(A) The intent of this subchapter is to regulate the location, size, construction, and manner of display of signs and outdoor advertising in order to minimize their harmful effects on the public health, safety, and welfare. While this subchapter recognizes that signs and outdoor advertising are necessary to promote commerce and public information, failure to regulate them may lead to poor identification of individual businesses, deterioration and blight of the business and residential areas of the city, conflicts between different types of land use, and reduction in traffic safety to pedestrians and motorists. This subchapter is intended to provide a process for the application of sign regulations that will allow creatively designed signs to make a positive visual contribution to the overall image of the city, while also mitigating the impacts of large or incompatible signs.
(B) To achieve its intended purpose, this subchapter has the following objectives:
(1) To prevent the placement of signs in a manner that will conceal or obscure signs or adjacent businesses;
(2) To keep the number of signs and sign messages at the level reasonably necessary to identify a business and its products;
(3) To keep signs within a reasonable scale with respect to the buildings they identify;
(4) To reduce visual distraction and obstructions to motorists traveling along, entering, or leaving streets;
(5) To promote a quality manner of display which enhances the character of the city;
(6) To prevent the proliferation of signs which promote visual blight; and
(7) To eliminate the potential for any adverse effects on the neighboring properties.
(Ord. 336, passed 6-11-2012)