For the purposes of this part, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ABANDONED SIGN. A permanent sign which advertises, identifies or informs of a business, service or use no longer being conducted on the lot on which the sign is located, or on the premises to which the sign relates, and which has been discontinued for a period of 30 days or longer.
ADDRESS SIGN. A permanent sign using numerals to identify the location of a business, residence, building or structure and such other location information required by statute or government order, rule or regulation.
ADVERTISING. Text and/or graphics on a sign promoting or offering for sale products, goods or services.
A-FRAME SIGN. A daily-display temporary portable sign, usually with two sign faces in the shape of an “A”, “T”, or “I”, or a box on wheels, or a circular form, intended for daily display or one-day display on the ground, not permanently attached to any structure and easily movable.
ALLOWED SIGN. Any sign allowed to be located, erected, used, displayed, constructed, installed, enlarged, expanded, altered, operated, maintained, relocated or removed within the village in conformance with the regulations of this part.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL SIGN. A permanent wall or monument sign which is carved or etched into the façade of a building or independent structure or otherwise incorporated into an architectural element of a building or structure, masonry façade, archway, pillar or fountain and integrated into and subordinate to the overall design of the architectural element.
AWNING. A permanent structure consisting of a metal frame covered with canvas, fabric, vinyl or other similar flexible material attached to a building and extended over windows or doors or along a public sidewalk as a protection from the elements.
AWNING SIGN. A permanent sign painted, printed or otherwise permanently affixed to an awning. An awning that is considered an architectural element of a building and is not used for identifying the premises or the goods or services sold on or off the premises is not considered a sign.
BANNER SIGN. A short-term temporary portable sign printed or displayed on fabric, canvas, vinyl or other flexible material with or without an enclosing frame, or intended to be attached or suspended at two ends or continuously across the top and bottom or the long side.
BARBER POLE SIGN. A permanent wall or window sign in the shape of a cylindrical pole in a traditional red, white and blue spiral striped design that identifies the premises as a barber shop.
BILLBOARD SIGN. An off-premises commercial message sign.
BOOSTER SIGN. A temporary or short-term temporary portable sign celebrating or acknowledging athletic, community, civic, philanthropic, religious or educational programs, teams, seasons, events or the like.
CANOPY. Any permanent structure consisting of a metal frame covered with canvas, fabric, vinyl or other similar flexible material attached to a building for the purpose of shielding an entrance to the residential portion of the building from the elements.
CANOPY SIGN. A permanent sign painted, printed or otherwise permanently affixed to a canopy.
CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGN. A permanent sign intended to be frequently altered mechanically or by hand using characters, letters or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged without altering the face or the surface of the sign. A sign designed to allow plaques to be replaced occasionally is not a changeable message sign.
CIVIC EVENT SIGN. A short-term temporary portable sign announcing a community, civic, philanthropic, religious, educational or similar event of interest to the community.
COMBINED SIGN AREA. The aggregate total square footage of permanent commercial message signs allowed per occupant in the “B” Business District including any combination of wall, window, projecting, awning and monument signs. The square footage of any exempt signs is not included when calculating combined sign area.
COMMERCIAL MESSAGE SIGN. A sign that announces or offers for sale products, goods or services, or that announces or directs attention to a business, product, service, profession, commodity or other commercial activity or that proposes a commercial transaction.
CONSTRUCTION SITE SIGN. A temporary sign displayed on the site of ongoing construction.
DAILY-DISPLAY TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign not permanently installed, affixed or mounted and not intended for a permanent use, which is intended for daily display or one-day display by a business, entity, institution, organization or event during customary operating hours.
DEMOLITION SITE SIGN. A temporary sign in the B, R-1, R-2, R-3, or R-4 zoning districts providing notice of a Building Review Commission meeting to review a demolition application for a building pursuant to the building and construction regulations.
DIGITAL SIGN or ELECTRONIC VARIABLE CHANGING SIGN (“EVCS”). Any electronically programmed variable changing permanent sign depicting action, motion, light or color changes through full motion video, electrical or mechanical means, or which uses a digital or dynamic display device to present the visual image, whether the apparent movement or change is in the display, the sign structure itself, or any other component of the sign. A digital sign or EVCS includes, without limitation, any sign which incorporates a flashing, blinking or animated display, or an electronic display with rotating panels, or LED lights manipulated through digital input, or “digital ink,” or any other method or technology that allows the sign face to present a series of images or displays, or digital images of any kind projected onto a sidewalk, wall or fence. A digital sign or EVCS also includes any sign that incorporates television screens, plasma screens, digital screens, flat screens, LED screens, HD screens, 3-D technology, video boards and/or holographic displays or the like to attract attention.
DILAPIDATED SIGN. A permanent sign which is otherwise structurally sound, but is in need of painting, maintenance or repair.
DIRECTORY SIGN. A permanent sign, not advertising, which identifies the location of occupants of a building or a group of buildings on the lot on which it is displayed.
ELECTION SIGN. A temporary portable sign announcing or supporting political candidates or issues in connection with any national, state or local election.
EXEMPT SIGN. An allowed sign for which no building permit and certificate of appropriateness is required prior to its location, erection, use, display, construction, installation, enlargement, expansion, alteration, operation, maintenance, relocation or removal.
EXTENSIONS, CUT-OUTS, or EMBELLISH- MENTS. Physical extensions to a permanent sign or its structure that extend beyond the sign area or sign face to draw attention to a sign message.
EXTERIOR ILLUMINATED SIGN. A permanent sign, any part of which is illuminated from an external artificial light source mounted either on the sign, on another structure or on the ground.
FAÇADE. The front of a building facing a public way.
FLAG. Any fabric or bunting containing distinct colors, patterns or symbols, used as an ornamental flag or as a symbol of government, political subdivision, business, church, school, institution or other entity, and designed to be flown or hung as a flag.
FLASHING or BLINKING SIGN. A sign which produces intermittent illumination, including, without limitation, revolving or rotating lighting; blinking or flashing lighting; constant lighting whereby the brilliance, intensity or color is varied by mechanical or other means; traveling or chasing lights or chaser border; or rotating beacons or searchlights. A sign with reflective paint or tape which is intended to be intermittently illuminated by independent light sources (such as street lights, headlights or traffic lights) is a flashing or blinking sign.
FREE EXPRESSION MESSAGE. Any noncommercial viewpoint or free speech message on a sign of a political, religious or ideological nature.
FREE EXPRESSION SIGN. A sign containing only a free expression message.
FREESTANDING SIGN. A sign supported by one or more vertical pole(s), support(s), pipe(s), wooden or metal beam(s) or post(s), standing on or inserted into the ground independent of any other building or other structure.
FRONT FAÇADE. The first floor wall area façade parallel or most nearly parallel to the public street.
GOVERNMENTAL SIGN. A sign erected, displayed and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function or required to be displayed and maintained by any law, ordinance, rule or regulation.
HAZARD or NO TRESPASSING SIGN. A sign either informing the public of a danger or hazard existing on, or adjacent to, the lot on which it is located, or issuing a warning to trespassers.
HOLIDAY DECORATIONS. Temporary portable signs in the nature of decorations, incidental to and customarily associated with, any national, state, local, cultural or religious holiday.
ILLEGAL SIGN. A sign located, erected, used, displayed, constructed, installed, enlarged, expanded, altered, operated, maintained or relocated in violation of the regulations set forth in this part.
INCIDENTAL SIGN. A small sign, emblem or decal, not advertising, informing the public of an incidental service or activity available or occurring on the premises, including, without limitation, a credit card acceptance sign, a sign indicating hours of business, a sign prohibiting solicitation, and a sign indicating that an invisible pet fence is present. Security signs are not incidental signs.
INFORMATIONAL SIGN. A permanent sign, that is not a governmental sign and does not contain advertising, the principal purpose of which is to inform the public of the location of parking, or to provide directions to motorists or pedestrians, including directions for entrances and exits, parking restrictions, loading zones, and handicapped parking.
INSTITUTIONAL SIGN. A permanent sign which functions to identify or support the activities of an institution, government or non-profit organization such as a park district, public utility, municipality, school district, church, community center, or similar entity and does not advertise or offer for sale any products, goods or services.
INSTITUTIONAL PROPERTY. A lot, or a portion of a lot, the occupant of which is a government or non-profit organization, such as a park district, public utility, municipality, school district, church, community center or similar entity.
INTERIOR ILLUMINATED SIGN. A sign located inside a building illuminated by a light source and clearly visible from the exterior of the building through a window or a door.
INTERNALLY-ILLUMINATED SIGN. A sign illuminated by a light source that is enclosed by the sign face or located within the sign.
LEGAL NONCONFORMING SIGN. A sign that was lawfully erected, but no longer complies with provisions of federal, state or village laws, ordinances or regulations as a result of changed conditions, including the enactment of this part. A sign that was in violation of any village law, ordinance, or regulation as of the date of the enactment of this part is not a legal nonconforming signs.
LIGHT POLE CIVIC BANNER SIGN. A temporary banner sign erected pursuant to a village-approved civic event sign plan and intended for display on light poles in the village for the purpose of announcing a community, civic, philanthropic, educational or similar event of interest to the community.
LOGO. The symbol or other graphic representation of a business, institution, organization or public body.
MASTER SIGN PLAN. A plan submitted to and approved by the Architectural Review Commission, describing and depicting a coordinated signage plan for a building or a development with multiple buildings.
MEMORIAL PLAQUE SIGN. A permanent sign consisting of an inscribed plaque or tablet memorializing or honoring a person, event, structure or the like.
MOBILE BILLBOARD SIGN. A sign, including any digital sign or ECVS sign, which is attached to, mounted on or carried by a motor vehicle, trailer, bicycle or other vehicle on wheels, including a storage pod designed to be moved on wheels, whether the pod is stationary or not and with or without wheels attached, and including any vehicle whose principal function is to serve as a stationary sign for an extended period of time and which is parked in a location which is visible from the public right-of-way. A sign on a vehicle which is used in the normal day-to-day operation of a business and regularly moves from the parked location is not a mobile billboard sign.
MONUMENT SIGN. A sign mounted on a permanent, freestanding structure independent of any other building or structure, with a decorative base at ground level or wood, brick, masonry, or the like which surrounds the posts or beams, if any, supporting the sign.
NEON ILLUMINATED SIGN. A sign which incorporates lighted neon tubes or other fluorescing gas.
NOISE OR ATTENTION-GETTING SIGN. A sign which emits sound, vapor, smoke, odor, particles or gaseous matter to attract attention.
OCCUPANT. The owner, tenant, business or other user of all or a portion of a building.
OFF-PREMISES COMMERCIAL MESSAGE SIGN. A commercial message sign that announces or offers for sale products, goods or services, or that announces or directs attention to a business, product, service, profession, commodity, or other commercial activity or that proposes a commercial transaction that occurs on premises other than the lot upon which the sign is displayed, erected, operated or located. Off-premises commercial message sign and billboard sign shall have the same meaning in this part.
ON-PREMISES COMMERCIAL MESSAGE SIGN. A commercial message sign that announces or offers for sale products, goods or services, or that announces or directs attention to a business, product, service, profession, commodity, or other commercial activity or that proposes a commercial transaction that occurs on the lot upon which the sign is displayed, erected, operated or located.
OPEN HOUSE SIGN. A one day daily-display temporary portable sign directing people to homes which are for sale and open to the public for physical viewing without prior appointment.
PERMANENT SIGN. Any sign which, when installed, affixed or mounted, is intended for permanent use. For the purpose of this part, any sign intended to be used and displayed for longer than 12 months from the date of erection or installation shall be deemed a PERMANENT SIGN.
PERSONAL EVENT SIGN. A short-term temporary sign located on private residential property celebrating a notable occasion or a personal event, such as a birth, birthday, graduation, or the like.
PORTABLE SIGN. A temporary, short-term temporary, or daily-display temporary portable sign, not intended to be permanently attached to a building, structure or the ground, and either made of temporary material such as paper, cardboard, foam board, vinyl, flexible fabric, canvas or the like, or specifically designed to be easily moved or carried by a person, such as an A-frame or a chalkboard on wheels, or designed to be worn by a person, or thrown by a person. PORTABLE SIGNS include, without limitation, A-frame signs, signs on wheels, sandwich boards, inflatable signs, advertising umbrellas, wind signs, beacons and searchlights, mascots, signs worn by persons and human sign spinners.
PRIVATE SALE SIGN. A one day daily-display temporary portable sign advertising a private sale of personal property from a residence, including a garage sale, yard sale, moving sale, auction, estate sale or the like.
PROHIBITED SIGN. Any sign not allowed to be located, erected, used, displayed, constructed, installed, enlarged, expanded, altered, operated, maintained or relocated within the village.
PROJECTING SIGN. A permanent sign which is attached to and extends out from a building facade or wall in such a manner that the sign face is perpendicular or at an angle to the building facade or wall.
PUBLIC PROPERTY. Any property in the village which is owned and/or operated by any public body, including municipal property owned and operated by the village (such as streets, sidewalks and parkways), property owned and/or operated by the Kenilworth Park District, property owned and operated by Kenilworth School District No. 38.
PUBLIC UTILITY SIGN. A sign erected by a public utility or other provider of public services, including any sign warning of danger or hazardous conditions or delineating the presence of underground cables, gas lines or similar facilities.
REAL ESTATE SIGN. A temporary portable sign placed on property to inform the general public that the property is available for lease or sale.
ROOF SIGN. A sign located on or attached to the roof of a building.
ROTATING OR MOVING SIGN. A sign that contains any moving, revolving or rotating parts; turns on an axis allowing different faces or images to be viewed from a single location; revolves vertically; or has visible mechanical movement of any kind designed to attract attention.
SCOREBOARD. A permanent sign located on or adjacent to an athletic field that displays information and/or statistics pertinent to games or activities conducted on the premises.
SECURITY SIGN. A sign which announces that a security system or alarm is maintained on the property or premises.
SHORT-TERM TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign not permanently installed, affixed or mounted, and not intended for permanent use, which is intended for use and display for up to, and not more than, 21 days.
SHORT-TERM TEMPORARY COMMERCIAL MESSAGE WINDOW SIGN. A short-term temporary commercial message sign affixed to the interior of a window of a commercial establishment advertising a sale of merchandise, products, goods or services, or a seasonal activity, grand opening or similar event.
SHORT-TERM TEMPORARY COMMERCIAL MESSAGE WINDOW DISPLAY SIGN. A short- term temporary commercial message sign that is suspended from the ceiling or set on the floor or otherwise supported, and visible from any street or sidewalk, and that is part of an interior display in a window of merchandise, products, goods or services sold.
SIGN. Any fixed, flexible, or moving device, fixture, structure, placard, visual representation or visual entity, which uses writing, text, color, form, graphics, symbols, illumination, architectural elements, or any electronic or digital changeable movement, to inform, direct, warn, announce, identify, advertise, attract attention, or to communicate information of any kind to the public.
SIGN AREA. The total area of the face of a sign in square feet.
SNIPE SIGN. A temporary portable off- premises commercial or non-commercial message sign that is tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued or otherwise attached to telephone poles, utility poles, fences, trees or rocks, or dug or pounded into the ground on property not lawfully belonging to the person or entity posting the sign and posted without the property owner’s consent.
STREET FURNITURE SIGN. A sign consisting of advertising displays positioned at close proximity to pedestrians for eye-level viewing, and displayed on temporary or permanent fixtures such as transit shelters, newsstands, kiosks, benches, umbrellas and the like.
TEMPORARY PARKING AND TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGN. A daily-display temporary portable sign, not advertising, placed on private property, on public property, or in the public right-of- way, to assist the general public with parking and traffic flow including, without limitation, a sign placed in the street to caution motorists to slow down for a school zone; a courtesy “No Parking” sign to facilitate orderly child drop-off and pick-up at elementary and nursery schools; and a courtesy “Valet Parking” sign for a public or private gathering.
TEMPORARY SIGN. Any sign, not permanently installed, affixed or mounted and not intended for permanent use. For purposes of this part, any sign with an intended use of less than 12 months shall be deemed a temporary sign.
UNDER-AWNING SIGN. A sign attached to and/or mounted under an awning.
UNDER-CANOPY SIGN. A sign attached to and/or mounted under a canopy.
UNPROTECTED MESSAGE SIGN. A sign with any message, speech or image which is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and/or the corollary provisions of the Illinois Constitution, including, without limitation, misleading or deceptive commercial messages, messages which promote illegal products or services, and messages which meet the legal definition of obscenity.
UNSAFE SIGN. A sign that presents a threat of harm to person or property because it is not properly secured, is structurally unsound, has defective parts, is unlawfully erected or installed, is in danger of falling, presents any fire, electrical safety or shock hazard, or is otherwise a danger or hazard to the public.
VANDALIZED SIGN. Any sign that has been painted, tagged, damaged or defaced by acts of vandalism.
WALL SIGN. A permanent sign attached to or erected against the wall of a building or structure in a manner that the sign face is on a parallel plane to the wall.
WALL WRAP or WALL MURAL SIGN. A commercial message sign, whether painted directly on the exterior surface of a building, wall, or fence, or, using the medium of vinyl or similar materials, applied to or suspended from the exterior surface of a building, wall or fence or wrapped around a building.
WIND SIGN. A short-term temporary portable sign, not a flag, consisting of objects or material that move upon being subjected to pressure by the wind, including banners, pennants, ribbons, spinners, streamers, captive balloons or inflatable figures.
WINDOW SIGN. A permanent sign applied, attached or in contact with the interior of a window, the glass surface of a door, or located within five feet of the interior side of a window or displayed so that it is visible from the exterior of the window or door.
(Ord. 1057, passed 2-22-2011)