§ 162.257 RULES AND DEFINITIONS.

   (A)   Rules of construction. For the purpose of this subchapter, certain rules of construction shall apply to the text as follows.

      (1)   Words used in the present tense include the future tense; and the singular includes the plural, unless the context clearly indicates the contrary.

      (2)   The terms SHALL and MUST are always mandatory and not discretionary; the words MAY or SHOULD are permissive.

      (3)   Words or terms not interpreted or defined by this section shall be used with a meaning of common or standard utilization or as otherwise specifically provided in this code.

      (4)   The word PERSON includes a firm, organization, association, partnership, trust, company or corporation, as well as an individual.

      (5)   The words USE or OCCUPY shall include the words INTENDED, DESIGNED, ARRANGED TO BE USED or OCCUPIED.

   (B)   Definitions. The following definitions shall apply in interpretation and enforcement of this subchapter unless otherwise specifically stated.

      ABANDONED SIGN. A sign which for a period of more than one year no longer correctly directs or exhorts any person, advertises a bona fide business, lessor, owner, project of activity conducted or product available on the premises where the sign is displayed, except as otherwise permitted for off premises advertising.

      ANIMATED SIGNS. Any sign which includes action or motion. For purposes of this subchapter, this term does not refer to flashing or changing, all of which are separately defaced.

      BANNER. A sign made of fabric, plastic, paper or other light pliable material, not enclosed in a rigid frame, so as to permit movement of the sign by wind or atmospheric movement.

      BILLBOARD. See STANDARD OUTDOOR ADVERTISING STRUCTURE, § 162.001.

      BUILDING FACE OR WALL. All window and wall area or a building in one place or elevation.

      BUILDING INSPECTOR. The official responsible for enforcement of this subchapter, or his or her designee.

      CANOPY. Any structure attached to a building at the inner end and supported on the other end, or a freestanding structure, with one or more supports, meant to provide shelter from weather elements onto which signs may be affixed or incorporated.

      CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS (MANUAL). A sign on which copy is changed manually in the field, i.e., reader boards with changeable letters or changeable pictorial panels.

      CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS (AUTOMATIC). A sign such as an electronically or electrically controlled public service time, temperature and date sign, message center of reader board, where different copy changes are shown on the same lamp bank.

      CHURCH BULLETIN BOARDS. A sign attached to the exterior of a church or located elsewhere on church premises and used to indicate the services and/or other activities of the church, and including the church name, if desired.

      CITY. The City of Quincy.

      COPY. The wording or graphics on a sign surface.

      DISTRICT. As defined under the zoning regulations and zoning district map.

      ERECT. To build, construct, reconstruct, attach, hang, rehang, alter, place, affix, enlarge, move or relocate.

      FACADE. The front or main part of a building facing a street; for purposes of this subchapter the FACADE is defined as measured from the ground elevations to the lead beam.

      FACE OF SIGN. The entire area of a sign on which copy could be placed. The area of a sign which is visible from one direction as projected on a place.

      FLASHING SIGNS. Any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation, or in externally mounted intermittent light source. Automatic changing signs such as public service time, temperature and date signs or electronically controlled message centers are not classed as FLASHING SIGNS.

      FOOTCANDLE. A measure of illumination on a surface that is everywhere one foot from a uniform point source of light of one candle and equal to one lumen per square foot. A 0.3 FOOTCANDLE is 30% of the light of a single wax candle viewed from one foot away.

      FRONTAGE. The length of the lot along the street side. For corner lots, the longer side of the lot fronting upon a street shall be considered to be the frontage.

      GASOLINE AND OIL SERVICE STATIONS. Any business which dispenses, or is designed to dispense gasoline and/or oil for use in motor vehicles or boats.

      GROUND LEVEL. Immediate surrounding grade.

      HEIGHTS OF SIGN. The vertical distance measured from the surrounding grade to the highest point of sign.

      ILLEGAL SIGNS. A sign which contravenes this subchapter, or a nonconforming sign for which a permit required under a previous ordinance was not obtained.

      INTERIOR PROPERTY LINE. Property lines other than those forming a dedicated public right-of-way.

      LOGO. A letter, character or symbol used to represent a person, corporation or business enterprise.

      LOT. A parcel, tract, plat or area of land accessible by means of a street or other permanently reserved principal means of access. It may be a single parcel separately described in a deed or plat which is recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Deeds, or it may include parts of or a combination of the parcels when adjacent to one another and used as one as determined by the Building Inspector.

      OWNER. A person recorded as such on official records and including duly authorized agent, a purchaser, lessee, devicee, receiver, trustee or any person having a vested or contingent interest in the property or business in question.

      PERSON. Any natural person, firm partnership, association, corporation, company, trust or organization of any kind.

      PREMISES. An area of land with its appurtenances and buildings which, because of its unity of use, may be regarded as the smallest conveyable unit of real estate.

      READER BOARDS. Any sign that has changeable or removable lettering.

      RIGHT-OF-WAY (R.O.W.). Any publicly owned or used right-of-way.

      ROOF LINE. The highest point of the coping of a flat roof, false mansard or parapet wall; the decline of a true mansard roof; the ridge line between the upper and lower slopes of a gambrel roof; or the mean height level between the eaves and ridge for a gable or hip roof.

      SEASONAL OR SPECIAL OCCASION TEMPORARY SIGNS. A sign which is not permanent and is limited to a special activity or in the celebration of holidays or other special events.

      SETBACK. The minimum, horizontal distance between either the face of curb, the edge of pavement, or the right-of-way line and the sign structure as specified in a particular section of this subchapter.

      SHOPPING CENTER. A building containing two or more shops, stores and other retail and/or service places of business, and providing off-street parking facilities in common for all of the businesses and their customers.

      SHOW WINDOW SIGNS. Any temporary sign advertising sales or specials attached to or within three feet of the glass surface or any fixed window (glazing) visible from a public right-of-way.

      SIGN. Any identification, description, illustration or device illuminated or non-illuminated which is visible from any public place or is located on private property and exposed to the public and which directs attention to a product, service, place, activity, person, institution, business or solicitation, including any permanently installed or situated merchandise or any emblem, painting, banner, pennant or placard designed to advertise, identify or convey information, with the exception of window displays and national flags. For the purposes of this subchapter, this definition shall include, but not be limited to, those SIGNS painted directly upon a building or other structure. For the purpose of removal, SIGNS shall also include all sign structures. Not included are decorative devices or emblems as may be displayed on a residential mailbox.

      SIGN AREA. The area of the sign face. The SIGN AREA of a multi-faced sign is the sum of the sign areas of each face, including structural trim which can be seen from a single location on an adjacent street. If a sign is attached to a building or suspended in any manner whereby there is no apparent trim or confirming border, the SIGN AREA shall be computed by drawing an imaginary straight line around a generally rectangular margin and measuring the area so encompassed upon a building or other structure.

      SIGN, ATTACHED. A sign erected or placed upon the wall of any building with the plane of the face parallel to the plane of the wall.

      SIGN, BACKLIT. An internally illuminated sign in which light travels through the sign face.

      SIGN, CANOPY. Any sign hanging entirely beneath a canopy, portico or marquee.

      SIGN, COMMERCIAL DIRECTORY. A permanent pole sign designating the name of a commercial center and listing the various tenants of the center.

      SIGN, CONSTRUCTION. A temporary sign used during construction of new buildings or reconstruction of or additions to existing buildings, such as those identifying the project and denoting the owner, architect, engineer, contractor and/or financing institutions of the project.

      SIGN, DIRECTIONAL. A sign which indicates a direction for vehicular or pedestrian traffic or other movement.

      SIGN, ELECTRICAL. A sign containing electrical wiring which is attached or intended to be attached to an electrical energy source.

      SIGN, FLUTTERING. A sign which flutters and includes banners, flags, pennants or other flexible material which moves with the wind or by some artificial means.

      SIGN, GROUND. Any detached sign of the same lot or parcel as the use it advertises which has its bottom portion erected upon or supported by the ground, a ground planter box or other supports.

      SIGN, ILLUMINATED. Any sign which is illuminated by light sources mounted on or in the sign or at some other location.

      SIGN, MEMORIAL OR TABLET. The permanent part of a building which denotes the name of the building, date of erection, historical significance, dedication or other similar in information.

      SIGN, NONCONFORMING. A sign legally erected under the previously existing ordinances of the city, but which does not conform to the provisions of this subchapter.

      SIGN, OPEN LETTER. A sign consisting of letters and/or numbers attached to the face of a building without structural trim or background.

      SIGN, OVERHANGING. Any sign which project more than twelve inches beyond the plane of the wall on which the sign is erected or attached.

      SIGN, OCCUPATIONAL AND/OR IDENTIFICATION. An attached wall sign not larger than two square feet in area identifying the name of a person occupying a building.

      SIGN, POLITICAL. A temporary sign advocating or opposing any political proposition or candidate for public office.

      SIGN, POLE. Any detached sign located on the same lot or parcel as the use it advertises which is supported by one or more stationary poles no taller than 30 feet above the mean grade line of the ground at its base provided that this shall not include a permitted ground sign as set forth.

      SIGN, PORTABLE. See TEMPORARY SIGN.

      SIGN, PROJECT IDENTIFICATION. A permanent ground sign identifying an apartment complex, condominium project or mobile home development entry, name and/or street names within the project.

      SIGN, PROJECTING. Any sign which projects more than 12 inches beyond the plane of the wall on the sign which is erected or attached.

      SIGN, PROPERTY REAL ESTATE. A sign pertaining only to the prospective rental, lease or sale of the property upon which it is located. REAL ESTATE SIGNS shall be exclude from the definition of pole signs.

      SIGNS, RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. Any temporary sign that provides direction to any residential development under construction, or promotes the residential development on the project site.

      SIGN, ROOF. Any sign erected on a roof but excluding marquee and canopy signs and wall signs. The generally vertical plan of a mansard-type roof shall be interpreted as the same as a wall of a building.

      SIGN, STRUCTURE. The sign and all parts associated with its construction.

      SPECIAL DISPLAYS. Signs not exceeding 32 square feet, used for holidays, public demonstrations or promotion of civil welfare or charitable purposes.

      SIGN, SUPPORTS. All structures by which a sign is held up, including, for example, poles, braces, guys and anchors.

      STREET. A public thoroughfare which affords the principal means of access to abutting property.

      SUBDIVISION IDENTIFICATION SIGNS. A permanent ground sign identifying a subdivision entry, subdivision name and/or street names within the subdivision.

      TEMPORARY SIGNS. Any sign intended for a limited or intermittent period of display or which is portable and not permanently attached or affixed to real estate or any improvement thereon.

      TEMPORARY WINDOW SIGNS. A temporary sign affixed to the inside or hanging within three feet of an exterior window or glass door.

      USE. The purpose of which a building, lot, sign or other structure is arranged, intended, designed, occupied or maintained.

      ZONING REGULATIONS. The zoning regulations of the city and the current zoning district map related thereto.

(1980 Code, § 29.1403) (Ord. 9104, passed 4-2-2007; Ord. 9165, passed 2-22-2010; Ord. 9240, passed 7-29-2013; Ord. 9271, passed 12-22-2014)