All signs, including support structures, shall be constructed of approved materials as hereinafter prescribed and no sign shall be constructed or erected until after the construction, support, and bracing have been approved by the Building Commissioner as complying with this chapter and the State Basic Building Code.
(A) Construction materials.
(1) All signs, exclusive of awnings, shall be constructed of wood, metal, glass, tile, terra cotta, and/or plastic; provided, that the visible surfaces shall have a matte finish, that is, non-glossy and non- reflective. If paint, varnish, or lacquer is applied to a sign as a final finish, the paint, varnish, or lacquer shall have a flat or low gloss finish; and
(2) Awning and canopy construction, see § 151.088.
(B) Color. Color choices for all signs, exclusive of awnings (see § 151.088), shall be guided by colors selected from collections of colors found in the Village Color Guidelines which are on file and available for inspection at the Col. Donald L. Shanks Municipal Building. Additional approved colors include:
(1) White or gold for a field (background) color or lettering and graphics color;
(2) Black for lettering, graphics, and border color only; and
(3) Established, standard corporate logo colors.
(C) Lettering. Lettering, graphics, and/or logos shall comply with the following provisions:
(1) A sign having an area of 12 square feet or greater shall have a letter, graphics, or logo height and width not exceeding 12 inches, except a sign greater than 25 square feet which may increase letter, graphics, or logo size by one inch for every 30 feet beyond the first 25 feet from the property line;
(2) A sign having an area of less than 12 square feet shall have a letter, graphics, or logo height and width not exceeding six inches;
(3) Letter type faces shall be selected from or be similar to collection of type face styles which are on file and available for inspection at the Col. Donald L. Shanks Municipal Building (see Appendix D);
(4) In any one sign there shall be permitted a maximum of three different lettering sizes and a maximum of two different type face styles; and
(5) Any logo or extra graphics shall either be incorporated into the lettering or made a part of a single sign with treatment similar to and harmonious with the type face style of the lettering.
(1) Front lighting using incandescent bulbs, with each bulb mounted in a separate reflector in such manner that the bulb is invisible. One bulb lamp unit shall be permitted per four linear feet of a sign, and a bulb shall not exceed 150 watts. Each bulb lamp unit shall be mounted on a stem and shall be not more than three feet from the sign surface. Front lighting of awning signs shall not be permitted;
(2) Back-lit letter identification signs, including awning signs, in which only letters, numbers, logos, graphics, or other identifying symbols may be illuminated. One 40-watt fluorescent bulb shall be permitted per 12 inches of a sign in side-by-side relation being a minimum six inches between the lengthwise centerline of a bulb and an interior edge/wall of sign encasement which is parallel to the bulb’s centerline (excluding the sign faces which are to be illuminated). The sign background shall be opaque;
(3) Silhouette identification signs, exclusive of awning signs. The light sources shall be invisible and shall be of the single luminous tube type following the shapes of the letters and not the outlines thereof; and
(4) Awning and canopy illumination, see § 151.088.
(E) Size of sign area. Sign sizes shall be determined as follows.
(1) When a sign has its message within a background which borders or frames that message, the sign area shall be the total area of the background excluding any border or frame, if the border or frame conforms with “standards of design”.
(2) When a sign’s letters are applied directly to a wall, entablature, or facade surface without a background which provides a border or frame, the sign area shall be the total area of the smallest rectangle or combination of rectangles which encompasses all elements of the sign message.
(3) Awning and canopy sign size, see § 151.088.
(F) Sign depth and height.
(1) A wall sign may extend over any street, sidewalk, or other thoroughfare, a distance not to exceed three inches measured perpendicular to the wall;
(2) Around ornamental features of building; a wall sign may be inclined from the vertical only to an extent necessary for conformity to the general contour of the walls around projections or ornamental features; provided, that no part of such sign, except the thickness thereof, shall extend beyond the lines of the projection in any direction;
(3) Against bays; wall signs erected against bays shall follow the general contour thereof;
(4) Projection above wall into line of roof; no wall sign shall project above the top of the wall to which it is attached; or
(5) No sign shall be mounted on a roof except in Industrial A District where the restrictions in § 151.128 apply.
(2000 Code, § 151.130) (Ord. O-4-96, passed 3-25-1996; Ord. O-10-98, passed 1-12-1998) Penalty, see § 151.999