The following are the types of permanent signs allowed in the City of North Olmsted and the applicable regulations for each type of sign.
A. Building Signs. Building signs shall not be permitted in One or Two Family Residence Districts or Residential Cluster Districts, except as accessory to an approved conditional use. In all other districts, building signs are permitted on principal structures in accordance with the following:
1. The building sign area allowed in this section shall include the total amount of all wall, canopy and projecting signs on each façade wall. Standards for each individual building sign type are established in this section.
2. Building signs shall not extend above the top of the roofline of the building to which it is attached. For canopy signs, the signs may be attached above the canopy, which is attached permanently to the building, provided that the sign does not extend above the top of the roofline of the building.
3. Building signs may not be attached to mechanical equipment or roof screening.
4. Building signs shall not include electronic message centers.
5. Building Sign Allowance
(a) There is no maximum number of permitted building signs.
(b) Maximum permitted building sign area shall be based on the primary façade width of the principal building.
(c) If the Planning Director determines that a secondary façade exists, up to 40 percent of the sign area as calculated in Table 1163.12-1 based upon the secondary façade width shall be permitted in addition to that allowed by Table 1163.12-1.
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6. Wall Sign Standards. Any wall sign shall comply with the following standards:
(a) Wall signs shall be mounted on or flush with a wall and shall not project more than 24 inches from the wall or face of the building to which it is attached.
(b) A wall sign may be mounted on the façade wall or mounted on a raceway or wireway.
(c) A wall sign shall not be painted directly on a building.
(d) No wall sign shall extend any closer than 12 inches to either the top or side edges of the surface or wall to which it is attached. No wall sign shall cover or obscure any wall opening.
(e) No wall sign shall be nearer than two feet to any other sign, nor nearer than five feet to any other building or structure.
(f) No wall sign shall extend above the parapet of the main building to which it is attached, nor beyond the vertical limits of such building.
(g) The wall sign allowance may be used for signs attached to roofed structures over fueling stations.
7. Canopy Sign Standards. Any canopy sign shall comply with the following standards:
(a) Signage shall not cover more than 15 square feet of any individual awning, canopy or marquee.
(b) Signage may be mounted above any canopy that extends over a customer entrance provided that the maximum sign height over the canopy shall be 18 inches as measured from the top of the canopy to the top of the sign.
(c) Only the area of the sign may be illuminated internally on a canopy. The remainder of any canopy shall not be illuminated or may only be illuminated by an external source such as gooseneck lighting.
8. Projecting Sign Standards. Any projecting sign shall comply with the following standards:
(a) Only one projecting sign shall be permitted for each building unit.
(b) The maximum sign area for a projecting sign shall be six square feet.
(c) Decorative supporting structures for projecting signs are encouraged and shall not count toward the maximum square footage of signs allowed, however, in no case shall the supporting structure exceed six square feet.
(d) Projecting signs must be suspended from brackets approved by the Building Commissioner and contain no exposed guy wires or turnbuckles unless determined to be a decorative supporting structure, as permitted in C above.
(e) A projecting sign shall be perpendicular to the wall of the building to which it is attached and shall not extend more than four feet from the façade wall to which it is attached. Such a sign shall maintain a minimum six-inch clearance from the façade of any building.
(f) Projecting signs shall not be internally illuminated.
(g) Projecting signs shall not encroach into any right-of-way.
B. Window Signs. No sign permit shall be required provided that any window sign complies with the following standards:
1. Window signs shall not occupy more than 33 percent of the window area. The sign area is based on the total window area, regardless of the presence of an awning. Window areas separated by piers, architectural elements or similar features that are not glass or window framing or support shall be considered separate and distinct window areas. See Figure H.
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Figure H: The window area is illustrated within the dashed line areas for the two storefronts above. The dashed lines indicate two distinct window areas due to seperation by an architectural feature not related to the windows.
2. Window signs may be temporarily or permanently attached to the window surface.
3. Window signs are not permitted in any window of a space used for residential uses or purposes unless allowed as a temporary sign in accordance with Section 1163.13.
C. Ground Signs
1. Ground signs shall not be permitted in One or Two Family Residence Districts, except as accessory to an approved conditional use. In all other districts, one ground sign shall be permitted per lot with the exception for lots having either a total area in excess of 10 acres or a total street frontage in excess of 600 feet, in which case two ground signs are permitted provided each sign complies with the standards of this section and the signs are separated by a minimum of 200 feet.
2. The maximum sign area of an individual ground sign shall be 65 square feet if the sign does not exceed a height of eight feet or a maximum sign area of 50 square feet if the sign does not exceed a height of 12 feet. In no case shall a ground sign exceed 12 feet in height.
3. Ground signs shall be set back a minimum of five feet from every right-of-way line, a minimum of 20 feet from any side or rear lot line and a minimum of 75 feet from any property line abutting a One or Two Family Residence District.
4. Exposed sign foundations shall be constructed with a finished material such as brick, stone or wood.
5. Permitted ground signs shall be located in a landscaped area equal to or larger than the total sign area of the applicable sign. Such landscaped area may be an area that fulfills any landscaping requirements of this code. The landscaped area shall include all points where sign structural supports attach to the ground.
7. Ground signs may contain changeable copy. A ground sign may contain up to 75 percent of manual changeable copy in sign area or up to 50 percent of an electronic message center in sign area subject to the provisions of this chapter.
8. Electronic Message Centers
(a) Only one ground sign on each lot may have an electronic message center, except that electronic message centers shall be prohibited on lots within any locally-designated historic district.
(b) No additional changeable copy sign area shall be permitted on a ground sign if there is an electronic message center.
(c) Any message change shall be a static, instant message change.
(d) Messages can only change once four (4) times every 24 hours.
(e) Only Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology or similar quality signs shall be permitted for electronic message centers.
(f) The electronic message center shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
(g) The sign shall consist of one color of light lettering, symbols or logos on a black or similarly dark colored background that does not produce glare.
D. Drive-Through Facility Signs
1. Drive-through facility signs shall only be permitted in Business Districts.
2. In no case shall a single drive-through facility sign exceed 32 square feet in sign area. The total aggregate sign area of all signs associated with a drive-through facility shall not exceed 72 square feet.
3. No drive-through facility sign under this section shall exceed six feet in height measured from the grade of the adjacent driving surface to the top of the sign.
4. Such signs shall be oriented so as to only be visible to occupants of vehicles in the stacking lanes of the drive-through facility.
5. Drive-through facility signs may be pole signs provided the poles are no taller than 18 inches as measured from the grade to the bottom of the sign structure.
6. Drive-through facility signs may be internally or externally illuminated. Up to 100 percent of each sign may be an electronic message center if they comply with the following standards:
(a) Any message change shall be a static, instant message change.
(b) Only Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology or similar quality signs shall be permitted for electronic message centers.
(c) The electronic message center shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
(d) The electronic message center shall be turned off during the hours when the related business is closed.
7. Drive-through facility signs attached to a wall of building shall be calculated as part of the building signage allowance in Section A.
E. Driveway Signs
1. Driveway signs shall not be permitted in One or Two Family Residence Districts or Residential Cluster Districts, except as accessory to an approved conditional use. In all other districts, driveway signs shall be permitted provided each sign complies with the standards of this section.
2. Driveway signs shall only be permitted at driveway entrances to a public street where there is limited access ingress or egress (e.g., enter-only or exit-only driveways) or where the driveway provides access to a drive-through facility.
3. Only one driveway sign is permitted per individual driveway.
4. Driveway signs shall be set back at least five feet from all lot lines but in no case shall the sign be set back more than 10 feet from the edge of the driveway.
5. Each driveway sign shall not exceed four square feet in area and 30 inches in height.
6. Driveway signs may be pole signs provided the poles are no taller than 18 inches as measured from the grade to the bottom of the sign structure.
7. Driveway signs may be internally or externally illuminated.
(Ord. 2020-79. Passed 11-17-20.)