(A) General requirements. No sign shall be erected, moved, enlarged, improved or altered nor shall any sign be established or changed in use without an improvement location permit issued by the Plan Commission or its designated representative. Permits shall be issued in conformance with this chapter. The purpose of this section is to promote the use of signs which enhance the visual environment of the town and to encourage the use of signs which are harmonious with their surroundings.
(1) All signs and their surrounding structures shall be kept in good repair;
(2) Any out-of-date sign which refers to a business, owner, or activity no longer existing on the premises where the sign is displayed shall be removed by the owner or lessee of the premises no later than 60 days after the abandonment;
(3) No sign shall be erected or maintained at any location where by reason of its position, working size, shape, color or illumination it may obscure, impair, or interfere with the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic control device, signal, or sign;
(4) No part of any sign attached to the exterior wall of a building shall be erected to a height in excess of six feet above the roof line or parapet line of such building;
(5) No part of any free-standing sign shall be erected to a height greater than that specified for other structures in the district in which it is located; rooftop signs shall not extend more than 20 feet above the roof line nor shall such sign be located closer to an exterior wall than a distance equal to the height such sign extends above the roof;
(6) The area of a sign shall be determined by the smallest circle, triangle, or rectangle that can be used to enclose the sign, exclusive of supporting members that bear no message;
(7) Illumination:
(a) No illuminated sign shall be permitted within 50 feet of any residential district or in the GB District, unless it is so designed that it does not reflect or shine light into the district;
(b) No illuminated sign shall create an unduly distracting or hazardous condition to motorists or pedestrians. No sign shall project beyond a lot line, obstruct a driver's vision of the road, or hinder his or her passage in any way. Further, no sign shall hinder or obstruct any pedestrian path;
(c) All sign illumination shall be indirect or interior. No exposed bulbs, neon tubing or fluorescent tubing shall be allowed, with the exception of automatic changing signs which display time, temperature of other general information and illuminated seasonal or holiday signs;
(8) Each permitted or required parking area that has a capacity of more than five or more cars shall be permitted one sign, not more than two square feet in area, designating each entrance or exit; and one sign, not more than 12 square feet in area, identifying or designating the conditions of use of such parking area for each 25 spaces;
(9) One “For Sale” or “For Rent” sign not more than six square feet in area for each dwelling unit, garage, other quarter, buildings, structures, or land shall be permitted;
(10) One sign, not more than 20 square feet in area, pertaining to the sale of agricultural products raised on the premises shall be permitted;
(11) Signs established by, or by the order of any governmental agency shall be permitted;
(12) One sign, not more than six square feet in area, for construction and development, giving the name of the contractors, engineers, or architects, shall be permitted but only during the time that construction or development is actively under way;
(13) For an event of public interest such as a county fair, or church event, one sign, not over 24 square feet in area and located upon the site of the event shall be permitted. Such sign shall not be erected more than 30 days before the event in question and shall be removed immediately after such event. Also directional signs, not more than three feet in area, showing only a directional arrow and the name of the event of public interest. Such signs shall not be erected more than 14 days before the event in question and shall be removed immediately after the event;
(14) For real estate development that has been approved in accordance with the subdivision control ordinance, one sign, not more than 300 square feet in area advertising the sale of property in such subdivision shall be permitted, but only when located on some portion of the subdivision being advertised for sale. Such sign shall not be illuminated. Such signs shall be maintained only during such time as some portion of the land advertised for sale remains unsold. Permits for such signs shall be issued for one-year periods and may be renewed for additional one-year periods to allow time for reasonable display.
(B) Residential Districts.
(1) A nameplate which shall not exceed one square foot in area is permitted for each dwelling unit of a single family, or multi-family structure; such nameplate shall indicate nothing other than name and/or address of the occupant, and/or customary home occupation. No other sign shall be allowed.
(2) Multiple-family residences and residential projects of all types may display identification signs indicating nothing other than name and/or address of the premises and/or the name of the management. Such sign shall not exceed six square feet in area.
(3) For uses other than those listed in divisions (1) and (2) above, bulletin boards or identification signs indicating nothing other than name and/or address of the premises and schedule of services or other information relevant to the operation of the premises; such signs shall not exceed six square feet in area.
(4) For each use of divisions (2) and (3) above, eligible to display a sign, only one sign per street frontage shall be permitted; except that uses occupying extended frontages shall be permitted one such sign per 500 feet of frontage or major fraction thereof.
(C) GB Districts.
(1) Residential uses shall be subject to the provisions of divisions (B)(1) through (B)(4) above.
(2) Each public recreation, community facility, clinic use, and similar uses shall be permitted one bulletin board or identification sign, not to exceed 12 square feet, except that use occupying extended frontages or major fraction thereof.
(3) Each primary use other than those listed in divisions (B)(1) and (B)(2) above, shall be permitted signs according to the following formula: The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise may have an area equivalent to 1½ square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of width of a building, or part of a building occupied by such enterprise, but shall not exceed a maximum area of 100 square feet.
(4) The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise shall be limited according to the widths of the building or part of the building occupied by such enterprise. For purposes of this section, width shall be measured along the building face nearest parallel to the street line. In the case of a corner lot, either frontage may be used in determining width, but the frontage selected shall be considered the front wall of the building for the purpose of determining maximum area of the sign.
(5) No sign shall project over a lot line and no sign shall project in to a required yard by more than two feet, except in those blocks where 25% of the frontage is already occupied by business uses and where frontage is already occupied by business uses and where overhanging signs are already established. Signs may project to within two feet of an established right-of-way line but in no event shall a sign extend more than six feet beyond the face of the building.
(6) Free-standing signs not over 25 feet in height, having a maximum total sign area of 100 square feet and located not closer than ten feet to any street line, and not closer than 100 feet to any adjoining lot line may be erected to served a group of business establishments.
(D) Special restrictions: signs not permitted in any district.
(1) Banners, pennants, and streamers shall not be permitted except:
(a) Flags and banners of the United States, the State of Indiana or any other political entity, religious or fraternal organization; or
(b) Banners, pennants, and streamers permitted under a temporary sign permit.
(2) Portable, folding, and similar movable signs shall not be permitted, except under a commercial sign permit.
(3) Signs which are structurally unsafe, or are incompatible with their surroundings as determined by the Commission or its designated representatives.
(4) Signs obstructing free ingress or egress from a required exit, or which prevent light or ventilation as required in local codes and ordinances.
(5) Signs which by reason of size, location, content, coloring, or illumination violate municipal or state highway standards.
(6) Signs, word, phrases, symbols, colors, or characteristics which may mislead, interfere with, or confuse motorists, or otherwise be injurious to public health and safety.
(7) Signs erected on or attached to any sidewalk, street, or highway right-of-way, curb, curbstones, hydrant, lamppost, tree barricade, temporary walkway, telephone telegraph, or electric light pole, other utility pole, public fence, or on a fixture of the fire alarm or police system except public information signs.
(8) An advertising sign shall not be painted directly on an exterior wall of a building or structure.
(9) Signs which involve revolving or rotating beams of light.
(Ord. 172, §§ 7-1200 - 7-1203, passed 4-5-90; Am. Ord. 188, passed 2-10-92; Am. Ord. 267, passed 6-28-99)