Signs are a permitted accessory use in all use districts subject to the following regulations:
A. Interpretation: A sign is a structure or a part of a structure for the purpose of applying yard and height regulations.
B. Permit Requirements:
1. Permit Required: Except as herein exempted, no person, firm or corporation shall install, erect, relocate, modify, alter, or change the color on any sign in the city without first obtaining a permit.
2. Application And Fees: Application for permits shall be made in writing upon printed forms furnished by the city, and shall be accompanied by a complete description of the sign, its proposed location, the manner of construction and materials used in the sign, a sketch of the sign and such other information as the code enforcement department deems necessary. Fees shall be established by resolution of the city council. In addition to any other remedies available to the city, a triple fee shall be charged if a sign is erected without first obtaining a permit for such sign.
3. Exemptions: No permit shall be required for the following signs; provided, however, that all signs herein exempted from the permit requirements shall conform with all other requirements of this chapter:
a. Signs erected by a governmental unit.
b. Signs which are entirely within a building and not visible from outside such building.
c. Address, nameplate and/or identification signs having an area of two (2) square feet or less.
d. Garage sale, rummage sale and other similar signs in conjunction with the sale of household goods and materials from private residences.
e. Real estate signs as regulated in subsection C of this section.
f. Election signs as regulated in subsection G of this section.
g. Holiday displays are not considered signs for the purposes of this section.
C. Real Estate Signs:
1. For purposes of selling or leasing property, a sign not in excess of fifteen (15) square feet per surface may be placed within the front yard of such property to be sold or leased.
2. For the purpose of selling or promoting a residential project of six (6) or more dwelling units, a commercial area of three (3) acres or more or an industrial area of ten (10) acres or more, one sign not to exceed one hundred (100) square feet of advertising surface may be erected upon the project site. Such sign shall not remain after ninety percent (90%) of the project is developed.
D. Temporary Signs: There shall be no more than one temporary (3 months or less) sign on any lot. The total area of such sign shall not exceed twenty five (25) square feet.
E. Prohibited Signs: Unless a sign is specifically permitted under this chapter, the sign is prohibited. By way of example and not by way of limitation, the following signs are specifically prohibited:
1. Signs within the public right of way or easement; except, that the city council may grant a conditional use permit to locate signs and decorations on or within city right of way for a specified time not to exceed sixty (60) days.
2. Illuminated flashing signs within the R, B-1 or B-2 district.
3. In all districts, illuminated signs or devices giving off an intermittent, steady or rotating beam consisting of a collection or concentration of rays or lights greater than two (2) square feet in area.
4. Any sign that, by reason of position, shape or color would interfere in any way with the proper functioning or purpose of a traffic sign or signal.
5. Signs painted directly on the outside wall of buildings.
6. Signs painted on fences, rocks, or similar structures or features in any district.
7. Paper and similar signs attached directly to a building wall by an adhesive or similar means.
8. Feather flag signs.
9. Animated signs, lighter than air inflatable devices, string lights, striplighting outlining structures, and signs attached or mounted on a vehicle parked primarily for use as a sign.
10. Roof signs.
F. Nonconforming Signs: Signs existing on the effective date of this chapter which do not conform to the regulations set forth in this chapter or any previous ordinance are nonconforming uses.
G. Election Signs:
1. Election signs are permitted on private property in any district, provided such signs are removed within ten (10) days following the state general election or within ten (10) days following the election the sign relates to in a year during which no state general election is held.
2. No election sign shall be permitted in any R district forty six (46) days before the state primary in a state general election year, or more than one month preceding the election the sign relates to in a year during which no state general election is held.
3. No election sign shall be permitted on election day within one hundred feet (100') of a building in which a polling place is situated or anywhere on public property on which a polling place is situated. This restriction does not apply to adjacent private property.
H. Signs In R Districts: Within the R districts, the following signs are permitted:
1. One nameplate sign for each dwelling, and such sign shall not exceed two (2) square feet in area per surface, and no sign shall be so constructed as to have more than two (2) surfaces.
2. One nameplate sign for each dwelling group of six (6) or more units, and such sign shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area per surface, and no sign shall be so constructed as to have more than two (2) surfaces.
3. One nameplate sign for each permitted use or use by conditional use permit other than residential, and such sign shall not exceed twelve (12) square feet in area per surface.
a. By conditional use permit, a nonresidential use in a residential zoning district which is allowed either as a permitted or conditional use may qualify for a second nameplate sign, provided that each of the following requirements are met:
(1) The parcel on which such a sign is proposed may be no less than forty (40) acres in size.
(2) The parcel on which such a sign is to be located must have frontage on at least two (2) public roadways.
(3) No more than one sign may be allowed to be oriented toward any one public roadway.
(4) The sign shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet in area per surface.
(5) The sign shall not exceed nine feet (9') in height from the average natural grade at the base of the sign.
(6) The sign may be illuminated, provided the direct source of light is not visible from the public right of way or adjacent residential district.
(7) The sign may not be constructed as an internally lit cabinet.
(8) The sign shall be constructed in a monument style fashion, including a base of natural stone, brick or other masonry material.
(9) The sign area shall be landscaped with materials subject to a plan submitted with the CUP application and approved by the city council.
(10) Lighting shall be limited from dusk to twelve o'clock (12:00) midnight.
4. By conditional use permit, a use in a residential zoning district which is allowed either as a permitted or conditional use may qualify for a wall sign in addition to a nameplate sign, provided that each of the following requirements are met:
a. The parcel on which such a sign is proposed may be no less than five (5) acres in size.
b. The sign shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet in area.
c. The sign may be illuminated, provided the direct source of light is not visible from the public right of way or adjacent residential district.
5. Symbols, statues, sculptures and integrated architectural features on nonresidential buildings may be illuminated by floodlights, provided the direct source of light is not visible from the public right of way or adjacent residential district.
6. Any sign over one square foot shall be set back at least ten feet (10') from any property line. No sign shall exceed ten feet (10') in height above the average grade level. Signs may be illuminated, but such lighting shall be diffused or indirect and the direct source of light is not visible beyond any lot line. (Ord. 453, 6-4-2013)
7. By conditional use permit, an institutional use in the R-1 or R-1A zoning district which is allowed either as a permitted or conditional use may install one freestanding electronic display sign, provided that each of the following requirements are met:
a. The parcel, or campus containing contiguous parcels, on which the sign is proposed must be no less than two (2) acres in size.
b. The sign shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet in area per surface.
c. The sign shall not exceed nine feet (9') in height from the average natural grade at the base of the sign.
d. The total area per surface for an electronic display is not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the sign's total area. Only one contiguous electronic display area is allowed per surface.
e. The sign shall be set back at least ten feet (10') from any external property boundary line and shall not be located closer than fifty feet (50') to any surrounding residential property boundary line, unless a less intrusive sign placement can be accomplished as approved by the city council.
f. The electronic display message shall not change more than once every one hour, except for emergency safety messages. Time, date, or temperature is considered one electronic display when displayed alone, however it may be included as a component of any other electronic display but cannot change more than once every three (3) seconds.
g. The hours of operation shall be limited to six o'clock (6:00) A.M. to ten o'clock (10:00) P.M.
h. The electronic display message shall be limited to static letters and numbers. No portion of a message may contain animation, video or audio, scroll, flash, twirl, fade, or change color.
i. The electronic display area shall be a black background and messages shall not contain more than one font color.
j. The electronic display message shall be a minimum of four inches (4") in height or larger as necessary to ensure readability.
k. Messages shall be limited to advertisement of products, events, persons, institutions, activities, businesses, services or subjects which are located on the premises only or which give public service information.
l. Malfunctioning signs shall be shut off immediately by the owner. Additionally, the sign owner shall immediately stop the display if notified by the city that the sign is noncompliant.
m. The sign shall be constructed in monument style fashion, including a base of natural stone, brick or other masonry material of at least twenty four inches (24") in height from the average natural grade.
n. The sign shall be landscaped with materials subject to a plan as submitted with the application approved by the city council.
o. The sign shall be equipped with a sensor that detects the ambient light level and adjusts the brightness of the sign accordingly. Brightness shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candle above ambient light as measured using a brightness meter from a preset distance depending on the sign size, as indicated in the table below:
SIGN AREA MEASUREMENT DISTANCE
Sign Area (Square Feet) | Measurement Distance (Feet) |
Sign Area (Square Feet) | Measurement Distance (Feet) |
10 | 32 |
15 | 39 |
20 | 45 |
25 | 50 |
30 | 55 |
35 | 59 |
40 | 63 |
45 | 67 |
50 | 71 |
55 | 74 |
60 | 77 |
65 | 81 |
70 | 84 |
75 | 87 |
80 | 89 |
85 | 92 |
90 | 95 |
95 | 97 |
100 | 100 |
Measurement distance = v (sign area x 100) | |
8. By additional conditional use permit, an institutional use in the R-1 or R-1A zoning districts which is allowed either as a permitted or conditional use may qualify for one additional freestanding electronic display sign, provided that the requirements of subsection H7 of this section are met and each of the following additional requirements:
a. The parcel, or campus containing contiguous parcels, on which the sign is proposed must be no less than twenty (20) acres in size.
b. The sign shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet in area per surface and the electronic display area shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the sign's total area.
c. The sign shall be set back at least three hundred feet (300') from any external property boundary line.
d. Landscaping shall be installed to provide screening of the sign from any surrounding residential uses. (Ord. 460, 4-15-2014)
I. Signs In B And I Districts:
1. Nameplates And Business Signs: Nameplate signs and business signs are permitted subject to the following regulations:
a. B-1 And B-1A Districts: Within the B-1 and B-1A Districts, the aggregate square footage of sign space per lot shall not exceed the sum of one (1) square foot per front foot of building plus one (1) square foot for each front foot of lot not occupied by a building. No individual sign shall exceed fifty (50) square feet in a B-1 area.
b. B-2, B-3, B-4 And I Districts:
(1) Within the B-2, B-3, B-4 and I Districts, the aggregate square footage of such space per lot shall not exceed the sum of two (2) square feet per front foot of building, plus one (1) square foot for each front foot of lot not occupied by such building which fronts on a public right-of-way fifty feet (50') or more in width. The least width of a lot for purposes of this chapter shall be the front. No individual sign surface shall exceed one hundred (100) square feet in area, nor shall two (2) or more signs be so arranged and integrated as to cause an advertising surface over one hundred (100) square feet.
(2) Where a B-4 District includes a theater, additional sign surface area may be permitted for the exclusive use of the theater. The total aggregate surface area permitted for theaters including any pylon, marquee or other signage shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet. (Ord. 453, 6-4-2013)
2. Pylon Or Monument Sign: The erection of one (1) pylon or monument type sign for any single lot in the B-1, B-1A, B-2, B-3, B-4 and I Districts is permitted under the following provisions:
a. A pylon or monument sign in the B-1 and B-1A Districts shall not be higher than twenty feet (20'); and those in the B-2, B-3, B-4 and I Districts shall not be higher than twenty five feet (25') above the average grade level at the base of the sign.
b. No part of the pylon or monument sign in any B or I District shall be less than ten feet (10') from lot lines nor less than five feet (5') from any driveway or parking area.
c. The gross area of any surface of a pylon or monument sign in the B-1 and B-1A Districts shall not exceed eighty (80) square feet; and those in the B-2, B-3, B-4 and I Districts shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet. (Ord. 510, 6-6-2017)
3. Electronic Displays At Motor Fuel Stations: Electronic displays, including light emitting diodes (LED), or similar technologies may be permitted at motor fuel stations under the following conditions:
a. The characters in an electronic display must be a uniform color.
b. Any electronic display is limited to a maximum of four (4) characters.
c. The total area for an electronic display is not to exceed six (6) square feet in area.
d. The text of the sign may not change more than three (3) times in a day (24 hours).
e. The electronic display shall be allowed only during the hours of operation approved in the conditional use permit for the motor fuel station.
f. Any existing motor fuel station seeking a permit for electronic display of fuel prices shall submit a request to amend their conditional use permit.
4. Comprehensive Sign Plan: A comprehensive sign plan shall be provided for industrial developments. Such plan, which shall include the location, size, height, lighting and orientation of all signs shall be submitted to the Planning Commission for preliminary plan approval regulations. Provided such a comprehensive plan is presented, exceptions to the sign performance standards of this chapter may be permitted if sign areas and densities for the plan as a whole are in conformity with the intent of this chapter and if such exception results in an improved relationship between the various parts of the plan. (Ord. 453, 6-4-2013)