The following regulations shall apply to all permitted signs in the City.
(a) No sign shall be erected unless it is in compliance with the regulations of this chapter.
(b) Signs must be constructed in compliance with any applicable regulations of the City's Building Code.
(c) No sign shall obstruct or interfere with traffic or traffic visibility, or resemble or imitate signs or signals erected by the City or other governmental agency for the regulation of traffic or parking. (Ord. 2007-24. Passed 2-13-07.)
(d) No sign shall have animation, moving parts, flashing lights or changing colors, except part of a sign, which by means of changes in copy or moving parts, indicates time, or temperature. Electronic Message Display Signs shall be permitted as a Conditional Use by the Planning and Zoning Commission pursuant to Codified Ordinance Section 1111.06. Signs may be illuminated by either external or internal sources of light. However, no illuminated sign shall be permitted any part of which flashes on or off or displays changing degrees of intensity. This regulation applies to signs located outside buildings, and to window signs inside buildings which can be seen from the outside.
(Ord. 2008-69. Passed 10-28-08.)
(e) No sign, whether free standing, ground mounted or attached to a building or other structure, may project over any public street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, except as expressly permitted in this chapter.
(f) Any sign which is permanently mounted shall bear, in a permanent position, a clearly legible identification stating the name and address of the owner of the sign, and the person, firm or corporation responsible for its construction, and the date of erection.
(g) No sign shall be permitted as the principal use on a premises. Signs shall only be permitted as accessory uses.
(h) No sign shall be permitted which is attached to, supported by or part of a structure which is designed to be moved on wheels, skids or other similar device; or transported, pushed or pulled by a motor vehicle.
(i) (1) No sign, with the exception of governmental signs, shall be placed in the public right-of-way provided however that the Planning and Zoning Commission may authorize the installation of informational signs in the public right-of-way. Such signs shall not exceed three square feet in area.
(2) Banners shall be considered a "temporary commercial sign" and may be erected within the H Historic District and the O-R Office Residential District, for the promotion of events, activities or functions by any not-for-profit group or agency or for any event within the jurisdictional limits of the City if approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Such banners shall be regulated as follows:
A. Such banners shall not be illuminated.
B. Banners shall only include the name of the organization(s) or person(s) sponsoring said event in a manner secondary to the promotion of the event, activity or function.
C. When approved for erection over a City street, such banners shall be limited in size to the width of the right-of-way and shall not be erected less than 14 feet as measured from the crown of the roadway to the bottom of the banner. Such banner face shall not exceed three feet in height as measured from the bottom of the banner.
D. Banners shall only be erected for a specific length of time not to exceed a time period of more than 21 consecutive days.
(j) Any free standing sign or permanent ground mounted sign shall have landscaping beneath the sign according to the following standards:
(1) The minimum landscaped area shall be equal to the area of the sign face.
(2) The landscaped area shall include all points of structural support attachment to the ground.
(3) Where the required landscaped area is adjacent to a paved surface accessible to vehicular traffic, a raised non-mountable curb suitable to prevent the encroachment of vehicles is required. The minimum horizontal distance between the face of any required curb and any part of the sign is 36 inches.
(4) The landscaped area shall include living plantings located and maintained. The use of concrete, asphalt or other paved surface inside the required landscaped area beneath the sign is prohibited.
(k) No commercial or business sign shall be illuminated between the hours of 12:00 a.m and 6:30 a.m. except where such business is open to the public at that time or is in operation during those times.
(Ord. 2007-24. Passed 2-13-07.)
(l) Electronic Message Display Signs are permitted as as Conditional Use in all zoning districts, with the exception of the Scenic Waterways-Passive and Scenic Waterways-Active districts, subject to the following standards:
(1) When the display changes, it shall change with no phasing, rolling, scrolling, flashing, or blending.
(2) The area occupied by the electronic message display shall not exeed twelve (12) square feet of the allowable surface area of signage or fifty percent (50%) of the maximum area for the zoning district, whichever is less and shall meet all location and minimum setbacks for the zoning district.
(3) The electronic message display shall be monochromatic text, alphabetic or numeric characters only on a plain dim background and may not include any video, graphic, pictorial, or photographic images.
(4) No more than one (1) electronic message display sign, with one (1) or two (2) sides, is permitted per site. Electronic message display signs shall not be permitted as wall, projecting, or portable signs.
(5) The message lighting shall consist of one color and the minimum time frame in which each message is readable shall be eight (8) seconds.
(6) Such signs shall have an automatic dimmer control which produces a distinct illumination change from a higher allowed illumination level to a lower allowed level for the time period between one half (1/2) hour before sunset and one half hour after sunrise.
(7) Such signs shall contain a default design that will shut down the display if a malfunction occurs.
(8) No overhead or control wiring for signs shall be permitted.
(Ord. 2008-69. Passed 10-28-08.)