A. Permits Required: No person shall erect, alter or relocate within the city any sign without first obtaining a sign permit from the building department and making payment of the required fee. No permit shall be required for cleaning and other normal maintenance or repair of a sign structure so long as the sign or sign structure is not modified in any way. The repainting or refacing of an existing sign, if performed in a professional manner, shall not constitute a modification as long as the sign area remains unchanged.
B. Application: Application for a permit shall be made to the city upon a form provided by the building department as may be required to assure compliance with all appropriate ordinances and regulations of the city including, but not by way of limitation:
1. Legible drawings with description clearly showing location of the sign which is the subject of the permit and all other existing signs whose construction and installation require permits, when such signs are on the same property or zoning lot.
2. Drawings showing the dimensions, colors, construction supports, sizes, electrical wiring and components, materials of the sign, method of attachment and character of structural members to which attachment is to be made. The design, quality, materials, and loading shall conform to the requirements of the city. If required by the city, engineering data shall be supplied on plans by a licensed architect or structural engineer licensed by the state of Illinois.
C. Fees: Application for permits shall be filed with the building department. The schedule of fees for sign permits shall be as follows based upon the size of the sign:
Sign Area (Square Feet)
|
Permanent Permit Cost
|
Temporary Permit Cost
|
0 to 25 | $ 50.00 | $50.00 |
26 to 50 | 85.00 | 50.00 |
51 to 75 | 110.00 | N/A |
76 to 100 | 175.00 | N/A |
101 and over | $175.00, plus $5.00 per square foot over 100 square feet | N/A |
D. Inspection: The person erecting, altering or relocating a sign shall notify the building department upon completion of the work for which permits are required. All ground signs shall be subject to a footing inspection and all signs to a final electrical inspection by the city. Said inspection will verify proper location and compliance with all approved specifications and conditions of the permit.
E. Exemptions: The only signs exempted from the permit requirements are as follows:
1. Signs six (6) square feet in area or smaller in residential districts are exempt from the permit requirements, but must comply with all other regulations in this chapter.
2. Real estate signs, not to exceed six (6) square feet and not illuminated and located entirely within the property to which the sign applies. Such signs shall be removed within seven (7) calendar days of the date of sale.
Real estate open house sign, provided such sign is not located on public right of way, is not illuminated, and does not exceed six (6) square feet. Such signs are only permitted on Saturdays and Sundays.
3. Temporary political signs are exempt from permit requirements, but must comply with subsection 5-9-4B of this chapter.
4. Temporary public and quasi-public signs are exempt from permit requirements, but must comply with subsection 5-9-4C of this chapter.
5. Directional or instructional signs which are located entirely on the property to which they pertain and do not in any way advertise a business and do not exceed three (3) square feet in area, signs identifying restrooms, public telephones, or signs providing direction such as parking lot entrance and exit signs and those of similar nature, but must comply with subsection 5-9-3A4 of this chapter.
6. Memorial signs and tablets displayed on private property.
7. Address numerals and signs not exceeding four (4) square feet in area and bearing the names of the occupants of the premises.
8. Government flags and insignia and signs erected by a governmental body, or under the direction of such a body, and bearing no commercial advertising, such as traffic signals, railroad crossing signs, safety signs, and signs identifying public schools, churches, parks, libraries, and playgrounds.
9. Government flags flown by any person on their premises.
10. Legal notices.
11. Holiday decorations which are clearly incidental and customary and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday; provided that such signs are not erected or maintained more than thirty (30) days prior to the date of the holiday and shall be removed within ten (10) days after the termination thereof.
12. Temporary signs of activity sponsors placed on public baseball fields on the outfield fences, provided that no such signs shall extend beyond the boundaries of any such facility for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days. No signs containing alcoholic beverage, firearms, tobacco, or sexual related materials/advertising will be permitted. The signs shall not exceed twenty four (24) square feet and shall not extend above or below the fence. The advertising shall be shown on one side only facing the playing field. No such signs shall be permitted on more than one field per parcel of property. The signs shall be maintained in good condition and no self-illumination is allowed.
F. Construction: All signs shall be constructed in accordance with applicable provisions of the city building code.
G. Planned Unit Developments (PUDs): Within residential PUDs for which the approved site plan allows nonresidential land uses, the signs allowed within such nonresidential uses shall comply with other provisions of this chapter relating to the specific use.
H. Maintenance: Every sign in the city, including, but not limited to, those signs for which permits or for which no permits or permit fees are required, shall be maintained in good structural condition at all times. All signs, including those exempted, shall be kept neatly painted, including all metal parts and supports. The city shall inspect and have the authority to order the painting, repair, alteration or removal of signs which become dilapidated or are abandoned, or which constitute physical hazard to the public safety.
I. Obsolete Signs: Any sign that advertises a business, event, or a product that no longer exists or sign pylons that no longer support a sign, shall be taken down and removed by the owner, or agent, within ten (10) days after written notification from the city. Upon failure to comply with such notice within the time specified, the city shall cause the removal of such sign from the property to which such sign is attached at the expense of the property owner, including all court costs incurred by the city.
J. Abandoned Signs: All signage relating to structures that have been demolished shall be deemed abandoned and must be removed.
K. Unsafe Signs:
1. If any sign is found to be unsafe or insecure, or is a hazard to the public, the city shall given written notice to the owner or operator of the sign. If he fails to remove or alter the sign so as to comply with the standards herein set forth within ten (10) days after such notice, such sign shall be removed or altered to comply, by the city, at the expense of the property owner, including all court costs incurred by the city. The city may cause any sign that is an immediate peril to persons or property to be removed summarily and with notice.
2. No sign, advertising structure, marquee, canopy or awning shall be erected or maintained in such a manner as to interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with, any authorized traffic sign, signal or device. Accordingly, no sign, advertising structure, marquee, canopy or awning shall make use of the words, "stop", "go", "look", "slow", "danger", or any similar word, phrase, symbol, or character.
3. No sign, advertising structure, marquee, canopy or awning shall be erected or maintained in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision, or as to distract the attention of the driver of any vehicle by reason of position, shape, or color thereof.
4. No fluttering or wind actuated sign, bunting, banners, streamers, pennants or flags shall be erected or maintained except as permitted in subsection 5-9-4G of this chapter.
L. Miscellaneous:
1. No sign shall block any required exit, fire escape, door opening, or window; nor obstruct any opening required for ventilation.
2. No sign or any part thereof shall be in the public right of way.
3. No sign shall be painted or pasted or similarly applied on exterior building walls, roofs or fences.
4. Illuminated signs shall be shaded so as not to shine or reflect light on adjacent residential properties.
5. No flashing signs, animated signs, signs with moving lights or signs creating the illusion of movement shall be permitted in any zoning district, whether located within or without a building if plainly visible from the outside. A sign whereon the current time and/or temperature is indicated by intermittent lighting shall not be deemed to be a prohibited sign because of its flashing. Rotating signs may be permitted by a special use permit.
6. An off premises sign shall be prohibited unless approved as set forth in section 5-9-5, "Special Uses", of this chapter.
7. It shall be unlawful for any person to display on any sign or other advertising structure any matter in writing or in picture which, considered as a whole, predominately appeals to prurient (lewd) interest and goes substantially beyond customary limits of candor in description or representation of such matters, and advertising matter which is untruthful.
8. Portable or wheeled signs are prohibited.
(Ord., 7-1989; amd. Ord. 0-01-10, 4-16-2001, eff. 4-26-2001; Ord. 0-03-18, 6-2-2003, eff. 6-12-2003; Ord. O-18-05, 3-12-2018)