(A) Prohibited signs. The following types of signs are prohibited in all zoning districts of the village:
(1) Moving signs of which all or any part of the sign moves or which appears to move by any means, including fluttering or rotating;
(2) Flashing signs, except illuminated signs which indicate the time, temperature, weather, or other similar information shall not be considered flashing signs, provided that the total area of such sign is not greater than 16 square feet, the vertical dimension of any letter or number is not greater than 24 inches, and the color or intensity of light is constant except for periodic changes in the information display, which occur not more frequently than once every 30 seconds;
(3) Signs on public land or public rights-of-way, except for those erected at the direction or with the permission of a public authority, real estate open house signs, and signs authorized to project into a right-of-way in accordance with this subchapter;
(4) Portable signs placed on the premises of an individual business or a multi-tenant center in excess of the time limits for such signs as specified in § 154.096(F)(5);
(5) Signs attached to, painted on, or placed on any vehicle, including a trailer that is parked in a location so as to serve as a sign. This provision is not to be construed so as to prohibit the identification of a business or its principal products on a vehicle operating during the normal course of business or parked after business hours, provided parking takes place as inconspicuously as possible and the duration of the parking does not exceed a period of 16 hours, except on weekends or holidays;
(6) Window signs exceeding 25% of surface area of all ground level windows for each building face;
(7) Off-premises advertising signs, except as authorized in § 154.097;
(8) Real estate signs, displayed after seven working days following the removal of the property from the market, or that do not comply with the provisions of divisions (B)(1) below;
(9) Obsolete signs remaining 30 days after they become obsolete;
(10) Signs installed, erected, enlarged, or structurally altered in violation of the provisions of this subchapter;
(11) Signs which have become deteriorated or damaged to an extent that the cost of the reconstruction or restoration of such signs is in excess of 50% of its replacement value exclusive of foundations; and
(12) Other signs not expressly permitted by this subchapter.
(B) Permit exceptions. Except as otherwise limited in this subchapter, the following types of signs are permitted, without a permit, in all of the zoning districts of the village:
(1) Real estate signs:
(a) Consisting of temporary signs not exceeding four square feet in gross area for each 10,000 square feet of lot area or fraction thereof and not exceeding three feet in height for each 10,000 square feet of lot area or fraction thereof, provided the height limitations shall not apply to signs displayed in windows or attached directly to building walls. Height shall be measured from the ground at the base of the sign to the highest point of the sign or its support. Such signs shall be displayed only on the premises which are for sale or lease, with only one such sign permitted for each street frontage; and such signs shall be removed within seven days following the removal of the property from the market. In all dwelling districts, real estate signs shall not be greater than six square feet in area; and
(b) Real estate open house signs and open house directional signs shall be permitted only during open house hours and when the owner or a representative of the owner is in attendance. Such directional signs may be located off-premises and within a street right-of-way, subject to the requirements of § 154.061. Location of such signs in street rights-of-way not under the control of the village shall be subject to the permission of the applicable authority (such as, State Department of Transportation). The pursuit of such permission shall not be the responsibility of the village.
(2) Construction signs, provided only one such sign may be erected on each street frontage for the duration of such construction activities and provided that no sign shall not exceed 50 square feet in area. Signs for exterior remodeling in any dwelling district shall not exceed six square feet in area. Such sign(s) shall be located on the property upon which the construction activity is taking place;
(3) Official public notices and notices posted by a public authority in accordance with public notice requirements as may be required by law, including village codes;
(4) Governmental signs for the control or direction of traffic and other public purposes, such as neighborhood watch program signs, historical markers and plaques, or temporary emergency signs;
(5) Non-illuminated signs in connection with political campaigns (such as, political offices and referenda), civic noncommercial campaigns, and other noncommercial messages subject to the conditions stated below.
(a) Number. The number of signs related to civic noncommercial messages shall be limited to one per civic noncommercial campaign or other noncommercial message for each street frontage. There shall be no limitation on the number of political campaign signs.
(b) Height. In any dwelling district, the signs described in this division (B)(5) shall be limited to ground mounted signs and shall not exceed a height of four feet. In all other districts such signs shall not exceed a height of ten feet.
(c) Area. The gross area of the signs, described in this division (B)(5) shall not exceed 16 square feet in area per sign for residentially zoned areas, and 32 square feet in other such areas and shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from all street right-of-way lines.
(d) Sign display time limitations. In the case of signs associated with civic noncommercial campaigns or other noncommercial messages, such signs may be displayed 30 days prior to and seven days after the event for which they are intended. There shall be no display time limitations on political campaign signs.
(6) “No parking” or “no trespassing” signs which are no larger than one square foot in gross sign area;
(7) Name plates attached to a structure and not exceeding one square foot in gross sign area, when used to advertise professional services or home occupations permitted in the zoning district where the sign is located;
(8) Window signs painted, or applied in decal form, within business and industrial districts only, not exceeding two square foot in gross sign area for each business located on the ground floor of the premises;
(9) Window signs, within business and industrial districts only, not exceeding 25% of surface area of all ground level windows for each building face. Window signs shall be limited to the ground floor level;
(10) Show window signs, within business and industrial districts only, in a window display of merchandise, when incorporated and related in content to such display and not attached to the window, except as permitted in division (B)(9) above;
(11) Single identification signs, within business and industrial districts only, not exceeding four square feet in gross sign area which are hung below a canopy or awning attached to a building in any business or industrial district;
(12) Barber poles, within business and industrial districts only, not exceeding six inches in diameter or more than two feet in height, that are attached to a building located in any business or industrial district;
(13) Flags of any governmental unit of the United States, State of Illinois, or other noncommercial organization;
(14) Gravestones;
(15) Temporary residential garage sale signs including, but not limited to, garage sale, patio sale, yard sale, porch sale, basement sale, or any similarity thereto, that do not exceed six square feet and located upon premises where the sale is taking place. These signs shall be removed within 24 hours following the completion of the sale;
(16) Signs of less than ten square feet in area indicating the name of a building, date of construction, monumental citation, commemorative citation, and similar signs when carved into stone, cast in concrete, or material made of bronze, aluminum, or other permanent type of fabrication and made an integral part of the structure;
(17) Signs warning of on-site hazards, such as height clearances, and provided that such signs shall be kept to the minimum size possible while effectively warning of such hazard;
(18) Address numbers; and
(19) Special purpose signs identified under § 154.096(D), but not including marquee signs.
(C) Subdivision or development identification signs. Up to two permanent subdivision or development signs (one on each corner of the entry street) not exceeding 64 square feet in size each, inclusive of any logo, shall be allowed for any planned development, subdivision, multiple-family (apartment) or condominium development with ten or more lots or units, or for any commercial or industrial subdivision, or commercial/industrial planned development with five or more lots. Where the subdivision or development has access on two or more streets, or has more than one entrance on one street, identification signs shall be allowed at each entrance. These signs are subject to permitting process.
(D) Places of worship, public and semi-public facility signs. Places of worship, hospitals, schools, parks and recreational facilities, libraries, auditoriums, clubs and lodges, and similar facilities shall be permitted one freestanding or wall sign not to exceed 24 square feet, exclusive of one religious symbol without lettering. Such facilities having frontage on two or more streets, shall be permitted one freestanding or wall sign on each street frontage. These signs are subject to permitting process.
(E) Sign placement. No sign shall be placed in or project over a street right-of-way line, except as provided for herein, including signs on canopies, awnings, or marquees that are permitted to project into a right-of-way under the provisions of § 154.055(A). No portion of a freestanding sign shall be located closer than five feet to a property line or two feet to a right-of-way line.
(Ord. 834, passed 2-1-2001; Ord. 942, passed 1-6-2011) Penalty, see § 154.999