Loading...
(a) Any signs erected prior to the enactment of this chapter and not conforming to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed to be nonconforming. This shall not prohibit the posting or maintaining in a safe condition any sign which is nonconforming.
(b) Any nonconforming sign which is relocated or replaced shall comply with all provisions of this chapter.
(c) Any nonconforming sign which has not been used for a continuous period of six months for any reason shall not be rebuilt, re-erected, relocated, or reused unless or until it is made to comply with the standards of this chapter and the Building Code.
(d) Normal maintenance shall be permitted, provided that any nonconforming sign that is destroyed by any means to an extent greater than 50% of the sign’s pre-catastrophe fair market value, exclusive of the foundation, shall not be reconstructed. Normal maintenance shall include painting of chipped or faded signs; replacement of faded or damaged surface panels; or repair or replacement of electrical wiring or electrical devices. A nonconforming sign shall not be structurally altered to prolong the life of the sign.
(Ord. 2003-99, passed 9-8-2003)
(a) Permits required. Building and zoning permits shall be obtained for erection, construction, enlargement, relocation or modification of any size sign, as regulated by the Building Department of the city and this chapter.
(b) Fee. A permit shall require payment of a fee as set in § 205.01. Permits for sign construction shall expire six months from the date they are issued. The applicant can request one 30-day extension. The request for an extension must be filed in writing to the Zoning Administrator at least 15 days prior to the expiration date of the original permit. The fee shall be one-half the amount required for a new permit.
(c) Permit applications. Application for a sign permit shall be made upon forms provided by the Zoning Administrator. The following information shall be required:
(1) Name, address and telephone number of the applicant;
(2) Location of the building, structure or lot on which the sign is to be attached or erected;
(3) A plot plan or site plan showing the position of the sign in relation to the building facade and other existing or proposed improvements on the property such as parking lots, drives and walkways. Permit applications submitted for freestanding signs shall also show nearby buildings, structures, including other signs, property lines, roadways, and adjacent land uses and zoning within 100 feet of the proposed freestanding sign;
(4) A plot plan or site plan showing the sign dimensions, height, area, materials, colors, lettering as it will appear on the completed sign, method of construction, method of illumination and method of attachment to the building or in the ground;
(5) Landscaping proposed around freestanding signs including the amount and type of species utilized. Landscaping shall be designed as to be proportionate to the size of the sign. All plant materials shall comply with the Mason Landscape Code;
(6) Name and address of the person, firm or corporation owning, erecting and maintaining the sign;
(7) Information concerning required electrical connections and electrical permits;
(8) Written consent of the owner or lessee of the premises upon which the sign is to be erected; and
(9) Other information required by the Zoning Administrator and Building Department to make the determination that the sign is in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
(d) Issuance of a permit. The applicant shall be given a permit by the Zoning Administrator and Building Department after a complete sign permit application is submitted for the Zoning Administrator’s and Building Department’s review. Sign applications that are not complete or do not meet the minimum standard required in this chapter shall not be approved. The Zoning Administrator shall send to the applicant a notice of the specific ways in which the application is deficient, incomplete or not in compliance with this chapter.
(e) Inspection. All signs for which a permit has been issued shall be inspected by the Zoning Administrator and Building Official when erected. Approval shall be granted only if the sign has been constructed in compliance with the approved plans and applicable Zoning Code and Building Code standards.
(f) Exceptions. A new permit shall not be required for ordinary servicing or repainting of an existing sign, cleaning of a sign or changing of the message on the sign where the sign is designed for the changes (such as lettering on a marquee or numbers on a gasoline price sign). Replacement of the plastic face shall be included as an exempt operation provided that it is due to a change caused by breakage and/or deterioration of the face, but not for the substitution of a new or different advertiser. Furthermore, a permit shall not be required for certain signs listed in § 1187.05.
(Ord. 2003-99, passed 9-8-2003)
(a) Government signs for control of traffic and other regulatory purposes, street signs, warning signs, railroad crossing signs and signs for the purpose of public safety or signs associated with city government functions;
(b) Flags, emblems and insignia of any governmental agency. Lots zoned residential shall have no more than two flags and one flag pole. Nonresidential zoned lots shall have no more than four flags and three flag poles;
(c) Commemorative or memorial plaques placed by recognized historical agencies or in association with the city;
(d) Two on-site directional signs without commercial messages, logos, commercial information or other forms of advertising. Directional signs shall not exceed four square feet in area, or 30 inches in height;
(e) Signs that designate a site, building, facility or portion thereof as barrier-free;
(f) Address numbers with a numeral height no greater than six inches for residences and 12 inches for businesses;
(g) Identification signs not to exceed two square feet;
(h) Incidental exterior window signs (see definition in § 1133.140), provided that total of all signs shall not exceed four square feet;
(i) Real estate and “open house” signs with an area no greater than six square feet in area advertising the sale, rental or lease of that particular property;
(j) “No Trespassing,” “Help Wanted” and “No Dumping” or similar signs with an area no greater than two square feet. Signs two square feet or smaller are allowed without a permit. Applicants wishing to install a sign larger than two square feet are required to obtain a sign permit;
(k) Permanent signs on fuel pumps, automatic teller machines (ATM) or ice containers or similar devices indicating only the contents and operational instructions for the devices, provided that the sign area for each device shall not exceed four square feet;
(l) Works of art that do not include a commercial message;
(m) Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the lot or parcel on which the sign is located;
(n) Signs required or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or chapter; which may be of any type, number, area, height above grade, location, illumination or animation, required by the law, statute or chapter under which the signs are erected; and
(o) Traffic control signs on private property, such as “Stop,” “Yield” and similar signs, the faces of which meet Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices standards and which contain no commercial message of any sort.
(Ord. 2003-99, passed 9-8-2003)
(a) No signs shall be attached or otherwise applied to trees, bus shelters, utility poles, benches, trash receptacles, vending machines or any other unapproved supporting structure or otherwise placed in the public right-of-way, except signs that meet the standards of the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices or as approved by City Council;
(b) Pennants, streamers, festoons, spinners, balloons, balloon signs and similar type devices;
(c) No sign shall emit audible sounds including messages, announcements, music or sirens and the like;
(d) Signs which are not securely affixed to the ground or otherwise affixed in a permanent manner to an approved supporting structure, except where permitted under this chapter;
(e) Projecting signs, except in the B-1 Central Business District. No projecting sign shall extend above the wall or parapet of a building to which it is affixed;
(f) All blinking, flashing or intermittent lighting;
(g) Moving, revolving or rotating signs;
(h) Off-premise advertising signs except where expressly permitted in this chapter;
(i) Roof signs;
(j) Portable signs, except where expressly permitted in this chapter;
(k) Any sign which makes use of the words “Stop,” “Look” or “Danger,” or any other words, phrases, symbols or characters, in a manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic;
(l) Any sign containing obscene, indecent or immoral matter;
(m) Real estate signs no longer valid due to the sale, rental or lease of the property;
(n) String lights used for commercial purposes, other than holiday decorations which must be mounted on the principal structure on the lot;
(o) Signs affixed to a parked motor vehicle or trailer which is being used principally for advertising purposes, rather than for transportation purposes, on public or private property;
(p) Any sign not expressly permitted;
(q) Abandoned signs;
(r) The tacking, pasting or otherwise affixing of signs of a miscellaneous character, visible from a public way, located on the walls of buildings, barns, sheds, on trees, poles, posts, fences or other structures is prohibited unless otherwise permitted by this chapter;
(s) The permanent use of searchlights shall be prohibited. Searchlights shall be considered temporary signage;
(t) LED and electronic message boards, except as otherwise permitted for electronic gasoline price signs in the B-2, Shopping Center District, and the B-3, Road Service Commercial District;
(u) Temporary signs with changeable copy;
(v) Neon signs where the tubing is exposed on all sides; and
(w) Portable changeable copy signs.
(Ord. 2003-99, passed 9-8-2003; Ord. 2015-89, passed 9-28-2015)
(a) Temporary signs shall be located on the premises to which they refer, except as permitted in division (d) below of this section.
(b) Temporary signs shall not be illuminated.
(c) Temporary signs shall be permitted as specified in the Temporary Sign Standards Table, except as permitted in division (d) below of this section.
Type of Temporary Sign | District(s) Permitted | Type of Sign Permitted | Maximum Size | Maximum Height | Maximum Number | Permit Required | Required Setback | Permitted Duration |
Type of Temporary Sign | District(s) Permitted | Type of Sign Permitted | Maximum Size | Maximum Height | Maximum Number | Permit Required | Required Setback | Permitted Duration |
Real estate - sale or lease of individual home or residential lot | Residen- tial | Ground | 6 sq. ft. | 4 ft. | l[b] | No | [d][h] | Remove within 30 days of sale or lease |
Real estate - sale or lease of individual business or vacant lot | Retail Office Industrial | Ground Wall | 32 sq. ft. | 10 ft. | l[b] | Yes | [d][h] | Remove within 30 days of sale or lease |
Real estate - sale or lease of unplatted vacant land | All | Ground | 32 sq. ft. | 10 ft. | 1[b] | Yes | [d][h] | Remove within 30 days of sale or lease |
Construc- tion/real estate develop- ment sign | All | Ground Wall | 32 sq. ft. | 10 ft. | l[c] | Yes | [d][h] | Remove within 30 days after 90% of all units or lots are sold or leased |
Garage sale sign | Residen- tial | Ground Wall | 6 sq. ft. | 4 ft. | 1 | No | [d][h] | 7 consecu- tive days |
Promotion- al and information signs | All [i] | [e] | 32 sq. ft. | [e] | 1 | Yes | [a][h] | 4 permits per year not to exceed 15 days each |
Window sign | Business | Paper Paint Plastic Fabric | [f] | [f] | [f] | No | — | [g] |
Footnotes:
| ||||||||
[a] The temporary sign shall comply with the setback requirements for the district in which it is located. | ||||||||
[b] On a corner parcel two signs, one facing each street, shall be permitted. | ||||||||
[c] One sign shall be permitted for each frontage on a secondary or major thoroughfare. | ||||||||
[d] The temporary sign may be located in the required setback area, but shall not be located within the road right-of-way. | ||||||||
[e] Promotional signs may include ground or wall signs, subject to obtaining a permit from the Zoning Administrator. Streamers, pennants or similar displays may be permitted subject to Zoning Board of Appeals approval. | ||||||||
[f] The total area of all temporary window signs shall not exceed ten square feet. The total area of all window signs, temporary and permanent, shall not exceed 50% of the total window area. | ||||||||
[g] Temporary window signs that are faded, yellowed, ripped or otherwise damaged shall be removed immediately. | ||||||||
[h] All temporary signs shall comply with § 1171.09. | ||||||||
[i] Promotional signage in residential districts permitted on nonresidential uses only. | ||||||||
(Ord. 2004-15, passed 3-8-2004)
(d) Temporary signs for community events sponsored in whole or in part by the city.
(1) Signs for community events on city property.
A. The event must be sponsored in whole or in part by a city agency such as Parks and Recreation, Fire Department or Police Department.
B. The event must take place on the city property, including the community center facility.
C. Only one sign at the event location is permitted to list sponsors other than the city. Signs not at the event location are not permitted to include sponsors other than the city, except for a single co-sponsor having a typeface smaller than that used for the city and the title of the event. Commercial advertisements are not permitted.
D. Signs are permitted at all city property locations, with a maximum size of 32 square feet, for up to 15 days. Signs are permitted for only one event at a time at any one location.
(2) Signs for community center events at the Community Center.
A. The event must be sponsored in whole or in part by a city agency such as Parks and Recreation, Fire Department or Police Department.
B. The event must take place on city property, including the Community Center facility.
C. Only one sign at the event location on Lakeside Drive is permitted to list sponsors other than the city. Signs not at the event location are not permitted to include sponsors other than the city, except for a single co-sponsor having a type-face smaller than that used for the city and the title of the event. Commercial advertisements are not permitted.
D. Additional signs of up to 32 square feet are permitted on the Municipal Center frontage on Mason-Montgomery Road and in the parks, for up to 15 days. Signs are permitted for only one event at a time at any one location.
(3) Signs for community events not on city property.
A. Event must be sponsored in whole or in part by a city agency such as Parks and Recreation, Fire Department or Police Department.
B. The city must control the dates and times of the individual events. Seasonal sports and sign-ups for sports teams and programs not administered by the city are not included.
C. A maximum of six signs are permitted along city thoroughfares and in the parks, for a maximum of 32 square feet for up to 15 days. Signs are permitted for only one event at a time at any one location and all signs must have the permission of the property owner.
(4) Right-of-way. All temporary signs for community events must be out of the right-of-way and maintain the unobstructed sight distance in § 1171.09. Events not sponsored by the city, but taking place on city property must meet the temporary sign regulations in divisions (a) through (c) above of this section and Table 1187.07. Fees and permits are not required for temporary signs for community events that qualify for this division (d) of this section.
(Ord. 2003-99, passed 9-8-2003)
Loading...