The following shall be the basis for determining sign area, sign height, and building or tenant frontage.
(a) Sign Area or Dimension. Sign area shall include the entire face of the sign from edge to edge, including any frame or structure around the perimeter of the sign, provided however that a proportional framing or structure around the display area may be excluded by the Architectural Review Board.
(1) For a sign comprised of individual letters, figures or elements on a wall or similar surface of a building or structure, or an irregular shaped freestanding sign, the area of the sign shall be the area of not more than three (3) adjacent regular geometric shapes that encompasses the perimeter of all the elements in the display. Regular geometric shapes are squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, triangles, and trapezoids.
(2) When separate elements are organized to form a single sign, but the elements are separated by open space, the area of the sign shall include the space between the elements.
(3) For free-standing signs:
A. The sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one (1) of the faces when two (2) identical display faces are joined, are parallel or are within 30 degrees of being parallel to each other and are at no point separated by a distance that exceeds two feet.
B. No more than two display faces shall be permitted.
C. The portion of a solid sign base, up to a maximum height of two (2) feet, may be excluded from the calculated sign area provided such base is adequately screened by landscaping as determined by the Architectural Review Board.
(4) Air between a projecting sign and the wall to which it is attached, and detached lighting fixtures and associated brackets shall not be included in the calculation of sign area.
(b) Sign Height. The height of a free-standing sign shall be measured from the average natural grade at the base of the sign or support structure to the tallest element of the sign. A free-standing sign on a man-made base, including a graded earth mound, shall be measured from the average site grade prior to any grade change in the area of a sign.
(c) Building Frontage and Building Unit. For the purposes of these sign regulations, the length of the building wall that faces a public street other than a limited access highway or that contains a public entrance to the uses therein shall be considered the building frontage.
(1) The building frontage shall be measured along such building wall between the exterior faces of the exterior side walls.
(2) In the case of an irregular wall surface, a single straight line extended along such wall surface shall be used to measure the length.
(3) A building is considered to have two frontages whenever the lot fronts on two or more streets, or the building has a public entrance on a wall other than the wall that faces the street. The property owner shall determine which wall shall be the primary building frontage and which wall shall be the secondary building frontage. Only one outside wall of any business shall be considered its primary frontage and only one additional wall considered its secondary frontage.
(4) For multi-occupant buildings, the portion of a building that is owned or leased by a single occupant shall be considered a building unit. The building frontage for a building unit shall be measured from the centerline of the party walls defining the building unit.
(Ord. 2015-34. Passed 5-25-16.)