All signs located in commercial districts shall comply with the maximum area requirements set forth in Schedule 151.3012 and this section. All signs shall also be in compliance with the supplemental regulations set forth in § 151.3014. Maximum area shall be the sum of the areas of all signs attached to the building for a single tenant space, including wall signs, awning/canopy signs, projecting signs, as well as ground-mounted signs. This maximum area may be divided over a maximum of three signs. Sandwich board signs permitted under division (H) below are excluded from the maximum area calculation.
(A) Ground mounted signs in commercial districts. A maximum of one ground mounted sign shall be permitted per building, except for buildings on corner or double frontage lots pursuant to § 151.3012(A)(9), in compliance with the following regulations:
(1) For one- and two-story buildings, internally illuminated ground mounted signs shall not exceed 30 square feet in size. Externally illuminated signs shall not exceed 36 square feet in size. Such signs shall not exceed five feet in height.
(2) For buildings that are three stories or more, internally or externally illuminated ground mounted signs shall not exceed 60 square feet in size. Such signs shall not exceed eight feet in height.
(3) In the OM and OMG District, ground mounted signs shall be located no closer to a street curb or edge of pavement than six feet or 50% of the building setback, whichever is less, but shall not be placed within the public right-of-way. In the remaining commercial districts, ground mounted signs shall be located no closer than six feet to any street right-of-way line.
(4) Ground mounted signs shall be located no closer than ten feet from any side property line, except that when a side lot coincides with a residential zoning district boundary line, the minimum setback shall be 25 feet.
(5) Ground mounted signs in the commercial districts shall be erected in a landscaped setting and shall not be permitted on sidewalks, drives or in parking lots.
(7) Ground signs shall include the street address, if applicable.
(8) When a ground mounted sign is erected on a site that has more than one tenant, it is the property owner's responsibility to determine the sign area devoted to identification of the development, building, anchor tenant, all tenants, or some combination thereof.
(9) One additional ground mounted sign shall be permitted for a corner or double frontage lot in the commercial districts and the additional area shall not be included in the sum of the maximum sign area provided that:
(a) The total frontage of both streets is not less than 300 feet and there are at least two curb cuts providing access to the lot;
(b) The area of each ground mounted sign complies with division (A)(1) above; and
(c) The second ground mounted sign is clearly located to provide identification along the secondary street.
(B) Wall signs in commercial districts.
(1) Single tenant buildings. For one- and two-story single tenant buildings, the maximum area permitted for signs shall be 1.5 times the lineal street frontage with a cap at 60 square feet. For single tenant buildings that are three stories or more, the maximum area permitted for signs shall 1.5 times the lineal street frontage with a cap at 120 square feet.
(2) Multi-tenant buildings. Signs for multi-tenant buildings should be coordinated to achieve a unified signage appearance. Tenants located on the first or second story of a building shall be permitted a maximum 1.5 times the lineal tenant space with a cap of 60 square feet of signage. Tenants located on the third story or above shall be permitted a maximum of 1.5 times the lineal tenant space 120 square feet of signage.
(3) Buildings with frontage on multiple public roadways or that have a secondary customer entrance facing a side/rear parking lot shall be permitted one additional sign on the secondary frontage. The additional sign area shall not exceed 0.75 square feet per lineal foot of building frontage of the secondary frontage, up to 45 square feet for one- and two-story buildings or 90 square feet for tenants located on the third story of above. The additional sign shall not be counted toward the maximum sign area permitted.
(4) The combined total area of all signs on each building face and/or frontage shall not exceed 15% of the building wall area.
(5) Wall signs on one- and two-story buildings shall not be higher than the head of the second story window, as measured from the building grade line to the top of the sign.
(6) For buildings with three or more stories, wall signs shall not be located higher than the lowest roof element.
(7) Plaques shall be permitted for upper story occupants of a multi-tenant buildings to be attached to the premises at the point of building access in compliance with the following:
(a) The maximum area of the plaque shall be three square feet.
(b) The width of the plaque may not exceed the width of the surface of the attachment.
(c) The centerline height of the plaque shall be no higher than five feet above the average grade level.
(d) Where more than one plaque is placed at an entrance, the total group is to be related in an orderly and integrated manner in one or more vertical columns with common vertical centerlines. The horizontal centerline of each group must be five feet above the average grade level.
(e) Plaques must be of cast metal, natural stone or wood.
(f) The maximum permitted area for plaques shall not be included in the sum of the maximum sign area set forth in § 151.3010.
(g) No internally illuminated plaques shall be permitted.
(C) Menu boards in commercial districts.
(1) Menu boards used in association with drive-through facilities of a permitted use shall not exceed 20 square feet in size or five feet in height.
(2) The area of menu boards shall not be included in the sum of the maximum sign area set forth in § 151.3010 for business identification signs.
(D) Directory signs in commercial districts.
(1) One directory sign may be located at each entrance of a multi-tenant building provided that the directory sign is not legible from a public right-of-way.
(2) Directory signs may not exceed 12 square feet in area nor five feet in height.
(3) Directory sign letters shall not exceed four inches in height.
(E) Incidental signs in commercial districts. Incidental signs shall not be included in the sum of the area of identification signs, provided that they are clearly intended for incidental purposes, as determined by the Zoning Administrator and in compliance with the following:
(1) The sign is not in a location and does not possess design characteristics that constitute or serve the purposes of an identification sign; and
(2) The sign is not larger than necessary to serve the intended incidental purpose and shall not exceed four square feet in size or four feet in height.
(F) Window signs in commercial districts. Window signs shall not exceed ten square feet in size or 20% of the window area. Window signs, excluding incidental signs, shall not be counted towards the total sign allowance set forth in § 151.3010.
(G) Temporary signs in commercial districts.
(1) One temporary sign bearing a non-commercial message or a message relating to the sale, lease, rental or construction of the principal use shall be permitted per lot. Such signs may not exceed 16 square feet in size or five feet in height.
(2) One temporary sign bearing a commercial message per business shall be permitted for a period not to exceed 60 days per calendar year. Such signs shall not exceed 50 square feet in size for a banner or 25 square feet per side for a yard sign.
(3) In addition to the maximum size requirements set forth in this section, permitted temporary signs shall comply with the supplemental temporary sign regulations set forth in § 151.3015.
(H) Sandwich board signs. For the purpose of attracting pedestrian traffic, sandwich board signs shall be permitted in the GB, LB, OMG, and OM Districts to announce special events or daily specials for a business on the premises in compliance with the following:
(1) In the OM District, not more than one sandwich board sign shall be permitted per business. A sandwich board sign may be placed in front of the building and displayed 365 days per year. However, in the OM District, design criteria place the sidewalk within the right-of-way and front the building to the sidewalk leaving no front yard; as a result such signs may be placed on the sidewalk even if it encroaches upon the public right of way, provided an unobstructed walkway with a minimum of five feet is reserved for public passage. Sandwich board signs must be removed from display at the close of each business day, or no later than 10:00 p.m. The sign may contain a message per face, which may be permanently printed on the sign or be a chalk board sign. The sign must be consistent with the material and color requirements of design guidelines for the Heritage Overlay District, as outlined in Chapter 151.14. The signs may not be illuminated.
(2) In the GB, LB, and OMG Districts, sandwich board signs shall meet the requirements for temporary signs.
(3) For all sandwich board signs, the maximum outside dimension of such signs shall not exceed 24 inches in width and 36 inches in height per face, not including 'legs' which can be used to raise the sign off the ground, provided those legs do not exceed six inches in height.
(4) Sandwich board signs shall not be illuminated.
(Ord. 10, 2018, passed 7-11-18; Am. Ord. 2, 2022, passed 4-6-22)