This Chapter and shall require permits in accordance with Chapter 1135. Erection, modification, alteration, placement, replacement, or other action involving a sign that is in any way inconsistent with this Chapter shall be a violation of the zoning ordinance and subject to the penalties and remedies set forth in Chapter 1135 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(1) Addresses, showing street number, shall mark all buildings in a manner easily visible for location by emergency personnel, with characters that are at least three (3) inches tall. All other restrictions limiting size, color, materials and location as outlined in this Chapter 1199 remain applicable.
(b) Signs Exempt from Ordinance. These exempt signs shall not require a permit and shall not be included in the determination of the total allowable number of signs or total allowable sign area for a site.
(1) Any sign located entirely inside a building and not visible from the public right-of-way or from private property other than the property on which such sign is located shall be entirely exempt from regulations under this ordinance.
(2) The flag, pennant or insignia of any nation, state, city or other political subdivision.
(c) Signs Partially Exempt from Ordinance. Signs listed in this subsection shall be exempt from the permit requirements of Chapter 1135 but shall, to the maximum extent allowed by law, be subject to the standards of this subsection. Where a sign is erected pursuant to a statute or a court order, the sign may exceed the size standards of this Ordinance or otherwise deviate from the standards set forth in this Ordinance to the extent that the statute or court order expressly required the larger size or deviation. In all other respects, such signs shall conform to the standards of this Ordinance.
(1) Signs conforming with the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and bearing no commercial message. These signs may be installed in the rights-of-way.
(2) Signs bearing no commercial message and installed by employees or officials of a state or federal agency or of Plain City or Union or Madison Counties in the course of their governmental duties. These signs may be installed in the rights-of-way.
(3) Signs required by a state or federal statute. These signs may be installed in the rights-of-way.
(4) Signs required by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. These signs may be installed in the rights-of-way.
(5) Signs installed by public utilities in their rights-of-way or on their facilities and bearing no commercial message other than such message is necessary to identify the user.
(6) Signs installed by a transit company with a franchise or other right to operate in Union and/or Madison Counties, where such signs are installed along its routes and relate to schedules or other information about the transit route. These signs may be installed in the rights-of-way.
Signs in the nature of cornerstones, commemorative tables and historical signs, provided such signs are limited to six square feet or Jess and are not illuminated.
(7) Signs in the nature of cornerstones, commemorative tables and historical signs, provided such signs are limited to six square feet or less and are not illuminated.
(8) Signs dearly in the nature of decorations customarily associated with any national, state, local or religious holiday to be limited to sixty days in any one year, and to be displayed not more than sixty consecutive days. Such signs may be illuminated, provided no safety or visibility hazards are created.
(9) Political signs or posters concerning candidates for elective office, public issues and similar matters to be decided by public election should be removed no later than seven days after such election. Such signs shall not create a safety or visibility hazard, nor be affixed to any public utility pole, tree, or natural object, nor be located within a public right of way.
(10) Signs not exceeding one square foot in area, bearing only property numbers, postal box numbers or names of occupants or premises.
(11) Signs indicating the sale, rental or lease of real estate, provided such signs are limited in size to eight square feet in area, no more than six feet in height, and with one sign per street front. Such signs shall be placed on the property referred to and shall not be placed in public rights of way. Such signs shall be removed within fourteen days after sale, rental or lease has occurred. A maximum of two off-premise directional signs shall be permitted in conjunction with an open house. Such signs may be placed in the public rights of way. Such signs shall be installed on the day of the open house and removed at the end of the open house. Only one directional sign shall be permitted at any street intersection. The maximum area of any such sign shall be four (4) square feet. Real estate open house directional signs, which are permitted within the public rights of way but which shall be placed so as not to obscure traffic or constitute a safety hazard. During the hours of the open house, one additional sign indicating that the house is open will be permitted on the property.
(12) Signs for the promotion of school, community, or church activities associated with an organization with a facility in Madison or Union County. Such sign shall not be installed for more than thirty days prior to the event and shall be removed within five days after the event. No such signs shall be located within public rights of way, and such signs shall not be affixed to any public utility pole, tree or natural object. No more than one sign shall be installed on the same property unless the property is located on a corner in such case no more than two signs may be installed. Such signs shall not be illuminated. Flexible type signs such as banners shall be provided with internal air vents to adequately relieve wind pressure. Such signs shall not be used as advertising devices for commercial messages.
(13) Window display signs incorporated into the window display of a business, provided such window display signs are:
A. Limited to one sign per window, with the total area of each sign not exceeding 10% of the area of the window in which it is placed, or six square feet, whichever is less, and limited to an aggregate maximum of 24 square feet per business;
B. Placed only in ground level windows unless no portion of the business is located on the ground level;
C. Erected for no longer than 30 days each if the window sign is temporary. All previously displayed sign age must be removed and not reinstalled for 30 days;
D. The name of the company or business is limited to a maximum of 10% of the actual size of the window display sign.
(14) Window signage with a total area of less than two square feet and bearing only informationabout entry and exit, business hours and/or discount and credit systems accepted in that establishment (e.g., American Express, Master Card, Visa, Golden Buckeye Card, Discover).
(15) A business or use located in a nonresidential district may have one neon "open" sign along each public street right-of-way of which the building fronts containing the business or use. The maximum number of open signs shall be limited to two 12)...-Such sign shall indicate only the words "open" and "dosed" and shall not exceed three square feet in area and one and one-half feet in height.
(16) Traffic and directional signs indicating points of entry or exit for a facility or off-street parking area, provided such signs are limited to two square feet in display area and three feet in height, do not interfere with safe traffic circulation and do not interfere with or obstruct the view of drivers exiting onto highways or thoroughfares and contain no information other than the word "in", "enter", "entrance", "out", "exit", "do not enter", or parking/towing-related information, and/or arrows indicating desired traffic movement. Such signs must be on the property to which they refer and may not be placed within a public right-of-way.
(Ord. 5-14. Passed 8-25-14.)