Signs in business districts shall be designed, erected, altered, relocated and maintained in accordance with the regulations as provided in this chapter. For community facilities uses located in Business Districts, the regulations of Section 1268.11 shall apply.
(a) Schedule of Business Signs Permitted by Use and Structural Type.
(1) All districts: Office buildings, local business, shopping center;
(2) Identification: Ground, pole, canopy, window and wall; and
(3) Directional: Ground, wall.
(b) Measurement Standards for Maximum Sign Area. The maximum (total) area of all permanent signs permitted for a building or building unit to which the signs are accessory, shall be related to the building and building unit width. Maximum sign face area (square feet) shall be determined according to the measurement standards of Section 1268.04 and the formulas below where "W" is the frontage width of the building.
(1) Maximum sign area per building. Maximum permanent sign area (square feet) for all permitted signs for a building is based on "W" the frontage width (feet) of the building as follows:
A. Wall signs maximum square footage determined by lineal feet frontage. Each sign will be allowed the maximum of any smaller frontage.
0-35 W x 1.5
36-50 W x 1.25
51-75 W x 1.00
76+ W x .75
B. Ground signs maximum square footage determined by number of tenants per building.
1-3 tenants - 50 square feet/9 foot height limitation
4 or more tenants - 100 square feet/18 foot height limitation
C. Pole signs. These signs shall not exceed twenty-five feet high and ten feet wide, with a face of ten feet wide and eight feet high. A pole sign may include a secondary sign not to exceed seven feet wide and four feet high, with two faces, that may be LED lighted and may have scrolling images.
Type of Sign | Maximum Number | Maximum Size of Single Face Area (square feet) | Maximum Height (feet) | Location Minimum Set Back (feet) | Other Requirements | |
Identification | (Ground) | 1 | 30 50 100 | 5 9 18 | 5 from ROW 25 from lot line | Minimum 100 ft. from residential district line |
(Wall) | 1/unit | See Chart | 20% of building height | Front of building | 3 ft. minimum from end of building unit | |
Pole | 1/unit | 10 ft. wide 8 ft. tall | 25 ft. | 5 from ROW 25 from lot line | ||
(Canopy or awning) | 1 | 5 | 8 inches | Business name only | ||
(Door/ Window) | 1 | 2 | Door | Business name and address** | ||
(Name- plate) | 1 | 2 | Door/wall | Business name | ||
(Window*) | 1/unit | 5 | Front of building | Permitted in lieu of wall sign | ||
Directional | 2 | 2 | 3 if ground 5 if on wall | 1 from ROW 5 from side lot line | Minimum 10 ft. from residential line |
* Provided that the total of all window signs, temporary and permanent, do not exceed 25% of the total window area. | |||||
** Emergency off-site telephone number with numbers not to exceed two inches in height. | |||||
(d) Special Provisions.
(1) Uses (building units) above the ground floor. Signs for business or other uses (building units) above the ground floor of a building are not covered by the sign regulations of Section 1268.09(a) through (c). However, each external facing building unit above the ground floor shall be entitled to one identification wall or window sign not exceeding three square feet in area. Such wall sign shall be located on an inside wall either on the upper floor or on an entrance to the upper floor.
(2) Multi-unit building service entrances. Multi-unit building service entrances, may be identified by the business name and address on a permanent nameplate not exceeding two square feet in single face sign area located on or near the service entrance. The service entrance signs shall be permitted in addition to the signs listed in Section 1268.09(c). The area shall be permitted in addition to the maximum permanent sign area of Section 1268.09(b)(1).
(3) Gasoline and automobile service stations. Such signs shall conform to the district regulations in which they are located, except as permitted below.
A. All gasoline and service stations shall be permitted one free-standing permanent identification sign for and on each street the station fronts on.
B. Maximum sign face area, for each sign, displaying only the price of gasoline and diesel fuel is four square feet per fuel type. No more than two fuel price signs shall be permitted per street frontage. Sign face area for price signs shall be part of the identification sign requirement. No other specific goods price signs are permitted.
C. Permanent information signs at fuel pumps and service islands are permitted. Such signs shall be limited to the display of information regarding the type of service provided and other information essential in directing and instructing the motoring public, as approved by the Planning Commission.
(4) Open space uses. For purposes of this section, an open space use shall be any use permitted in a business district for which the width at the main or principal building represents twenty percent or less of the main frontage of its lot. For such uses, maximum sign face area for all permanent signs shall be determined by the frontage of the lot x 0.5. However, maximum sign face area shall not exceed 150 square feet for a lot.
(5) Projection sign. A projection identification my be permitted in lieu of a permitted wall or window identification sign. Projections shall not extend more than three feet from the face of a building and less than ten feet above the finished grade of a sidewalk. Maximum single sign face area shall not exceed nine square feet. The Board of Zoning Appeals my allow additional projection identification signs designed solely for pedestrian traffic and not exceeding 1.5 square feet per sign.
(6) Identification sign.
A. Wall identification signs on the frontage of a building may include up to twenty-five percent of its area listing the general type of goods sold or services rendered except in Office Districts.
B. Individual business identification signs in an area containing more than one building or in a multi-business unit building, where permitted, shall be limited to wall signs attached to the building or unit thereof, except as specifically permitted in subparagraph (d)(6)C. hereof.
C. Ground identification signs for multi-business unit buildings may include names of individual businesses when:
1. The height of letters in the development/building name and addresses are larger than the individual business names and occupy at least twenty percent of the sign area.
2. Height of letters in the names of the individual businesses are at least four inches. The style of all lettering shall be the same.
3. An area (provision for "lease/rental information") may be designated as a permanent part of the sign. An additional three square feet of sign area may be allowed specifically for lease/rental information.
4. Changes of individual business names on the sign may be permitted by the Zoning Administrator under the same conditions as the existing sign. The height, style and color of letters for the replacement business name shall be the same as those previously approved for the sign.
(7) Awnings signs. The name of the business may be placed in a space not exceeding eight inches in height located on the front and side portions of the awning and signage on an awning shall be considered as part of the total signage allowed.
(8) Multiple streets. Buildings or building units having a facade fronting on a second street are permitted signs and sign face area for that second street in addition to that otherwise permitted by regulations of this chapter. The additional sign face area shall be based on the building or unit secondary frontage, but shall not exceed thirty percent of the maximum sign face area permitted. The number of additional signs by use and structural type shall not exceed the number of signs otherwise permitted for the primary street.
(9) Office building and office park.
A. Building identification signs shall be permitted only over the main entrance of the building.
B. Individual tenant identification signs shall be permitted only on the ground identifying the building and address. Multiple tenant building ground identification signs, if used for tenant identification, shall be designed to incorporate the individual tenant names.
(10) Signs not requiring a permit. The following signs may be displayed without permit provided the signs are professionally designed and displayed according to the established criteria:
1. Total signs displayed do not exceed twenty-five percent of the total window area of a building elevation.
2. Total signs displayed for each building unit, including both temporary and permanent signs, is limited to a maximum of two signs or one sign per eight feet of lineal window frontage, whichever is greater.
3. A permit is required to display a sign longer than sixty days.
4. Any sign displayed must have the date of first display specified on the sign.
B. Signs displayed days and hours of operation. Each building unit shall be allowed one sign displaying days and hours of operation not exceeding 1.5 square feet to be located on the door to the main entrance or window area adjacent to the main entrance.
C. Business address. Each building shall be allowed to display its numerical mailing address not exceeding 1.5 square feet to be displayed in one location on either the door to the main entrance or secured to the wall or window above the main entrance.
D. Each building unit shall be allowed to display an "open" or "closed" sign not exceeding 2.0 square feet in the window area.
E. Banners, balloons, cold-air inflatables, pennants, streamers, festoons and searchlights. Each building is permitted to display these signs, provided the Safety-Service Director or his/her designee finds that the sign type meets the following criteria:
1. The sign type is for a special event;
2. The special event is for a limited time;
3. The special event is for a limited frequency; and
4. The sign type, if allowed for a limited time and frequency, will meet the following purposes, to wit:
a. The signs will not conceal or obstruct adjacent land uses or signs;
b. The signs will not conflict with the principal permitted use of the site or adjoining sites;
c. The signs will not interfere with, obstruct vision of, or distract motorists, bicyclists or pedestrians; and
d. The signs will be installed and maintained in a safe manner. Consistent with the general standards as defined in this chapter, the approval or disapproval shall not be based on the content of the message contained (i.e., the viewpoint expressed) on any such sign. The Safety-Service Director or his/her designee shall render a decision within ten days after an application is made for utilizing this sign type at a special event. Such a decision shall be deemed an administrative interpretation and any person adversely affected has the right to appeal the decision to the BZA pursuant to Chapter 1244.
(11) Directory multi-tenant signs may be permitted in addition to other signage within the total allowable signage area for the development. The size and location shall be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(12) Illuminated “open” signs. An illuminated “Open” sign shall be permitted to be located on the inside of a window of the business which it serves and be limited to one square foot in total area and one color.
(13) Bulletin boards. Bulletin boards shall be ground signs, meet the following requirements and be approved by the Planning Commission:
A. Not exceed the largest signage area otherwise permitted in business districts;
B. Not exceed five feet in height as measured from the ground; and
C. Be located on the premises relative to similar signs otherwise permitted in business districts.
(Ord. 179-02. Passed 1-2-03; Ord. 177-13. Passed 9-19-13; Ord. 182-15. Passed 12-28-15; Ord. 199-19. Passed 10-17-19.)