(a) Code Administrator. This chapter shall be administered and enforced by the City's Zoning Administrator.
(b) Application for Permits. For those signs requiring a permit, the application for a permit shall include the following items:
(1) The name and address of the owner of the sign;
(2) The street address or location of the property on which the sign is to be located, along with the name and address of the property owner;
(3) The type of sign or sign structure as defined in this chapter;
(4) A site plan with measurements showing the proposed location of the sign along with the locations of all existing signs on the same and adjacent premises;
(5) A delineation of appropriate items of information, including, as a minimum the design and layout of the proposed sign, including all dimensions, the colors of the exposed materials and surfaces, the method of illumination, the electrical components of the sign structure, and the construction details as required by the Building and Housing Code;
The Architectural Board of Review, at its discretion, may either add items or waive the submission of items that it deems appropriate.
(c) Permit Fees. All applications for permits filed with the Zoning Administrator shall be accompanied by payment of the initial permit fee for each sign as required by the City Council.
(d) Issuance and Denial; Referral of the Application to the Architectural Board of Review.
(1) The Zoning Administrator, upon receiving the properly completed application for a sign permit, shall examine all elements in the application and the premises upon which it is proposed to erect the sign or other advertising structure. If it appears that the proposed sign is in compliance with this chapter and all other ordinances of the City, the application shall be referred (within five days of his or her receipt of the completed application) to the Secretary of the Architectural Board of Review (or the appropriate designee) to schedule the review of the application by the Board. The approval of the Architectural Board of Review must be obtained before the permit is issued. In all applications, where a matter of interpretation arises, the more specific definition or higher standard shall prevail. If the Architectural Board of Review has not acted upon the sign application within thirty days of the receipt of the application by the Secretary of the Architectural Board of Review (or the appropriate designee), the application may be assumed to have been denied.
(2) When approved by the Board, the application shall be returned to the Zoning Administrator, who shall then issue the permit. If the work authorized by a sign permit has not been completed within six months after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void.
(3) When an application for a permit is denied, either by the Zoning Administrator or the Architectural Board of Review, the Zoning Administrator shall provide a written notice to the applicant along with a brief description of the reasons for the denial, citing Zoning Code sections where appropriate. The Zoning Administrator may suspend or revoke an issued permit for any false statement or misrepresentation of fact in the application.
(e) Permit Conditions; Refunds; Penalties.
(1) If an application for a permit is denied, the permit fee shall be returned to the applicant.
(2) If any sign is installed or placed on any property prior to receipt of a permit, the specified permit fee shall be doubled. However, payment of the doubled fee shall not relieve any person of any other requirements or penalties prescribed in this chapter.
(f) Inspection Upon Completion. Any person installing, structurally altering, or relocating a sign for which a permit has been issued shall notify the Zoning Administrator upon completion of the work. There shall be a final inspection by the Zoning Administrator, including an electrical inspection, if applicable, and an inspection of footings for free-standing signs.
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(g) Procedure Upon Violations. When, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator, a violation of this Zoning Code chapter exists, he or she shall issue a written order to the alleged violator. The order shall specify those sections of this Zoning Code chapter which the individual may be in violation of, and shall state that the individual has five days from the date of the order in which to correct the alleged violation or to appeal to the appropriate board or body.
If, upon inspection, the Zoning Administrator finds that a sign is abandoned or structurally, materially, or electrically defective, or in any way endangers the public, he or she shall issue a written order to the owner of the sign and to the occupant of the premises stating the nature of the violation and requiring them to repair or remove the sign.
Nothing in this Code shall prohibit City personnel from removing signs from the right-of- way that have been erected without City approval and/or in a manner that is potentially hazardous to the public.
In case of an emergency, the Zoning Administrator may cause the immediate removal of a dangerous or defective sign without notice. Signs may be removed in this manner only if they present a hazard to the public safety, as defined in the Building and Housing Code, or in the Traffic Code. (Ord. 75-2005. Passed 10-11-05.)
(h) Removal of Signs; Payment of Costs. The Zoning Administrator may cause the removal of an illegal sign in the case of an emergency, or when a written order for its removal or repair has been disregarded. After removal or demolition of a sign in such cases, a notice shall be mailed to the sign owner stating the nature of the work and the date on which it was performed and demanding payment of the costs of removal as certified by the Zoning Administrator.
(1) If the amount specified in the notice is not paid within forty-five days of the receipt of the notice, a citation to appear in Mayor's Court shall be issued.
(2) The owner of the property upon which the sign is located shall be presumed to be the owner of all signs thereon unless facts to the contrary are brought to the attention of the Zoning Administrator, as in the case of a leased sign.
(3) For purposes of removal, “a sign” shall be understood to include all sign embellishments and structures designed specifically to support the sign.
(Ord. 24-97. Passed 10-14-97.)
(i) Appeals. If an application for a sign permit is denied by the Architectural Board of Review, appeal procedures listed in Section 1444.08 shall apply. If a permit is denied by the Zoning Administrator, an applicant may appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals in accordance with Section 1232.07. (Ord. 77-2008. Passed 1-27-09.)