Accessory signs in any Business District shall be controlled by locational and supplementary area regulations as follows:
(a) A single wall sign shall not exceed 150 square feet in total area.
(b) Projecting signs shall be limited to not more than one for each establishment or store unit and shall not exceed twenty square in total area for each face visible from any location on a public way. Projecting signs shall be located not less than five feet from a side lot line and not less than thirty-five feet from a Residential District boundary line. Signs shall not project into any dedicated right of way or private drive.
(c) Marquee, canopy or covered-walk signs may be attached to the underside of a structural member over a walkway. However, the vertical dimension of such signs shall not exceed eighteen inches, and the lowest member shall be not less than eight feet above the sidewalk grade. The total area of any sign attached to a canopy or covered walk shall not exceed five square feet.
For canopy structures which shelter gas station service islands, no signs shall be displayed on the canopy fascia area, and the fascia area shall be nonilluminated and shall be designed in a manner which does not call attention to the canopy structure.
(d) One ground sign may be located within a required yard, provided that it is on a lot with a minimum street frontage of seventy-five feet and that it is not less than twenty-five feet from another business lot, or not less than twenty-five feet from edge of the street pavement, and not less than fifty feet from a Residential District line. The maximum gross area of a ground sign shall be eighty square feet.
(e) In lieu of the above permitted ground sign, a unified commercial or office complex under a common ownership exceeding 100,000 square feet in gross floor area shall be permitted a monument sign not exceeding 100 square feet in area per side and ten feet in height. The contents of the sign shall be limited to the name of the unified commercial or office complex.
(f) Permanent directional signs indicating traffic routes and similar functions shall be permitted in addition to the limitations of this section, provided that each sign does not exceed six square feet in area and is not closer than twenty-five feet to any side lot line and five feet to the street right-of-way line.
(g) Temporary project signs not exceeding sixty square feet in total area shall be permitted if located on the lot which is occupied by the building or use promoted or if announcing a proposed building or a building under construction. Such project sign shall be located not less than 100 feet from the nearest residential lot line and not less than twenty-five feet from the nearest arterial street or collector street right-of-way line. Permits for such signs shall be for a period not exceeding one year. However, such permits may be renewed while construction is pursued diligently. Project signs may be removed immediately upon commencement of the intended use, but not later than the initial or succeeding one-year period covered by permit.
(h) Other temporary signs announcing sales, new products or special business events may be permitted in addition to the maximum gross area of a permanent business sign, and such signs may be placed on the inside of windows and doors and on the exterior of the building, provided that the gross area of all the temporary signs does not exceed twenty percent of the maximum area of permanent signs permitted for each establishment and provided that such temporary signs are not displayed more than thirty consecutive days unless construction is involved..
(i) Special Signs Districts (to include oversized ground or wall signs), for purposes of creating an integrated sign theme, may be established by ordinance in response to a petition by a majority of sign users within a Business District. The sign theme must not violate safety standards of the Building and Housing Code of the City and/or other requirements of this Zoning Code (with the exception of size requirements). A detailed plan should be submitted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 974.05, 975.10, and 976.09 for approval. Upon approval, a two-thirds affirmative vote by Council is required to establish a Special Sign District. Denial by the Building Commissioner may be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(j) Multiple business signs, i.e. signs identifying stores and services located within the same building, shall be designed in such a manner that their appearance will be harmonious and compatible in character regarding their method of construction, materials, color, illumination and combined size so as to achieve an overall unified effect. (Ord. 48-2001. Passed 9-24-01.)