(a) Sign Setback. All required setbacks for signs shall be measured as the distance in feet from the applicable lot line or other stated point of measurement to the closest point on the sign structure.
(b) Sign Height.
(1) The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade (average grade at the base of the sign) to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. The normal grade shall be construed to be the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely undertaken for the purpose of locating or increasing the height of the sign.
(2) The filling of a hole or depression to create an average grade at the same level as that surrounding the hole or depression is permitted, provided such filling is allowed by other ordinances.
(3) In cases where the normal grade is below grade at street level, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public or private street. See Figure 1121-A.
Figure 1121-A: Illustration of the measurement of sign height when the grade
at the bottom of the sign is below the grade of the adjacent street.
(c) Sign Area. The surface of a sign to be included when computing the maximum allowable square footage of sign area shall be calculated as established in this section.
(1) The calculation of sign area shall not include any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall unless such structural support is determined to constitute an integral part of the sign design by means of text or other commercial message, as determined by the Village Administrator. See Figure 1121-B.
(2) For sign copy mounted or painted on a background panel, cabinet, or surface distinctively painted, textured, lighted, or constructed to serve as the background for the sign copy, the sign area shall be computed by means of the total area of the sign face that encompasses the extreme limits of the background panel, cabinet, or surface. See Figure 1121-B and Figure 1121-C.
Figure 1121-B: Illustration of sign area calculation for a freestanding sign
with a copy on a distinct, rectangular cabinet. The brick structural support is
not included in the sign area calculation.
Figure 1121-C: Illustration of computing the sign area for wall signs
with a background panel or cabinet.
(3) For sign copy where individual letters or elements are mounted on a building facade or window where there is no background panel, cabinet, or surface distinctively painted, textured, lighted, or constructed to serve as the background for the sign copy, the sign area shall be computed by means of the single smallest regular geometric shape (i.e., circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, trapezoid, pentagon or hexagon), or combination of regular geometric shapes, that encloses all the letters, elements, and open space associated with the sign. See Figure 1121-D.
Figure 1121-D: Illustration of sign area calculation for wall signs with individual letters.
(4) In cases where there are multiple signs or elements of sign copy on the same surface, any areas of sign copy that are within two (2) feet of one another shall be calculated as a single sign area that shall be computed by means of the above measurements in Paragraphs (2) and (3). See Figure 1121-E.
Figure 1121-E: Illustration of sign area calculations for multiple sign areas on a window sign.
(5) When two (2) identically sized, flat sign faces are placed back-to-back with no more than twelve (12) inches in separation so that both faces cannot be viewed from any one point at the same time, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the sign faces. The twelve (12)-inch separation distance shall not apply in cases where the two (2) faces are part of a single sign cabinet or structure that is fully enclosed. If the two (2) faces are unequal, the sign area shall be calculated based on the larger of the two (2) faces.
(6) Freestanding and projecting signs shall only be permitted to have two (2) sign faces mounted back-to-back.
(7) Facade Measurements.
A. When calculating the permitted sign area based on the width of any facade, such calculation shall be based on viewing the facade from a ninety (90)-degree angle (i.e., straight on) from the adjacent street, regardless of facade insets, offsets, or angles.
See Figure 1121-F.
Figure 1121-F: Illustration of facade width measurement on varied facade shapes.
B. For multi-tenant buildings, the portion of a building that is owned or leased by a single occupant or tenant shall be considered a building unit. See Figure 1121-G.
Figure 1121-G: The above image shows independent buildings (1 and 4) as well
as a multi-tenant building in between. The multi-tenant building has two
building units, as identified as 2 and 3 in the image.
(8) The primary facade shall be the portion of a frontage that serves as the main access point to a building or building unit. A site or building will be considered to have secondary facades when any of the following site/building characteristics are present (See Figure 1121.04 H.):
A. The subject site is a corner lot;
B. The primary parking area is not located adjacent to a public street; or
C. The building or unit has walls with public or customer entrance points that do not face the public street.
Figure 1121.04-H: Common examples of the location of primary and secondary facades.
(9) When a site has a primary and secondary facade as defined herein, the Village Administrator shall determine which wall shall be the primary building facade and which wall(s) shall be the secondary building facade. Only one outside wall of any business shall be considered its primary facade. (Ord. 2879. Passed 10-23-23.)