The following are the types of permanent signs allowed in the City of Springboro, including any applicable regulations for each type of sign.
(a) Building and Ground Signs.
(1) Maximum Sign Area for All Building and Ground Signs.
A. Table 1281-A establishes the total maximum sign area allowed for the aggregate sign area of all building and ground signs on a lot as established in this section.
B. The maximum sign area in Table 1281-A does not include the sign areas of the following sign types that might also be located on the lot including:
1. Temporary signs;
2. Window signs;
3. Drive-through facility signs;
4. Driveway signs;
5. Pole signs in the Interstate Sign Overlay District; and
6. Permanent signs at entries.
District | Maximum Sign Area Allowance |
Residential Zoning Districts | Ground and building signs are prohibited for residential uses in residential zoning district except for wall signs allowed in Section 1281.04(e). |
Ground signs and buildings signs are permitted for nonresidential uses that are permitted in residential zoning districts. Such uses shall be allowed the same amount of sign area as provided for nonresidential uses in commercial zoning districts below and within this subsection. | |
Commercial Zoning Districts | 1.0 square foot of sign area per lineal foot of facade width of the building if the adjacent thoroughfare has a speed limit of less than 40 miles per hour or 1.5 square foot of sign area per lineal foot of facade width of the building if the adjacent thorough fare has a speed limit of 40 miles per hour or greater. |
Commercial Zoning Districts | Where a building has multiple street frontage (e.g., a corner lot), the maximum sign area shall be the sum of the maximum sign area allowed for each of the building facades facing a street, as calculated based on the ratio above. |
Industrial Zoning Districts | For lots where the principal building has a grass floor area of 10,000 square feet or less; 15 square feet of sign area shall be permitted for each 1,000 square feet of floor area, or fraction thereof. |
For lots where the principal building has a floor area of more than 10,000 square feet: 150 square feet of sign area for the first 10,000 square feet of floor area plus an additional Five square feet for each additional 1,000 square feet of floor area, or fraction thereof, over that first 10,000 square feet. | |
Architectural Sign Overlay District | 20 square feet of sign area per principal building. |
(2) Building Signs.
A. There is no maximum number of permitted building signs.
B. In commercial zoning district, there shall be a maximum sign area for any individual building sign as established in Table 1281-B.
TABLE 1281-B: MAXIMUM INDIVIDUAL BUILDING SIGN AREA IN COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS | ||
Sign Setback from the Curb of the Adjacent Street | Maximum Sign Area of any Individual Building Sign | |
If Street Frontage Has a Ground Sign | If Street Frontage Does Not Have a Ground Sign | |
0 to 100 Feet | 35 Square Feet | 65 Square Feet |
101 to 250 Feet | 50 Square Feet | 80 Square Feet |
251 to 350 Feet | 75 Square Feet | 105 Square Feet |
351 Feet and Over | 100 Square Feet | 130 Square Feet |
C. No single building sign may exceed 500 square feet in sign area in any zoning district.
D. Building signs shall include the total amount of all wall, awning, canopy, soffit, and projecting signs attached to the building. Standards for each individual building sign type are established in this section.
E. Building signs shall not extend above or beyond the surface on which they are attached (e.g., extends beyond the sides of the facade wall or above the roofline);
F. Building signs shall not extend above the top of the roofline of the building to which it is attached. For canopy signs, the signs may be attached above the canopy, which is attached permanently to the building, provided that the sign does not extend above the top of the roofline of the building.
G. Building signs may not be attached to mechanical equipment, roof screening, or detached accessory structures.
H. Building signs may be internally or externally illuminated with the exception of signs in the Architectural Sign Overlay District, in which case, internally illuminated signs are prohibited.
I. Building signs shall not include electronic message signs.
J. Wall Sign Standards. Any wall sign shall comply with the following standards:
1. Wall signs shall be mounted on or flush with a wall and shall not project more than 18 inches from the wall or face of the building to which it is attached except in the Architectural Sign Overlay District where walls signs shall not project more than 6 inches from the wall or face of the building.
2. A wall sign may be mounted on the facade wall or mounted on a raceway or wireway.
3. No wall sign shall cover or obscure any wall opening.
4. No wall sign shall be nearer than 5 feet to any other sign unless such space is calculated as part of the total sign area. See Section 1281.03.
5. No wall sign shall extend above the parapet of the main building to which it is attached, nor beyond the vertical limits of such building.
6. The wall sign allowance may be used for signs attached to roofed structures over fueling stations.
7. Wall signs shall not be painted directly on a building or wall in the Architectural Overlay Zoning District.
8. Wall signs shall not exceed one-half of the height of the surface to which they are attached, or 8 feet, whichever is greater, in the Architectural Overlay Zoning District.
K. Awning or Canopy Sign Standards. Any canopy sign shall comply with the following standards:
1. Signage shall not cover more than fifteen square feet of any individual awning or canopy.
2. Signage may be mounted above any canopy that extends over a customer entrance provided that the maximum sign height over the canopy shall be 18 inches as measured from the top of the canopy to the top of the sign.
3. Only the area of the sign may be illuminated internally on an awning or canopy. The remainder of any awning canopy shall not be illuminated or may be illuminated by an external source such as gooseneck lighting.
L. Projecting Sign Standards. Any projecting sign shall comply with the following standards:
1. Only one projecting sign shall be permitted for each tenant or building unit except in the Architectural Sign Overlay District when there shall be a maximum of one projecting sign per building.
2. A projecting sign shall be perpendicular to the wall of the building to which it is attached and shall not extend more than 4 feet from the facade wall to which it is attached.
3. Projecting signs shall maintain a minimum 6-inch clearance from the facade of any building.
4. Decorative supporting structures for projecting signs are encouraged and shall not count toward the maximum square footage of sign area allowed, however, in no case shall the supporting structure exceed 6 square feet in area.
5. The maximum sign area for a projecting sign shall be 9 square feet.
6. Projecting signs shall not be internally illuminated.
7. Projecting signs must be suspended from brackets approved by the City Manager, or designee, and contain no exposed guy wires or turnbuckles.
8. Projecting signs shall not encroach into any right-of-way except in the Architectural Sign Overlay District when such signs may project up to three feet in the right-of-way subject to the clearance requirements of Section 1281.06(d).
M. Soffit Signs. Soffit signs are permitted where they hang parallel to the building facade and do not extend beyond the fascia. See Figure 1281-9.
(3) Ground Signs.
A. A. Only one ground sign is permitted per street frontage. In the Architectural Sign Overlay District, there shall be a maximum of one ground sign per lot.
B. Table 1281-C establishes the minimum setback and maximum height and sign area for ground signs in zoning districts.
TABLE 1281-C: GROUND SIGN STANDARDS | |||
District | Minimum Setback from Curb | Maximum Height | Maximum Sign Area |
Commercial Zoning Districts | 8 Feet | 6 Feet | 30 Square Feet |
Industrial Zoning Districts | 8 Feet (See Also Maximum Sign Area.) | 20 Feet | 100 Square Feet. The maximum sign area may exceed 100 square feet provided there is one additional foot in setback, beyond the 8-foot minimum, for each additional 8 square feet of sign area beyond the initial 100 square feet of sign area. |
Architectural Sign Overlay District | 4 Feet | 6 Feet | 20 Square Feet |
Note: In no case shall any ground sign exceed 300 square feet in sign area, in any zoning district. | |||
C. Ground Sign Design Requirements.
1. Permitted ground signs shall be located in a landscaped area equal to or larger than the total sign area of the applicable sign. Such landscaped area may be an area that fulfills any landscaping requirements of this code. The landscaped area shall include all points where sign structural supports attach to the ground.
2. Ground signs shall be monument signs such as no support structures are visible.
3. The sign base shall be constructed of the same materials as the building, and the sign style shall be consistent with the architecture of the building located on the same premises.
4. Exposed sign foundations shall be constructed with a finished material such as brick, stone, or wood.
D. All illumination of signs shall be subject to Section 1281.06(g).
E. Ground signs may contain changeable copy. A ground sign may contain up to 100 percent of manual changeable copy in sign area or up to 50 percent of an electronic message sign in sign area subject to the following:
1. No additional changeable copy sign area shall be permitted on a ground sign if there is an electronic message sign.
2. Electronic message signs shall be entirely enclosed in a frame that is flush with the ground or may be mounted on a foundation or pedestal as part of the overall ground sign. Permitted exterior cladding materials for the frames for such signs are stone or brick.
3. Any electronic message sign shall remain static for a minimum of 8 seconds. The transition interval between messages shall be accomplished within one second or less and no animation is permitted during the transition except for a fade or dissolve pattern as defined by this chapter.
4. The complete message must fit on one screen.
5. Electronic message signs may be located in residential districts but shall comply with the following:
a. Only one electronic message sign is permitted on any lot.
b. The sign shall be set back a minimum of 200 feet from any building used as a residential dwelling; and
c. The electronic message sign shall not be operable before civil dawn or after civil twilight but in no case more than 30 minutes before sunrise and no more than 30 minutes after sunset.
6. The electronic message sign shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
7. Illumination shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candles over ambient lighting conditions when measured at 50 feet in any direction from an electronic message sign.
8. Audio emissions from electronic message signs shall be prohibited.
(b) Pole Signs in the Interstate Sign Overlay District. In addition to any ground signs permitted above, one additional pole sign may be permitted on any lot within the Interstate Sign Overlay District in accordance with this section. Such sign shall not be counted as part of the building and ground sign allowance in Section 1281.09(a), above.
(1) Each pole sign shall be located and oriented so that its message area is clearly and continuously visible from at least one direction of travel on the interstate highway.
(2) The pole sign shall not exceed 60 feet in height. A variance permitting a greater height may be granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals only if all the following conditions are present:
A. The 60-foot height limitation prevents compliance with subsection 1281-09(b)(1) hereof due to one or more visual obstructions. For the purpose of this subsection 1281.09(b)(2), other signs shall not be regarded as visual obstructions.
B. The effect of the obstructions cannot be feasibly avoided by locating the sign elsewhere on the same parcel for which the sign is proposed.
C. The height granted by the variance is no more than 10 feet greater than necessary to satisfy the visibility requirement of subsection 1281.09(b)(1) hereof.
D. The location of the sign will not interfere with the continuing compliance of a previously existing sign to the visibility requirement of subsection 1281.09(b)(1) hereof.
(3) Any pole sign with an overall height greater than 25 feet shall be supported by a single pole or standard. All poles or standards used to support the sign shall be painted black or brown. Wood poles or standards shall not be permitted.
(4) Each sign permit application for the pole sign shall be accompanied by the certification of a professional architect or engineer that the proposed sign meets all applicable structural safety standards.
(5) The sign area of the pole sign shall not exceed 120 square feet.
(6) Electronic message signs may be permitted on the pole sign provided:
A. The message area for an electronic message sign shall not exceed 20 percent of the allowable for the pole sign.
B. Light emitted from the electronic message sign shall be limited to a single illuminated color of sign message on a non-illuminated background color.
C. The electronic message sign meets all other standards as established in Section 1281.09(a)(3)E.
(7) Such sign shall be set back a distance of at least 8 feet from all public rights-of-way, and shall not be permitted at any location where vehicular sight distances are adversely affected.
(c) Window Signs.
(1) Window signs shall not require a sign permit but must comply with the requirements of this section.
(2) Window signs shall not occupy more than:
A. 50 percent of the window area in commercial and industrial zoning districts; or
B. 25 percent in any district subject to the Architectural Sign Overlay District.
(3) The sign area is based on the total window area, regardless of the presence of an awning. Window areas separated by piers, architectural elements, or similar features that are not glass or window framing or support shall be considered separate and distinct window areas. See Figure 1281-10.
(4) Window signs may be temporarily or permanently attached to the window surface.
(5) The sign area of window signs shall not be counted as part of any other sign allowance in this chapter.
(6) Window signs are not permitted in any window of a space used for residential uses or purposes unless allowed as a temporary sign in accordance with Section 1281.10.
(7) Window signs shall not be illuminated except when illuminated by an external lighting source or up to one square foot of window signage may be internally illuminated provided there is no blinking, flashing, or other movement of the lighting source.
(d) Drive-Through Facility Signs.
(1) Drive-through facility signs shall only be permitted in commercial and industrial zoning districts.
(2) One drive-through facility sign shall be allowed for each stacking lane in a drive-through facility provided the total aggregate sign area of all ground signs associated with each drive-through facility does not exceed 72 square feet. In no case shall a single drive-through facility sign exceed 36 square feet in sign area.
(3) Such signs shall be oriented so as to only be visible to occupants of vehicles in the stacking lanes of the drive-through facility.
(4) No drive-through facility sign under this section shall exceed six feet in height measured from the grade of the adjacent driving surface to the top of the sign.
(5) Drive-through facility signs may be internally or externally illuminated. Up to 100 percent of each sign may be an electronic message sign if they comply with the following standards:
A. Any message change shall be a static, instant message change.
B. Only Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology or similar quality signs shall be permitted for electronic message signs.
C. The electronic message sign shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
D. The electronic message sign shall be turned off during the hours when the related business is closed.
(6) There shall be no maximum drive-through facility sign area in instances where the signs are fully screened from view of any public street or adjacent residential use.
(7) The sign area of drive-through facility signs shall not be counted as part of any other sign allowance in this chapter.
(8) Drive-through facility signs attached to a wall of building shall be calculated as part of the building signage allowance in Section 1281.09(a)(2).
(e) Driveway Signs.
(1) Driveway signs are only permitted in commercial and industrial zoning districts. Driveway shall also be permitted in residential zoning districts only when permitted as part of a permitted nonresidential use.
(2) A maximum of two signs shall be permitted for any one driveway.
(3) Driveway signs shall be set back at least five feet from all lot lines but in no case shall the sign be set back more than 25 feet from the edge of the driveway where it intersects with the public street.
(4) Each driveway sign shall not exceed four square feet in area and three feet in height.
(5) Driveway signs may be internally or externally illuminated.
(6) The sign area of driveway signs shall not be counted as part of any other sign allowance in this chapter.
(f) Permanent Signs at Entries. Permanent signs may be permitted within a residential subdivision with more than 25 lots, a multi-family development with over 25 units, a nonresidential subdivision with more than 10 acres, or for large, nonresidential multi-tenant buildings on a single lot with more than 10 acres in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(1) The placement and allocation of the permanent sign shall be reviewed and decided upon during the subdivision platting process or as part of a site plan review, whichever is applicable and/or comes first where both are required. A sign permit shall be required for the installation and/or any changes to the signs in accordance with this chapter.
(2) A satisfactory performance guarantee must be posted with the City, where required for subdivisions, assuring completion of the public improvements in the development.
(3) One permanent ground sign shall be permitted for each subdivision or development where such signs are permitted. The Planning Commission may permit additional signs if the subdivision or development has separate access points off of a collector or arterial road.
(4) The sign shall be located within 150 feet of an entrance point into the subdivision or development.
(5) The sign may be located in the right-of-way upon written approval of the specific size, design and location by the City Engineer and if such location is significantly more beneficial to the public interest than any location on private property.
(6) The maximum sign area shall be 40 square feet if the adjacent thoroughfare has a speed limit of less than 40 miles per hour or a maximum sign area of 60 square feet where the adjacent thoroughfare has a speed limit of 40 miles per hour or greater.
(7) The maximum sign height shall be six feet in residential zoning districts and 10 feet in nonresidential zoning districts.
(8) The subdivision plat or site plan shall include the location of the sign and how the sign area shall be allocated to individual lots or tenants for nonresidential development.
(9) Signs permitted under this section may be located on a lot with another freestanding sign as allowed in Section 1281.09(a) without reducing the amount of other signage allowed on the same lot in accordance with this chapter.
(10) Ground Sign Alternative.
A. Up to two wall signs may be permitted as an alternative to the permitted ground sign above.
B. The wall signs shall be mounted to a decorative wall or fence that generally runs parallel with the street and has a minimum length of 500 feet.
C. If an applicant proposes to use wall signs, no ground sign as allowed above, shall be permitted.
(Ord. O-21-6. Passed 6-17-21.)