(A) Permit required. A sign permit is required prior to the display and erection of any sign and sign structure except as provided in § 157.303.
(B) Application for permit.
(1) An application for a sign permit shall be filed with the town on forms furnished by the town. The applicant shall provide sufficient information to determine if the proposed sign is permitted under this chapter and other applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. An application for a temporary sign shall state the dates intended for the erection and removal of the sign.
(2) The Town Zoning Administrator or designee shall promptly process the sign permit application and approve the application, deny the application, or notify the applicant of deficiencies in the application within 30 business days after receipt. Any application that complies with all provisions of this chapter, the Building Code, and other applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances shall be approved.
(3) If the application is denied, the town shall provide a list of the reasons for the denial in writing. An application shall be denied for noncompliance with the terms of this chapter, the Building Code, or other applicable law, regulation, or ordinance.
(C) Nonrefundable fee. A nonrefundable fee as set forth in the uncodified fee schedule adopted by the Town Council shall accompany all sign permit applications.
(D) Permit void after one year. If a sign is not installed within one year following the issuance of a sign permit (or within 20 days in the case of a temporary sign permit), the permit shall be void. The permit for a temporary sign shall state its duration, not to exceed 20 days unless another time is provided in this chapter. The town may revoke a sign permit under any of the following circumstances:
(1) The town determines that information in the application was materially false or misleading;
(2) The sign as installed does not conform to the sign permit application; or
(3) The sign violates this chapter, the Building Code, or other applicable law, regulation, or ordinance.
(E) Signs in Old and Historic Occoquan Overlay District. All signs in the Old and Historic Occoquan Overlay District (HOD) require compliance with Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines except when a sign permit is not required as provided in § 157.303.
(F) Comprehensive sign plans approval by Town Council. The Town Council shall approve comprehensive sign plans in the B-1 District. The comprehensive sign plan shall establish the time, manner, and placement of signs, frequency of message changes, the materials, the hours of lighting, the height of signs, the total number of square feet of sign surface, and the number of signs to be placed on a site. Height of signs shall not be modified above the height permitted in this chapter.
(G) Basis of permitting and enforcement. All signage regulations contained in this chapter shall be applied on the following basis for each use, unless otherwise specified within this chapter:
(1) For non-residential use properties, each business per parcel will be considered individually as the basis of each use, including when calculating the maximum number of signage;
(2) For residential use properties, each tenant or homeowner per parcel will be considered individually as the basis of each use, including when calculating the maximum number of signage.
(1) Any sign structures with a height greater than 15 feet; and/or
(2) Any sign structure whose component parts individually have a width greater than five inches.
(1998 Code, § 66-362) (Ord. passed 9-5-2017; Ord. 2020-06, passed 11-4-2020; Ord. O-2023-12, passed 6-6-2023) Penalty, see § 10.99