The following definitions are adopted in addition to the definitions in the Sign Code, as amended herein:
ANIMATION: The presentation of pictorials and/or graphics on signs displayed in a progression of frames which give the illusion of motion, including, but not limited to, the illusion of moving objects, moving patterns or bands of light.
APPLICANT: For the purpose of this chapter, "applicant" shall be an individual or licensed sign contractor in the City.
AWNING: A cloth, plastic, or other nonstructural covering that either is permanently attached to a building or can be raised or retracted to a position against the building when not in use.
AWNING SIGN: A sign that is painted on or attached to an awning or otherwise incorporated into the fabric of an awning.
BANNER: A strip of cloth, canvas, plastic, vinyl, or other flexible material on which a sign is painted and may be suspended between two (2) structures or hung on the face of a single structure.
BILLBOARD OR OUTDOOR ADVERTISING: See definition of Off Premises Sign.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: The city of Pocatello building department.
BUSINESS SIGN: An advertising or business identification sign that directs attention to a business, profession, corporation, service or entertainment sold or offered upon the premises where such a sign is located or to which it is attached.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN: A manually operated sign that displays graphics or a message that can be easily changed or altered.
COMMERCIAL/PROFESSIONAL PLAZA: A complex (i.e., strip mall, shopping center) housing two (2) or more tenants in a one-story building/buildings. Such a plaza can be defined by common architectural elements, shared street frontages/entrances/parking lots, and/or common ownership. Plazas usually have direct customer access from parking areas.
COMMON SIGNAGE: Signage which identifies the name of a mall, plaza, professional building, or other multiuse facility as well as collectively advertising individual businesses/tenants located within the complex. These signs commonly feature a "directory style" listing.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN: A temporary sign identifying an architect, contractor, subcontractor and/or material supplier participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located.
COPY: The wording of a sign surface in either permanent or removable letter form.
COPY AREA: The actual area of a sign face or, in the case of individually applied lettering on walls or awnings, the area computed by drawing straight lines to enclose the extremities of the letters or numbers.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN: A sign which warns or directs the viewer of action to be taken on private property such as, but not limited to, "No Trespassing", "Beware Of Dog", "Enter Or Exit" signs.
DISPLAY: Attractions (such as graphic exterior paint treatments, searchlights, flags, murals, balloons, statues, sculptures, fountains, or other features) which do not clearly fall within the definition of a "sign", but which for commercial or noncommercial purposes direct attention to an institution, organization, or business.
DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT: An area designated by ordinance that contains unique visual or historic characteristics or whose natural beauty requires special sign regulations to ensure that signs displayed within the area are compatible.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE DISPLAY (EMD): A sign or portion thereof capable of displaying words, symbols, figures or images that can be electronically or mechanically changed by remote or automatic means.
ERECT: To construct or allow to be constructed, but not including any activity when performed as an incident to the change of advertising message or normal maintenance of a sign or sign structure.
EXTERNALLY LIT SIGN: A sign structure that is illuminated with outside fixtures (i.e., floodlights or externally mounted fluorescent or neon lighting).
FACE: The area made available by the sign structure for the purpose of displaying an advertising message.
FACE CHANGE: Reuse of an existing cabinet which does not involve changes in structure.
FESTOON: A string of ribbons, tinsel, small flags, pinwheels, or like material.
FLAG: Any fabric, banner, or bunting containing distinctive colors, patterns, or symbols used as a symbol of a government, restaurant, franchise, or other entity.
FOOT-CANDLE: A unit of illumination equal to the illuminance produced on a surface one foot (1') from a uniform point source of one candela, usually measured by a light meter.
FREESTANDING SIGN: Any nonmovable sign not affixed to a building.
FRONTAGE: A linear distance used in determining the allowable size and location of signs.
Building Frontage: The linear distance which equals the horizontal length of any side of a building which faces and is parallel to the street frontage.
Business Frontage: That portion of the total building frontage which is occupied by the front of any individual business derived by measuring the linear frontage of whichever wall of the business contains the main entrance(s).
Open Space Frontage: The linear distance of any parcel along a single street derived by subtracting the building frontage from the street frontage of the property.
Street Frontage: The linear distance along a single street measured between property lines of any parcel which abuts that street.
GENERAL INFORMATION SIGN: A sign that identifies public facilities and services or gives information to travelers (i.e., hospitals and airports).
GRADE: The average ground elevation within fifty feet (50') of a sign. In the case of signs located within a sight triangle, the curb height is considered to be grade.
GROUND SIGN: A nonmovable, freestanding sign, other than a pole sign, in which the entire bottom is in contact with or is close to the ground.
HEIGHT OF A SIGN: Sign height shall be measured from the top of the curb along the nearest right-of-way. If curb does not exist then height shall be measured from the top of the sidewalk along the nearest right-of-way. If curb and sidewalk do not exist, then the sign height shall be measured from the edge of the asphalt along the nearest right-of-way.
HISTORIC DISTRICT CHANGEABLE SIGN: Changeable copy signs that are allowed in the Downtown Historic District only, and which are portable. The design and size of historic district changeable signs must be approved by the Old Town Pocatello Board of Directors and the Historic Preservation Commission.
IDENTIFICATION SIGN: A sign that identifies the name of the building, owner and/or street address, rather than a business within that building. It may also indicate the date of establishment as in a memorial tablet, but sets forth no other advertisement.
ILLEGAL SIGN: A sign unlawfully erected either before or after the effective date hereof. See also definition of nonconforming sign.
ILLUMINANCE: Density of luminous flux incident on a surface. Measured in foot-candle or lux.
ILLUMINATED SIGN: A sign in which a source of light is used in order to make the message readable. This definition includes internally and externally lighted signs.
INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS: An establishment located on either a separate site or within a multiuse commercial/professional plaza.
INTERNALLY LIT SIGN: A sign that is illuminated from within the structure.
LICENSED SIGN CONTRACTOR: A person or business duly licensed under ordinance and regulations of the City to construct, paint, and/or install signs within the City limits.
MULTIFACED SIGN: A spherical or other sign with more than two (2) faces.
MULTIUSE BUILDINGS/SIGNAGE: See definitions of commercial/professional plaza, professional office building, and common signage.
MURAL: A drawing or picture painted on a wall which contains no printed words and which depicts no logo or other business symbol.
MURAL SIGN: A drawing or picture painted on a wall which contains printed words, logo or other business symbol.
NIT: A luminance unit equal to one candela (1 candle) per square meter measured perpendicular to the rays from the source.
NONCONFORMING SIGN: A sign lawfully erected before the effective date hereof which does not fully comply with provisions of this chapter.
OFF PREMISES SIGN: A sign advertising an establishment, merchandise, service or entertainment which is not sold, produced, manufactured, or furnished at the site on which the sign is located (i.e., billboards or outdoor advertising).
ON PREMISES SIGN: A sign which carries advertisements incidental to a lawful use of the premises on which it is located, including signs or sign devices indicating the business transacted, services rendered, goods sold or produced on the premises, name of the person, firm or corporation occupying the premises or site.
PAINTED WALL SIGN: A sign painted directly on the exterior wall of a building or structure.
PENNANT: A flag or banner which tapers to a point.
POLE SIGN: A detached sign erected and maintained on one or more freestanding masts or poles and not attached to any building with a minimum height of eight feet (8'). This does not include a "ground sign".
PORTABLE SIGN: A sign that is easily movable from place to place, including, but not limited to, A-frame (menu and sandwich boards), "T" shape, and inverted "T" shape sign structures. Exception: Business identification copy, whether painted on vehicles or on magnetic signs attached to the sides, hood or back of vehicles does not constitute a portable sign.
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE BUILDING: A structure designed for professional offices (rather than commercial space). Such buildings generally have more than one floor and have shared entrances for their clientele.
PROJECTING SIGN: Any sign, other than a wall sign, which projects from and is supported by the wall of a building or structure, excluding awnings.
PUBLIC SERVICE SIGN: A sign which announces public activities or charitable events to take place, or gives information of value to all citizens.
READER BOARD: A sign on which different messages can be displayed. A manual reader board includes messages which are changed by use of removable letters that must be physically placed and arranged on the sign. Messages are usually displayed for periods of twenty four (24) hours or longer. Electronic reader boards may be programmed to change messages at different intervals, different colors, and different levels of brightness. Electronic reader boards may also have the capability to display moving text and/or images. See also definition of electronic message display.
REAL ESTATE SIGN: Any sign pertaining to the sale, lease, or rental of land or buildings located on the parcel of land or building which is being offered.
ROOF SIGN: Any sign erected upon, against, or directly above a roof or roof eave, or on top or above the parapet, or on a functional architectural appendage above the roof or roof eave which exceeds the highest point of a roof or parapet wall.
SAIL: A piece of cloth, varying in size, shape, color and design, attached at one edge to a staff or cord for the entire vertical length of the cloth, and used as a means of conveying a message or advertisement. The staff is typically stabilized in the lawn area.
SIGHT TRIANGLE: A triangular shaped forty foot by forty foot (40' x 40') portion of land established at any ingress/egress in which nothing is erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in such a manner as to limit or obstruct the sight distance of motorists entering or leaving the intersection. On private property the sight triangle includes the triangular shaped portion of land defined above and established at any ingress/egress in which greater than three feet (3') in height is erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to limit or obstruct the sight distance of motorists entering or leaving the ingress/egress. See typical sight triangles at street/driveway ingress/egress diagram below.
TYPICAL SIGHT TRIANGLES AT
STREET/DRIVEWAY INTERSECTIONS
SIGN: Any material, structure, or device or part thereof, composed of lettered or pictorial matter upon which lettered or pictorial matter is placed in such a manner as to be viewed by persons out of doors, including window display of an advertisement, announcement, notice, directional matter, or name, and including sign frames, billboards, signboards, painted wall signs, hanging signs, illuminated signs, pennants, festoons, banners, projecting signs, or ground signs, and shall also include any announcement, declaration, demonstration, display, illustration, or insignia used to advertise or promote the interests of any person or business when the same is placed in view of the general public.
SITE AND/OR PREMISES: Contiguous land under the same ownership which is not divided by any public street or alley or the entire area used as one commercial/professional plaza, including parking lots, or the entire area operated as one business regardless of ownership.
SNIPE SIGN: A temporary sign or poster affixed to a tree, fence, utility pole, etc., including, but not limited to, garage/yard sale signs, auction signs, etc.
STREAMING VIDEO: Electronic video displays utilizing content in motion picture form similar to or otherwise depicting a television screen.
STRUCTURE: Any material/device which supports or is capable of supporting any "sign" as defined herein.
SUSPENDED OR PROJECTING SIGN: A small scale sign which hangs from rather than being firmly attached to a support structure. Typically such signs are used below a canopy awning primarily to identify a business for pedestrian traffic in the Downtown Historic District.
TEMPORARY SIGN: A sign which is intended to advertise community or civic projects, construction projects, real estate for sale or lease, other special commercial events, political candidates or public issues to be voted upon at an official election.
VEHICLE SIGN: Any sign, logo, or advertisement placed, painted, attached, or displayed on a vehicle.
WALL SIGN: A sign attached to or erected upon the wall of a building or structure. A wall sign shall project no farther than eighteen inches (18") from the building or structure and shall not exceed the highest point of the roof, wall, or parapet structure.
WINDOW SIGN: A sign applied, painted or affixed to or in the window of a building. Legal window signs shall occupy no more than fifty percent (50%) of the total window area.
ZONING DISTRICT: An area designated by ordinance for which there exist regulations governing the use of buildings and premises or the height and area of buildings are uniform. Such district shall also regulate signage within a specific area. (Ord. 3008, 2018: Ord. 2967, 2016: Ord. 2958, 2015: Ord. 2915, 2012: Ord. 2813 §§ 1, 2, 2007: Ord. 2702 § 1, 2002: Ord. 2501 § 6, 1995: Ord. 2349, 1991)