The following regulations shall apply to all signs hereinafter permitted in all districts:
(A) Signs and decorations shall not be permitted within the public right-of-way or easements except that the City Council may grant special permits for temporary signs and decorations to be strung across the right-of-way;
(B) Signs painted on a building shall be governed by the square footage limitations specified in the appropriate zoning districts;
(C) No sign shall be placed that resembles any official marker erected by a governmental agency or display such words as “stop” or “danger;”
(D) No sign shall be permitted to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway, or opening intended to provide air, ingress, or egress for any building or structure;
(E) Where a sign is illuminated the source of light shall not be directed into any part of a residence or into any of the classes of residence districts;
(F) No sign shall be erected or maintained which is not shielded so as to prevent its beams or rays of light from being directed at any portion of any street, avenue, or highway thoroughfare within the city;
(G) Any portable signs, advertising signs, business signs, and nameplate signs, including signs painted on buildings which may be or hereafter become rotted, unsafe, or unsightly shall be repaired, repainted, or removed. Also, in the event a business ceases operation for a period of time in excess of 90 days, the sign owner or lessee, or the property owner, shall immediately remove any sign identifying or advertising said business or any product sold thereby; provided, however, this requirement shall not apply where under the provisions of this chapter an existing conforming sign may be altered to advertise a new business or product sold thereby, and there is evidence that a new business will be in operation on the premises within 60 days. Upon failure of a sign owner or lessee, or property owner, to comply with this section, the Building Official shall issue a written notice which shall state that such a sign shall be removed within 30 days. If the sign owner or lessee, or property owner, fails to comply with such written notice to remove, the Building Official shall report that fact forthwith to the Council. Thereafter, the Council, after notice and hearing, may cause removal of such sign. The Council may also grant a building owner an extension of the time necessary to remove the sign. Any expense incidental to such removal shall be charged to the owner of the property upon which the sign is located and shall constitute a lien upon the property. For the purpose of this section, the word
REMOVAL shall mean:
(1) The sign face, along with posts, columns, or supports of freestanding signs, shall be taken down and removed from the property;
(2) The sign face and supporting structures of “projecting,” “roof,” or “wall” signs shall be taken down and removed from the property; and
(3) The sign face of “painted wall signs” shall be removed by painting over the wall sign in such a manner as to completely cover up and hide from sight the sign in question; and
(H) Notwithstanding the provisions of division (G) above, the sign owner, lessee, mortgagee, or contract for deed vendor of the same may petition the Council in lieu of removal to cover the sign face or to remove all writing from the sign, or in cases where a successive business may use the same sign, to allow the same sign to remain for a period not to exceed one year. The Council, upon consideration of the petition, may grant or refuse the exception requested, after weighing the public and private interest.
(Ord. 5-6, passed 7-8-2002) Penalty, see § 152.99