For the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall apply:
ABANDONED SIGN: Any sign and/or its supporting sign structure which remains without a message or whose display surface remains blank for a period of one year or more, or any sign which pertains to a time, event or purpose which no longer applies, shall be deemed to have been abandoned. Signs applicable to a business temporarily suspended because of a change in ownership or management of such business shall not be deemed abandoned unless the property remains vacant for a period of one year or more. Any sign remaining after demolition of a principal structure shall be deemed to be abandoned.
AWNING: A rooflike cover, often of fabric, plastic, metal or glass designed and intended for protection from the weather or as a decorative embellishment, and which projects from a wall or roof of a structure primarily over a window, walk, or door.
AWNING SIGN: A sign displayed on or attached flat against the surface or surfaces of an awning.
BANNER: A flexible material on which copy or graphic may be displayed.
CABINET SIGN: Any wall sign that is not of channel or individually mounted letter construction.
CANOPY: A rooflike cover, often of fabric, plastic, metal, or glass on a support, which provides shelter over a driveway.
CANOPY SIGN: A sign affixed to the visible surface(s) of an attached or freestanding canopy.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN: A sign with the capability of content change by means of manual input.
COMMERCIAL SPEECH: Speech advertising a business, profession, commodity, service or entertainment.
DISPLAY SURFACE: Unless otherwise defined in this chapter, the entire area within a single, continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of the sign face, including any material forming an integral part of the background of the display used to differentiate the sign from the background structure. It does not include any structural elements, such as the base, framing, or decorative roofing, provided there is no advertising copy on such features. For signs consisting of individual letters, figures, or symbols, the sign area shall be that area enclosed with the smallest rectangle needed to completely encompass all letters, figures or symbols. Only one side of a double face or V-type sign structure shall be used in computing total surface area, provided the maximum angle between faces of double faced or V-type signs is forty five degrees (45°).
DYNAMIC DISPLAY SIGN: Any characteristics of a sign that appear to have movement or that appear to change, caused by any method other than physically removing and replacing the sign or its components, whether the apparent movement or change is in the display, the sign structure, or any other component of the sign. This includes a display that incorporates a technology or method allowing the sign face to change the image without having to physically or mechanically replace the sign face or its components. This also includes any rotating, revolving, moving, flashing, blinking, or animated display and any display that incorporates rotating panels, LED lights manipulated through digital input, "digital ink" or any other method or technology that allows the sign face to present a series of images or displays. This definition does not include signs that change less frequently than once per hour.
FRAME: A complete, static display screen on a dynamic display sign.
FREESTANDING SIGN: A sign principally supported by a structure affixed to the ground, and not supported by a building, including signs supported by a solid base (monument sign), one or more columns, poles, or braces placed in or upon the ground.
ILLUMINATED SIGN: A sign characterized by the use of artificial light, either projecting through its surface(s), internally illuminated, reflecting off its surface(s), or externally illuminated.
MANSARD ROOF: A type of roof that has two (2) slopes on each of the four (4) sides of a building.
MARQUEE SIGN: See definition of canopy sign.
MONUMENT SIGN: A sign placed on a solid base where the entire bottom of the sign is affixed to the ground and extends a minimum of one foot (1') above the ground.
MULTIPLE-TENANT SIGN: A freestanding sign identifying a multiple occupancy development.
MULTIPLE-TENANT SITE: Any property or business site that contains more than one business.
NEW DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT SIGN: A temporary sign that identifies the name and/or design of a new development, subdivision, business or professional firm involved with the financing or construction of a project and may or may not display contact information.
NONCOMMERCIAL SPEECH: Dissemination of messages not classified as commercial speech which include, but are not limited to, messages concerning political, religious, social, ideological, opinion, public service and informational topics.
NONCONFORMING SIGN: Any sign which exists prior to the adoption of this section and does not conform to the requirements herein.
OFF PREMISES SIGN: Any sign that presents a message or displays products that are unrelated to the site upon which the sign is located.
ON PREMISES SIGN: A sign erected, maintained, or used in the outdoor environment for the purpose of displaying messages relating to the use of the property, the products sold on the property, or the sale or lease of the property on which it is displayed, including a shared sign for properties within a development that is located on any lot within the development. This does not exclude noncommercial messages.
PARAPET (WALL): That portion of building wall that rises above the roof level.
PORTABLE SIGN: Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or to a building or building surface. Portable signs shall include, but are not limited to: signs constructed so as to be movable, either by skids, wheels, truck, or other conveyance; any sign which does not have a permanent foundation or is otherwise permanently fastened to the ground or building; signs on vehicles and equipment with or without sound equipment, and cloth signs or banners. For a sign transported on a trailer, the removal of the wheels or undercarriage does not place the sign in another category, nor does the anchoring of the sign by means of concrete blocks, sandbags, or other types of temporary anchors.
PROJECTING SIGN: A sign other than a wall sign that is attached to or projects more than twelve inches (12") from a building face or wall or from a structure whose primary purpose is other than the support of a sign.
PUBLIC SIGN: A sign erected by or on behalf of a governmental body to post a legal notice, identify public property, convey public information, and direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
ROOF: The exterior surface and its supporting structure on the top of a building or structure, the structural makeup of which conforms to the roof structures, roof construction and roof covering sections of the Uniform Building Code.
ROOF SIGN: A sign mounted on, and supported by, the main roof portion of a building, or above the uppermost edge of a parapet wall of a building and which is wholly or partially supported by such a building. Signs attached to the lower slope of a roof or attached to a parapet wall above a flat roof are considered wall signs. Signs on mansard or canopy roofs are considered wall signs.
SIGN: Any words, lettering, figures, numerals, emblems, devices, structures, designs, trade names, or trademarks which are used to designate an individual, a firm, an association, a corporation, a profession, a business, a commodity or product, or an announcement, message or visual communication that is legible to a person of ordinary eyesight (with vision adequate to pass a State driver's license exam) standing at ground level at a location on the public right-of-way or on other private property. This definition includes the structure or the face on which a sign message is displayed.
SIGN HEIGHT: Height measurements are taken from the average finish grade below the sign to the highest point.
SUSPENDED SIGN: A sign that is attached to the underside of a horizontal plane or arm that supports it.
TEMPORARY SIGN: A sign intended for a temporary use or which is not permanently mounted and is intended for a designated period of time. Unless otherwise defined as a "portable sign", any sign, banner, pendant, valance, or advertising display constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, wallboard or other light materials, and any wood or metal sign which does not have a permanent foundation and is not otherwise permanently fastened to the ground, and which is erected or displayed for a limited period of time shall be considered a temporary sign.
WALL SIGN: Any sign, other than a projecting sign, that is attached to or painted on any wall of a building and projects from the plane of the wall twelve inches (12") or less. This definition shall not include freestanding walls.
WINDOW SIGN: A sign affixed to the surface of a window with its message intended to be visible to and readable from the public right-of-way or other private property. (Ord. 2007-25, 10-1-2007; amd. Ord. 2017-16, 11-27-2017)