(a) It shall hereafter be unlawful for any person to erect, place, relocate, expand, modify, maintain or otherwise alter a sign in the City except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(b) Unless otherwise stated, this chapter shall apply to any sign, in any zoning district, that is visible from a public right-of-way or from an adjacent property.
(c) Any sign legally established prior to the effective date of this chapter, and which sign is rendered nonconforming by the provisions herein, shall be subject to the nonconforming sign regulations of Section 1281.11.
(d) All signs shall require the issuance of a sign permit, as established in Section 1281.14, unless otherwise noted below or as specifically stated in other sections of this chapter.
2021 Replacement
1281.04 PLANNING AND ZONING CODE 240
(e) Sign Permit Exemptions. The following signs are subject to the requirements of this chapter are allowed in all districts but do not require a sign permit. Additionally, any sign area for these signs do not count toward the sign area allowances specified in this chapter for all other permitted signs. Permit-exempt signs, or the structures they are attached to, may still be subject to building code or other applicable code requirements.
(1) Signs and/or notices issued by any court, officer or other person in performance of a public duty. Any such sign shall be removed no later than seven days after the last day it is required to be displayed;
(2) Signs that are an integral part of the original construction of vending or similar machines, fuel pumps, automated teller machines, or similar devices that are not of a size or design as to be visible from a street or by any person other than those using the machine or device;
(3) Any sign that is located completely inside a building that is not visible from the exterior (See also the definition of "window sign".);
(4) Signs that are located within a stadium, open-air theater, park, arena or other outdoor use that are not visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property, and can be viewed only by persons within such stadium, open-air theater, park, arena or other outdoor use;
(5) Sign face changes where the sign structure is designed with interchangeable panels and one of the panels is replaced without changing the structure, including any changes to the total sign face area, height or alteration of the sign cabinet. Such permit exemption shall not apply to signs in the Architectural Sign Overlay District (See Section 1281.07) where a certificate of appropriateness is required;
(6) Certain temporary signs as established in Section 1281.10;
(7) A single wall sign placed on the facade of an individual dwelling unit that is not illuminated and does not exceed four square feet in area.
(8) Signs that are an integral part of the historic character of a structure that has been designated an official landmark or historic structure by any agency or body of the governments of the United States, State of Ohio, Warren or Montgomery Counties, or the City of Springboro;
(9) Any signs located on umbrellas, seating or similar patio furniture provided they are located outside of the right-of-way and comply with any other applicable standards of this chapter;
(10) Ground signs and markings located completely within the interior of a lot used for a cemetery where such signs are not designed to be visible from a public street;
(11) Any sign on a truck, bus or other vehicle that is used in the normal course of a business (e.g., deliveries or fleet vehicles for contractors) for transportation (see also Section 1281.05(s)), or signage required by the State or Federal government;
(12) Signs installed or required by a governmental agency including the City of Springboro, Warren or Montgomery Counties, the State of Ohio, and the United States, including local and regional transit agencies;
(13) Any warning signs or traffic safety signs required by public utility providers;
(14) Hand-held signs not set on or affixed to the ground;
(15) No more than four flags located on flagpoles or on wall-mounted posts provided that the following shall apply:
A. The maximum height of flag poles shall not exceed the maximum building height for structures in the subject zoning district, and a maximum sign area of area of forty square feet for any individual flag attached to the pole.
B. The maximum projection for wall-mounted flag post is six feet and a maximum sign area of fifteen square feet per flag.
(16) Any address numbers required by the City of Springboro, Clearcreek Fire District, or U.S. Post Office;
(17) Changes of copy on signs with changeable copy;
(18) Any signs, including illuminated signs, or related decorations erected in observance of religious, national or state holidays which are not intended to be permanent in nature and which contain no advertising material; and
(19) General maintenance, painting, repainting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or any sign structure unless a structural change is made.
(Ord. O-21-6. Passed 6-17-21)
The following types of signs are specifically prohibited within the City of Springboro:
(a) Any sign that copies or imitates signs that are installed by the City or any other governmental agencies or falsely purports to have been authorized by the City or other governmental agency;
(b) Signs that interfere with, obstruct the view of or be similar in appearance to any authorized traffic sign, signal or device because of its position, shape, use of words or color;
(c) Signs that constitute a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate or inappropriate design, construction, repair or maintenance, as determined by the City Manager, or their designee;
(d) Signs that obstruct or interfere with traffic or traffic visibility. See also Section 1262.08;
(e) Windblown devices and signs that flutter with the exception of flags as allowed by the City of Springboro and this chapter;
(f) Balloon signs and air-activated signs;
(g) Three-dimensional signs and multi-faced signs unless two identically sized, flat sign faces are mounted back-to-back with no more than six inches in separation;
(h) Signs utilizing dayglo colors.
(i) Signs that employ any parts or elements which revolve, rotate, whirl, spin or otherwise make use of motion to attract attention. This shall not include changeable copy signs as allowed in this chapter;
(j) Signs with moving or flashing lights except as noted in the changeable copy sign section;
(k) Beacons and searchlights, except for emergency purposes;
(l) Signs or other structures that advertise a business that has not been in business for six months or more, or advertises a product or service that has not been available on the property for the past six month, because such signs are misleading to the public, create undue visual clutter and pose a hazard to traffic control and safety;
(m) Pennants and streamers;
(n) Signs that are applied to trees, bus shelters, utility poles, benches, trash receptacles, newspaper vending machines or boxes, or any other unapproved supporting structure, or otherwise placed in the public right-of-way except as provided for in Section 1281.06(e);
(o) Signs that obstruct or substantially interfere with any window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress to any building;
(p) Signs which are not securely affixed to the ground or otherwise affixed in a permanent manner to an approved supporting structure unless specifically permitted as a temporary sign;
(q) Roof signs or any signs mounted on or above the roofline of any building or structure except as permitted on canopy signs in Section 1281.09;
(r) Portable signs with the exception of sidewalk signs permitted in Section 1281.11; and
(s) Mobile signs:
(1) Mobile signs viewed from a public road with the primary purpose of advertising through signage not otherwise allowed by this chapter. A mobile sign shall be considered to be used for the primary purpose of advertising if:
A. The vehicle or trailer has signage attached to it and fails to display current license plates and registration; or
B. The vehicle or trailer has signage attached to it and is inoperable.
(2) Vehicles or trailers shall not be parked continuously in one location to be used primarily as additional signage. These regulations do not apply to:
A. A vehicle parked at a driver's residence that is the primary means of transportation to and from his or her place of employment;
B. Fleet and delivery vehicles that are actively used as part of a local business establishment;or
C. Any vehicle that is painted or otherwise covered with signage that is used by any person as a personal means of transportation or is actively used as part of a local business establishment.
(t) Any sign not specifically allowed or addressed by this chapter shall be prohibited.
(Ord. O-21-6. Passed 6-17-21.)