(A) Location. All signs must advertise a business or service on the premises upon which the sign is located and to which the sign is accessory, unless otherwise specified herein.
(B) Illumination.
(1) No sign shall be illuminated by other than electrical or solar powered means.
(2) The light from illuminated signs shall be directed and shielded in a manner that will not interfere with vehicular traffic or the enjoyment and use of adjacent properties. Particular attention shall be paid to the effect of illuminated signs on neighboring residential uses. The light from illuminated signs shall also comply with the ground illumination standards of § 154.117(B)(1).
(3) Internal illumination shall be permitted under the following circumstances:
(a) Individual back-lit letters which are silhouetted against softly illuminated walls;
(b) Individual letters with translucent faces, containing soft lighting elements inside each letter;
(c) Metal-faced box signs with cut-out letters and soft-glow fluorescent tubes;
(d) Non-moving, non-color changing light-emitting diodes (LED) used in electronic or electrically controlled changeable copy signs; and
(e) Exposed tube neon illumination, provided such sign does not include blinking, flashing, scrolling, animation, or any other actual or simulated movement.
(4) Exposed tube neon illumination is only allowed within the GC and CBD Districts, provided such sign does not include blinking, flashing, scrolling, animation, or any other actual or simulated movement.
(5) Within a residential district, all signs shall be indirectly illuminated; therefore, no internal illumination is permitted.
(6) Rear-illuminated (backlit) awnings are prohibited.
(C) Safety.
(1) All signs shall be erected and maintained in compliance with all applicable building codes, and other applicable ordinances governing construction within the city. In the event of a conflict between this chapter and other laws, the most restrictive shall govern.
(2) All signs shall be so placed as to not interfere with the visibility or effectiveness of any official traffic sign or signal; driver vision at any access point or intersection; or, pedestrian movement on any public sidewalk.
(3) No sign shall be erected, relocated, or maintained so as to obstruct fire fighting or prevent free access to any door, window, or fire escape.
(D) Landscape quality and preservation. In the application of this chapter, it is the intent to protect the public welfare and to enhance the appearance and economic value of the landscape by providing that signs:
(1) Do not interfere with scenic views;
(2) Do not create a nuisance to persons using the public right-of-way;
(3) Do not constitute a nuisance to occupancy of adjacent and contiguous property by their brightness, size, height, or movement;
(4) Are not detrimental to land or property values; and
(5) Contribute to the special character of particular areas or districts in the city.
(E) Signs prohibited in all districts. Signs prohibited in all districts are as follows:
(1) Roof signs;
(2) Animated signs; this provision is not intended to exclude a time/temperature sign, as defined, provided no other animated messages are displayed;
(3) Signs affixed to trees, rocks, shrubs, or similar natural features, except, signs denoting a site of historic significance or providing the address of the site;
(4) Signs which imitate traffic signals, traffic direction signs, or similar traffic control devices, and signs which make use of words such as “Stop”, “Look”, “Danger”, or any other words, phrases, symbols, or characters, in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse traffic;
(5) Motor vehicle signs, except for motor vehicle signs of a political nature. Signs permanently painted on, magnetically attached, or, otherwise permanently displayed upon a vehicle, licensed and operating on the public streets and highways, identifying the owner’s occupation or livelihood, shall be permitted;
(6) Signs other than those erected by a public agency which are located within or overhang the public right-of-way or on public property, unless otherwise specified herein;
(7) Off-premises signs;
(8) Any sign or sign structure which: is structurally unsafe; constitutes a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, or abandonment; is capable of causing electric shock to persons who come in contact with it; and is not kept in good repair, such that it has broken parts, missing letters, or non-operational lights;
(9) Any sign unlawfully installed, erected, or maintained;
(10) Pole signs;
(11) Portable signs; and
(12) Marquee signs.
(F) Signs exempt in all districts. Signs exempt in all districts include the following:
(1) Nameplates signs not exceeding two square feet in size;
(2) Political signs may be erected 36 days prior to an election. Such signs shall be erected on private property only and no less than 100 feet from any entrance to a building in which a polling place is located. All such signs shall be removed two days following Election Day;
(3) Directional signs, provided they shall not exceed two square feet in size, shall contain no advertising, and shall not be illuminated;
(4) Non-illuminated real estate signs of less than six square feet of display area, when located in any residential zoning district, or not exceeding 20 square feet of display area when located in any other zoning district, and not exceeding a height of six feet in all districts. No more than one such sign shall be permitted per street frontage or water frontage;
(5) Non-illuminated real estate development signs not exceeding 32 square feet of display area and a height of six feet during the period of construction. Such signs shall be removed within 30 days of the issuance of the certificate of occupancy. Signs designating “the future site of” a proposed use or establishment shall not be considered eligible under this division (F);
(6) “No Trespassing” signs not exceeding four square feet of display area;
(7) Incidental signs;
(8) Time/temperature signs; and
(9) Signs advertising garage and yard sales, where licensed by the city in § 116.01 of this code of ordinances, provided they are located on the property where the garage or yard sale is occurring and provided all such signs are removed two days following the garage or yard sale.
(G) Measurement.
(1) Measuring sign area.
(a) Sign area shall be measured as the square footage of the sign face and any frame or other material or color forming an integral part of the display or used to differentiate it from the background against which it is placed.
(b) When a sign consists solely of lettering or other sign elements printed, painted, or mounted on a wall of a building without any distinguishing border, panel, or background, the calculation for sign area shall be measured by enclosing the most protruding edges of the sign elements within a parallelogram.
(c) The area of a double-faced freestanding or projecting sign shall be computed using only one face of the sign provided that: the outline and dimensions of both faces are identical; and the faces are back to back so that only one face is visible at any given time.
(2) Measuring sign height.
(a) The permitted height of all signs supported by the ground shall be measured from the level of the ground, finished surface, adjacent to the sign.
(b) The permitted height of signs shall not be measured from an area of the ground that has been built up or constructed in a manner that would have the effect of allowing a higher sign height than permitted by these regulations (e.g., the height of signs erected on a berm shall be measured from the finished grade adjacent to the berm).
(Ord. 341, passed 3-23-2013; Ord. 336, passed 6-11-2012; Ord. 362, passed 6-8-2015) Penalty, see § 154.999