As used in this chapter:
(a) “Advertising” means any writing, printing, painting, display, emblem, drawing, sign, or other device designed, used or intended for advertising, whether placed on the ground, rocks, tree, tree stump, or other natural structures or on a roofboard, frame, support, fence, or other man made structure, and any such advertising is a structure within the meaning of the word “structure” as used in this chapter.
(b) “Advertising Sign” means a sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered.
(c) “Animated Sign” means a sign an portion of which is made to or equipped to move.
(d) “Awning/Canopy Sign” means any sign which is affixed to or made part of a canopy or awning.
(e) “Banner Sign” means any sign having the characters, letters, illustrations or ornamentation’s applied to cloth, paper or fabric. This shall include balloons or any animated or fluttering devices designed to attract attention but shall not include national, state, municipal or church flags.
(f) “Barber Pole” means a logo, moving or stationary which is mounted at a barbershop location and which is normally and customarily used for identifying the location of a barbershop. Such logo may or may not identify the shop owner.
(g) “Billboards” means a type of advertising sign, which is either erected on the ground or attached to or supported by a building or structure, which sign’s graphic information is not directly related to the principal use of the land on which the sign is located.
(h) “Business Sign” means a sign which directs attention to the business or profession conducted on the premises.
(i) “Church or Institutional Sign” means any sign erected by or on behalf of, a political subdivision of this state or a not-for-profit organization having a charitable, civic, cultural, educational or similar community purpose.
(j) “Construction Sign” means a temporary, non-illuminated sign identifying the owner, contractor, subcontractor, material supplier, or architect, engineer and/or financial institution affiliated with the project or participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located and where contiguous construction activities is in progress.
(k) “Erect” or “Erected” when used in connection with signs shall mean to build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend or affix and shall also include the painting of wall signs.
(l) “Exempt Sign” means a sign exempted from normal permit or fee requirements in accordance with Section 1177.06
of the Codified Ordinances.
(m) “Flag” means a piece of cloth used as the national, state, municipal, school or church symbol properly displayed in accordance with published federal, state, municipal, school or church adopted guidelines and displayed on a designated pole or located in a proper holder or in other ways approved by appropriate national, state, municipal, school or church agency.
(n) “Freestanding Sign” means a sign which is supported by one or more columns, uprights or braces in or upon the ground. Also see “Ground Signs”.
(o) “Garage Sale Sign” means a temporary sign for the purpose of advertising a garage sale event.
(p) “Ground Sign” means a sign supported by a pole, uprights, or braces on the ground. Also see “Freestanding Signs”.
(q) “Hanging Sign” means a sign that is attached to a horizontal surface or structure.
(r) “Home Occupation Sign” means an advertising sign that advertises a customary home occupation carried on in the residence of the occupant.
(s) “Multiple Housing Project” means a housing or condominium development.
(t) “Mobile Signs” means a sign that may be hauled or towed from one location to another, are self-supporting and, when placed, are not permanently attached to the ground or building.
(u) “On-Premises Sign” means a sign or sign devise, indicating the business transaction, services rendered, goods sold or produced on the premises on which the sign is located, including name of the business, name of the person, firm or corporation occupying the premises.
(v) “Owner” means the person owning the fee-simple title to the property upon which a sign is located for which a permit is required.
(w) “Permanent Sign” means any sign not defined as a “Temporary Sign”.
(x) “Political Sign” means a temporary sign erected by a political candidate, group, or agent thereof for political purposes.
(y) “Portable Sign” means all moveable or portable advertising or business sign mounted upon trailers or other structures or devices designed to be transported with only incidental parking and assembling for reuse.
(z) “Projecting Sign” means a sign which is affixed at a right angle to any vertical building wall or structure and extends beyond the building wall, structure, or building line.
(aa) “Real Estate Sign” means any sign erected by an owner or his agent, advertising the property upon which the sign is located as for rent or sale. Such signs shall not include rooming house signs.
(bb) “Roof” Sign or “Roof Top Sign” means a sign that is mounted on the roof of a building or which is wholly dependent upon a building roof for support or any sign erected upon, against or directly above a roof or on top of or above the parapet of a building.
(cc) “Shopping Center Sign” means any sign for a multi-use building with two or more businesses used for the display or sale of goods or services. .
(dd) “Sign” shall mean and include any display, billboard, ground sign, wall sign, roof sign, illuminated sign, projecting sign, temporary sign, marquee, awning and street clock and shall include any announcement, declaration, demonstration, display, illustration or insignia used to advertise or promote the interests of any person when the same is placed out-of-doors in view of the general public of designed to be viewed from the public rights-of-way and/or the areas visible to the public.
(ee) “Sign Area” or “Area” when used in connection with the size of a sign means the square foot area enclosed by the perimeter of the sign. The perimeter of the sign shall include all the background material, panel, trim, and color that differentiates the sign from the building, structure, or object on which the sign is attached. The area around and enclosing the perimeter of each sign shall be summed and totaled to determine the total sign area. If the sign is composed of individual letters or symbols using the wall as the background with no added decoration, the sign area shall be calculated by taking the sum of the areas of the smallest contiguous rectangles containing a letter, symbol, or continuous line or lines of advertising matter. Sign area shall be that part of a sign within the perimeter of the sign face, not including the structure and frame.
(ff) “Sign Face” means the part of the sign that is or can be used for advertising purposes.
(gg) “Sidewalk or Sandwich Sign” means a movable sign not secured or attached to the ground.
(hh) “Special Event Sign” means a temporary sign which carries a message regarding a special event or function which is of general interest to the community.
(ii) “Temporary Sign” means any sign, Advertising Banner Sign, pennant, valance, or advertising display constructed of wood, metal cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, wallboard, or other light material, with or without frames, where either by reason of construction or purpose the sign is intended to be displayed for a short period of time only, usually not to exceed a period of thirty (30) days or as otherwise defined in a specific ordinance.
(jj) “Variance” means exceptions to or variations from the strict application of the requirements of this Chapter granted in accordance with Chapter 1115
. No variance from the requirements of this chapter shall be granted to give an applicant advantages over other applicants able to meet existing regulations.
(kk) “Window Sign” means any sign which is painted on, applied to, attached to, hanging in, or projected upon or within the exterior or interior of a building glass area, including doors. For clarification purposes, Window Signs include but are not limited to any identification, message, symbol, insignia, visual representation, logotype or any other form of communication.
(Ord. 2000-04. Passed 10-9-00.)