The special provisions and regulations of this section shall apply to the following signs.
(A) Signs on designated historical structures. On designated historical structures, an additional sign of not more than five square feet display surface is allowed to be located anywhere on the exterior wall or on a historical pediment above the cornice. Additional signs on historic structures signs larger than five square feet shall be allowed when the Heritage and Architecture Commission determines that it is consistent with the historical character of the building, and issues a certificate of appropriateness for the sign.
(B) Legal purpose. Signs constructed or required by governmental bodies, or authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or ordinance of a governmental body, shall be exempted from the requirements of this chapter.
(C) Benches. Signs on benches associated with designated bus stops may be no larger than six square feet.
(D) Temporary construction signs.
(1) Location. Temporary construction signs are allowed in all zoning districts for nonresidential land uses.
(2) Size. Seventy-five square feet each
(3) Additional regulations.
(a) No temporary construction sign shall project higher than 15 feet above curb level.
(b) No temporary construction sign shall be located nearer than 25 feet to the property line upon which the sign is constructed.
(c) Temporary construction signs are allowed during the initial development of a property or structure.
(d) The sign permits shall be issued only once an active building permit is issued for the site, and shall be removed prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
(e) Illumination is prohibited.
(E) Subdivision monument signs. In residential zoning districts, two monument signs are allowed per subdivision or development access at each major entry point, located on commonly owned private open space or in right-of-way areas as approved by City Council. The sign(s) (not including a decorative wall) shall not exceed 64 square feet. The maximum sign height is six feet on private property, and 42 inches in the median.
(F) Directional signs. Two directional signs, no greater than 3.5 square feet in size, may be located at each entrance to a business or shopping center in a nonresidential zoning district. The signs may be mounted on poles and shall be no greater than four feet in height. Additional directional signs may be authorized by the Zoning Administrator through the conventional site plan review process, upon evidence from the applicant that they are necessary for the convenience and safety of those accessing and using the property.
(G) Service station canopy. Automobile service station canopy shall be allowed to have one sign on three sides of the canopy. The gross surface area of the sign shall not exceed 20% of the gross surface area of the face of the canopy to which it is to be affixed. The sign shall not extend above the top or below the bottom of the canopy.
(H) Secondary signage. Uses in commercial, office and manufacturing zoning districts will be allowed two secondary wall signs per street frontage, whose square feet for each sign cannot exceed 25% of the length of the building frontage. A business with over 50,000 square feet will be allowed up to four secondary signs per street frontage. In no case shall a secondary sign be larger than 75% of the area of the principal sign.
(I) Movie theaters. In addition to a marquee sign, may have an additional wall sign for each theater in the facility. Additional wall signs may by no greater than square feet, and the top of such signs shall be located no higher than 12 feet above the ground.
(J) Electronic message centers. Electronic message centers may be incorporated into a permitted sign, provided they adhere to the criteria listed below.
(1) Sign type. Shall only be permitted as part of a monument sign.
(2) Prohibited districts. Shall be prohibited in the Historic District and residential zoning districts.
(3) Display. Scrolling, chasing and animated signs are permitted, provided no sign shall flash or vary in light intensity, blink or contain video.
(4) Display area. No more than 25% of the allowable display area shall be dedicated to the electronic message center. For example, a business district that permits a 64-square-foot monument sign may use up to 16 square feet of that display area for the electronic message display.
(5) Dominance. The electronic message center must be integrated into the design of the sign and shall not be the dominant element. Therefore, the electronic display area shall occupy no more than 50% of the overall sign, including base and other sign elements. For example, a sign with a 16-square-foot electronic message display requires a total minimum sign area of 32 square feet, including the base.
(6) Setback from residential zoning districts. The leading edge of the sign must be a minimum distance of 100 feet from an abutting residential zoning district boundary.
(7) Distance from other electronic message centers. Electronic message centers shall not be closer than 500 feet from another electronic message center located along the same side of the street.
(8) Service stations. Service stations may have a changeable electronic message board sign for that portion of the sign that displays the price of fuel. The sign shall be exempt from the 500-foot-distance requirement in division (J)(7) above, and shall not prevent the establishment or operation of another electronic message center on the property that would otherwise be allowed under this chapter.
(9) Light intensity and hours.
(a) Light intensity/NITS (candles per square meter). All message centers shall be installed with an automatic dimmer control to produce distinctly lower illumination levels during night and daytime hours. The intensity of the electronic message center shall not exceed an average 4,600 NITS in daytime hours (dawn until dusk), and shall not exceed 1,750 NITS during nighttime hours (dusk until dawn).
(b) Certification. Prior to the issuance of a sign permit, the applicant shall provide a written statement/certification from the sign manufacturer or sign contractor that the sign has an automatic dimmer control, and that the light intensity has been programmed to meet the allowable levels.
(K) Signs that do not require a sign permit. Signs are approved by issuance of a sign permit. However, there are some signs that do not require a sign permit. The following signs do not require a sign permit, but may require a building, electrical or other related permit (if subject to building or electrical regulations of the City Code).
(1) Carried signs. Signs that are being carried by people (however, such signs are not exempt if they are set down or propped on objects).
(2) Flags. Flags, not larger than 30 square feet in area, affixed to permanent flagpoles or flagpoles that are mounted to buildings (either temporary or permanent).
(3) Interior signs. Signs intended to provide information for interior use of a property, and not visible from adjoining property or public rights-of-way.
(4) Official and legal notice signs. Official and legal notice signs issued by any court, public body, person or officer in performance of a public duty, or in giving any legal notice.
(5) Outdoor political campaign signs on residential property. Other than regulations as to size, nothing in this section prohibits the display of outdoor political campaign signs on residential property.
(6) Signs with de minimus area. Signs affixed to a building or structure (even if wall signs are not permitted in the district or for the use) that do not exceed one square foot in sign area, provided that only one such sign is present on each elevation visible from public rights-of-way or neighboring property; and signs less than three-fourths of a square foot in area that are affixed to machines, equipment, fences, gates, walls, gasoline pumps, public telephones or utility cabinets.
(7) Traffic control signs. Traffic control signs and other signs related to public safety that the city or another jurisdiction installs or requires a developer to install.
(8) Window displays. Merchandise, fixtures or models of products incorporated into a window display.
(Ord. 21-020, passed 8-18-21) Penalty, see § 155.99