The purpose of this subchapter is to create the legal framework for a comprehensive and balanced system of signs, to promote and facilitate a simple and pleasant communication between people and their environment; protect the public health, safety, and general welfare; minimize hazards to pedestrians and motorists along thoroughfares, intersections: and public rights-of-way; enhance the aesthetic environment of the City of Noblesville’s jurisdictional limits; and avoid visual clutter that may be harmful to property values, business opportunities and community appearance. It is a further goal to protect the residential character of neighborhoods by limiting the intrusion of non-residential signage into residential neighborhoods, and setting out strict standards to allow for limited intrusion of signs where appropriate. It is the intent of this subchapter to authorize the use of identification signs that are:
(A) Compatible with their surroundings;
(B) Appropriate to the activity that displays them;
(C) Expressive of the identity of individual and the community as a whole;
(D) Legible in the circumstances in which they are seen;
(E) Simple and concise;
(F) Cognizant of the need for adequate business identification while promoting an attractive appearance throughout the community through the use of sensible quality control, adequate maintenance and inspection, and by reasonable guidelines formulated to minimize clutter;
(G) Allow residents to conduct activities like garage sales that are considered customary and incidental to normal use of a residential home but temporary and limited in duration and scope of event;
(H) Allow certain signs that are small, safe, unobtrusive, and incidental to the principal use of the respective lots on which they are located, subject to the substantive requirements of this chapter but without a requirement for permits;
(I) Provide for temporary signs in limited circumstances without regard to the communicative content of the sign;
(J) Establish comprehensive sign regulations which effectively balance legitimate business and development needs with a safe and aesthetically attractive environment for residents, workers, and visitors to the city;
(K) Establish a permit system to allow specific types of signs in zoning districts consistent with the uses, intent, and aesthetic characteristics of those districts;
(L) Regulate signage based on property use, location, and activities, in a content neutral manner;
(M) Promote public safety.
(Ord. 62-12-95, passed 1-22-96; Am. Ord. 23-4-07, passed 5-15-07; Am. Ord. 17-5-09, passed 6-9-09; Am. Ord. 32-07-19, passed 7-23-19)