(a) Building signs: Commercial and industrial zones. The following building or facia signs shall be permitted:
(1) On-site advertising signs and structures painted upon or affixed to any building, except in shopping centers and the Commercial Office (C-O) Zone, subject to the following condition: The sign area shall not exceed one and one-half (1-1/2) square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of building frontage but not to exceed a total of three hundred (300) square feet on its principal road, street, or highway. Where more than one business is located in a building or upon a single parcel of record, the frontage of each separate business building facing the right-of-way shall be considered as building frontage;
(2) On-site advertising signs in shopping centers painted upon or affixed to any building, subject to the following conditions:
(i) The sign area shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each lineal foot of building frontage but not to exceed a total of three hundred (300) square feet on its principal road, street, or highway. Where a shopping center contains a major tenant, such sign area limitations may be exceeded by fifty (50) square feet, subject to the approval of the Commission. Where more than one business is located in a building or upon a single parcel of record, the frontage of each separate business facing the right-of-way shall be considered as building frontage. Where four (4) or more separate businesses are located on a parcel of record and where two (2) or more of the businesses face an arcade, mall, or walkway, or where a business has a second or third frontage and entrance facing a parking area in a direction other than that facing the principal street, an additional one-half (1/2) square foot of sign area per lineal foot of each business building facing such parking area, arcade, mall, or walkway shall be permitted, subject to all the conditions set forth in this section.
(ii) Where a canopy, marquee, or eave extends over a walkway, arcade, or mall, one under-canopy sign for each business may be permitted subject to the following conditions:
(aa) The vertical dimension of an under-canopy sign shall not exceed eighteen (18") inches, and the total area shall not exceed five (5) square feet.
(ab) The sign shall have at least a seven foot six inch (7'6") vertical clearance.
(ac) Under-canopy signs shall be of uniform size, design, and height and shall be compatible throughout each development.
(ad) Only the name and type of business shall be displayed on an under-canopy sign;
(3) Subject to the requirements and conditions of the planned development permit, the following signs shall be permitted in the Commercial Office (C-O) Zone:
(i) Business signs advertising only the business conducted or the services provided on the premises shall be permitted. The total sign area permitted on the front of the building shall be limited to one square foot of sign area for each lineal foot of building frontage but not to exceed a total of one hundred (100) square feet. Such sign area may be distributed and permitted on each side of the building that faces a public street.
(ii) Business signs may be internally or reflectively illuminated.
(b) On-site freestanding signs: Commercial and industrial zones. The following signs shall be permitted:
(1) Neighborhood Shopping Center (C-1) Zone and Highway and Arterial Business (C-2) Zone on-site freestanding signs shall be permitted in the C-1 and C-2 Zones pursuant to the following conditions:
(i) The sign area shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each two (2) lineal feet of street frontage, and in no case shall the length exceed eight (8') feet or the height exceed six (6') feet, nor shall the sign copy area exceed a total of thirty-two (32) square feet.
(ii) On-site freestanding signs shall consist of a monument sign as defined in Section 9-4.2303 of this article.
(iii) Shopping centers having two (2) principal street frontages may have one monument sign per frontage.
(iv) On-site freestanding signs shall be designed in accordance with the standards contained in Section 9-4.2309 of this article.
(v) In-lieu of the on-site freestanding monument signs permitted herein above, a “business directory sign” may be permitted in commercial shopping centers in the Highway and Arterial Commercial (C-2) Zone if all buildings within the commercial shopping center have a setback of one hundred fifty (150') feet or more from the centerline of the street, or the building storefronts face in a direction other than towards the primary frontage road, and said sign is subject to the following limitations and conditions:
(aa) The top panel of the sign shall have a minimum height of eighteen (18") inches and shall contain the name of the center only in letters with a maximum height of six (6") inches. The copy may also include a logo.
(ab) Any individual business sign panels shall be located below the top panel and address numerals and shall have a maximum height of six (6") inches. Individual businesses shall not display more than one sign panel per business directory sign which shall not exceed a sign area of two (2) square feet. Tenant sign panels shall be alphabetically listed. All business panel lettering shall have a maximum height of four (4") inches. The bottom of the bottom most panel shall not be less than twelve (12") inches from top of grade.
(ac) Businesses located on end units which either face or side onto the primary frontage road and do not meet the separation distance criteria shall be prohibited from placing a business sign panel on the sign.
(ad) The business directory sign shall have the address numerals of the property in minimum six (6") inch high characters in a prominent location immediately under the top panel of the sign.
(ae) Business directory signs shall be made of sandblasted wood and externally illuminated only. External illumination shall be of a low-profile design shielded to prevent light spillage onto adjacent properties and public rights-of-way and the fixtures shall be screened from view with low-profile landscaping.
(af) Only one directory sign per center shall be allowed and said sign must be oriented towards the primary frontage road. Business directory signs shall be located in a landscaped planter as near to the primary entrance of the shopping center as possible and shall comply with City standards in Plate D-10 for vehicular sight distance at the driveway intersection with the frontage street.
(ag) All sign copy and the individual business sign panels shall utilize the same color letters (copy), letter style and background color which shall be one of the approved sign color(s) for the shopping center.
(ah) Maximum height and length shall not exceed the limits as set forth in subsection (i) above.
(2) Community Shopping Center (C-3) Zone and Regional Shopping Center (C-4) Zone, except for shopping centers, on-site freestanding signs shall be permitted in the C-3 and C-4 Zones pursuant to the following conditions:
(i) The sign area shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each two (2) lineal feet of street frontage, and in no case shall the length exceed eight (8') feet or the height exceed six (6') feet, nor shall the sign copy area exceed a total of thirty-two (32) square feet.
(ii) On-site freestanding signs shall consist of a monument sign as defined in Section 9-4.2303 of this article.
(iii) On-site freestanding signs shall be designed in accordance with the standards contained in Section 9-4.2309 of this article.
(3) Industrial Park (M-1) Zone and Light Manufacturing (M-2) Zone signs shall be permitted as follows:
(i) The sign area shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each two (2) lineal feet of street frontage, and in no case shall the length exceed eight (8') feet or the height exceed six (6') feet, nor shall the sign copy area exceed a total of thirty-two (32) square feet.
(ii) On-site freestanding signs shall consist of a monument sign as defined in Section 9-4.2303 of this article.
(iii) On-site freestanding signs shall be designed in accordance with the standards contained in Section 9-4.2309 of this article.
(4) Commercial Office (C-O) Zone signs shall be permitted as follows: one low profile softly-lighted monument sign may be permitted with the following limitations:
(i) Such sign shall be placed on the principal street frontage.
(ii) The sign area shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each two (2) lineal feet of street frontage, and in no case shall the length exceed eight (8') feet or the height exceed six (6') feet, nor shall the sign copy area exceed a total of thirty-two (32) square feet.
(iii) The sign shall be set back a minimum of ten (10') feet from all public rights-of-way.
(iv) On-site freestanding signs shall be designed in accordance with the standards contained in Section 9-4.2309 of this article.
(c) Off-site freestanding signs, in the Highway and Arterial Business/Auto Mall Zone (C-2/AM) only, way-finder signs shall be allowed within the public right-of-way only for the purpose of providing directional information to auto dealership locations. Said signs may not be used for advertising in any way, including advertising for sales or special events. The way-finder signs may be monument signs or pole mounted signs and shall match the design theme at the Auto Mall. The specific design, location, and components of way-finder signs shall be subject to approval of a special use permit pursuant to Sec. 9-4.2310 of this article.
(§ I, Ord. 248-NS, eff. January 6, 1972, as amended by §§ I and II, Ord. 379-NS, eff. June 14, 1973, §§ V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI, Ord. 423-NS, eff. February 14, 1974, § IV, Ord. 462-NS, eff. June 13, 1974, and § I, Ord. 683-NS, eff. August 10, 1978, § 2, Ord. 1218-NS, eff. September 27, 1994, §§ 2–6, Ord. 1321-NS, eff. June 18, 1998, and § 4, Ord. 1551-NS, eff. February 10, 2011)
Editor's note: Ordinance No. 1557-NS adopted May 10, 2011 amending Sec. 9-4.2308 is not yet effective and is pending codification until effective date as determined in Part 4 of the ordinance.