For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ABANDONED SIGN. A sign that becomes vacant, unoccupied or unused; or a sign promoting a business or activity no longer in operation or incorrectly or inaccurately conveying a message, or a sign promoting an obsolete message or sign copy, for a period in excess of one month.
ANIMATED SIGN. A sign that has any moving or rotating part; or uses movement or change of lighting to depict action or create a special effect or scene, but is not a dynamic display sign. Refer also to ELECTRONIC SCROLLING MESSAGE OR MARQUEE SIGNS.
AREA IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A free- standing sign which identifies the name of a community, neighborhood, a residential subdivision, a multi-family residential complex consisting of three or more structures, a planned unit development or any combination of the above located on contiguous properties.
AWNING SIGN. A sign displayed on or attached flat against the surface or surfaces of an awning attached to or extending from a building.
BANNER. Any sign of lightweight, flexible material affixed to a building, poles, vehicle or other supporting structures upon which a message, slogan, design or logo is displayed. National, state or municipal flags shall not be considered a BANNER.
BEACON. Any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere or directed at one or more points not on the same lot as the light source; also, any light with one or more beams that rotate or move. Otherwise known as SEARCHLIGHTS. For the purposes of this section, BEACONS or SEARCHLIGHTS shall be considered temporary signs.
BENCH SIGNS. A sign which is affixed to a bench or shelter at a bus stop.
BILLBOARD. A large, outdoor advertising structure typically mounted on one or more poles, located off the site or premises where the advertised product is sold, available or offered.
BUSINESS SIGN. A sign that states the proper name of the business, organization or institution located on the premises on which the sign is located.
CANOPY SIGN. A sign affixed to the visible surface of an attached or free-standing canopy structure, often backlit to provide internal illumination. For the purposes of sign area computation, CANOPY SIGNS shall be treated as a wall sign.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN. A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged electronically or manually without altering the face or the surface of the sign, but is not a dynamic display. A sign on which the message changes more than eight times a day shall be considered an animated sign for the purposes of this section. The portion of a sign on which the only copy that changes is an indication of the time and temperature shall be considered a public informational sign. PORTABLE OR NON-PERMANENT CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS shall, for the purposes of this chapter, be considered temporary signs.
COMMERCIAL SIGN. A sign advertising a business, profession, commodity, service or entertainment.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN. A sign placed at a construction site identifying the project and/or names of the architect, engineers, developers, contractors or other individuals or firms associated with the project.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A sign for the purpose of making specific commercial, industrial or public and semi-public locations known and to assist in finding these locations on the property where the sign is located. Such signs may be located within street rights-of-way subject to approval of the city and appropriate governmental agency.
DYNAMIC DISPLAY. 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 itself, 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. Such technologies or methods may include, but are not limited to, cathode-ray tube (CRT), light-emitting diode (LED) displays, plasma displays, liquid-crystal displays (LCD) or other technologies used in commercially available televisions or in computer or video monitors. This also includes any rotating, revolving, moving, flashing, blinking or animated display or structural element 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. Signs with this technology that a government or public agency installs for directing or regulating pedestrian or motor vehicle movement are exempt from this definition.
FLAG OR PENNANT STRINGERS. A series of flags, pennants or streamers connected by a string or a rope. The STRINGERS shall be considered temporary signs for the purpose of this chapter.
FLASHING SIGN. A sign or portion thereof whose illumination is characterized by a repetitive cycle in which the period of illumination is either the same as or less than the period of non-illumination. For the purposes of this chapter, FLASHING will not be defined as occurring if the cyclical period between on-off phases of illumination exceeds four seconds.
FREE-STANDING SIGN. A sign principally supported by a structure affixed to the ground, and not supported by a building, including signs supported by one or more columns, poles or braces placed in or upon the ground. Also referred to as a GROUND SIGN.
GOVERNMENT OR REGULATORY SIGN. A sign which is erected by a governmental unit for identification, traffic control or other regulatory purposes. The signs are often located within street rights-of-way.
GRAND OPENING. The commencement of operation of a new business. For purposes of this chapter, the city considers a GRAND OPENING to occur if there is a business name change or if there is a change in the type of business or activity.
GRAPHIC SIGN. A sculpture attached to or sign painted directly on a wall that is primarily symbolic or representational in nature and not alpha or numeric in content or copy.
GROUND SIGN. A sign principally supported by a structure affixed to the ground, and not supported by a building, including signs supported by one or more columns, poles or braces placed in or upon the ground. Also referred to as a FREE-STANDING SIGN.
HOME OCCUPATION SIGN. A sign erected upon a residential property to advertise a home based business or occupation taking place at that location.
IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign, the primary function of which is to identify a residential, commercial, industrial or public or semi-public use located upon the premises where such sign is located or to which such sign is affixed. Signs identifying commercial uses may call attention to the product, service or activity that is sold or offered upon the premises. Signs identifying industrial uses may call attention to the product, goods or material which is produced, processed, assembled or stored upon the premises.
ILLEGAL SIGN. A sign erected without a permit or in violation of this chapter. The signs shall be subject to removal upon written notice by the city.
ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign that has characters, letters, figures, designs or outlines that an artificial light source illuminates.
INCIDENTAL SIGN. A sign, generally informational, that has a purpose secondary to the uses on the property on which it is located. Such signs might include, but are not limited to, “no parking”, “entrance”, “exit”, “ATM” or “payphone”. No sign with a message legible off the premises shall be considered INCIDENTAL.
INFLATABLE SIGN. A portable device inflated with air or helium used to draw attention to an activity or business upon which the device is attached. The object may or may not display advertising copy. For the purposes of this chapter, INFLATABLE DEVICES shall be considered a temporary sign.
MONUMENT SIGN. A free-standing sign attached to the ground by means of a free-standing support structure, solid from grade to the top of the sign structure, typically encased or supported by masonry materials.
NON-COMMERCIAL SIGN. A sign disseminating messages not classified as commercial that include, but are not limited to, messages about political, religious, social, ideological, public service and information topics.
NUISANCE SIGN. A sign in a state of disrepair, deterioration or damage whereupon one-fourth or more of the sign surface is no longer clearly legible or recognizable at a distance of 40 feet. Also, any sign in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be considered a nuisance sign, except for legal non-conforming signs.
ON-PREMISES SIGN. A sign related to the property or activity and use occurring on the property on which the sign is located. ON-PREMISES SIGNS include multi-tenant identification signs that may advertise tenants on a different property; provided, the tenants are in the same PUD and the properties share parking and access.
POLE SIGN. A free-standing sign supported by or erected upon one or more narrow columns, shafts or poles. Also referred to as a PYLON SIGN.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs on wheels, signs converted to “A” or “T” frames, menu and sandwich boards, inflatable devises, advertising umbrellas and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless the vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business.
PROJECTING SIGN. A sign other than a wall sign which is perpendicular to and projects more than 18 inches from a building face or wall or from a structure whose primary purpose is other than the support of the sign.
PUBLIC SIGN. A traffic control sign in state statutes; any identification sign installed in a public park by a public agency or authority; and any other identification, regulatory or warning sign approved by the city for installation on public land.
PYLON SIGN. A free-standing sign supported by or erected upon one or more narrow columns, shafts or poles. Also referred to as a POLE SIGN.
REAL ESTATE SIGN. A sign advertising the sale, lease or rental of the property or premises upon which the sign is located.
REFACING. The process of replacing the sign copy, message, logo or graphic on a sign without altering or moving the structure to which the sign face is attached.
ROOF SIGN. A sign erected, constructed, mounted or attached wholly or in part upon any roof or over the highest roofline of a building.
ROTATING SIGN. A sign or a portion of a sign where the sign or the sign structure moves in a rotating, oscillating or similar manner other than changing signs.
SECURITY SIGN. A small, incidental sign identifying the presence of a security system.
SIGHT TRIANGLE. A triangle formed at a property corner abutting two street rights-of-way where two triangle legs are 30 feet long with the third leg traversing the property to connect the other two legs. (Refer to the graphic in § 161.037 of this chapter.)
SIGN. Any written message, pictorial presentation, number, illustration, decoration, banner or other device that is used to announce, direct attention to, identify or advertise a product, service or activity or otherwise make anything known. For purpose of maintenance or removal, the term SIGN also shall include frames and support structures.
SIGN AREA. The area of a sign within the marginal lines of the surface, which bears the announcement, name, advertisement or other message or, in the case of letters, figures or symbols attached directly to any part of a building, the area which is included in the smallest rectangle which can be made to circumscribe all letters, figures or symbols displayed thereon.
SIGN COPY. The letters, numbers, figures, symbols, logos and graphical elements comprising the content or message of the sign.
SIGN HEIGHT. The distance measured perpendicular from the highest point of the sign structure to the average elevation of the ground or grade adjacent to the base of the sign.
STATUE. A three-dimensional representation, usually of a person, animal, or mythical being, that is produced by sculpturing, modeling, or casting.
TEMPORARY SIGN. Any sign displaying a message erected or maintained for a limited period of time and not of a permanent nature and that is not permanently affixed to the land or to a structure. The signs shall include banners, inflatable signs or devices, sandwich boards, portable changeable copy signs or any other device intended to attract attention.
TRANSIT ENCLOSURE SIGN. Commercial advertising located within a transit enclosure or shelter. The signage shall not include route schedules, service announcements or other similar notices.
WALL SIGN. A sign attached to or erected against the exterior wall of a building or structure with the exposed face of the sign in a plane approximately parallel to the face of the wall, not to project more than 12 inches from the surface to which it is attached.
WINDOW SIGN. A sign affixed to the interior or exterior of a window or inside the building within three feet of the window with its message intended to be visible to and readable by the public from the outside of the building.
(Prior Code, § 1008.02) (Ord. 679, passed 05-29-2001; Ord. 769, passed 05-08-2006; Ord. 801, passed 01-07-2008; Ord. 816, passed 01-22-2009; Ord. 999, passed 7-10-2023)