(a) Signs Prohibited. The following types of signs are prohibited in all districts:
(1) Abandoned signs.
(2) Animated signs. No such sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained in the Municipality.
(3) Banners, pennants, festoons, search lights. No such signs or displays except those allowed for a public purpose (See paragraph (d)(7) hereof).
(4) Billboards. No billboards shall be erected, constructed, or maintained in the Municipality.
(5) Changeable copy/bulletin board signs. (See also paragraph (d)(8) hereof).
(6) Mobile or portable signs. No mobile or portable signs shall be displayed in the City, except for signs announcing a real estate “open house” in connection with a sale of a one- or two-family house, real-estate signs, and temporary signs specifically approved by the Zoning Administrator. (See Section 1272.04(d)(4)F.1.)
(7) Pole signs.
(8) Roof signs. No roof signs shall be erected, constructed, or maintained in the Municipality.
(9) Signs imitating or resembling official traffic or government signs or signals. No signs of this description shall be erected, constructed, or maintained in the Municipality. (Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(10) Signs attached to trees, telephone poles, public benches, or streetlights (commonly called “snipe signs”), or signs placed on any public property or public right-of-way by other than Municipal authorities excluding those authorized in Section 1272.03(d)(9)(see also paragraph (d)(7) hereof).
(11) Signs painted on sidewalks, curbs, or streets unless those signs are placed by the City after approval by the Zoning Administrator (see Section 1272.04(b)(2)A.).
(12) Temporary directional signs. No temporary directional signs, other than a government sign approved by Council, shall be permitted.
(14) Vehicle signs. No such signs are permitted. However, signs or lettering on buses, taxis, or other vehicles are permitted if such vehicles are being utilized during the normal course of business.
(b) Permit Required. Unless otherwise provided by this Zoning Code, all signs shall require permits and the payment of fees as described in Section 1272.07. No permit is required for maintenance of a conforming sign or for a change of copy on a changeable copy sign. (A permit is required for structural repair of a nonconforming sign.)
(c) Signs (and Displays) not Requiring Permits.
(1) Garage sale signs not greater than four square feet in area to be placed only on the premises.
(2) Holiday or special event decorations.
(3) Incidental signs.
(4) Integral signs or monuments, provided that such signs do not exceed two square feet in area.
(5) Interior signs which are not part of a window display intended to be visible from the street.
(6) Nameplate signs for detached single-family dwellings, provided that no such sign shall exceed one and one-half square feet in area and that no more than two such signs are displayed per residence. Nameplate signs shall be located attached to a wall or suspended from an appropriate post unless otherwise approved by the Architectural Board of Review.
One nameplate sign is permitted for each residence unit in a multi- family dwelling if attached to a wall, unless otherwise approved by the Architectural Board of Review.
(7) “Open” and “closed” signs not exceeding two square feet in area.
(8) Political signs that meet the requirements defined in paragraph (d)(1) hereof.
(9) Governmental signs or any sign relating to an emergency.
(10) Real estate “for rent” or “for sale” signs that meet the requirements defined in paragraph (d)(2) hereof.
(11) Security signs.
(12) Traffic or other necessary governmental signs, such as directional signs, railroad crossing signs, and danger signs, and such temporary emergency signs as may be approved by Council.
(13) Window signs, temporary. Those temporary window business signs as regulated in Section 1272.04(d)(3)C.2. (Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(Ord. 75-2005. Passed 10-11-05.)
(d) Special Sign Considerations.
(1) Political signs. No person shall display a political sign in any district which is not in accordance with the following regulations:
A. Such signs may be displayed in a window on the premises or in a yard, provided that such yard signs are located a minimum of five feet from any lot line and that the height of such signs does not exceed four feet. Such signs may be displayed only if the owner or legal occupant has given approval.
B. One such sign may be displayed on each property or parcel of record for each political office or position or issue.
C. A sign may not exceed five square feet in area per side.
D. Such signs shall not be illuminated.
E. No such sign shall be displayed on any utility pole, tree lawn, or any public right-of-way.
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
F. Such signs may be put in place no earlier than ten (10) calendar days prior to the date that absentee ballots may be received by the Board of Elections for the election to which such sign pertains, and must be removed from view no later than two (2) days following the election.
(Ord. 57-2015. Passed 11-10-15.)
The Zoning Administrator may remove any such sign posted in a public right of way, tree lawn, or utility pole. He or she may determine the cost of removal and assess such cost to the person, business, organization, or entity who posted the sign(s).
(2) Real estate "For Sale, Lease, or Rent” signs and temporary development signs. Real estate signs and development signs shall be permitted as temporary, nonilluminated signs located on the subject property, provided that such signs are displayed in compliance with the following regulations. Unless otherwise noted, such signs are permitted as ground, wall or window signs. All such signs must be removed within seven days after the sale or rental of the property, or the completion of the development.
A. Real estate "For Sale" or "For Rent" signs.
1. Single-family attached or detached dwellings. One real- estate sign advertising the sale or rental of property shall be permitted for each dwelling or vacant lot, provided that such sign exceeds neither four square feet in area nor four feet in height. For attached single-family dwellings, such sign may be located either in the yard or in a window, but not in both locations.
2. Non-residential uses. One real-estate sign advertising the sale or rental of property shall be permitted for each nonresidential establishment, provided that such sign exceeds neither eight square feet in area nor five feet in height. For establishments which lack direct and exclusive ground floor access, only window signs are permitted unless written permission for some other legal location is granted by both the occupant and the owner of the ground property.
B. Real estate "Sold" signs. If a property has been sold, that fact may be indicated under the following conditions:
1. Such sign may be posted only with the written approval of the owner/seller.
2. The sold sign may be posted for no longer than seven days, except for vacant lots of new developments, in which case the sold sign may be left up until eighty percent of the lots are sold or fifty percent of the lots are occupied, whichever comes first. The specific date that the “sold sign” was posted must be displayed on the "sold" sign in legible characters no less than one-half of an inch high.
3. The area and height of the "sold" indication, in combination with the “for sale” sign, shall not exceed the four square feet and four feet height allowance stated above.
4. If any of the three conditions just cited are violated, the sign may be confiscated and/or the business that place the sign may be cited for violation by the Zoning Administrator.
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
C. Temporary development and construction signs.
1. One- and two-family dwellings.
a. For subdivisions of seven lots or more and for attached single-family developments of seven units or more, one temporary ground sign announcing the development or the availability of properties under construction shall be permitted, provided that the sign does not exceed sixteen square feet in area per side, does not exceed four feet in height above the natural grade and is set back at least five feet from any street right-of-way line. However, such sign may be a maximum of twenty-four square feet in area and a maximum of five feet in height if set back at least fifteen feet from any street right-of-way line.
b. For a smaller project, one temporary ground sign of not greater than six square feet in area per side and not more than four feet in height above the natural grade is permitted.
c. For remodeling projects, additions or other home improvement projects, one temporary ground sign stating the name, address and/or telephone number of the registered contractor and the scope of the project is permitted, provided that the sign does not exceed four square feet in area per side and four feet in height above the natural grade. Such sign shall be permitted only during the period of time that the home improvement project is under construction.
(Ord. 89-99. Passed 12-14-99.)
2. Nonresidential and multi-family uses. One temporary development sign, not to exceed twenty-four square feet in area per side, and a maximum of five feet in height above natural grade, and located not less than twenty feet from any lot line, announcing a proposed building or a building under construction, shall be permitted on the lot to be occupied by the proposed building or building under construction.
3. Removal. Such signs shall be removed within fourteen days of the beginning of the intended use of the project.
4. Permit requirements. Development signs require permits and approval of their design by the Architectural Board of Review issued in the manner described in Section 1272.07 and shall be issued for a period not to exceed one year. Such permits may be renewed by the Zoning Administrator if construction is being diligently pursued and the sign is being well maintained.
(3) Permanent development and building identification signs. The location of such signs shall be approved by the Planning Commission, and their design shall be approved by the Architectural Board of Review by the time of the approval of the final plat or development plan.
A. Development signs, permanent.
1. If the project is for an area that is greater than eight acres, a permanent development sign for the overall project is permitted. If there is more than one major street entrance to the project, a sign is permitted at each entry. The sign must, in all cases, be a ground sign. The sign in a D Dwelling District may not be greater than sixteen square feet in area per side and may not be more than five feet in height.
2. If the project is for an area of less than eight acres but more than three acres, one ground sign not greater than six square feet in area per side and not more than four feet in height is permitted.
3. Such signs may be illuminated, but only externally.
B. Building identification signs, multi-family. In multi-family developments of two or more residential buildings having four or more dwelling units per building, each building shall be permitted one wall, canopy or ground sign displaying the name and address of the building. The ground or wall sign shall not be greater than ten square feet in area. The ground sign shall not be greater than four feet in height above the surrounding natural grade. For canopy signs, see Section 1272.05(b).
(4) Churches, public schools and private schools.
A. One changeable-copy/bulletin-board type sign or announcement sign not exceeding thirty square feet in sign face area and not exceeding five feet in height, shall be permitted on the premises of any church, or public or private school, provided such sign is set back at least ten feet from any side or rear lot line and five feet from any street right-of-way.
B. If a changeable-copy/bulletin-board type of sign is not to be used, then a ground sign with a maximum area of twenty-four square feet and a maximum height of four feet is permitted. The location requirements remain the same.
Such signs may be illuminated internally or externally if they are identification signs only.
C. Two directional signs, if necessary, are permitted.
(5) Greenhouse and nurseries. Greenhouses and nurseries are allowed conditionally in some dwelling (residential) districts because of the historical agricultural character of those specific areas of the City. Greenhouses and nurseries are allowed signs in such residential districts as follows:
A. One ground sign not exceeding thirty square feet in sign face area and not exceeding five feet in height, shall be permitted on the premises, provided such sign is set back at least fifty feet from any side or rear lot line and fifteen feet from any street right-of-way.
1. Recognizing that, although the primary purpose of most of these operations is for wholesale sales, they also sell at retail, they are permitted to have up to one-half of their allowed sign area in changeable letters to announce the availability of seasonal products.
2. Such signs may be illuminated, but only externally, and only with white light.
B. In addition, two directional signs are permitted, if necessary.
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(6) Gasoline service stations. Signs for gasoline service stations shall conform with all regulations of this chapter except for those which directly conflict with the regulations stated below. Service stations are permitted one ground sign (and no pole signs) unless the Planning Commission finds it appropriate to approve more at the time of the site plan review.
A. Ground signs. Such signs may display only sign panels which: (1) display the company name; (2) identify the station ownership or management; and/or (3) advertise the price of fuel in terms of type, grade or form of service. The maximum area per face is forty square feet. The only changeable sign panels shall be those indicating the price of fuel and they shall not exceed twelve inches in height (plus a maximum of an additional six inches to indicate fuel grade). The maximum overall height shall not be greater than seven feet, except that the Architectural Board of Review may require a lower height than that requested if it is decided that a lower sign is more appropriate for the area. If the service station occupies a corner lot, such allowed ground sign may be placed near the corner formed by the intersection of the two right-of-way lines if the total sign is not more than thirty square feet per face and the overall height is no more than five feet. Such a location may be used only upon approval by the Planning Commission after consultation with the Safety Director.
B. Signs at fuel pumps/service islands. Such signs shall be limited to those which display information regarding the type of service provided or other information essential for directing or instructing the motorist who has entered the station area. The number, area and height of such signs shall be as determined by the Architectural Board of Review. (State law requires that the self serve islands be marked with the words “self serve” or “full serve”, as appropriate, in letters four inches high.)
C. Canopies. For canopy structures which shelter service islands, no signs or logos shall be displayed on the canopy fascia area. Furthermore, the canopy fascia area shall not be illuminated and shall be designed in a manner which does not call attention to the canopy structure.
(Ord. 89-99. Passed 12-14-99.)
(7) Temporary signs on public property.
A. Temporary signs, banners, etc. may be suspended over or placed upon public property only by special permit as provided for in this paragraph. No such temporary sign shall be permitted for a period of more than twenty days, unless specifically extended beyond such time period for good cause shown by the issuing authority as provided hereinafter. Further, no ground sign may exceed twenty- four square feet in area and four feet in height. There may be no more than two signs at any given time, unless a special exception for additional signs is approved by the issuing authority provided for hereinafter.
B. The purpose of the temporary signs shall be to announce civic or community affairs of a public or semipublic nature, local to the City of Olmsted Falls, and not for private gain.
C. The special permit for such signs may be issued only by the Mayor or Council.
(8) Changeable copy/bulletin boards. Changeable copy signs are not permitted except:
A. For churches and schools as described in paragraph (d)(4) hereof;
B. For greenhouses and nurseries as described in paragraph (d)(5) hereof; and
C. For indicating the prices of fuel in a service station as described in paragraph (d)(6) hereof. (Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(9) Non-commercial yard and garage sale and “Open House” signs. Non- commercial yard and garage sale and “Open House” signs are permitted in public tree lawns under the following limitations:
A. No sign or message shall exceed four square feet.
B. Each sign must be free standing and ground supported. Signs may not be attached to trees, utility poles, streetlights, public benches, or other existing devices.
C. No sign shall be placed farther than 1500 feet from the subject property.
D. No such signs may be in place between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or when the function advertised is not open.
E. No such sign may be within 500 feet of another advertising the same event.
F. No more than three such signs advertising separate events may be at any one location.
G. No sign shall obstruct traffic, or pedestrian sightlines, public roadways, or sidewalks. Any such signs may be removed, confiscated, or destroyed by city officials, without notice, if deemed to be a hazard, not in compliance with these limitations, or a debasement of the appearance of the neighborhood.
(Ord. 75-2005. Passed 10-11-05.)
(e) Illumination of Signs. If lighting of signs is permitted for a business, such signs shall be illuminated only during the hours of operation of the business.
(1) Animated, blinking, flashing, fluttering or moving signs, or the outline illumination of signs, shall not be permitted in any district. Beacon lights or searchlights are prohibited. Strobe lights or incandescent lamps which expose the face of the bulb, light or lamp to any public street or adjacent property shall not be used on the exterior surface of any sign. Strings of lights are not permitted. Exposed neon tubing is not permitted unless the use is specifically approved by the Architectural Board of Review.
(2) The allowed methods of illumination (where illumination is permitted) are colored lights, illuminated surface colors, internal illumination (a light source concealed or contained within the sign which becomes visible in darkness through a translucent surface) and external indirect illumination (a light source not seen directly). Within residential areas, or within 250 feet thereof, only white illumination shall be permitted.
(3) External illumination, if allowed, shall be shielded from all adjacent residential buildings and streets, shall not be of such brightness as to cause glare hazardous to pedestrians or motorists or cause reasonable objection from adjacent residential districts, and shall be concentrated on the copy area of the sign.
(4) Internal illumination, if allowed, must be of sufficiently low intensity as to not be subject to reasonable objections from neighboring premises or uses. It is mandatory that the lettering or message be in translucent materials and colors with the remainder of the sign opaque. The internal illuminating source (bulbs, tubes, etc.) shall not be visible.
(5) Display signs illuminated by electricity, or equipped in any way with electric devices or appliances, shall conform in wiring and appliances to the provisions of the National Electrical Code, most current edition, and there shall be a lock-type switch.
(6) In addition to meeting the Zoning Code requirements applicable to signs generally, signs located in an Historic Area Conservation District shall be compatible in color, material, placement, and character with the architectural style of properties which reflect the district's history specifically:
A. Illumination. Internally illuminated sign panels shall not be permitted in such a district.
B. Sign types. Although no sign types are specifically prohibited by this chapter, certain sign types may be deemed incompatible in particular instances by the ABR. For example, the ABR might reject a particular proposal for a prefabricated sign panel in favor of a sign lettered directly on a building façade, window or canopy.
(Ord. 77-2008. Passed 1-27-09.)
(f) Indemnification and Insurance. All persons involved in the maintenance, installation, alteration, or relocation of signs near or upon any public right-of-way or property shall agree to hold harmless and indemnify the City, its officers, agents, and employees, against any and all claims of negligence resulting from such work insofar as this Code has not specifically directed the placement of a sign.
All persons involved in the maintenance, installation, alteration, or relocation of signs shall maintain all required insurance and shall file with the State a satisfactory certificate of insurance to indemnify the State, County, or City against any form of liability.
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)