For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ABANDONED SIGN. A sign which no longer advertises or identifies a business, lesser, owner, or activity conducted upon or product available on the premises where the sign is displayed.
ANIMATED SIGN OR CHANGING MESSAGE SIGN. Any sign which includes action or motion, the optical illusion of action or motion, or color changes of all or any part of the sign facing, requires electrical energy or is set in motion by movement of the atmosphere or a sign made up of a series of sections that turn and stop to show 2 or more pictures or messages in the copy area. An ELECTRICAL MESSAGE SIGN is 1 type of this sign.
ANNOUNCEMENT BULLETIN. A CHANGING MESSAGE SIGN used by a church, civic organization, public building, or school, which may include an ELECTRONIC MESSAGE SIGN.
BILLBOARD. See OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGN.
BUSINESS CENTER. A group of 2 or more separate commercial establishments which:
(1) Although separated by walls, are under 1 common ownership or management, share a common parking area, or otherwise present an appearance of 1 continuous commercial area; or
(2) Have a common arrangement for the maintenance of the grounds and are connected by party walls, partitions, covered canopies or other structural members to form 1 continuous structure.
CANOPY OR MARQUEE SIGN. Any sign attached to or constructed within or on a canopy or marquee.
COMMUNITY WELCOME SIGN. An off-premises sign erected or authorized by the township for the purpose of displaying the names, information and emblems of service clubs, places of worship, civic organizations, and quasi-public uses.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A sign containing only directional information and the identification of the activity about public places owned or operated by federal, state, or local governments or their agencies, publicly or privately owned natural phenomena, historic, cultural, scientific, educational, or religious site, deemed to be in the interest of the traveling public.
DISTRICT. Zoning district as established by this chapter.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE SIGN. A sign capable of displaying words, symbols, figures or images that can be electronically or mechanically changed by remote or automatic means, including animated graphics and video.
(1) FADE. A mode of message transition on an electronic message sign accomplished by varying the light intensity, where the first message gradually and uniformly reduces intensity to the point of not being legible and the subsequent message gradually increases intensity to the point of legibility.
(2) DISSOLVE. A mode of message transition on an electronic message sign accomplished by varying the light intensity or pattern, where the first message gradually and uniformly appears to dissipate and lose legibility simultaneously with the gradual and uniform appearance and legibility of the second message.
(3) ANIMATED AND FLASHING SIGNS. A sign that has moving, blinking, chasing, scrolling, or other animation effects, with the exception of fading and dissolving, either inside or outside a building and which are visible from a public right-of-way.
(4) ELECTRONIC DISPLAY SCREEN. A sign or a portion of a sign, that displays an electronic image or video, which may or may not include text. Electronic displays screens include television, plasma, digital, flat, LED screens, video boards, holographic displays, or other technologies of a similar nature.
(5) ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTER. A sign or portion of a sign that uses changing lights to form a message or messages in text form wherein the sequence of messages and the rate of change is electronically programmed and can be modified by electronic processes.
FREESTANDING SIGN. A sign supported by a structure independent of any other structure designed to identify to persons not on the premises, only the title of the business or profession conducted on the premises, and the information shall be supported by a structural frame independent of any other structure.
HEIGHT OF SIGN. The vertical distance to the top edge of the copy area or structure, whichever is higher, as measured from the adjacent street grade.
IDENTIFICATION SIGN.
(1) A sign which carries only the name of the firm, the major enterprise, or the principal product, or service offered for sale on the premises or a combination of these things only to identify location of the premises and not to advertise.
(2) The signs shall be located only on the premises on which the firm or major enterprise in situated, or on which the principal product is offered for sale.
OFFICIAL SIGNS AND NOTICES. An official sign or notice, including public utility signs and public service signs.
OFF-SITE SIGN (OFF-PREMISES SIGN). A sign other than an on-site sign, including COMMUNITY WELCOME SIGNS.
ON-SITE SIGN (ON-PREMISES SIGN). A sign which advertises or identifies only goods, services, facilities, events, or attractions on the premises where located.
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGN.
(1) A sign, including billboards, on which the written or pictorial information is intended to advertise a use, product, service, goods, event, or facility located on other premises, and which is intended primarily for advertising purposes.
(2) Those signs are subject to the Highway Advertising Act of 1972, as amended, Public Act 106 of 1972, being M.C.L.A. §§ 252.301 et seq.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or a building.
SIGN. Any device designed to inform or attract the attention of persons not on the premises on which the sign is located, provided, however, that the following shall not be included in the application of the regulations herein:
(1) Signs not exceeding 1 square foot in area bearing only property numbers, post box numbers, names of occupants of premises, or other identification of premises not having commercial connotations;
(2) Flags and insignias of any government except when displayed in connection with commercial connotations;
(3) Legal notices, identification, information, or directional signs erected, or required by government bodies;
(4) Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving parts or moving lights; and/or
(5) Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking to private property, but bearing no advertising matter. Also see OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGN and FREESTANDING IDENTIFICATION SIGN and sign provisions.
TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign that is intended to be displayed for a limited period of time, as specified in § 150.199.
WALL SIGN. A sign attached to or erected against the wall of a building with the face in a plane parallel to the plane of the building wall.
WINDOW SIGN.
(1) A sign installed on or in a window for the purposes of viewing from outside the premises.
(2) This term does not include merchandise located in a window.
(Ord. -, Article V, § 5.2.2, passed 9-12-2006; Am. Ord. passed - -)