The regulation of the location, size and placement of signs is necessary to permit essential information to be conveyed to public officials and citizens without confusion or distortion or undue difficulty, to encourage the general attractiveness of the community, and protect property values therein. Accordingly, it is the intent of this title to establish regulations governing the display of signs which will:
A. Maintain and enhance the village's appearance by regulating the design, character, location, number, type, quality of materials, size, illumination and maintenance of signs.
B. Serve the village's interests in maintaining and enhancing its visual appeal for residents and visitors by preventing the degradation of visual quality which can result from excessive and poorly designed, located or maintained signage.
C. Generally limit commercial signage to on site locations in order to protect the aesthetic environment from the visual clutter associated with the unrestricted proliferation of signs, while providing channels of communication to the public.
D. Establish sign sizes in relationship to the scale of the lot and building on which the sign is to be placed or to which it pertains.
E. Minimize the possible adverse effects of signs on nearby public and private property, including streets, roads and highways.
F. Protect the investments in property and lifestyle quality made by persons who choose to live, work or do business in the village.
G. Limit the size and number of signs to levels that reasonably allow for the identification of a residential, public or commercial location and the nature of any such commercial business.
H. Protect and improve pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety by balancing the need for signs that facilitate the safe and smooth flow of traffic (e.g., directional signs and on site signs) without an excess of signage which may distract drivers or overload their capacity to quickly receive information.
I. Reduce hazardous situations, confusion and visual clutter caused by the proliferation, placement, illumination, animation and excessive height, area and bulk of signs which compete for the attention of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
J. Respect and protect the right of free speech by sign display, while reasonably regulating the structural, locational and other noncommunicative aspects of signs, generally for the public health, safety, welfare and specifically to serve the public interests in community aesthetics and traffic and pedestrian safety.
K. Encourage signs that are appropriate to the zoning district in which they are located and consistent with the permitted uses of the subject property.
L. Avoid unnecessary and time consuming approval requirements for certain minor or temporary signs that do not require review for compliance with the village's building and electrical codes while limiting the size and number of such signs so as to minimize visual clutter.
M. Enable the fair, consistent and efficient enforcement of the sign regulations of the village.
N. Regulate signs in a constitutional manner, which is content neutral as to noncommercial signs and viewpoint neutral as to commercial signs. All administrative interpretations and discretion is to be exercised in light of this policy and consistent with the purposes and intent stated in this section. (Ord. 08-12-14, 12-2-2008)