(a) General requirements.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct, enlarge, modify, or move any sign for which a permit is required under this article without first obtaining a sign permit from the Zoning Administrator, Clerk, and highest elected official, as appropriate, in addition to being in compliance with all of the provisions of this article, each sign shall meet the structural requirements of the Village Building Code.
(2) Permits shall not be required for changes in messages, repainting, cleaning, normal maintenance, or other general refurbishing of any sign.
(3) For purposes of permits, a double-faced sign shall be equivalent of one sign.
(4) Sign permits issued by the Zoning Administrator, Clerk, and highest elected official, as appropriate, for the erection, construction, enlargement, modification, or moving of a sign shall be subject to the following time limitations: Work permitted by the permit issued shall commence within 60 days of the date of issue or the permit shall be null and void. Each sign or work on a sign subject to a permit shall be completed within six months after the date of the permit of the owner shall be required to apply for and receive another permit before continuing to work on the sign.
(b) Application. Each application for a sign permit shall be filed with the Zoning Administrator, Clerk, and highest elected official, as appropriate, on a form provided by that office prior to sign installation or modification. Each complete application shall include the following.
(1) Name, address, and telephone number of the applicant and property owner.
(2) Location of the building, structure, or lot upon which the sign is to be attached or erected.
(3) Name of the person, firm, corporation, or association erecting the sign.
(4) If located on land not owned by the owner of the sign subject to the application, the written consent or approval or a lease or other form of contract executed by the owner of the land on which the sign is to be placed, indicating that permission has been granted for placement of the sign at the location in question.
(5) A scale drawing of the proposed sign, indicating the design of the sign including colors to be used, the materials to be used in its construction, the proposed means of construction or erection, any lighting that is proposed for the sign, and a description of the means by which the sign will be attached to a building or other structure, or to the ground.
(6) A scale site plan showing the location of the building, other structure or site on a given premises to which the sign is to be attached or affixed, demonstrating the relationship of the sign to buildings and other structures on the premises and its property lines.
(7) Electrical permits applied for or obtained for the sign.
(8) Calculations demonstrating that the sign, as it is designed, meets the construction requirements of this article for dead load and wind pressure.
(9) A description of any existing signs that will remain on the site.
(10) At the time an application is submitted to the Zoning Administrator, Clerk, and highest elected official, as appropriate, for a sign permit under this article, the applicant shall pay the applicable fee in full with the fee to be determined in accord with the administrative fee schedule adopted annually by the Village Board and maintained on file with the Zoning Administrator, Clerk, and highest elected official, as appropriate.
(c) Basis for granting. In deciding whether or not to grant a sign permit, the Zoning Administrator, Clerk, and highest elected official, as appropriate, shall determine whether the proposed sign is in compliance with the provisions of this article; whether the sign is in compliance with all provisions of this chapter, including those related to traffic safety, traffic visibility, sign setbacks, and structural integrity; and whether other required village approval(s) has or has not been granted for the sign.
(d) Administration and enforcement.
(1) The Village Building Inspector shall be responsible for enforcing the requirements of this article.
(2) a. Should any sign be erected or constructed that fails to meet all requirements of this article and any applicable building or electrical code, notwithstanding the fact that the owner thereof was granted a permit with which to construct it or, in other cases, that no permit was required under this article, the Building Inspector may provide notice to the owner of the premises upon which it is located that the sign be rebuilt to standards and that the owner, or his or her agent, shall have 30 to 90 days in which to do so.
b. The failure to do so shall result in the loss of the sign permit in cases where a sign permit is required. Signs that are subject to this subsection (d)(2) shall, if not rebuilt or reconstructed by the owner, be treated by the village as abandoned or dilapidated signs, subject to removal by the village in accord with this article.
(3) Violations of this article, if uncorrected in accord with the requirements of the notice provided by the village, shall be subject to imposition of a forfeiture in the amount of not less than $100 for each day such a violation continues, with each day constituting a separate violation.
(4) a. Each violation of the requirements of this article pertaining to permanent signs is deemed by the village to create a public nuisance which endangers the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the village.
b. Correspondingly, in addition to or as a complete alternative to pursuing the imposition of a forfeiture for violations of this article, the village may seek injunctive relief against the continued maintenance of such signs, requesting of the court that it order removal or authorize the village to do so at the expense of the owner of the premises on which the offending sign is located.
(Ord. passed 1-18-2021)