The following operations shall not be considered as requiring the issuance of a sign permit, but any sign thus created must be in conformance with all other building, structural and electrical laws and regulations of the state:
(A) Agricultural property signage. Signs erected where agricultural uses are provided, which must relate to the sale of farm products grown, bred or produced on the premises of the agricultural nature of the property;
(B) Construction signs. One construction sign per construction project not exceeding 32 square feet in sign area in residential districts or 64 square feet in commercial or industrial districts, provided that such signs shall be erected no more than 30 days prior to the beginning of construction for which a valid building permit has been issued, shall be confined to the site of construction and shall be removed 30 days after completion of construction and prior to occupancy;
(C) Direction or instructional signs. Signs which provide direction or instruction to which they pertain and do not in any way advertise the sale of merchandise or services or any business and do not exceed four square feet in area, such as signs identifying rest rooms, public telephones, walkways or signs providing direction such as parking lot entrance and exit signs and those of similar nature. Such signs may identify the establishment to which the directions or instructions thereon are pertinent;
(D) Flags. The flags, emblems or insignia of any nation or political subdivision or corporate flag;
(E) Governmental signs. Governmental signs for control of traffic and other regulatory purposes, street signs, danger, signs, railroad crossing sign and signs of public service companies indicating danger and aids to service safety which are erected by or on the order of a public officer in the performance of his or her public duty;
(F) Holiday decorations. Signs of a primarily decorative nature, clearly incidental and customary and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday;
(G) House numbers. House numbers not exceeding two square feet in area for each dwelling unit or mobile home;
(H) Non-electrical interior signs. Non-electrical signs located within the interior of any building or stadium, or within an enclosed lobby or court of any building, and non-electrical signs for and located within the inner or outer lobby, court or entrance of any theater, that are not visible from the public right-of-way. This does not, however, exempt such non-electrical signs from the structural or material specifications as set out in this chapter;
(I) Memorial signs. Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or inlaid so as to be part of the building or when constructed of bronze or other incombustible material;
(J) Notice bulletin boards. Notice bulletin boards not over 32 square feet in area for medical, public, charitable or religious institutions where the same are located on the premises of said institution;
(K) No trespassing or no dumping signs. No trespassing or no dumping signs;
(L) Occupant signs, nameplates. One nameplate for each dwelling unit or mobile home not to exceed two square feet in area indicating the name of the occupant, location or identification of a home professional office, provided the use of the premises is legal both in substance and at that location;
(M) Wall signs, fence signs. In business and manufacturing zones, a sign painted on the surface of a fence or approved building wall or any non-illuminated wall sign on a building or structure which is not more than 20 square feet in sign area;
(N) Public notices. Official notices posted by public officers or employees in the performance of their duties;
(O) Public signs. Signs required or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or ordinance, which may be of any type, number, area, height above grade, location, illumination or animation required by the law, statute or ordinance under which the signs are erected;
(P) Real estate signs. Real estate signs, on- or off-premises, not directly illuminated, and is removed within ten days after the closing date of a sales contract of the effective date of a lease;
(Q) Signs in the display window. Signs in the display window of a business use which are incorporated with a display of merchandise or a display relating to services offered which comply with division (O) above;
(R) Symbols of insignia. Religious symbols, commemorative plaques of recognized historical agencies, or identification emblems of religious orders or historical agencies, provided that no such symbol, plaque or identification emblem, shall exceed four square feet in area, and provided further that all such symbols, plaques and identification emblems shall be placed flat against a building;
(S) Temporary signs. Temporary signs in an area pertaining to personal events, drives or events of civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organizations, provided that said signs are posted only during said drive or no more than 30 days before said event and are removed no more than 15 days after an event;
(T) Warning signs. Signs warning the public of the existence of danger, but containing no advertising material, of a size as may be necessary to be removed upon subsidence of danger; and
(U) Neighborhood identification signs. In any zone, a sign, masonry wall, landscaping and other similar materials or features may be combined to form a display for neighborhood or tract identification, provided that the legend of such sign or display shall consist only of the neighborhood or tract name.
(Ord 17-001, passed 1-12-2012; Ord. passed 3-13-2012)