In order to serve sign owners' needs and respect their rights to identification, while balancing the aesthetic and safety interests of the community, the regulation of signs within the Village of Rochester is necessary and in the public interest. These regulations are intended to address:
(A) Aesthetics.
(1) Maintain and enhance the beauty, orderliness, unique character, aesthetic environment, and quality of the Village of Rochester in ways that will attract commerce, businesses, economic development, new residents and visitors;
(2) Exercise reasonable controls over the physical characteristics and structural design of signs in a manner that promotes and enhances the aesthetics of all Village zoning districts and that complements the natural surroundings of the village in such a way as to retain economic advantage for this community; and
(3) Reduce visual clutter that may otherwise be caused by the proliferation, improper placement, illumination, animation, excessive height, and excessive sign area (size) of signs that compete for the attention of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
(B) Traffic and Pedestrian Safety.
(1) Promote the public health, safety, and general welfare through reasonable, consistent, and non-discriminatory standards for signs;
(2) Maintain and improve traffic and pedestrian safety through properly located signs;
(3) Regulate signs in a manner so as to not obstruct the vision of, or distract motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians; and
(4) Allow for those traffic-control devices that are consistent with national standards and whose purpose is to promote roadway safety and efficiency by providing for the orderly movement of road users on streets and roadways, that notify users of regulations, and that provide warning and guidance necessary for the safe, uniform and efficient operation of all elements of the traffic stream.
(C) Economic Development.
(1) Promote economic development and the value of nonresidential properties through sensitivity to surrounding land uses and maintenance of an attractive community appearance.
(2) Assist the public and private sectors to identify the location of goods, properties and services.
(D) Effective Communication.
(1) Encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communication; and
(2) Encourage signs that are clear and legible.
(E) Historical Character. Emphasize the village' s small-town historical character by promoting pedestrian-oriented and appropriately scaled signage.
(F) Compatibility with Surroundings.
(1) Allow signs compatible with their surroundings and aid orientation;
(2) Preclude the placement of signs concealing or obstructing adjacent land uses or signs;
(3) Preclude signs from conflicting with the principal permitted use of the site and adjoining sites; and
(4) Minimize the possible adverse effect of signs on nearby public and private property.
(G) Zoning District Considerations. Encourage signs appropriate to the zoning district in which they are located.
(H) Scale, Integration and Design.
(1) Relate signage to the basic principles of good architectural and landscape design;
(2) Establish sizing of signs in relationship to the scale of the lot and/or building on which a sign is to be placed or to which it pertains;
(3) Provide flexibility and encourage variety in signage.
(I) Maintenance and Safety. Protect the public from unsafe signs by encouraging signs to be constructed, installed and maintained in a safe and satisfactory manner, except as may be expressly preempted by state or Federal law.
(J) Property Values.
(1) Protect neighborhood property values by precluding, to the maximum extent possible, sign types that create a nuisance to the occupancy or use of other properties as a result of their number and physical characteristics such as sign area (size), height, illumination, and movement; and
(2) Protect property values by ensuring that the number of signs are in harmony with buildings, neighborhoods, and conforming signs in the area and to avoid the adverse effects and visual blight caused by temporary signs.
(K) Enforcement.
(1) Enable the fair and consistent enforcement of these sign regulations;
(2) Provide standards regarding the non-communicative aspects of signs that are consistent with local, county, state, and Federal law.
(L) The regulations in this subchapter are not intended to
(1) Censor speech or regulate viewpoints;
(2) Extend, for purpose of regulation, the ordinance as it relates to objects that are not traditionally considered signs.
(Ord. 20-19, passed 10-13-2020)