Accessory Sign:
A permanent ground or building sign that is permitted under this Code as incidental to an existing or proposed use of land.
Advertising:
Sign copy intended to directly or indirectly promote the sale or use of a product, service, commodity, entertainment, or real or personal property.
Abandoned Sign:
A sign which no longer identifies or advertises a bona fide business, leaser, service, owner, product, or activity, or for which no legal owner can be found.
Animated Sign:
Any sign which uses movement or change of lighting to depict action or to create a special effect or scene.
Awning:
A shelter projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building constructed of nonrigid materials on a supporting framework.
Awning Sign:
A sign painted on, printed on, sewn, or attached against the surface of an awning.
Banner:
A sign on which copy or graphics may be displayed, made of paper, plastic, fabric or any flexible, nonrigid material with no enclosing framework or frames. For purposes of this ordinance, the term “banner” shall not be deemed to include flexible sign face substrates, which are used as the enclosed face on advertising signs using back illumination, consisting generally of a polyester scrim embedded between two (2) layers of white pigmented vinyl formulated to accepted opaque and translucent films, and meeting Federal Standards #191-A (Textile Test Methods).
Billboard:
See “Off-premises sign”
Building Sign:
A sign displayed upon or attached to any part of the exterior of a building, including walls, windows, doors, parapets, marquees, and roof slopes of forty-five (45) degrees or steeper. See Figure 5.00.04-A.
Commercially Developed Parcel:
A parcel of property on which there is at least one (1) walled and roofed structure used, or designed to be used, for other than residential or agricultural purposes.
Construction Sign:
A temporary sign identifying an architect, contractor, subcontractor, financial institution, developer, or material supplier participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located.
Copy:
The linguistic or graphic content of a sign.
Double-faced Sign:
A sign with two (2) faces.
Electric Sign:
Any sign containing electric wiring.
Erect a Sign:
To construct, reconstruct, build, relocate, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw, or in any other way bring into being or establish; but it shall not include any of the foregoing activities when performed as an incident to the change of message, or routine maintenance.
Facade:
The entire building front including the parapet.
Face of Sign:
The area of the sign in which the copy is located.
Festoons:
A string of ribbons, tinsel, small flags, or pinwheels.
Flags:
A flexible, graphic device representing a government, business, or other identifiable entity.
Frontage:
The length of the property line of any one (1) parcel along a street on which it borders.
Frontage, building:
The length of an outside building wall facing a public right of way.
Governmental Sign:
Any temporary, portable, or permanent sign erected and maintained by the city, county, state, or federal government for traffic direction or for designation of or direction to any school, hospital, historical site, or public service, property, or facility; or used for any other public purpose.
Ground Sign:
A sign that is supported by one (1) or more columns, upright poles, or braces extended from the ground or from an object on the ground, or that is erected on the ground, where no part of the sign is attached to any part of a building. See Figure 5.00.01-B.
Identification Sign:
A sign whose copy is limited to the name and address of a building, institution, or person, activity or occupation being identified.
Illegal Sign:
A sign which does not meet the requirements of this chapter and which has not received legal nonconforming status.
Illuminated Sign:
A sign which contains a source of light or which is designed or arranged to reflect light from an artificial source including indirect lighting, neon, incandescent lights, back-lighting, and shall also include signs with reflectors that depend upon automobile headlights for an image.
Incidental Sign:
A small sign, emblem, or decal, located on the window or wall of the building, informing the public of goods, facilities, or services available on the premises, e.g., a credit card sign or sign indicating the hours of business.
Inflatable Sign:
A sign or Sign Statuary that is either expanded to its full dimensions or supported by gases contained within the sign, or sign parts, at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.
Mansard:
A sloped roof or roof-like facade architecturally comparable to a building wall.
Marquee:
A structure projecting from and supported by a building which extends beyond the building line or property line and fully or partially covers a sidewalk, public entrance or other pedestrian way.
Monument Sign:
A sign designed to be mounted on a concrete footing or similar support which allows the base of the sign structure to be placed at grade level and not supported by poles or attached to other structures.
Multiple Occupancy Complex:
A commercial use, i.e. any use other than residential or agricultural, consisting of a parcel of property, or parcel of contiguous properties, existing as a unified or coordinated project, with a building or buildings housing more than one (1) occupant.
Nonconforming Sign:
Any sign within the City on the effective date of this Code (or a sign existing within any area annexed to the City after the effective date of this Code) which is prohibited by, or does not conform to the requirements of, this Code; except signs that are within ten percent (10%) of the height and size limitations of this Code, and that in all other respects conform to the requirements of this Code, shall be deemed in conformity with this Code.
Occupant:
Also referred to as occupancy. A commercial use, i.e. any use other than residential or agricultural.
Off-premises Sign:
A sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service, or entertainment, which is not sold, produced, manufactured, or furnished at the property on which said sign is located, e.g., “billboards” or “outdoor advertising”.
Outdoor Advertising Sign:
A permanent ground sign supported by a post, or posts, attached to which is a sign face intended to directly or indirectly promote the sale or use of a product, commodity, entertainment, real or personal property, or a service.
Owner:
The record owner of the property. For the purposes hereof, the owner of property on which a sign is located is presumed to be the owner of the sign unless facts to the contrary are officially recorded or otherwise brought to the attention of the city, e.g., a sign leased from a sign company.
Parapet:
The extension of a false front or wall above a roofline.
Parcel:
A unit of land within legally established property lines. If, however, the property lines are such as to defeat the purposes of this Code or lead to absurd results, a “parcel” may be as designated for a particular site by the Board.
Permanent:
Designed, constructed, and intended for more than a short time.
Plaza Sign:
An on-premises sign of a facility which is a multiple occupancy complex for more than one (1) business, consisting of a parcel of property, or parcel of contiguous properties, existing as a unified or coordinated project, with a building or buildings housing more than one (1) occupant.
Point of Purchase Display:
Advertising of a retail item on the product display, e.g., an advertisement on a product dispenser.
Political Sign:
For the purposes of this ordinance, a temporary sign used in connection with a local, state, or national election or referendum.
Portable Sign:
Any sign designed to be moved easily and not permanently affixed to the ground or to a structure or building, not including portable governmental signs.
Projecting Sign:
A sign, other than a flat wall sign, which is attached to and projects from a building wall or other structure not specifically designed to support the sign.
Real Estate Sign:
A temporary sign advertising the real estate upon which the sign is located as being for rent, lease, or sale.
Roof Line:
A horizontal line intersecting the highest point or points of a roof.
Roof Sign:
A sign placed above the roof line of a building or on or against a roof slope of less than forty-five (45) degrees.
Sandwich Sign:
Also referred to as a “sandwich board sign.” Signboard consisting of two (2) hinged boards that hang front and back from the shoulders of a walker and are used to display advertisements; these signs are not secured or attached to the ground or any building or structure and displayed in or proximate to areas of pedestrian traffic.
Sign:
Any writing, pictorial presentation, number, illustration, or decoration, flag, banner or pennant, or other device which is used to announce, direct attention to, identify, advertise, or otherwise make anything known. The term “sign” shall not be deemed to include the terms “building” or “landscaping” or any architectural embellishment of a building not intended to communicate information.
Sign Face:
The part of a sign that is or may be used for copy.
Sign Face Area:
The area of any regular geometric shape which contains the entire surface area of a sign upon which copy may be placed.
Sign Structure:
Any construction used or designed to support a sign.
Snipe Sign:
Any temporary, unpermitted sign, banner, or poster made of any material, including paper, cardboard, wood, and metal, when such sign is tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued, or otherwise attached to trees, telephone poles, fences, conventional sign pole(s), pedestal, other similar object, or having wire legs located or situated on public or private property. Snipe signs shall not include “posted property” signs.
Street:
A public or private right of way for vehicular traffic, including highways, thoroughfares, lanes, roads, ways, and boulevards.
Temporary:
Designed, constructed, and intended to be used on a short-term basis.
Total Sign Area:
Unless otherwise qualified, e.g. square footage “per face,” any reference in this chapter to “sign area” or to a square footage without more, shall mean total square footage of all faces for the sign.
Under-canopy Sign:
A sign suspended beneath a canopy, ceiling, roof, or marquee.
Unit:
That part of a multiple occupancy complex housing one (1) occupant.
Vehicle Sign:
Any sign affixed to a vehicle.
Wall Sign:
A sign attached parallel to and extending not more than twelve (12) inches from the wall of a building; this definition includes painted, individual letter, and cabinet signs, and signs on a mansard.
Window sign:
A sign installed inside a window and intended to be viewed from outside.
(Ord. 711, passed 2-5-2019)