(a) General Requirements. All signs must be designed and constructed in a safe and stable manner in accordance with the City's adopted building code and electrical codes. All electric wiring associated with a freestanding sign must be installed underground.
(b) Building Code. All signs must be designed to comply with minimum wind pressure and other requirements identified in the City's adopted building code.
(c) Framework. All signs must be designed so that the supporting framework, other than the supporting poles on a freestanding sign, is contained within or behind the face of the sign or within the building to which it is attached so as to be totally screened from view.
(d) Installation. Signs must be mounted so that the method of installation is concealed. Signs applied to masonry surfaces should be mechanically fastened to mortar joints only and not directly into brick or stone. Drilling to provide electrical service should also follow the same rule. Signs must fit within the existing facade features, must be confined to signable areas, and may not interfere with door and window openings, conceal architectural details, or obscure the composition of the facade where they are located.
(e) Compatibility. The design of all permanent signs must be compatible with the style, composition, materials, colors and details of the building, as determined by the Building Official or, at the Building Official's discretion, the Planning Commission. Sign colors should be compatible with the colors of the building facade. A dull or matte finish is recommended in order to reduce glare and enhance legibility. Sign design must be coordinated across all signs on a single parcel.
(f) Illumination. Permanent signs may be internally or externally illuminated, except where prohibited in this chapter. Temporary signs may not be illuminated. The following regulations apply to illumination of permanent signs.
(1) Signs may be illuminated only by steady, stationary, shielded light sources directed solely at the sign or internal to it.
(2) The source of illumination may not be visible, must be fully shielded, and may not cause glare hazardous to pedestrians, motorists, or adjacent residential uses or districts. Shielding will minimize the projection of light onto adjoining properties or thoroughfares.
(3) Use of glaring, undiffused lights or bulbs is prohibited. Illumination by bare bulbs or flames is prohibited, except that bare bulbs are permitted on electronic changeable copy and marquee signs.
(4) The maximum luminescence level is 0.3 footcandles (3.22 lux) over ambient light levels at any time, measured at a distance of 100 feet.
(g) Electronic display. Electronic changeable copy, graphic display, and tri-vision display signs are permitted on monument signs in the business and industrial districts, and marquee signs in the Central Business District, subject to the following regulations:
(1) Copy change may not be more frequent than once per five (5) seconds.
(2) Copy may be multi-color, as determined by the Building Official.
(3) Glare must be reduced and/or minimized in such a manner as to maintain an appropriate level of contrast during the day. To reduce driver distraction at night and light trespass into residential areas, the sign must possess automatic dimming capabilities so that the maximum luminescence level is not more than 0.3 footcandles (3.22 lux) over ambient light levels at any time, measured at a distance of 100 feet. A photometric plan which identifies the proposed illumination levels (in footcandles) must be provided.
(4) An electronic changeable copy or electronic graphic display area may not exceed more than sixty percent (60%) of the actual sign area of any monument sign face of which it is a part, with not more than two (2) lines of text; except that one hundred percent (100%) of the area of a billboard sign is permitted to be electronic graphic display.
(5) The electronic changeable copy or electronic graphic display areas on monument signs must be part of the same sign face as a monument sign without electronic display technology and must be integrated into the face of such sign by use of a border or similar design treatment that provides a visual linkage to the remainder of the sign.
(6) Video display, animation, scrolling text, flashing, whirling or fading signs, dissolving transitions, or any other type of motion associated with an electronic sign is prohibited, except that marquee signs in the Central Business District may incorporate video display technology.
(h) Central Business District. The following regulations are intended to support the creation of a cohesive, pedestrian-oriented public realm within the City's Central Business District:
(1) Signs may be placed on a facade only in a manner that is appropriate to the style of the building.
(2) Signs may be either spot-lighted or back-lighted with a diffused light source. Spotlighting requires complete shielding of all light sources; light must be contained within the sign frame and may not significantly spill over to other portions of the building, or site. Backlighting may illuminate the letters, characters or graphics on the sign, but not its background. Fluorescent bulbs may be used to illuminate the interior of display cases. Outline tubing or neon signs placed inside the display case must be of low intensity colors.
(Res. 2020-059A. Passed 4-20-20.)