(A) Purpose and intent. The purpose of this section is to prevent the uncontrolled use of off-premise signs so as to promote the health, safety and general welfare of those persons using the public rights-of-way. These regulations are intended to preserve the overall landscape quality of the county while allowing the reasonable use of signs to inform the traveling public. This is accomplished through the application of standards for size, illumination and separation. This section is not intended to regulate objects that traditionally are not considered signs for purposes of governmental regulations.
(B) General regulations.
(1) In the A-1 - General Agriculture; PF - Park Forest Districts; A-2 - Residential Agriculture; RR - Rural Residential; and SRD - Suburban Residential Districts, off-premise signs shall not be permitted.
(2) The following regulations shall apply to off-premise signs in GC - General Commercial; RC - Recreation Commercial; HSC - Highway Service Commercial; C/LI - Commercial/Light Industrial and I-I - General Industry Districts:
(a) A maximum sign area of 288 square feet.
(b) There shall be no more than one sign face per direction of facing.
(c) The maximum height shall be 40 feet.
(d) No part of the sign face or structure shall be located in or overlap into the required side or rear yard setbacks or public right-of-way.
(e) Spacing requirements.
1. A sign shall not be within a 500 foot radius of any other off-premise sign intended to be read from the same right-of-way.
2. The sign shall not be within a 300 foot radius of any other off-premise sign intended to be read from a different right-of-way.
3. No off-premise sign shall be located within 500 feet of a residential dwelling located on a different parcel.
4. All spacing measurements in this subsection shall refer to a measurement made along the edge of the right- of-way and shall apply only to structures located on the same side of the highway.
5. These spacing provisions do not apply to signs separated by buildings or other obstructions in such a manner that only one sign located within the above spacing distance is visible from the road right-of-way at any one time.
6. No off-premise signs are allowed within 500 feet of a public park, school, church, or designated historic site.
7. The light from any illuminated sign shall be so shielded, shaded or directed so that the light intensity shall not adversely affect surrounding or facing premises or the safe vision of operators of vehicles on public roads.
8. Electronic message signs.
A. All new permitted off-premise signs may be an electronic message sign subject to requirements listed in § II-8.004(D).
B. All existing off-premise signs within the HSC; C/LI and I-I zoning districts may obtain a permit to become an electronic message sign subject to requirements listed in § II-8.004(D).
(C) Exceptions.
(1) Political campaign signs provided the signs are removed within five days after the election.
(2) Directional signs, street name signs, or other signs which have been authorized and directed by a governmental unit.
(D) Prohibited signs. The following signs are prohibited:
(1) Parking of advertising vehicles prohibited. No person shall park any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way, or public property, or on private property so as to be visible from a public right-of-way, which has attached thereto or located thereon, any sign or advertising device for the basic purpose of providing advertisement of products or directing people to a business or activity located on the same premises or any other premise. This is not intended to prohibit any form of vehicular signage such as a sign attached to a bus or lettering on a motor vehicle.
(2) Nuisance signs. Signs which imitate an official traffic sign or signal or which are of a size, location, movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination which may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or which hide from view any traffic, street sign or signal shall be removed upon notice.
(3) Beacons, searchlights, and flashing signs. Beacons, searchlights, and flashing signs shall be prohibited.
(4) Signs on public property. Except where required by law or permitted by the county, any sign installed or placed within any right-of-way or public property shall be deemed illegal and shall be forfeited to the public and subject to immediate confiscation.
(5) Movement. Signs shall not have moving parts or have the illusion of motion as part of the sign, except banners, pennants and similar lightweight signs which move with the atmosphere.
(E) Maintenance and removal. Every off-premise sign shall be maintained in good structural and aesthetic condition at all times. Any abandoned, unsafe or unsightly sign shall be removed or renovated within 60 days upon written notice. If the owner fails to remove or renovate the sign within the required time period the county may remove such sign at the owner’s expense.
(F) Permit requirements. All off-premise signs require a building permit to be obtained prior to the construction or placement of each sign, except temporary political campaign signs and signs which were authorized and directed by a governmental unit.
(Ord. 14-01, passed 6-6-2014, Ch. 8, § 1.5; Ord. 22-04, passed 4-11-2023)