Permits shall be obtained for erection, construction, or modification of any permanent or temporary sign in all zoning districts, as regulated by municipal regulations and this code.
(A) Required.
(1) No person shall erect, place, relocate, expand, modify, maintain, or otherwise alter a sign, or cause a sign to be erected, placed, relocate, expanded, modified, maintained, or otherwise altered unless all provisions of this code have been met. To ensure compliance with these regulations, a sign permit shall be required to be issued unless specifically exempted in the subchapter.
(2) A sign permit is reviewed in the same manner as a zoning certificate.
(3) The repainting, changing of parts and preventative maintenance of signs, and a change in the message on a changeable or electronic copy sign shall not be deemed alterations requiring a sign permit.
(4) Any sign permit for a permanent sign shall expire if the sign for which the permit has been issued, is not fully constructed within 12 months from the date of issuance of the permit but may be renewed before the end of the original 12-month completion period by making an additional payment of one-half of the original fee. Work authorized by a renewed permit must be completed within a three-month period.
(5) Nothing in this section shall exempt a sign from necessity of building permit approval if an electrical or building permit is required by the County Building Code.
(6) All temporary signs may require a permit unless listed as permit exempt sign.
(B) Exemptions. The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements:
(1) For the purpose of safety services locating a property, a sign denoting the number and street address of the premises is permitted provided such sign complies with the requirements of the currently adopted fire code.
(2) Any sign located inside a building that is not visible from outside of the building.
(3) Interior signs within a stadium, open-air theater, parks, arena, or other similar use, which are not visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property and can be viewed only by persons within such stadium, open-air theater, parks, arena, or other similar use.
(4) Flags for federal, state, and local governments, and meet the size requirements.
(5) Any sign located on umbrellas or similarly related private patio furniture or seating provided it is located outside of the right-of-way and complies with any other applicable standards of this code.
(6) Any sign on a truck, bus or other vehicle that is used in the normal course of a business for transportation or vehicle signage required by the state or federal government;
(7) Signs installed or required by the village, Montgomery County, approved transit agency, or any agency of the State of Ohio or federal government;
(8) Any signs located on fuel pumps, or vending machines;
(9) Any warning signs or traffic safety signs required by public utility providers;
(10) Any lighting, signs or related decorations erected on a seasonal basis in observance of religious, national, or state holidays that are not intended to be permanent in nature and which do not contain a commercial message;
(11) Governmental signs for the control of traffic and other purposes, including street signs and warning signs, and signs erected by the village for government purposes;
(12) Commemorative plaques placed by recognized historical agencies;
(13) Temporary signs for sale of real estate and/or construction work;
(14) Holiday, seasonal or school spirit-oriented decorations or signs; and
(15) Private drive signs - One sign per driveway entrance, not to exceed two sq. ft. in area.
(Ord. 2021-02, passed 3-16-21) Penalty, see § 152.999