For the purpose of this article, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein:
(a) Abandoned Sign means a sign which no longer correctly directs or exhorts any person, advertises a bonafide business, lessor, owner, product or activity conducted or product available on the premises where such sign is displayed.
(b) A-Frame - Sandwich Board. Tent Sign means a portable sign, with one (1) or more sign faces, that may be carried from place to place and is not attached to the ground.
(c) Animated Sign means any sign which includes action or motion.
(d) Attention-Getting Device means a flag, propeller, spinner, streamer, search light, inflatable device or balloon which expands when filled with a gas or air, or similar device or ornamentation which is designed or used for the purpose of promoting, advertising, or attracting attention for commercial purposes.
(e) Banner Sign means a temporary sign composed of cloth or flexible material either enclosed or not enclosed in a rigid frame, secured or mounted to an existing structure.
(f) Beacon means a stationary or revolving light which flashes or projects illumination, single or multi-colored, in any manner which is intended to attract or divert attention; except, however, this term is not intended to include any kind of lighting device which is required or necessary under the safety regulations described by the Federal Aviation Administration or other similar agencies.
(g) Bench Sign means a sign placed on a bench in the public right-of-way.
(h) Billboard means any sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service or activity not necessarily conducted, sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located.
(i) Bus Shelter Sign means a sign erected on or in a bus shelter located in the public right-of way.
(j) Canopy Or Awning Sign means any sign which is affixed to, painted on or suspended from a roof-like shelter, either permanent, retractable, or removable, which is self-supporting and provides protection from sun, rain, snow, and other elements.
(k) Copy. Changeable Or Message Board Sign means a sign on which the copy changes automatically on a lamp bank or through mechanical means, such as electrical or electronic time and temperature units, or is changed manually in the field in or upon the surface area of the sign.
(l) Directional Sign means a sign which directs or guides persons to an establishment or to facilities intended to serve the public, including entrances, exits, restrooms, public telephones, walkways, parking areas, full-service and self-service gasoline pumps, and similar facilities, but which does not identify the establishment itself or other goods or services available at the establishment and does not contain other advertising messages.
(m) Directory Sign means a sign which serves as common or collective classification for a group of persons or businesses operating on the same zoned lot, including but not limited to, shopping centers and office complexes. Such sign may name the persons or businesses included, but carry no other advertising matter.
(n) Erect means to build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend or affix.
(o) Flashing Sign means any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or which produces the illusion of intermittent or flashing light.
(p) Freestanding Sign means a sign which is completely or principally supported by one (1) or more posts or other support of which seventy-five percent (75%) is visually or physically attached to the ground, which is not attached to the principal building on the property, and is anchored in or upon the ground. This shall include, but not be limited to, signs attached to poles or supports for lights, canopies, and other items or structures.
(q) Garage Sale Sign means a temporary sign which indicates the location of a sale of personal items from a private residence.
(r) Ground Level means the natural grade at the base of the sign support.
(s) Ground Sign means a sign which is supported by one or more uprights, poles, braces, or structure upon the ground.
(t) Height means the vertical distance measured from the natural grade at the base of the sign support to the highest point of the sign or tower.
(u) Hologram Sign means a three-dimensional picture that is made on a photographic film or plate without the use of a camera, that consists of a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of light and which for viewing is illuminated with a coherent light from behind.
(v) Home Occupation Sign means a sign indicating the occupation or profession performed at a residence by a member of that residence.
(w) Identification Sign means a sign which states the name of the business or establishment, including either the national company or local proprietor and/or the address of a building.
(x) Illuminated Sign means any sign which emanates light either by means of exposed tubing or lamps on its surface or by means of illumination transmitted through the sign faces.
(y) Indirectly Illuminated Sign means any sign which reflects light from a source intentionally directed upon it, for example by means of a flood light.
(z) Information Sign means a sign of an informational nature bearing no advertising.
(aa) Mall means any concentration of retail stores and/or service establishments which share customer parking areas and area located within an enclosure having public walkways whereby a customer in one store or establishment may walk to another store or establishment without leaving the enclosure.
(bb) Mansard Roof means a double-sloped pitched roof rising steeply from the eaves, and having a summit of flatter slope on both sides of the ridge.
(cc) Marquee means a roof-like structure that projects over an entrance to a building, but not supported by the ground.
(dd) Memorial Sign means a sign, tablet, or plaque memorializing a person, event, structure, or site.
(ee) Monument Sign means a ground sign which has a base other than a pole such that the width of the sign is typically the same from the ground to the top of the sign.
(ff) Municipal Sign means a sign erected and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any municipal functions or required by law, ordinance, or other governmental regulation.
(gg) Name Plate means a sign which displays only the name and/or street address of the occupant.
(hh) Non-Conforming Sign means any sign which was lawfully erected and maintained prior to the adoption and effective date of this article and any amendments hereto, which fails to conform to all applicable regulations and restrictions of this code, or a sign previously deemed to be non-conforming for which a special permit has been issued.
(ii) Off Site Sign means any sign that identifies a business, person, activity, goods, products, services or facilities that is not conducted on the premises upon which such sign is maintained.
(jj) On-Site Sign means any sign that identifies a business, person, activity, goods, products, services or facilities that is located on the same premises as the sign itself.
(kk) Pole Sign means a free standing sign which is supported by a pole or poles and designed so as to permit pedestrian or vehicular traffic thereunder.
(ll) Political Sign means a temporary sign which announces candidates seeking public political office, or referendum appearing on the ballot at, any elections.
(mm) Portable Sign means any sign that is not permanently attached to the ground, a structure, or a building and which is designed to be transported to another location, whether or not there are wheels, skids, or other means of conveyance attached thereto.
(nn) Public Right-of-Way means any dedicated street, alley, parkway, sidewalk, or public property, including those belonging to the village of Justice, County of Cook, and the State of Illinois.
(oo) Public Sign means a sign of a non-commercial nature and in the public interest, erected by, or on the order of, a public officer in the performance of a public duty, such as official signs and notices of any public or governmental agency, or erected by or on the order of a court or public officer, including official traffic signs authorized by the Illinois Vehicle Code of the Illinois Compiled Statues.
(pp) Real Estate Sign means a temporary sign placed upon property for the purpose of advertising to the public the sale or lease of said property.
(qq) Roof Sign means any sign wholly erected, constructed, or maintained on the roof structure or parapet of any building.
(rr) Sight Triangle means the area of the corner lot closest to the street or driveway intersection which must be kept free of visual impairment to allow full view of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The area shall be marked by a point at which the two (2) curb lines intersect, measuring back 15 feet on each street/driveway front, and drawing a line across the two (2) back points to form a triangulated area. No signs may be permitted within a sight triangle except for public safety-related signs.
(ss) Sign means any object, device, display, structure, or part thereof, which is used primarily to advertise, identify, display, or direct or attract attention to an object, person, establishment, product, service, event or location by any means including, without limitation, words, letters, figures, designs, symbols, fixtures, colors, motion, illumination or projected images, visible beyond the boundaries of the lot or parcel on which they are situated or visible from any public thoroughfare or right of way. This includes, but is not limited to, wall signs, freestanding signs, ground signs, window signs, awning or canopy signs, marquees, bench signs, changeable copy signs, message boards, illuminated signs, moving signs, temporary signs, portable signs, pennants, banners, streamers or any other attention-getting device, flag, or other display, whether affixed to a building or erected elsewhere on the premises. The term “sign” excludes those features of a building which are an integral part of the building’s design and structure.
(tt) Sign Area means the entire area of all sign faces, cumulatively, including sign faces on which no copy is currently displayed.
(uu) Sign Face means that part of the sign which is or can be used to identify, to advertise, to communicate information, or for visual representation which attract the attention of the public for any purpose. This shall include any background material, panel, trim, color, and direct or self-illumination that differentiates the sign from the building, structure, backdrop surface, or object upon or against which it is placed. This shall not include any portion of the support structure for the sign, provided that no message, symbol, or any part of the aforementioned sign face criteria is placed on or designed as part of the support structure.
(vv) Shopping Center means any two (2) or more retail and/or service establishments or one (1) retail and one (1) service establishment, sharing customer parking areas, regardless of whether said stores and/or establishments occupy separate structures or are under separate ownership.
(ww) Temporary Sign means a sign which contains information which is not of a permanent character. Such signs include, but are not limited to political signs, garage sale signs, portable signs, banner signs, and real estate signs.
(xx) Tower means a stand alone structure that is relatively high for its base length and width.
(yy) Unlawful Sign means a sign which violates this code; or which the building commissioner may declare as unlawful if it becomes dangerous to public safety by reason of dilapidation or abandonment; or a nonconforming sign for which a permit required under a previous code was not obtained.
(zz) Wall Sign means any sign attached to or erected against a wall of a building or structure with the exposed face of the sign parallel to the plane of the wall.
(aaa) Wind Sign means any sign composed of two (2) or more banners, flags, or other objects, mounted serially and fastened in such a manner as to move upon being subjected to pressure by wind or breeze.
(bbb) Window Display means one (1) or more objects set inside a building in a display case or on a window ledge which displays merchandise or relates to services offered but which is not affixed to any window.
(ccc) Window Sign means a sign that is installed inside, painted upon, or placed against a widow for purposes of viewing from the outside of the premises, not including merchandise located in a window display.
(Code 1972, § 4-7-12; Ord. 91-29, § 9, 9-9-1991; Ord. 2008-23, § 2, 5-27-2008; Ord. 2013-04, § 3, 3-25-2013; Ord. 2016-20, § 1, 5-23-2016)