For the purpose of this subchapter the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALTER. A physical change in a sign or sign supports or an addition to a sign or sign supports. The term ALTER includes renovation, modification, rehabilitation or restoration, but does not include changing the copy on a bulletin board sign, marquee sign or other legal changeable copy sign.
APPLICANT. A person submitting an application for a sign permit who is the owner of the property on which the signs(s) will be located or an agent for the owner who has the written permission of the owner to apply for the sign(s).
AWNING. A protective cover that is temporary in nature projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building constructed of non-rigid materials over a rigid framework which can be raised or retracted to a position against the building when not in use.
BANNER. Any sign of lightweight fabric or other nonrigid material that is mounted to a pole or a building by a frame at one or more edges. National flags, state or municipal flags, or the official flag of any institution or business shall not be considered banners.
BILLBOARD. A sign located within 660 feet of the nearest edge of right-of-way of an interstate or primary highway, which is permitted by the Illinois Department of Transportation as an outdoor advertising device, and which directs attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.
BULLETIN BOARD SIGN. A sign attached to a building or freestanding which identifies a place of worship or school and which contains the name of the institution and changeable copy information such as the names of individuals connected with the institution, general announcements of events or activities occurring at the institution, or similar messages.
CANOPY. A shelter or protective cover projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building constructed of non-rigid materials on a ground supported, rigid framework but not including a marquee. (See also SERVICE STATION CANOPY)
CANOPY SIGN. Any sign that is a part of or attached to an awning, canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area. A marquee is not a canopy.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN. A sign on which message copy is changed manually or automatically, through the utilization of attachable or integrally automated letters, numbers, symbols, and other similar characters of changeable pictorial panels, but not including a bulletin board sign or marquee sign.
COMMERCIAL MESSAGE. Any sign wording, logo, or other representation that, directly or indirectly, names, advertises, or calls attention to a business, product, service, or other commercial activity, but not including a sign offering a residential dwelling for sale, lease or rent.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN. A temporary sign erected on the premises on which construction is taking place, during the period of such construction, indicating the names of the architects, engineers, landscape architects, contractors or similar artisans, and the owners, financial supporters, sponsors, and similar individuals or firms having a role or interest with respect to the structure or project.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A sign which is designed and erected solely for the purpose of traffic or pedestrian direction and placed on the property to which or on which the public is directed including entrance and exit signs.
DIRECTORY SIGN. A sign listing the name and/or use, and/or location of the various businesses or activities conducted within a building or group of buildings.
ELECTION SIGN. A temporary sign supporting, announcing or declaring an issue and/or candidate seeking public office on the ballot in an impending election.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD. An electronically or electrically controlled sign or portion of a larger sign whereon different messages are displayed including, but not necessarily limited to public service messages, advertising for the business or businesses on-site, projection of on-site activities in real-time, time and temperature and the like. The message boards shall include those devices that display information using panels of individual lamps, rotating panels, liquid crystal displays or similar technology or rear projection screens.
ERECT. To build, construct, install, attach, hang, place, inscribe, suspend or affix.
FLAG. Any fabric or bunting containing distinctive colors, patterns, or symbols, used as a symbol of a government, institution or business.
FLASHING SIGN. A sign which contains an intermittent flashing light source or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation or an externally mounted intermittent light source. Also any sign in which any part of the light source varies in intensity and/or hue and flashes or appears to flash or turn on and off; or a sign in which a message constantly flashes or turns on and off, or alternates with other copy by means of rotating or otherwise moving portions of the sign.
FLUSH WALL. A sign, mounted, attached to or painted on the exterior or a structure other than a sign structure where the plane of the sign surface area is parallel to the plane of the structure to which it is attached. A flush mounted wall sign may be on-site or an off-site sign. A flush mounted wall sign may not project more than one foot from the plane of the structure to which it is attached.
FREESTANDING SIGN. Any sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on, or anchored in, the ground and that are independent from any building or other structure including a low monument sign.
ILLUMINATED. A sign which has a light source as an integral part of the sign or sign surface area, or a sign which has a light source directed on the surface area from a remote position. The light from any illuminated sign or from any light source, including the interior of a building, shall be so shaded, shielded or directed that the light intensity or brightness shall not adversely affect surrounding or facing premises nor adversely affect safe vision of operators of vehicles. Light shall not shine on or into residential structures. The light source shall not be flashing. A reflectorized sign shall not be construed to be an illuminated sign.
INCIDENTAL SIGN. A sign which is generally informational and has a purpose secondary to the use of the premises on which it is located, such as “credit cards accepted here,” “loading only,” “telephone,” or similar information. No sign with a commercial message legible from a position off the premises shall be considered incidental.
LIGHT POLE ARTWORK SIGN. A sign fabricated from a durable fabric, with a design applied through silkscreening or similar application method, the content of such signs shall be civic or seasonal in nature. Such signs shall not include commercial advertising, business slogans or logos, or the names of individual business, groups, organizations, shopping centers or office parks.
LOGO. An identifying symbol or registered trademark.
LOW MONUMENT SIGN. A freestanding sign not more than 12 feet in height, which is located adjacent to the right-of-way, with individual sign positions available for no more than six tenants, with individual signs not to exceed two feet by three feet per sign face. Use of a low monument sign by a single tenant shall not exceed eight feet in width by four feet in height and shall conform to all other sign regulations.
MAJOR REPAIR. Any repair or reconstruction of a sign or sign support necessitated by damage due
to normal deterioration or by acts of nature which involved the actual sign enclosure, its structural attachments or supports, or its electrical connections. MAJOR REPAIR does not include such items as painting, replacement of a cracked face by the sign’s current owner or authorized agent.
MARQUEE. Any permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a building or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of the building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather.
NON-CONFORMING SIGN. Any sign that was lawfully erected but no longer conforms to the requirements of this subchapter.
OFF-PREMISE SIGN. Any sign, except a billboard as defined herein, which advertises or identifies a property, business, or address, other than the property, business, or address where the sign is displayed.
ON-PREMISE PERMANENT SIGN. A sign pertaining only to the use of the premises on which the sign is located and primarily containing any of the following information:
(1) The name of the owner, occupant, management, business or building;
(2) The address;
(3) The type of business, profession, service or activity;
(4) The type or types of products offered; and
(5) Other similar information.
PAPER SIGN. A sign normally for temporary use made of paper, cardboard or similar material.
PENNANT. Any lightweight plastic, fabric or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire, or string, usually in series, designed to move in the wind.
PERPENDICULAR WALL. A sign mounted or attached to the exterior of a structure where the plane(s) of the sign surface area(s) is/are not parallel to the plane of the structure to which it is attached. A perpendicular wall mounted sign is generally an on-site sign. Maximum distance between sign faces shall not exceed three. A perpendicular wall mounted sign shall not be construed to be a marquee sign.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, which is designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels, signs converted to A- or T-frames, menu and sandwich board signs and hot air balloons used as signs.
PROJECTING SIGN. Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such manner that its leading edge extends more than 14 inches beyond the surface of such building or wall but not including a sign suspended from a canopy and mounted perpendicular to a wall.
PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE SIGN. An electronically or electrically controlled sign which conveys only information such as time, date, temperature, atmospheric conditions, or general news information where different alternating copy changes are shown on the same lamp bank matrix without giving the appearance of directional movement.
REAL ESTATE SIGN. Any sign pertaining to the sale, lease or rental of real estate.
REFLECTORIZED. A non-illuminated sign wherein at least part of the surface area is composed of a reflectorized material which appears to be illuminated when a light cast upon the sign surface area.
RESIDENTIAL SIGN. A sign not exceeding six square feet per sign face and not having more than two sign faces which is located in a residential zoning district and that contains no commercial message other than advertising the premises for sale, lease or rent, or advertising a product or service available on the premises. Such sign may contain a political, religious or other noncommercial message.
ROOF SIGN. Any sign erected and constructed wholly on and over the roof of a building, supported by the roof structure, and extending vertically above the highest portion of the roof.
SERVICE STATION CANOPY. A freestanding structure located on the same premises as a service station affording protection from the elements to person or property thereunder. (See also CANOPY)
SIGN. Any device, fixture, placard, or structure that uses any color, form, graphic illumination, symbol, or writing to advertise, announce the purpose of, or identify the purpose of a person or entity, or to communicate information of any kind to the public but not including a church steeple or other religious symbol.
SIGN FACE. The area or display surface used for the message.
SIGN FRONTAGE. The length along the front of the ground floor of a building occupied by a separate and distinct use and the length along the side of the ground floor of a building occupied by a separate and distinct use when the side of such building faces a street; or the width of a tenant space measured along the ground floor of a building occupied by a separate and distinct use which does not face a street but faces a parking lot.
SIGN, GROSS AREA OF. The area within a single rectangle or circle enclosing the extreme limits of the sign, but not including structural supports which are not an integral part of the sign; except that in the case of an individual letter sign only two-thirds of the area of the enclosing rectangle or circle shall be counted as the gross area of the sign. Where a sign has two or more faces which can be viewed from a single location, the gross area of all such faces shall be included in determining the total gross area of the sign.
SIGN HEIGHT. The vertical distance measured from the elevation of the center line of the adjacent right-of-way at the point closest to the sign to the highest point of the sign.
SIGN PERMIT. A document certifying that the plans for the proposed sign comply with all applicable city ordinances and requirements.
SNIPE SIGN. A temporary sign or poster affixed to a utility pole, tree, fence, etc.
TEMPORARY PROMOTIONAL DISPLAY. A temporary sign or signs displayed so as to attract attention to the sale of merchandise or services, or a change in policy or in the status of a business.
TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign which is not illuminated and is not permanently installed or affixed to any sign, structure or building.
TIME AND/OR TEMPERATURE.
(1) Temperature signs shall not change except when the temperature changes one degree.
(2) Time signs shall be permitted to change no more frequently than 60 second intervals.
(3) Time signs in combination. If separate space is provided on sign surface area for time and temperature, divisions (1) and (2) above shall apply. If same surface area is provided for both time and temperature, the frequency of change shall be no more than five second intervals.
UNSIGHTLY OR UNKEMPT SIGN. A sign that is clearly in disrepair, is missing part of its copy, has letters or other copy that are broken, missing or so faded that they are difficult to read from the street, is not securely affixed to either the ground or some other supporting structure, contains an eligible message, contains rust or peeling or flaking paint, or has damage to its face which is clearly visible from the street.
WALL SIGN. Any sign attached parallel to, but within 14 inches of, a wall, painted on the wall surface of, or erected and confined within the limits of an outside wall of any building or structure, which is supported by such wall or building, and which displays only one sign face.
WINDOW PROMOTIONAL. A sign viewable from the exterior of a structure which is: painted on a window; depicted upon a card, paper or other material; and placed on, taped on, or displayed from a window for the specific purpose of attracting attention of passersby to a sale, or to promotional items, etc. A promotional window sign is not permissible above the main floor (ten feet higher than grade) of any structure. A promotional window sign shall not be construed to be a window sign as defined elsewhere.
WINDOW SIGN. Any sign, pictures, symbol, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale, or service, that is placed inside a window or upon the window panes or glass and is visible from the exterior of the window.
(Ord. O-2014-06, passed 8-11-14; Am. Ord. O-2015-02, passed 5-11-15)