(A) This chapter establishes comprehensive regulations for the control of signs and other street graphics in order to preserve, protect, and promote the public health, safety, and general welfare.
(B) More specifically, this chapter is intended to assist in achieving the following objectives:
(1) To authorize the use of street graphics which are:
(a) Compatible with their surroundings and the zoning district in which they are located;
(b) Expressive of the image this city desires to project;
(c) Appropriate to the type of establishment or activity to which they pertain; and
(d) Legible in the circumstances in which they are seen.
(2) To foster high quality commercial and industrial development, and to enhance the economic vitality of existing businesses and industries by promoting the reasonable, orderly, and effective display of street graphics;
(3) To encourage sound street graphic display practices and to mitigate the objectionable effects of competition in respect to the size and placement of street graphics;
(4) To enhance the physical appearance of this city by protecting the human-made and natural beauty of the area;
(5) To protect pedestrians and motorists from any damage or injury that might result from the improper construction, placement, or use of street graphics;
(6) To protect the public investment in streets and highways by reducing the obstructions and distractions, which might cause traffic accidents;
(7) To preserve the value of private property by assuring the compatibility of street graphics with nearby land uses; and
(8) To protect the physical and mental well-being of the general public by recognizing and encouraging a sense of aesthetic appreciation for the visual environment.
(1983 Code, § 18.5-1) (Ord. 2944, passed 10-4-2001)