1179.01 INTENT.
   The City does not intend to infringe on the rights of free speech as protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, §11 of the Ohio Constitution. All regulations in this Chapter are to be construed, whenever possible, to protect the rights of residents and visitors to speak freely. All provisions of this chapter shall be interpreted in a content-neutral manner excepting those narrow, legally-recognized exceptions explicitly identified in this chapter. Specifically, the City desires to regulate aesthetics by limiting signage to primary and complementary colors only. The City views color regulations as a means to control aesthetics and maintain property values by avoiding extreme changes in color variety. The City views color regulations as being a content-neutral regulation.
   Further, the intent of this chapter is to promote the general health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City through the provisions to control the type, color, design, size, location, motion, illumination, enforcement and maintenance thereof, are established in order to achieve, among others, the following purposes:
   (a)   Enhance and protect the physical appearance of Macedonia.
   (b)   To provide for reasonable and appropriate methods for identifying establishments in office, business and industrial districts by relating the size, type and design of signs to the size, type and design of the office, business and industrial establishments;
   (c)   Prevent the erection of poorly constructed and unsafely located signs. Specifically, this Chapter endeavors to eliminate any conflict between traffic control signs and other signs which would be hazardous to the safety of the motoring public or pedestrian;
   (d)   Control the size, color, location and design so that the appearance of permanent signs will be aesthetically harmonious with their surroundings and property values are maintained, all in accordance with commonly accepted community planning and design practices, and the City's Master Plan.
   (e)   Ensure that signs are located and designed to reduce distraction and confusion that may be contributing factors in traffic congestion and accidents, and maintain a safe and orderly pedestrian and vehicular environment.
   (f)   Provide review procedures which enable the City to comprehensively evaluate the appropriateness of the sign to the site, building and surroundings.
   (g)   Assure that signs are located and designed to maintain a safe and orderly pedestrian and vehicular environment.
   (h)   Prohibit all signs not expressly permitted by this Chapter.
   (i)   Any adopted sign package for non-residential developments remain valid and have been previously adopted pursuant to the Macedonia Sign Code. Future amendments to existing sign packages shall comply with the provisions of this Sign Code. (Ord. 96-2019. Passed 1-9-20.)