All signs hereafter erected or maintained, except official, public traffic, and street signs, shall conform with the provisions of this section and other ordinances or regulation of the city.
(A) General provisions for all districts. The following regulations shall apply to all signs hereinafter permitted in all districts.
(1) Signs not be permitted within the public right-of-way or easements.
(2) Flashing or rotating signs resembling emergency vehicles shall not be permitted in any district.
(3) No sign shall be permitted to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light, air or access to any building or structure.
(4) Upon notification by the City Council or Zoning Administrator that a sign is rotted, unsafe or unsightly, the owner of the sign or owner of property thereunder shall remove or repair same.
(5) The owner, lessee or manager of any ground sign, and the owner of the land on which the same is located, shall keep grass or weeds and other growth cut, and debris and rubbish cleaned up and removed from the lot on which a sign is located.
(6) All non-commercial signs of any size may be posted from August 1 in a state general election year until ten days following the state general election.
(7) Rotating and/or flashing signs shall not be permitted.
(B) Signs in residential districts. No sign shall be erected in any R-1, R-2 or R-3 District except as follows.
(1) A nameplate sign identifying the owner or occupant of a building or dwelling unit, provided the sign does not exceed two square feet in surface area. The sign may be illuminated.
(2) A sign pertaining to the lease or sale of the building or property, provided the sign does not exceed four square feet in surface area. The sign shall not be illuminated.
(3) A temporary sign identifying an engineer, architect, contractor, or product engaged in or used in the construction of a building, provided the sign does not exceed four square feet in surface area and is removed prior to the occupancy of the building. The sign shall not be illuminated.
(4) One identification sign not to exceed 40 square feet in surface area, displaying location information for churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, clubs, offices, libraries or similar use. An additional sign will be permitted for a lot frontage exceeding 200 feet and every 200 feet thereafter. The sign may be illuminated. Flashing or scrolling signs may not be illuminated from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
(5) Directional, unilluminated signs not exceeding two square feet in surface area displaying directional information for churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, clubs, libraries or similar uses, excluding office or commercial establishments, provided that each use shall be limited to one sign per thoroughfare approach.
(6) Public street identification signs, traffic signs, and directional signs in any parking area where the signs are necessary for the orderly movement of traffic.
(C) Signs in Business Districts. Signs may be erected in Business Districts subject to the following provisions.
(1) The total surface area of all business signs on a lot shall not exceed two square feet per lineal foot of lot frontage, or 10% of the building frontage area, or 75 square feet in area, whichever is greater. Signs may be illuminated.
(2) Advertising sign structures shall be limited to one for a lot of 100 foot frontage or less, and to only one for each additional 100 feet of additional lot frontage.
(3) An advertising structure may not contain more than two signs per facing, nor exceed 55 feet in total length.
(4) No advertising sign may be erected within 100 feet of an adjoining Residential District.
(5) For corner lots, the frontage used to determine allowable sign area shall be the least dimension along a street, but an equivalent sign area shall be allowed facing the intersecting street.
(6) No sign shall project higher than six feet above the height of the building, or 32 feet above the average grade at the building line, whichever is greater.
(7) Signs painted on a building shall be governed by the square footage limitations specified above. Such signs shall be maintained in good condition and shall be repainted, removed, or painted out when, in the opinion of the Council and/or Zoning Administrator, they are not so maintained.
(8) Where a sign is illuminated, the source of light shall not be visible from any public right-of- way, and the light shall be directed away from any Residential District.
(9) No signs shall project more than one foot perpendicular to the building.
(D) Signs in the I-1 General Industry District. Signs may be erected in the I-1 Districts subject to the following provisions.
(1) Advertising sign structures shall be limited to one for a lot of 100 foot frontage or less, and to only one for each additional 100 foot frontage or less, and to only one for each additional 100 feet of additional lot frontage. The structures shall not exceed 55 feet in length. No advertising sign may be erected within 100 feet of a residential district. Signs may be illuminated.
(2) Sign lighting shall not be directed toward a public right-of-way or any residential district.
(3) The total surface area of all business signs on a lot shall not exceed three square feet per lineal foot of lot frontage, or 20% of the building frontage area, or 300 square feet in area, whichever is greater. Signs may be illuminated.
(Ord. 221, passed 11-6-1995; Am. Ord. 274, passed 4-21-2014) Penalty, see § 10.99