For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADMINISTRATOR. The Building Inspector.
ADVERTISING MESSAGE. The copy on a sign describing products or services being offered to the public.
ANIMATED SIGN. Any sign which includes action or motion. For purposes of this chapter, this term does not refer to flashing, changing, or indexing, all of which are separately defined.
ARCHITECTURAL BLADE. A roof sign or projecting sign with no visible legs or braces; designed to look as though it could have been part of the building structure, rather than something suspended from or standing on the building.
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTION. Any projection not intended for occupancy which extends beyond the property line, not including signs, canopies, or marquees.
AREA IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign, free- standing or affixed to a wall or fence, which identifies a neighborhood, a residential subdivision, a multiple residential complex, or a commercial or industrial complex.
AREA OF SIGN. The area of the largest single face of the sign within a perimeter which forms the outside shape including any frame, forms an integral part of the display, but excluding the necessary supports or uprights on which the sign may be placed. If the sign consists of more than 1 section or module, all areas will be totaled. Where poster panels or bulletins are installed back to back, 1 face only is considered as AREA. If there is a difference, the larger face will be counted.
AWNING. A movable or fixed shelter supported entirely from the exterior wall of a building and composed of rigid or nonrigid materials except for the supporting framework.
BACKGROUND AREA. The entire area of a sign on which copy could be placed, as opposed to the copy area, where copy is in fact posted or painted.
BANNER. A long, narrow flag hung over a street or entrance.
BANNER SIGN. A temporary sign composed of lightweight material secured or mounted so as to allow movement caused by wind.
BILLBOARD. See OFF-PREMISES SIGN, OFF-SITE SIGN, or OUTDOOR ADVERTISING (posters and bulletins).
BUILDING FACE OR WALL. All window and wall area of a building in 1 plane or elevation.
BUILDING FRONTAGE. The linear width of a building facing the right-of-way or the linear length of the right-of-way facing the building, whichever is smaller.
BUILDING SIGN. A sign lettered to give the name of a building itself, as opposed to the name of occupants or services.
CANOPY or MARQUEE. A permanent roof-like shelter extending from part or all of a building face over a public right-of-way and constructed of some durable material such as metal, glass, or plastic.
CANOPY SIGN or MARQUEE SIGN. Any sign attached to or constructed in or on a canopy or marquee.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN (MANUAL). A sign on which copy or sign panels may be changed manually in the field, such as boards with changeable letters or changeable pictorial panels.
CHANGING SIGN (AUTOMATIC). An electronically or electrically controlled time, temperature, and date sign, message center of readerboard, where different copy changes are shown on the same location.
COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN PLAN. Building design and signs integrated into 1 architectural plan, the comprehensive plan being complete in all other building, structural, and electrical requirements.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN. A temporary sign identifying a building or construction site and the architects, engineers, financial institutions, contractors, and suppliers involved.
COPY. The wording on a sign surface.
COPY AREA. The area in square feet of the smallest geometric figure which describes the area enclosed by the actual copy of a sign. For facia signs,
the
COPY AREA limits refer to the message, not to the illuminated background.
COUNCIL. The City Council.
DETACHED SIGN. See FREE-STANDING SIGN.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. Any sign which serves solely to designate the location of any place or area.
DIRECTLY ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign designed to provide artificial light either through exposed lighting in front of the face or through transparent or translucent material from a light source within the sign.
ELECTRICAL SIGN. Any sign containing electrical wiring which is attached or intended to be attached to an electrical energy source.
EMBELLISHMENT.
(1) General. Letters, figures, characters, or representations in cut-outs or irregular forms or similar ornaments attached to or superimposed upon the sign.
(2) Decorative only. A purely decorative EMBELLISHMENT on a free-standing sign.
ERECTED. Attached, altered, built, constructed, reconstructed, enlarged, or moved, and shall include the painting of wall signs, but does not include copy changes on any sign.
FACE LIFT. The remodeling of a building’s frontage which is visible from a public right-of-way, so that the building material, door frames, window frames, and signs are designed in harmony with each other.
FACE OF SIGN. See SIGN FACE.
FACIA SIGN or WALL SIGN. A sign attached to or erected against a wall of a building, with the face parallel to the building wall and extending not more than 1 foot therefrom.
FIELD FABRICATED SIGN. A sign constructed in the field instead of being completed at the factory.
FLAG. A piece of cloth or other flexible material varying in size, shape, color, and design, usually attached at 1 edge to a staff or cord and used as a symbol of a nation, state, or organization. May also be imprinted with an advertising message or design, or be of bright colors to attract attention.
FLASHING SIGN. Any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation, or an externally mounted intermittent light source. Automatic changing signs such as public service time, temperature, and date signs or electronically controlled message centers are classified as changing signs, not FLASHING SIGNS.
FREE-STANDING SIGN. A sign erected on a free-standing frame, mast, or pole and not attached to any building.
FRONTAGE. The length of the property line of any 1 premises parallel to and along each public right- of-way it borders.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SITE. A temporary sign indicating the future construction or development of a building or area, but not a construction sign.
GROUND LEVEL. Street grade.
GROUND SIGN. A free-standing sign installed directly on the ground.
HEIGHT OF SIGN. The vertical distance measured from the adjacent street grade or upper surface of the street curb to the highest point of the sign. Elevated roadways shall not be used to measure height.
IDENTIFICATION FACIA SIGN. A sign which is limited to the name of the building or institution on which the sign is erected.
IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign which is limited to the name, address, and number of a building, institution, or person and to the activity carried on in the building, or institution, or the occupancy.
ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign which is lighted from within or without.
INCIDENTAL SIGN. A secondary sign not directly describing goods, products, services, or facilities which are available on the premises where the sign is located; such as credit cards accepted, official notices required by law, trade affiliations.
INDEXING. Turning and stopping action of the sections of a multi-prism sign designed to show several messages in the same area.
INDIRECTLY ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign which reflects light from a source intentionally directed upon it, for example, by means of floodlights, gooseneck reflectors, or externally mounted fluorescent light fixtures.
INDIVIDUAL LETTER SIGN. Any sign made of self-contained letters that are mounted on the face of a building, top of a parapet, roof edge of a building, or on top of or below a marquee.
INSTITUTIONAL BULLETIN BOARD. A sign which primarily displays the name of the organization or upcoming events of that organization.
INTERIOR PROPERTY LINE. Property lines other than those fronting on street, road, or highway.
LINTEL. In this context, the line above the display on a store (usually approximately 9 feet from grade).
LOT. A parcel of land of sufficient size to meet minimum zoning requirements for use, coverage, and area and to provide the yards and other open spaces required. These LOTS shall have frontage on an improved public street, or on an approved private street, and may consist of:
(1) A single lot of record;
(2) A portion of a lot of record; or
(3) A combination of single lots or portions of lots of record.
LOW PROFILE SIGN. A free-standing sign erected near ground level and limited to identifying the name of the building or institution on the premises.
MAINTAIN. To permit a sign, structure, or any part of each to continue; or to repair or refurbish a sign, structure, or any part of either.
MANSARD ROOF. A sloping roof where the angle of the roof is no more than 30 degrees from perpendicular. Signs on these roofs shall be considered facia signs. (See also SLOPING ROOF.)
MARQUEE. See CANOPY.
MARQUEE SIGN. See CANOPY SIGN.
MESSAGE. The wording or copy on a sign.
MULTI-PRISM SIGN. A sign made with a series of sections that turn and stop, or flip to show several pictures or messages in the same area.
NAMEPLATE. A nonelectric sign identifying only the name and occupation or profession of the occupant of the premises on which the sign is located. If any premises includes more than 1 occupant, NAMEPLATE refers to all names and occupations or professions as well as the name of the building and directional information.
NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE. The code prepared by the National Board of Fire Underwriters known as the National Electrical Code, in the last edition published before the date of passage of this chapter, namely the 1993 edition. Three copies of that code will be kept by the City Clerk for public inspection.
NONCONFORMING SIGN. Any advertising structure or sign which was lawfully erected and maintained prior to the time that it came within the preview of this code and any amendments thereto, and which fails to conform to all applicable regulations and restrictions of this code; or a nonconforming sign for which a special permit has been issued.
NONELECTRICAL SIGN. Any sign that does not contain electrical wiring or is not attached to or intended to be attached to an electrical energy source.
OBSCENE. A thing is OBSCENE if, in consideration of the whole, its predominant appeal is to prurient interest; that is, a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sex, or excretion; and, if it goes substantially beyond customary limits or candor in description or representation of such matters. A thing is OBSCENE even though the obscenity is latent, as in the case of undeveloped photographs.
ON-PREMISES SIGN or ON-SITE SIGN. Any sign identifying or advertising a business, person, activity, or goods, products, or services located on the premises where the sign is installed and maintained.
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGN or OFF- SITE SIGN. Outdoor advertising signs which advertise goods, products, or services not necessarily sold on the premises on which the sign is located, are of 3 main types:
(1) Poster panels or bulletins normally mounted on a building wall, roof, or free-standing structure with advertising copy in the form of pasted paper;
(2) Multi-prism signs alternating advertising messages on 1 displayed area; or
(3) Painted bulletins, where the advertiser’s message is painted directly on the background of a wall-mounted, roof, or free-standing display area.
OWNER. The title owner and his or her agents and assignees.
PAINTED WALL SIGN. A sign painted directly on the exterior wall of a building.
PARAPET or PARAPET WALL. The portion of a building wall that rises above the roof level.
PENNANT. A tapering flag.
PENTHOUSE. A structure on top of a building roof.
PERSON. Any individual, corporation, association, firm, or partnership.
POLE SIGN. A free-standing sign.
PORNOGRAPHIC. The quality of any description or representation, in whatever form, of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement or sadomasochistic abuse, when it:
(1) Considered as a whole appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors; and
(2) Is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and
(3) Considered as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political and scientific value to a minor.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or a building.
PREMISES. An area of land, with its appurtenances and buildings, which because of its unity of use is 1 unit of real estate.
PROJECTING SIGN. A sign, other than a wall sign, which is attached to and projects from a structure or building face. The area of double-faced PROJECTING SIGNS is calculated on 1 face of the sign only.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY WIDTH. The distance across a public street, measured from property line to property line.
PUBLIC SERVICE INFORMATION SIGN. Any sign intended primarily to promote items of general interest to the community, such as time, temperature, date, atmospheric conditions, news, or traffic control, and the like.
REAL ESTATE OR PROPERTY FOR SALE, RENT, OR LEASE SIGN. Any sign to sell, lease, or rent land or buildings; but not a sign identifying or advertising a real estate broker’s office or other office devoted to the sale of real estate.
ROOF LINE. The top edge of the roof or the top of the parapet, whichever forms the top line of the building silhouette.
ROOF SIGN. Any sign erected upon, against, or directly above a roof or on top of or above the parapet of a building.
ROTATING SIGN. Any sign or portion of a sign which moves in a revolving or similar manner, but not including multi-prism indexing signs.
SEASONAL OR SIMILAR HOLIDAYS. Signs such as Christmas decorations or those used for a historic holiday and installed for a limited period of time.
SIGN. Any identification, description, illustration, symbol, statue, or device, illuminated or nonilluminated, which is visible from any public place, designed to advertise, identify, or convey information, including any landscaping where letters or numbers are used for the purpose of directing the public’s attention to a product or location, with the exception of window displays and state or national flags. For the purpose of removal, SIGN shall also include all sign structures. SIGN shall also include balloons used for advertising, but shall not include toy balloons designed to be held by 1 person.
SIGN FACE. The entire area of sign on which copy could be placed.
SIGN LEGEND. Copy.
SIGN STICKER. A sticker affixed either to the face or the channel of a sign visible from the street, denoting the name of the manufacturer or designated servicing company for purpose of identification by city officials or others.
SIGN STRUCTURE. Any structure which supports, has supported, or is designed to support a sign. A decorative cover is part of a SIGN STRUCTURE.
SLOPING ROOF. A roof that slopes up to 60 degrees from the horizontal. For greater slopes, see MANSARD ROOF.
SPECIAL PURPOSE SIGN. Any sign other than a business, nonaccessory, identification sign, including but not limited to traffic signs.
STREET. A public highway, road, or thoroughfare which affords the principal means of access to adjacent lots, measured from property line to property line.
SWINGING SIGN. A hinged sign installed on an arm or spar, which sign is not, in addition, permanently fastened to an adjacent wall or upright pole.
TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign which is not permanently affixed. All devices such as banners, pennants, flags (not intended to include flags of any nation), searchlights, twirling, or sandwich type signs, sidewalk or curb signs, and balloons or other air- or gas-filled figures.
TEMPORARY WINDOW OR BUILDING SIGN. A sign painted on the interior of a window or constructed of paper, cloth, or other like material and attached to the interior side of a window, or displayed on the exterior of a building wall, in order to direct attention of persons outside the building to a sale of merchandise or a change in the status of the business.
UNDER-CANOPY OR MARQUEE SIGN. A sign suspended below the ceiling or roof of a canopy of the business.
UNDERWRITERS’ LABORATORIES. A nonprofit organization which establishes standards for electrical and mechanical equipment and materials, and which is commonly referred to as “UL.” The electrical section dealing with signs is known as “Underwriters’ Laboratories (48).”
UNLAWFUL SIGN. A sign which contravenes this code or which the administrator may declare as unlawful if it becomes dangerous to public safety by reason of dilapidation or abandonment, or a nonconforming sign for which a permit required under a previous code was not obtained.
USE. The purpose for which a building, lot, sign, or other structure is arranged, intended, designed, occupied, or maintained.
WALL SIGN. See FACIA SIGN.
WINDOW SIGN. A sign installed inside a window for purposes of viewing from outside the premises. This term does not include merchandise located in window.
(1969 Code, § 15-110) (Ord. 1994-20, passed 7-11-1994)