A. Intent.
1. These regulations are for the purpose of controlling the indiscriminate installation of signs, billboards, and other outdoor advertising devices. Following are the objectives of this ordinance: To limit the number of signs for the purpose of reducing distractions and confusion along public roads; to maximize the effectiveness of permitted signs for the benefit of the advertiser and usefulness to the public; to limit the size of signs to avoid unfair competitive advantages and minimize the waste of natural resources, wood, and steel; to preserve the scenic features along the roads, streets and highways of the City of Paris and Bourbon County; and to protect residential property values and living environment by prohibiting certain signs within residential and agricultural areas.
B. Scope.
1. New signs. These ordinances apply to the display, construction, erection, alteration, use, location, and maintenance of all new signs in the City of Paris.
2. Existing signs. Any existing signs in violation of the provisions of these ordinances at the time of its adoption shall be considered as non-conforming uses or structures and subject to the restrictions of Section 80.206 (Non-conforming uses and structures). Legal, non-conforming signs may continue in existence, unless otherwise noted, and shall be properly maintained in good condition. These ordinances shall not prevent the strengthening, repair, or restoring to a safe condition of any sign.
C. Exempt signs in all districts unless otherwise noted.
1. Government signs that:
(a) Are temporary, or permanent signs, erected by city, county, state, or federal government or official agency thereof for traffic direction or for direction to or identification of a government facility or event.
(b) Are official signs pertaining to the general health, safety, or welfare of the public; to control traffic flow; or any other sign required by law, ordinance, or governmental regulations.
(c) Identify streets.
(d) Warn of danger.
2. Historical markers.
3. Political election signs; must be removed within 10 days after election.
4. Temporary decorations or displays, which are clearly incidental to and are customarily and commonly associated with any national, state, local or religious holiday/celebration/community event.
5. Temporary or permanent signs erected by public utility companies or construction companies to warn of danger or hazardous conditions, including signs indicating the presence of underground cables, gas lines, and similar devices.
6. Signs displayed on trucks, buses, moving vans, contractor's vehicles and equipment, rental trucks and trailers, or other vehicles operated in the normal course of business.
7. Flags, pennants, or insignias of any:
(a) Nation, organization of nations, state, county or city.
(b) Religion, civic or fraternal organization.
(c) Educational institution.
8. Window signs.
D. Prohibited signs in all districts.
1. Any sign which constitutes a traffic hazard or a detriment to public safety, or may be confused with a traffic control signal or device, or the light of an emergency or road equipment vehicle.
2. Flashing or intermittent illumination, except for permitted informational signs.
3. Any sign which obstructs the view of vehicular traffic.
4. Billboards.
5. Temporary signs attached to, or painted on, any utility pole, tree, stone, or any other similar object or structure.
6. Any sign located in a public right-of-way, except those signs listed in Section C(1-8) above.
E. General requirements.
1. All wiring, fittings, and materials used in the construction, connection and operation of electrically illuminated signs shall be in accordance with the provisions of the National Electric Code.
2. No illuminated sign shall be permitted within one hundred (100) feet of property in any residential district unless the illumination of such sign is so designed that it does not shine or reflect light onto such property.
3. No sign having flashing, intermittent, or animated illumination shall be permitted within three hundred (300) feet of property in any residential district unless the illumination of such sign is so designed that it does not shine or reflect light onto such property.
4. No part of any wall, or projecting sign that is attached to a building shall be erected to a height greater than the roof level of the wall to which the sign is attached.
5. No commercial or industrial sign shall be erected to exceed the building height permitted in the district in which it is located, or sixty (60) feet, whichever is less.
6. Temporary signs may be posted for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days. Any sign posted for a longer period must meet the requirements of permanent signs. Area requirements for temporary signs shall be the same as those for permanent signs in each district.
F. Signs permitted in all districts without a permit.
1. Only one (1) of each of the following signs, except directional signs, shall be permitted per establishment; none of the signs shall be illuminated:
(a) An identification sign, of two (2) square feet, denoting the name and/or address of the occupants of the premises.
(b) Professional or announcement signs, of two (2) square feet or less, for professions or businesses permitted as home occupations, accessory, or conditional uses.
(c) A temporary sign, of less than twelve (12) square feet, posting the property, or advertising the specific property on which is placed, for sale or rent, and placed no closer than ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way.
(d) Directional signs, of two (2) square feet or less, designating ingress and egress from a property.
G. Signs permitted in all districts with a permit.
1. All identification, professional, announcement, for sale or rent signs, and directional signs as described in Section F.1 above, when illuminated.
2. A sign advertising the property on which it is located for sale, rent, lease, or trade in accordance with the following area and distance requirements:
Area of Sign (square feet) | Distance from Right-of-Way (feet) |
13 to 20 | 50 |
21 to 40 | 100 |
41 to 60 | 160 |
No such sign in any district shall exceed sixty (60) square feet in area. | |
3. Signs or bulletin boards customarily incidental to places of worship, libraries, schools, museums, or societies, shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in area and shall be located no closer than ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way.
4. Temporary signs except as described in Section 80.202 with additional provision that all such signs shall be removed by the permit applicant within ten (10) days after the completion of the project, event or election.
5. Identification signs for historical, religious, civic or fraternal associations of two (2) square feet or less which shall not be placed within a public right-of-way except with special permission of the authority controlling said right-of-way. More than one (1) such sign may be mounted on the same standard.
H. Projecting signs on Main Street with a permit.
1. No sign shall project perpendicularly from any building or any other structure so as to overhang the sidewalk or any public street or right-of-way, except one that does not extend further than three (3) feet from the building, being no more than five (5) feet in height, and a minimum of eight (8) feet above the ground.
2. No horizontal or flush sign shall overhang the right-of way or sidewalk more than one (1) foot.
3. Signs existing at the time of enactment of this ordinance shall be exempted from compliance until such time as the ownership and/or proprietorship of the property and/or business changes, or until such time as any repair or change to the existing sign is necessary or undertaken, and at that time full compliance with this ordinance is required.
I. On-Premises signs permitted in A-Agricultural and R-Residential districts with a building permit.
1. There shall be permitted not more than one (1) non-illuminated sign, not to exceed a total of fifteen (15) square feet in area, per farm for the purpose of identification or advertising the sale or production of farm products on the premises, and set no closer than ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way.
2. For multi-family dwellings, an identification sign not to exceed ten (10) square feet in area, shall be permitted no closer than ten (10) from the street right-of-way.
3. Only one (1) sign per street frontage shall be permitted.
J. On-premises signs permitted in B-1 Central Business, B-2 General Commercial, B-3 Neighborhood Commercial, I-1 Light Industrial and I-2 Heavy Industrial zoning districts with a building permit.
1. On-premises signs and devices as regulated herein for businesses, uses or activities conducted on the same premises with the sign, both illuminated and non-illuminated.
(a) The maximum area permitted for all free-standing signs on a single premises regardless of the number of establishments shall be calculated at the rate of four (4) square feet of area for each ten (10) feet of street frontage up to a maximum of one hundred (100) square feet in B-1, B-3, and I-1 zoning districts. In B-2 and I-2 zoning districts the maximum permitted area for all free-standing signs on a single premises, regardless of the number of establishments, shall be calculated at the rate of six (6) square feet of area for each ten (10) feet of street frontage up to a maximum of two hundred (200) square feet. The setback for these signs shall be ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way.
(b) In addition to free-standing signs, signs that are part of the principal structure may be installed, provided that they protrude no more than twelve (12) inches from the wall, cover no more than a maximum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the wall face on which they are located, and that any such sign shall be at least eight (8) feet off of the ground.
(c) Establishments within shopping centers shall allocate the calculated total sign area in proportion to the amount of the total floor area occupied. A shopping center containing five (5) or more establishments may have an additional on-premises identification sign containing no more than forty (40) square feet. Outdoor advertising structures proposed for shopping centers must be submitted with site plans for the development.
K. Off-premises signs permitted only in B-2 General Commercial, I-1 Light Industrial and I-2 Heavy Industrial zoning districts with a building permit.
1. Off-premises signs that direct the public to businesses, uses, products, or activities conducted elsewhere than on the premises of that sign, both illuminated and non-illuminated.
(a) The maximum area for an off-premises sign shall be sixty (60) square feet. No more than two (2) such signs may be placed on any single parcel of less road frontage than two thousand (2,000) square feet. No off-premises sign shall be permitted where an on-premise advertising sign already exists, except with the special approval of the Board of Adjustment granted on the basis of hardship. Off-premise signs larger than fifty (50) square feet must be placed not closer together than three hundred (300) feet. Off-premise signs of less than fifty (50) square feet must be placed not closer together than one hundred (100) feet. Off-premises signs advertising or directing the public to a business must be located within ten (10) miles of the business to which the sign is related. Setbacks for off-premises signs are the same as in Section J. above.
(b) No off-premises sign shall be located in any area designated as one of scenic beauty or historical interest.
(Am. Ord. passed 8-3-76, Section 2; Am. Ord. 3-86, passed 2-11-86; Am. Ord. 2014-12, passed 7-15-14)