(A) It shall be the responsibility of the permit holder and of the owner and/or lessee of the property and structure upon which any sign is located to:
(1) Keep the ground around any sign free of weeds and litter;
(2) All signs shall be maintained and kept in a safe condition by the owner. A sign shall be repainted if its paint begins to fade, chip or color;
(3) Immediately repair or remove any sign or sign structure which becomes unsafe, in a state of disrepair, insecure or a menace to the public following written notice of such condition from the city;
(4) All signs shall comply with maintenance sections of the Minnesota State Building Code as may be amended; and
(5) When electrical signs are installed, the installation shall be subject to the State Building Code and/or Electrical Code as may be amended.
(B) No sign or sign structure shall be placed on or protrude over the public right-of-way, except wall (maximum protrusion twelve (12) inches), canopy, awning, and marquee signs. Any sign affixed to the top side of a canopy/awning/marquee shall not exceed twelve (12) inches in height. Canopy/awning/marquee structures and signs shall be set back three (3) feet from the curb line. Exception: schools and churches, upon approval of the Public Works Director and Zoning Administrator, may request that the city install a directional sign on a city right-of-way. Sign to be paid for by the church or school. Limit of two (2) per church or school. No face sign shall be larger than two (2) feet, six (6) inches in any dimension, and shall be no more than six and one-quarter (6.25) square feet in area. The bottom of the sign shall be a minimum of seven (7) feet above grade at the curb line, and shall be located so as not to interfere with public roads and street signs and they shall maintain a safe site distance at street intersections. Signs must be properly maintained and may be removed by the Public Works Director if they are damaged or in violation of any part of this zoning code. The cost of sign replacement shall be paid by the church or school.
(C) All signs located over public right-of-ways or over public or private access routes shall be located a minimum of eight (8) feet over walking surfaces, and seventeen (17) feet, four (4) inches over vehicle-related access routes.
(D) The temporary use of portable signs and similar devices shall require a permit. The permit shall be prominently displayed during the period of validity.
(E) All height restrictions on signs shall include height of sign structure, and shall be measured from nearest finished grade.
(F) The top edge of a wall sign shall not extend above the mean level of the roof, except where there is a mansard roof, in which case the sign shall then not exceed the height of the mansard.
(G) Where a building contains more than one (1) business, the allowable sign area for any single business is its portion of the gross square footage of the building applied as a percentage to the allowable sign area of the entire building.
(H) Signs are allowable as an accessory use in all districts except where prohibited by this subchapter.
(I) Any business closing its doors for business or permanently going out of business must remove signage within ninety (90) days of the closure of the business.
(J) All conforming signs and sign structures not used by a tenant or owner shall be removed by the owner of the premises after six (6) months of non-use.
(K) Signage shall be subject to zoning code § 150.013 (Traffic Visibility).
(L) A sign shall be allowed as a principal use in the B-2 (General Business) District. This provision shall not include temporary signs as defined and regulated herein.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010; Am. Ord. 419, passed 12-17-2013: Am. Ord. 452, passed 10-17-2017) Penalty, see § 150.999