It shall hereby be unlawful for any person to erect, place, or maintain a sign in the City of Massillon except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(a) Signs Prohibited. The following types of signs are prohibited in all districts:
(1) Abandoned signs.
(2) Banners, pennants, festoons, searchlights (except as allowed in Section 1188.04)
(3) Signs imitating or resembling official traffic or government signs or signals.
(4) Snipe signs or signs attached to trees, telephone poles, public benches, streetlights, or placed on any public property or public right-of-way.
(5) Signs placed on vehicles or trailers which are parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying such sign (This does not apply to allowed portable signs or to signs or lettering on buses, taxis, or vehicles operating during the normal course of business)
(6) No billboards shall be erected or constructed in the City of Massillon unless such billboard is erected on a minimum of three acres of land with the closest structure of any kind on any side of the sign to be limited to 300 feet.
(7) No flashing signs shall be erected, constructed or maintained in the City of Massillon except time and temperature.
(8) No portable or free-standing sign not permanently anchored, affixed or secured to either a building or the ground except as otherwise permitted by this chapter.
(Ord. 47-1989. Passed 4-17-89.)
(b) Sign Permits Required. Unless otherwise provided by this chapter, all signs shall require permits and payment of fees as described in Section 1188.07(c). No permit is required for the maintenance of a sign. (Ord. 88-2010. Passed 10-4-10.)
(c) Signs Not Requiring Permits. The following types of signs are exempted from permit requirements but must be in conformance with all other requirements of this chapter.
(1) Signs used by churches, synagogues, or civic organizations.
(2) Construction signs of sixteen square feet or less.
(3) Directional/Information signs of eight square feet or less.
(4) Holiday or special events decorations.
(5) Nameplates of two square feet or less.
(6) Political signs.
(7) Public signs or notices, or any sign relating to an emergency.
(8) Real estate signs.
(9) Window signs.
(10) Incidental signs.
(d) Maintenance. All signs shall be properly maintained. Exposed surfaces shall be clean and painted if paint is required. Defective parts shall be replaced. The Superintendent of Permits and Inspection shall have the right under Section 1188.07
to order the repair or removal of any sign which is defective, damaged, or substantially deteriorated, as defined in Ohio Basic Building Code.
(e) Lighting. Unless otherwise specified by this chapter, all signs may be illuminated. However, no sign regulated by this chapter may utilize:
(1) An exposed incandescent lamp with an external reflector and without a sunscreen or comparable diffusion.
(2) Any exposed incandescent lamp or excess of twenty-five watts unless a screen is attached or unless the sign is placed over ten feet above the ground.
(3) Any revolving beacon light.
(f) Changeable Copy. Unless otherwise specified by this chapter, any sign herein allowed may use manual or automatic changeable copy.
(g) Sign Contractor's License.
(1) No person may engage in the business of erecting, altering, relocating, constructing, or maintaining signs requiring permits without a valid contractor's license.
(2) License shall be issued annually. Any license issued during calendar year shall require the full year's license fee and shall be renewed before the end of that calendar year. The annual licensing fee shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00).
(h) Indemnification and Insurance. All persons involved in the maintenance, installation, alteration, or relocation of signs near or upon any public right-of-way or property shall agree to hold harmless and indemnify the City, its officers, agents, and employees, against any and all claims of negligence resulting from such work insofar as this chapter has not specifically directed the placement of a sign.
All persons involved in the maintenance, installation, alteration, or relocation of signs shall maintain all required insurance and shall file with the City a satisfactory certificate of insurance to indemnify the City against any form of liability to a minimum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000).
(Ord. 47-1989. Passed 4-17-89.)