(A) Purpose.
(1) The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum standards to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, quality of materials, construction, location, electrification, and maintenance of all signs and sign structures not located within a building. The sign regulations in this chapter are not intended to censor speech or to regulate viewpoints, but instead are intended to address the secondary effects that may adversely impact aesthetics and traffic and pedestrian safety. The sign regulations are designed to serve substantial government interest and, in some cases, compelling government interests such as traffic safety and warning signs of threats to bodily injury or death. This chapter is intended to create content-neutral sign regulations which balance the legitimate needs of individuals, entities, and organizations to convey messages with the legitimate objectives of the city to promote public safety, enhance community character, and enhance private property values. This chapter is not intended to extend its regulatory regime to objects that are not traditionally considered signs for purpose of government regulation.
(2) This chapter establishes sign regulations, including provisions to control the type, design, size, location, and maintenance of signs, to achieve the following purposes:
(a) To enable the public to locate goods, services, and facilities without difficulty or confusion;
(b) To protect property values, public investment, and overall neighborhood character by
preventing conditions that have undesirable impacts on surrounding properties;
(c) To promote the development of attractive and harmonious residential districts, and viable retail and commercial districts;
(d) To ensure signs are designed and located to reduce distraction and confusion that may be contributing factors to traffic congestion or accidents and maintain a safe and orderly pedestrian and vehicular environment; and
(e) To enable the fair and consistent enforcement of these sign regulations and to provide standards regarding the non-communicative aspects of signs.
(B) Application. Signs shall be designed, erected, altered, moved, displayed, and maintained in accordance with the regulations set forth in this chapter.
(1) The provisions in this chapter shall not amend or in any way interfere with other codes, rules, or regulations governing traffic signs within the city.
(2) The regulations contained in this chapter shall apply to signs outside of the public right-of-way, except when specifically stated otherwise.
(3) The owner of any sign, which is otherwise permitted by this chapter, may substitute noncommercial copy or message in lieu of any other commercial or noncommercial sign copy of message.
(C) Conflicts. This chapter is not meant to repeal or interfere with the enforcement of other chapters or sections of this code of ordinances. In cases of conflicts between local, state, or federal regulations, the more restrictive regulations shall apply.
(Ord. 2023-13, passed 7-25-2023)