(a) ADVERTISING SIGN. A sign that directs attention to a business, product, activity or service which is not conducted, sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located.
(b) ANIMATED SIGN. Any sign, which, by method or manner of illumination, flashes on and off, winks, or blinks varying light intensity, shows motion, or creates the illusion of motion or revolves in a manner to create the illusion of moving.
(c) AREA. The entire area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representation, emblem, or any figure of similar character together with any frame or other material or color forming an integral part of the display or used to differentiate such sign from the background against which it is placed. The necessary supports or uprights on which such sign is placed, not being advertising matter, shall not be included in computation of surface area.
(d) AWNING, CANOPY OR MARQUEE. A sign that is mounted on, painted on, or attached to an awning, canopy or marquee (see Figure 1133.3).
(e) BANNER. A sign made of fabric, plastic, paper or other non-ridged material with no enclosing framework.
(f) BALLOON. A nonporous bag of light material filled with air or heated air or a gas lighter than air intended to be either flown in the atmosphere or placed stationary on the ground or a structure, connected to the ground or structure by a rope, string, ribbon or wire.
(g) BALLOON SIGN. One or more balloons used as a permanent or temporary sign or as a means to direct attention to any business or profession or commodity or service sold, offered or manufactured.
(h) BUILDING CODE. The City Building Code as may be adopted and amended from time to time by resolution of the City Council.
(i) BUSINESS. A sign, which directs attention to a business, profession, service, product or activity sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located.
(j) CHANGEABLE COPY. A sign or portion thereof designed to periodically accommodate message or price changes. CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS include the following:
(1) Electronically controlled signs;
(2) Manually controlled signs for business purposes;
(3) Manually controlled bulletin board sign located on the property of a public, institutional, religious or charitable organization which are used to identify the name of the institution or organization and to announce its activities; and
(4) Manually or electronically controlled gasoline price signs.
(k) COMMERCIAL MESSAGE. Any sign, wording, logo, or other representation that, directly or indirectly, names, advertises or calls attention to a business, product, service or other commercial activity.
(l) CONSTRUCTION. A sign advertising the development or improvement of a property by a
builder, contractor or other person furnishing services, material or labor to the premises, which sign is intended for a limited period of display and erected on the same lot or parcel as the work being done.
(m) DIRECTIONAL. A sign directing vehicular or pedestrian movement onto or within a premise with no identification or commercial advertising on the sign.
(n) DIRECTORY SIGN. A ground or wall sign that lists tenants or occupants of a building or project, with unit numbers, arrows or other directional information.
(o) DOMESTIC ADVERTISING. A sign advertising the sale of household goods previously used by an individual or his or her family, when such sign is located at the place of residence of the individual or family.
(p) ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD. Any sign that uses changing lights to form a sign message or messages wherein the sequence of messages and the rate of change is electronically programmed and can be modified by electronic processes.
(q) FESTOON. A string of ribbons, tinsels, small flags, pinwheels or lights typically strung overhead in loops.
(r) FLAG. A banner of distinctive design used as a symbol of a nation, state or other governmental entity.
(s) FLASHING. Any illuminated sign on which the artificial light or any part thereof has conspicuous or intermittent variation in intensity or color.
(t) FREESTANDING. A sign supported by one or more uprights, poles, braces, or bases in or upon the ground, and not attached to any building (see Figure 1133.3 below). FREESTANDING signs include, but are not limited to:
(1) BULLETIN BOARD. A structure containing a surface upon which is
displayed the name of a religious institution, school or library, auditorium, stadium, athletic field or area of similar use for the announcement of services or activities to be held therein.
(2) GROUND MOUNTED SIGN. A three- dimensional, self supporting, base mounted, freestanding sign, consisting of two or more sides extending up from the base, and upon which a message is displayed.
(3) MONUMENT SIGN. A freestanding sign supported by a base anchored in the ground located in close proximity to the entrances of an office or industrial park provided that the entrance into the office or industrial park is a public thoroughfare. A MONUMENT SIGN is an integrated component of an overall entryway design theme that typically includes landscaping, lighting and signage.
(4) POLE SIGN. A freestanding sign that is mounted on or supported by one or more uprights, pylons or poles located in or upon the ground so that the bottom edge of the sign is above grade.
(u) FRONTAGE, BUILDING. The length of the portion of a building occupied by a single business facing a street abutting the premises on which the business is located.
(v) GASOLINE PRICE SIGN. A sign which is used to advertise the price of gasoline on-site. In the event that the brand identification sign is attached to or is a part of the gasoline price sign advertising price, that portion of the sign used for advertising price shall be considered the GASOLINE PRICE SIGN. However, the GASOLINE PRICE SIGN shall be counted as part of the total sign area whether or not the gasoline price sign is attached to other signs.
(w) GOVERNMENTAL. A sign erected and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any
governmental functions, or required by law, resolution or other governmental regulation.
(x) HEIGHT. The vertical distance from the uppermost point used in measuring the area of the sign to the centerline of the road on which the property fronts or the elevation of the base of the sign, whichever is lowest.
(y) HOLIDAY DECORATION. Temporary signs, in the nature of decorations, clearly incidental to and customarily and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday.
(z) IDENTIFICATION. A sign limited to the name, address and number of a building, institution or persons and to the activity carried on in the building or institution, or the occupancy of the person.
(aa) ILLUMINATION. Any sign illuminated by electricity, gas or other artificial light including reflecting or phosphorescent light.
(1) EXTERNAL ILLUMINATION. A light source external to a sign that is not seen directly and is shielded from view.
(2) INTERNAL ILLUMINATION. A light source concealed or contained within the sign, and which becomes visible in darkness through a translucent surface.
(bb) INCIDENTAL. A small sign, emblem, or decal informing the public of goods, services, available on the premises. Examples of INCIDENTAL SIGNS include credit card signs, signs indicating hours of operations, no smoking signs, signs used to designate bathrooms and business affiliation signs (see Figure 1133.3 below).
(cc) INTERIOR, EXTERIOR. The following: interior signs are located within a structure, and are not intended to be seen from the exterior; signs affixed to a window or the walls enclosing the display area behind a window, which are obviously intended
for viewing from the exterior, shall be considered exterior signs.
(dd) MARQUEE. A permanent roof like structure or canopy supported by and extending from the face of the building. The sign is attached to or supported by the marquee structure.
(ee) MEMORIAL. A sign, tablet or plaque memorializing a person, event, structure or site.
(ff) NAME PLATE. A sign designating only the name and address or the name and professional occupation and address of a person or persons residing in or occupying space in such building or premises.
(gg) OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING. A sign which contains a message unrelated to a business, profession, commodity, service, activity, sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located. A billboard is a type of OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING SIGN.
(hh) ON-PREMISES ADVERTISING. Any sign related to a business or profession conducted or a commodity or service sold or offered upon the premises where such sign is located.
(ii) ON-SITE INFORMATIONAL. A sign commonly associated with, and not limited to, information and directions necessary or convenient for visitors coming on the property including signs marking entrances and exits, parking areas, circulation direction, restrooms, and pick-up and delivery areas.
(jj) POLITICAL. A sign which promotes, identifies, announces, opposes, or otherwise offers the public consideration of any political candidate or issue, partisan or nonpartisan.
(kk) PORTABLE. A sign that is attached to wheels, skids, or other forms of mounting, which is not permanently affixed in or to the ground (see Figure 1133.3 below). Examples include but are not limited to:
(1) CHANGEABLE COPY PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign that is designed to be
moved and has a sign face or sign faces that hold changeable copy letters to create various messages. These signs may or may not have wheels.
(2) FOLDING PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign supported by an A-frame or T- frame base which is designed to be easily movable and is intended for advertising price and/or incidental goods or services.
(3) TRAILER SIGN. Any sign attached to, supported by or part of a structure which is designed to be moved on trailer wheels, skids, or other similar device or transported, pushed or pulled by a motor vehicle.
(ll) PROJECTING. A sign affixed to any building or part thereof, or structure, extending beyond the building wall or parts thereof, or structure, by more than 12 inches (see Figure 1133.3 below). A PROJECTING SIGN shall not include a ground or wall sign as herein defined.
(mm) PROMOTION. A temporary sign, the function of which is to announce a special event. PROMOTION SIGNS may advertise grand openings, festivals, annual events and the like.
(nn) REAL ESTATE. A sign advertising for sale, lease, or rent the parcel or real estate on which the sign is located. Also, temporary directional signs less than four square feet in message area displayed during the hours in which an “open house” showing of real property for sale, lease or rent is actually being conducted shall be considered real estate signs, even though they may not be located on the parcel of real estate being advertised. “Sold” signs shall be considered commercial advertising signs.
(oo) RESIDENTIAL ENTRANCEWAY SIGN. A type of monument sign located at the entrance or entrances of residential subdivisions that incorporate high quality building materials and landscaping to create a uniquely identifiable landmark for the subdivision.
(pp) ROOF-MOUNTED. Any sign which is erected over the roof or parapet above the roof-line and/or receives any or all its support from the roof structure.
(qq) SIGN. A name, identification, description, display or illustration which is affixed to or painted upon or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure, or piece of land; or affixed to the glass on the outside or inside of a window so as to be seen from the outside of a building and which directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization or business.
(rr) SIGNATURE WALL SIGN. A wall sign typically placed beneath the roof line of an industrial or office building wall facing an interstate highway for the sole purpose of advertising a company name or logo to a regional audience.
(ss) STREAMER. A long, narrow ribbon-like flag.
(tt) STRUCTURE, SIGN. The supports, uprights, bracing or framework for signs.
(uu) TEMPORARY. A banner, pennant, poster display, or illustration which is affixed to or painted upon or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure or piece of land and which directs attention to an object, product, place, person, institution, organization, or business and is constructed of cloth, plastic sheet, cardboard, or other like materials and which is intended to be displayed for a limited period of time (see Figure 1133.3 below).
(vv) WALL. Any sign painted on, attached to, or erected against the wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel to the plane of the wall and extending not more than 15 inches from the face of the wall.
(ww) WARNING. Any sign indicating danger or a situation which is potentially dangerous.
(xx) WINDOW, PERMANENT. Any sign visible from the exterior of a building or structure which is painted, attached, glued or otherwise affixed to a window or depicted upon a card, paper, or other material and placed on, taped on, or hung immediately behind the window or displayed from a window for the specific purpose of identifying the proprietor or name of business to the passer-by (see Figure 1133.3 below).
(yy) WINDOW, TEMPORARY. Any sign visible from the exterior of a building or structure which is painted on a window, depicted upon a card, paper, or other material or placed on, taped on, or hung immediately behind the window, or displayed from a window for the specific purpose of attracting attention of the passer-by to a sale, or to promotional items, or other products or services.
(Ord. 99-207, passed 1-10-2000; Ord. 2003-99, passed 10-8-2003; Am. Ord. 2011-64, passed 8-8-2011)