No signage is allowed in residential zones except as follows and, for those services, only if properly allowed or legally offered on the premises. Exceptions shall not be construed as relieving the owner of such signs from the responsibility of complying with certain applicable provisions of this chapter. The exemptions shall apply to the requirement for sign permit only, and no sign permit shall be required for the erection of the following signs, unless otherwise required:
A. Construction Signs: On site building construction signs shall have a total, combined maximum display surface area not to exceed sixteen (16) square feet for residential lots and thirty two (32) square feet for commercial lots. These signs shall be attached to a single or double post or as a single freestanding sign, as long as they are collectively grouped together. Only necessary signage and signage required by state, county or village law will be allowed. This signage must be erected in an orderly manner. Lettering for street address shall be approximately three and one-half inches (31/2") tall. All lettering on signs shall be neat and legible. Before the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the builder/contractor shall be responsible for removing all signs, except the builder sign, as indicated on the construction permit, but said sign shall be required to be removed upon closing of the sale of the property.
B. Home Improvement Signs: On site home improvement signs may be placed in the yard where said improvements are being made. No sign shall be placed on any tree or rock. Home improvement signs shall be freestanding signs not exceeding six (6) nonilluminated square feet and may be placed during construction, but must be removed no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after construction is complete.
C. Banners: Banners shall be prohibited except when used in conjunction with public and private events as follows:
1. Election Campaigns: Election campaign banners, on private property only, when said banners are not placed more than thirty (30) days prior to and removed within forty eight (48) hours following the election to which it applies.
2. Private Sales Or Parties: Sale or party banners shall be removed within forty eight (48) hours following the event to which the banner applied. Sale banners can only have a duration of seven (7) days in any one calendar month. Party banners can only have a duration of fourteen (14) days in any one calendar month.
3. Public Events: Public event banners shall be placed no earlier than thirty (30) days prior to and removed within forty eight (48) hours following the event to which the banner applied. (1965 Code § 7-9-23; amd. 2009 Code)
D. Election Signs: Political signs are permitted to be placed on private property. Political signs may not be erected or placed on public property nor on rocks, trees, public fences, signposts, light poles and utility poles. (Ord. 09-21-10-01, 9-21-2010)
E. Garage/Yard Sale Signs: The following regulations shall regulate and control garage/yard sale signs:
1. Frequency Of Sales: No individual lot shall be allowed more than two (2) 2-day garage/yard sales in a single calendar year.
2. Location Of Sign: Only one sign per sale may be placed in any intersection under the following conditions:
a. No garage/yard sale sign shall be placed, affixed, stapled, glued, or taped to any utility pole, street sign, tree, stop sign or fence.
b. No garage/yard sale sign shall be placed in any public right of way in a manner as to interfere with traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, or interfere with any residential, commercial or industrial property.
3. Size And Type: All signs shall be no larger than eight (8) square feet, placed on a single or double stake or other freestanding manner.
4. Time For Placement And Removal: No garage/yard sale signs shall be placed on public property any earlier than six o'clock (6:00) P.M. the night before and must be picked up by twelve o'clock (12:00) noon the day following the garage/yard sale.
5. Estate Sales Or Court Ordered Sales: Signs for estate sales or court ordered sales shall be regulated as set out in this subsection. (Ord. 08-19-08-01, 8-19-2008)
F. Illuminated Signs: No sign in a residential zone shall be illuminated except for address numbers.
G. Real Estate Signs: On a lot, there may be placed one unanimated real estate sign, provided such signs shall be limited to wall and freestanding signs whose permitted illumination and maximum display surface is as follows:
1. Nonresidential: Thirty two (32) nonilluminated square feet.
2. Residential: Eight (8) nonilluminated square feet.
3. Sold signs: Such signs of a size not greater than twenty five percent (25%) of the sign on which it is placed may be placed at a rate of one per lot. All real estate signs shall be removed from said lot within thirty (30) days of said sale or within thirty (30) days after the sold sign has been placed.
4. Temporary open house signs: Such signs, of a size not greater than six (6) nonilluminated square feet, may be placed at a rate of one per company per intersection, for a period from eight o'clock (8:00) A.M. to eight o'clock (8:00) P.M. on the day of the open house only; provided, that there shall be only one route designated by signs to a particular open house. No more than four (4) directional open house signs may be placed within the village limits for any one open house on any one day. Failure to remove signs within the prescribed time period will cause a fine to be levied at a rate of fifty dollars ($50.00) per sign left remaining.
H. Exempt Signs: The following signs are exempt from regulation under this section:
1. Accessory Signs On Vehicles And Trailers: Signs affixed to vehicles and trailers where the sign is incidental and accessory to the primary use of the vehicle or trailer.
2. Art: Works of art that do not include a commercial message.
3. Awning, Canopy And Marquee Signs: Signs, not exceeding an aggregate gross surface display area of four (4) square feet, indicating only the name of the activity conducted on the premises on which the sign is to be located and/or a brief generic description of the business being conducted by the activity. Advertising material of any kind is strictly prohibited. Awnings and marquees shall have a headroom of not less than eight feet (8').
4. Holiday Lights, Signs And Decorations: Holiday lights, signs and decorations temporarily displayed on traditionally accepted civic, patriotic or religious holidays with no commercial message.
5. Inside Signs: Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet (3') beyond the lot line on which such sign is located.
6. Memorial Signs: Memorial plaques or tablets, grave markers, statuary or other remembrances of persons or events that are noncommercial in nature.
7. Name And Address Plates: Signs, not exceeding two (2) square feet in gross surface display area for each exposed face nor exceeding an aggregate gross surface area of four (4) square feet, indicating the name of the occupant, the address of the premises, and identification of any legal business or operation which may exist on the premises.
8. No Trespassing, No Dumping, No Parking, Towing, Etc., Signs: No trespassing, no dumping, no parking, towing and other similar signs (as set forth by the current regulations of the Illinois commerce commission), not exceeding two (2) square feet in gross surface display area for each exposed face, nor exceeding an aggregate gross surface display area of four (4) square feet, and not exceeding two (2) in number per zoning lot in residential areas and not exceeding four (4) square feet in gross surface display area for each exposed face, nor exceeding an aggregate gross surface display area of eight (8) square feet, and not exceeding four (4) in number per zone lot in nonresidential areas.
9. Public Notice Or Warning Signs: Public notice or warning signs required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
10. Symbols Or Insignia: Religious symbols, commemorative plaques of recognized historical agencies, or identification emblems of religious orders or historical agencies, not exceeding two (2) square feet in gross surface display area for each exposed face, not exceeding four (4) square feet in gross surface display area.
11. Traffic Control Signs On Private Property: Traffic control signs on private property such as stop, yield, and similar signs, the face of which meets department of transportation standards and which signs contain no commercial message of any sort.
12. Vending Machine Signs: Permanent, nonflashing signs on vending machines, ice or milk containers or other similar machines indicating only the contents of such devices, the pricing of the contents contained within, directional or instructional information as to use, and other similar information, not exceeding four (4) square feet in gross surface display area for each exposed face, nor exceeding an aggregate gross surface display area of eight (8) square feet.
13. Warning Signs: Signs warning the public of the existence of danger, but containing no advertising material, to be removed within three (3) days upon the subsidence of danger. Such warning signs may be of any type, number, area, height, location, or illumination as deemed necessary to warn the public of the existence of danger. (1965 Code § 7-9-23; amd. 2009 Code)