(a) Methods That Control the Computations of Sign Area and Height.
(1) Area computation for individual signs. The area of the face of a sign shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle, or combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits of the sign, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the back drop or structure against which it is placed. Any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall when clearly incidental to the display shall not be computed as part of the total sign face.
(2) Area computation of multi-faced signs. The sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from one point. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any one point at the same time, and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than forty two inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one face.
(3) Area computation by spherical signs. The sphere shall be bisected by an imaginary plane through the center of the sphere and the surface area of the half-sphere shall be counted as the sign face.
(4) Computation of height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at average grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign.
(b) Methods That Control the Number and Location of Signs.
(1) The City has determined that the use of land is a significant factor in determining the size, number, and location of signs.
(2) Signs placed in residential areas are of particular consideration to the purposes of this Chapter in promoting the public health, safety, and welfare through establishing standards for signs. The following characteristics of residential areas, including, but not limited to, homes with parking on streets, numerous access points onto streets via driveways, school crossings and bus stops, children playing in yards and at local parks, increased pedestrian traffic, limited sidewalks, and other community activities highlight the importance of standards about the type, design, size, location, illumination, enforcement, and maintenance of signs to:
A. Reduce the hazards to motorists and pedestrians from the distraction and obstruction that may be caused by unsafe signs, or an excessive proliferation of signs; and,
B. Enhance and protect the quality of all land uses, property values, and aesthetics of the community.
(3) Considerations pertaining to the safety of motorists and pedestrians traveling in commercial and industrial areas, such as ensuring readability of signs, permit more variation in the type, design, size, location, and illumination of signs.
(c) The Following Signs Are Permissible Without a Permit and Under the Following Criteria for All Zoning Districts.
NOTE: Signs (1) to (6) require a minimum set back of 10 feet from the right of way. (Ord. 08-18. Passed 5-15-08.)
(1) Garage Sale | One sign per lot Maximum area/side: 6 sq. ft. Two additional signs may be placed within the City to direct customers and must be located at least fifteen feet (15') from the edge of the road, twenty feet (20') from the edge of the roads in an intersection |
(2) Residential Real Estate (for sale or lease) | Two signs per lot On premises Maximum area/side: 8 sq. ft. |
(3) Commercial Real Estate (for sale/lease) | One sign per lot 4 ft. by 8 ft. for commercial buildings over 5000 sq. ft./land parcels greater than 5 acres 3 ft. by 4 ft. for commercial buildings under 5000 sq. ft./land parcels between 1 to 5 acres On premises Maximum height of 6 ft. |
(4) Project Identification | Maximum area/side of 32 sq. ft. Maximum height of 6 ft. Developments larger than 3 acres may display one sign per each street frontage and one additional sign if street frontage exceeds 1000 ft. Maximum display time is the lesser of 2 years, the duration of construction activity, or until 60% of the development is leased or sold |
(5) Window Signs | Not to exceed 50% of the total window pane area |
(6) Construction | Maximum area/side of 32 sq. ft. Maximum height of 6 ft. During construction If multiple signs, maximum total area of all signs on site 80 sq. ft. or less |
(7) Directional Signs | Maximum area/side 4 sq. ft. Maximum height of 4 ft. |
(8) Open house directional signs | One per street intersection Between the hours of 9am-6pm the day of the open house Maximum area/side of 4 sq.ft. Maximum height of 3 ft. |
(9) Memorial | One per site or building Maximum area of 2 sq.ft. Maximum height of 10 ft. |
(10) Private contractor sign | Maximum display area of 3 sq. ft. Displayed on premises of work site While on the job |
(11) Home occupation name and address plate | One per dwelling Maximum area of 2 sq. ft. Attached to dwelling |
(12) Entrance/exit | Two per site 2 sq. ft. (area/side) for residential 4 sq. ft. for business 5 sq. ft. for industrial |
(13) Flags | Do not exceed 60 sq. ft. in area Minimum setback equal to pole height |
(14) Community activity/special event signs | Provide name of the organization, name and phone number of contact person, dates the sign(s) will be posted, size, and location of sign(s) to Zoning Inspector Maximum of twenty (20) offsite Placed no earlier than fourteen days before the activity or event and removed twenty-four hours after activity or event Directional signs less than 2 sq. ft. and 1 ft. in height may be posted twenty- four hours before activity or event and must be removed twenty four hours after activity or event. No more than two signs per intersection and if posted in an intersection may be no larger than six (6) square feet. Signs larger than six (6) square feet not to exceed twenty seven (27) square feet are restricted to no more than four (4) within the city. Signs must be firmly attached on all four corners and center points so as to not flap excessively to cause a nuisance. Six (6) square foot signs may be placed fifteen feet (15') from the edge of the road. Signs larger than six (6) square feet may be placed fifteen feet (15') from the edge of the road and in intersections must be twenty feet (20') from the edge of both roads. |
(15) Streamers, Ribbons, Pennants | Pennants or ribbons attached to a streamer shall be replaced with new pennants or ribbons, or removed, if they become damaged or disheveled. Streamers shall be strung from pole to building or pole to pole, a minimum of thirteen (13) feet off the ground and not located in, or over, the street right of way. Streamers shall only be placed along the frontage of the parcel. Pennants or ribbons on the streamer shall not exceed eighteen (18) inches in length. |
(d) The Following Business and Industrial Signs Do Not Require a Permit and Are Regulated as Set Forth Below:
Note: Signs (1) to (4) require a minimum set back of 15 feet from the edge of the road and 10 feet from the property line.
(1) New Business | Display no longer than 30 consecutive days Maximum total area of 24 sq. ft. |
(2) Business Promotional | No more than eight (8) per calendar year Display no longer than fourteen (14) consecutive days Date first displayed written on sign Maximum area per sign six (6) sq. ft. per face No more than 5 signs located on premises of event No signs may be displayed off premises |
(3) Inflatable Sign | Displayed no longer than 3 days |
(4) Outdoor Display Sign | Maximum area of 8 sq. ft. Attached or displayed within one foot of the merchandise on display |
(5) Banners | Maximum area of thirty-two (32) sq. ft. Attached to building façade or poles Must be removed or replaced if tattered, frayed, torn, faded, bent, broken or promotion has expired Prohibited in right of way |
(6) Changeable Copy | One per business Located not less than 15 ft. from the right of way line, and 20 ft. from lot line, and no less than 50 ft. from residential lot lines May be attached on pole sign, the wall of a building, or on two (2) permanent posts Maximum area of 18 sq. ft. Message must remain relevant or current to event, promotion, activity etc. that it is meant to inform Must display a coherent message without missing characters, numbers or symbols |
(7)) Feather Banner/Flag or similar devices | Maximum height of twelve (12) ft. measured from natural grade Maximum width three (3) ft. No more than two (2) for everyone hundred (100) ft. of frontage Minimum setback equal to pole height Must be removed or replaced if tattered, frayed, torn, faded, bent, broken or promotion has expired Prohibited in right of way |
(e) The Following Signs Require a Sign Permit and Are Regulated as Set Forth Below:
(1) Ground | One per street for each 500 ft. of frontage Not less than 15 ft. from right of way line (including support structure) Maximum area/side of 60 sq. ft. Maximum height of 10 ft. | |
(2) Pole | Located not less than 15 ft. from right of way line or 20 ft. from lot line, and no less than 50 ft. from residential lot lines One per lot Maximum area/side 100 sq.ft. Maximum height 20 ft. | |
(3) Wall | Must be parallel to building side to which sign is attached set within one foot of building facade Cannot project above roof line or beyond corner of building Maximum total area for primary sign and supporting signs: 20% of wall area or facade which faces the principal street or contains the main entrance as determined by the Zoning Inspector Additional walls or façade may have a maximum sign area of 10% of wall or façade area A single wall sign on the rear of a building facing U.S. 30 or Ohio 309 shall be no greater than 20% of wall area Sign area may be increased 10% for each additional 100 feet of setback Additional wall sign(s) may only be 50% of the size of the primary wall sign | |
(4) Projecting | Two per business per façade Be oriented to pedestrian traffic Hung from building façade or ceiling of covered walkway Maximum area/side 10 sq. ft. Maximum height 14 ft. Minimum height of ten (10) ft. | |
(5) Billboard | Requires a minimum lot width of 200 ft. for each billboard No billboard shall be located within 1000 ft. of an another billboard Maximum area/side of 300 sq. ft. Maximum height of 35 ft. Minimum set back of 300 ft. from right of way lines at intersections and from a church, school, or park A 50 ft. set back where the billboard abuts a residential lot or residential use A 35 ft. minimum setback from right of way | |
(6) Accessory | If attached to a wall Maximum area/side of 20 sq. ft. | |
(7) Electronic Message Display | Located not less than 15 ft. from the right of way line, or 20 ft. from lot line, and no less than 50 ft. from residential lot lines Maximum area/side of 18 sq. ft. Maximum height of 10 ft. Each message must display for a minimum of eight (8) seconds A minimum spacing of 100 ft. is required between signs | |
(8) Subdivision | One per development Maximum area/side of 20 sq. ft. Maximum height of 6 ft. Minimum setback 10 ft. from right-of-way | |
(9) Joint Identification Sign | No more than one (1) sign permitted. A secondary joint identification sign shall be permitted if the property fronts two (2) or more public streets and is located on a lot more than two (2) acres. No more than one (1) secondary joint identification sign shall be permitted per development. On lots less than ten (10) acres, primary joint identification signs may not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area or be more than ten (10) feet in height. Secondary joint identification signs shall not exceed twenty-four (24) square feet in area or be more than eight (8) feet in height. | |
(9) Joint Identification Sign (Cont.) | On lots ten (10) acres or greater primary joint identification signs may not exceed forty-eight (48) square feet in area or be more than twelve (12) feet in height and secondary joint identification signs may not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet or be more than ten (10) feet in height. Within the Historic District, the maximum size shall be reduced by one-half the size stated above. Primary and secondary freestanding joint identification signs must be monument signs. The front setback for freestanding joint identification signs shall be twenty-five (25) feet from the public right-of-way. The sign shall not restrict public ingress to and egress from the building. The sign must also meet the side yard setback for the applicable zoning district unless otherwise stated. |
(10) Hospital Signage | For signs to be approved for this permitting process they must meet the criteria listed below. Original permit must be approved by planning commission at a regularly scheduled meeting. Once approved by planning commission, there would be a onetime fee. Once fees are paid, this permit will stay in effect until there is a change of ownership or the facility closes. Signs located within the seventy five foot (75') setback from right-of-way or closest to the road will still have to go through the sign plan process, area fee and variance if required. These signs would need to meet current zoning codes. Signs located behind the seventy five (75') setback from right-of-way will have a set fee of $2500.00 for signs to be installed. This will include all sign permits, area fees and there would be no variances required. The sizes of the signs located behind the seventy five (75') setback from right-of-way will be determined by the "hospital" as needed. Note: the City Zoning Inspector still reserves the right to ask that the sign be smaller than proposed if the sign would be a safety concern. All signs behind the seventy five (75') setback from right-of-way would still have to go through the sign permit process for approval by the Zoning Inspector, there would not be an extra permit fee, area fee or variance required for these signs. All signs installed behind the seventy five foot (75') setback from right-of-way will still have to go through the sign process with the Richland County Building Department. This ordinance will not be retroactive for any sign fees that have been paid in the past. |
(11) Porta-Panel Sign | Sign permit must be filed with the City of Ontario Zoning Inspector indicating all information required on existing sign permit, address of where sign is to be located, a site plan with measurements as to where sign will be placed and length of time sign will be in that location. Size can be no larger than 6' tall by 12' long Can be no closer than 30' to the edge of a road or 40' to the edge of either road in an intersection. Permit will expire 35 days after written and sign must be removed at that time. Sign may not stay longer than 35 days in any one location. Signs placed without zoning permit issued are subject to immediate removal and impounding by the City of Ontario. |
(12) Awnings | Canopy signs may be painted or stitched on an awning area or attached to a canopy or roof which projects beyond the building provided that no part of such sign may extend above the roof line, canopy or marquee. Canopy or marquee signs shall be a minimum of nine (9) feet above ground level. If a marquee, canopy or awning sign consist of two (2) faces facing two (2) directions and each face having the same message, it shall be considered as one (1) sign. No awning or canopy may extend beyond two (2) feet back of the curb line. All awnings and canopies shall be erected so that their lowest point is at least nine (9) feet above the sidewalk. One double-faced nameplate may be suspended from an awning or canopy perpendicular to the store front. If primary signage or awning has any type of text the standard square foot display area charge will apply for the space being used for the sign. Sign permit will be required. |
(Ord. 08-18. Passed 5-15-08; Ord. 08-39. Passed 9-4-08; Ord. 09-60. Passed 12-17-09; Ord. 14-47. Passed 9-4-14; Ord. 15-22. Passed 7-2-15; Ord. 19-35. Passed 12-18-19; Ord. 21-22. Passed 6-2-21; Ord. 23-03. Passed 5-3-23.)