(A) General.
(1) All signs shall be used to effectively and safely direct vehicles and pedestrians.
(2) Signs shall be located to not interfere with the safe and orderly ingress and egress of vehicles and pedestrians.
(B) Wall signs.
(1) Wall signs shall be made as either:
(a) A FLAT SIGN, where the sign is painted directly onto the building surface;
(b) A DIMENSIONAL-SURFACE SIGN, with three-dimensional letter forms applied to or raised from a separate, flat background, applied to a separate flat background applied to the building wall. The sign display area may be in relief, or may be depressed by means of carving, etching routing, and may be a positive or negative cut;
(c) A PIN-MOUNTED SIGN, where letters or words are mounted directly to the wall;
(d) A CHANNEL-LETTER SIGN, where letters or words are mounted directly to the wall and are internally illuminated;
(e) A REVERSE-CHANNEL-LETTER SIGN, where letters are lit from behind the sign (halo lit);
(f) A RACEWAY SIGN, where letters or words are attached to a raceway mounted to the wall. The raceway shall be the same color as the wall to which it is mounted; or
(g) A CABINET SIGN, a sign placed on a cabinet panel attached to the structure. Cabinet signs may or may not be illuminated, and should conform to the shape of the business’s brand, logo, or readily available corporate logo. Cabinet signs may deviate from this standard if part of a unified shopping center in which signs are of a consistent design throughout the property.
(2) Wall signs within a multiple-tenant building (excluding the Historic District) shall be of common vertical height, elevation and architecture.
(3) Lighting of wall signs shall be in keeping with § 155.05(D) below.
(C) Monument signs.
(1) Monument-style signs must be ground-mounted and shall have a masonry, stone or brick base, with at least five feet of landscaping at the base.
(2) Signs must complement the design of the principal structure, including the use of corresponding materials.
(3) No portion of a monument sign may extend over a property line.
(4) Monument signs shall be located a minimum of five feet from any front or corner side lot line, and ten feet from any interior side lot line.
(5) Lighting of monument signs shall be in keeping with § 155.05(D) below.
(6) Base.
(a) The sign base shall be a minimum of 2.5 feet in height.
(b) The sign base of any monument sign shall be a minimum of 100% of the width of the sign.
(D) Lighting.
(1) When signs are illuminated, the light source must be located or shielded in such a way that the glare does not reach the street or adjacent property. In no event shall the illumination of any sign, resulting from any internal or external light source, exceed one foot-candle at any commercial property line or exceed 50 foot-candles, when measured with a standard light meter held perpendicular to the sign face at a distance of four feet from the sign.
(2) Illuminated signs shall be turned off between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or 30 minutes after close of business, whichever is later. No sign may be illuminated past the hour of 1:00 a.m.
(3) No temporary sign shall be illuminated.
(4) Signs not located in the Historic District may be lit through internal illumination or indirect lighting, or back-lit.
(E) Maintenance, inspection and removal.
(1) Maintenance. The routine maintenance or changing of parts is permissible without permit, provided that the change does not alter the surface area, height, copy or otherwise make the sign nonconforming.
(2) The owner, tenant or their agent shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all components comprising a sign. All signage shall be maintained in good, readable condition to present a neat and orderly appearance.
(3) Illuminated signage shall be functional, and all sign structures shall be free of damage, rust or discoloration.
(4) An owner, tenant or their agent shall address any identified maintenance issue(s) within 20 days after receiving written notification from the city.
(5) All signs, support structures, and the required landscaped area immediately adjacent shall be maintained in a manner consistent with the approved plans, safe, secure, and not a danger or nuisance to the public.
(6) Unsafe signs. Any sign that is found by the Zoning Administrator to pose an immediate peril to persons or property shall be removed or repaired by the property owner within the time frame provided from the Zoning Administrator. If the property owner fails to act in the manner and time frame specified by the Zoning Administrator, the sign may be removed by the city, without further prior notice to the owner thereof. The cost of sign removal or other actions deemed necessary by the city in regard to the unsafe sign will be the responsibility of the property owner.
(7) Abandoned signs.
(a) The sign face of any signs associated with a use that vacates a premises shall be removed within 30 consecutive calendar days of the vacation. Any remaining sign structure shall be maintained in a safe and tidy manner.
(b) Should any sign associated with a use that vacates a premise be nonconforming per the standards of this chapter, and should the use of the business location be discontinued for a period of 90 consecutive calendar days, regardless of any intent to resume the use, the sign shall not be reestablished or continued, and shall be immediately removed from the premises or brought into conformity with this chapter.
(8) Paint and finishes. Paint and other finishes shall be maintained in good condition. Peeling finishes shall be repaired. Signs with running colors shall be repainted, repaired or removed. Rust areas that are not an integral part of the design shall be repaired once they cover 10% of the surface on which it is located.
(F) Exemption for addressing. The posting of building addresses in locations visible from the street is necessary for the effective delivery of public safety services; and the efficient and timely delivery of emergency services is a compelling governmental interest. Accordingly, the city requires that street addresses shall be posted so as to be readily visible from adjacent rights-of-way. Because address signs are required, numbers and letters used for addresses are not included in the calculation of sign area if they are not more than 14 inches in height, or as otherwise approved by the Fire Chief, based on visibility and fire safety concerns.
(Ord. 21-020, passed 8-18-21) Penalty, see § 155.99