shall be illuminated only by steady, stationary, shielded light sources directed solely at the sign, or internal to it, without causing glare for motorists, pedestrians, or neighboring premises.
   (B)   All exterior illumination shall be shaded so as not to project onto adjoining property or thoroughfares.
   (C)   Direct exterior illumination and internally illuminated signs shall avoid the use of glaring undiffused lights or bulbs that could distract motorists.
   (D)   No signs shall be illuminated by the use of flashing, moving, or intermittent lighting.
   (E)   Illuminated signs shall not produce more than one foot-candle of illumination measured four feet from such signs. Illumination levels shall be certified through signed plans, elevations, sections and details from a licensed electrical engineer as employed or retained by the sign company.
   (F)   Electronic messaging. Signs in the B-1, B-2, B-3, TC and MI districts may include electronic messaging, provided that the following standards are met. Signs in the R-1A, R-1B, and R-1C may include electronic messaging signs on lots with buildings of greater than 3,000 square feet.
      (1)   The maximum area of electronic messaging shall be half the total area of the sign in which the electronic message board is placed.
      (2)   Copy change shall be no more frequent than once per eight seconds.
      (3)   Glare shall be reduced and/or minimized in such a manner as to maintain an appropriate level of contrast during the day. To reduce driver distraction at night and light trespass into residential areas, an automatic dimmer shall be installed to control brightness. The maximum brightness of the sign shall not exceed 10,000 NITs. At night, the sign shall be set to no more than 10% of its maximum brightness.
      (4)   Motion, animation and video. Video display, animation, flashing, whirling, fading, dissolving transitions, or any other type of motion are prohibited.
      (5)   When text is displayed, the background behind the text must be a solid color, for the purpose of ensuring that the text is readable. Images are permitted, provided that no text is displayed in front of them.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01; Am. Ord. passed 2-20-17)
§ 155.245 MEASUREMENT.
   The area of all signs shall be computed by measuring the area of the regular shaped envelope required to enclose the lettering and/or logo and the structures to which the letters and/or logo are attached.
   (A)   Wall sign area shall be computed using the envelope around the letters.
   (B)   Double-faced freestanding area sign shall be computed using only one face of the sign provided that:
      (1)   The outline and dimensions of both faces are identical, and
      (2)   The faces are back-to-back so that only one face is visible at any given location.
   (C)   Monolith sign area shall be computed by measuring the entire vertical surface of a face upon which the letters and/or logo are attached. In the case of a double-faced or multi-faced monolith sign, the area of the sign shall be computed using only one face of the sign. The area of a cylindrical monolith sign shall be computed by multiplying the diameter of the cylinder by its height.
   (D)   A sign support shall not be considered when measuring the area of ground or freestanding sign.
   (E)   In determining conformance with setback standards and distance requirements, the following guidelines shall be used:
      (1)   The distance between two signs shall be measured along a straight horizontal line that represents the shortest distance between the two signs.
      (2)   The distance between a sign and a parking lot shall be measured along a straight horizontal line that represents the shortest distance between the sign and the outer edge of the parking lot.
      (3)   The distance between a sign and a building or property line shall be measured along a straight horizontal line that represents the shortest distance between the sign and the building.
(Ord. 792, passed 12-3-01)
§ 155.246 RESERVED.
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