1143.01 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

   The purpose of this chapter is to permit such signs as will not, by reasons of their size, location, construction or manner of display, endanger life and limb, confuse or mislead traffic, obstruct vision necessary for traffic safety or otherwise endanger the public morals, health or safety; and further, to regulate such permitted signs in such a way as to create land use patterns compatible with other major land use objectives and to prevent such signs from causing annoyance or disturbance to the citizens and residents of the City.

1143.02 COMPUTATIONS.

   (a)   Computation of Sign Area. The aggregate surface area of a sign or of all the signs on a property shall be calculated as follows:

      (1)   If sign area calculations are completed by the applicant and provided to the City as a part of the application, the area of a sign (which is also the sign area of a wall sign or other sign with only one face) shall be computed by means of the smallest square, rectangle or contiguous combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits of the copy, representation, emblem and/or other display including all area within individual letters and between individual letters, words, representations and emblems or logos;

      (2)   The area of a sign, or any portion thereof, shall exclude any decorative embellishments and any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall when such structures do not include letters, parts of letters, words, figures, numerals, emblems, devices, designs, trademarks, posters, handbills or other objects affixed thereon and is clearly incidental to the display itself.

      (3)   The area of a sign, or any portion thereof, having a distinctive design, color, or ornamental background commonly known and identified with the trade or business which sets the background apart from a larger surface so that it forms an integral part or element of the sign, including any frame that forms an integral part of the display or is used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed, shall include the area of the distinctive design, color, or ornamental background.

      (4)   The total area of a sign having two faces with a maximum distance between the two faces less than forty-two (42) inches at any point of each face, shall be considered to be the area of the largest face.

      (5)   The total area of a sign having more than two faces shall be the sum of the area of all the faces of the sign, less the area of the smallest face.

      (6)   If sign area calculations are not provided by the applicant as part of the application, the area of a sign shall be computed by the City by means of the smallest single square or rectangle that will encompass the extreme limits of the copy, representation, emblem, and/or other display including all area within individual letters and between individual letters, words, representations and emblems or logos.

   (b)   Computation of Freestanding Sign Height. The height of a freestanding sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the curb of a public street, or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the zone lot, whichever is lower.
(Ord. 057-2012. Passed 3-19-12.)

1143.03 SIGNS EXEMPT FROM REGULATION.

   (a)   Traffic or other public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance, such as the following: legal notices, railroad crossings, danger or other emergency signs.

   (b)   Signs painted on or permanently attached to motor vehicles which are legally licensed and primarily used on the highways for commercial or business purposes such as transporting of persons, goods or equipment: provided that no such vehicle displaying a sign may be parked within the required front setback of any lot or on any public right of way for the purpose of advertising any service, product or facility.

   (c)   Private traffic control signs such as stop, yield, in, out, drive-in window entrance, exit, etc. as long as the sign meets Department of Transportation standards and contain no advertising, logo, or name for the business or use.

   (d)   Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message, but only between November 15 and January 15.

   (e)   Flags of the United States, the state, city, foreign nations having diplomatic relations with the United States, and any other flag adopted or sanctioned by an elected legislative body of competent jurisdiction provided that such a flag shall be flown in accordance with protocol established by the Congress of the United States for the Stars and Stripes. Any flag not meeting any one or more of these conditions shall be considered a banner or a pennant sign and shall be subject to regulation as such.