The purpose of this chapter is to protect the visual environment and public safety by prohibiting private signage on public property in a manner consistent with First Amendment freedoms. This chapter is intended to do the following:
(A) Protect and enhance the visual appearance of the city, increase property values, and preserve and advance the quality of life for residents of the city.
(B) Promote only those signs that create a high-quality visual environment and that are complimentary in scale and proportion with surrounding buildings and harmonious with surrounding neighborhoods.
(C) Ensure that signs do not proliferate to such extent that they create confusion and visually dominate the setting in which they are located.
(D) Ensure that signs are designed and located so as to not create a hazard to the safety and movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
(E) Protect the freedom of speech by establishing only content-neutral reasonable regulations on the time, place, and manner of such signage, and allowing sufficient alternate grounds for communication.
(F) Establish regulations which are content-neutral, and which regulate solely the time, place or manner of signage.
(G) Ensure that there are sufficient alternate grounds of communication.
(Ord. 1114, passed 10-22-20)