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The purpose of this section is to regulate signs and billboards in the City of Tyler according to the provisions of this chapter for the following purposes:
a. To protect property values;
b. To preserve the beauty and unique character of the community and the surrounding area;
c. To implement the goals and objectives of the Tyler 1st Comprehensive Plan related to the function, design, and appearance of commercial areas, gateways to the city, highways and arterial roadway corridors, and commercial corridors; (Ord. No. 0-2014-33; 4/23/14)
d. Are maintained properly to avoid creating safety risks due to abandonment, collapse, decay, deterioration, and fire;
e. Enhance the appearance of the city by avoiding clutter and by not interfering with scenic views or character of certain city areas; (Ord. No. 0-2024-68; 7/24/24)
f. To promote and aid in the tourist industry which is of significant importance to the local economy;
g. To protect the public from damage and injury that may be caused by the uncontrolled location and faulty construction of signs;
h. To protect pedestrians and motorists from damage and injury caused or partially attributable to the distractions, obstructions and visual clutter which are the result of improperly situated signs; and
i. To promote the public safety, welfare, convenience and enjoyment of travel and the free flow of traffic.
a. The regulations governing the size, height, number, location, and placement of signs herein are calculated to ensure that all private, public, institutional, commercial, and industrial facilities located in the city have the right to display adequate signs consistent with the need to identify the facility, advertise the location, and indicate services and products available on the premises.
b. Signs containing noncommercial speech are permitted anywhere that advertising or business signs are permitted, subject to the same regulations applicable to such signs. (Ord. No. 0-2016-76; 08/24/16)
c. If any part, section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, phrase, clause, term, or word in this Division is declared invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining portions of this Division. (Ord. No. 0-2016-76; 08/24/16).
d. Except where noted: in this section, all signs erected within the city will be subject to the following general requirements:
1. Signs are permitted within zoned districts in a manner specifically authorized by this section.
2. In order to erect signs or display advertising permanently outdoors legally, a permit must be first obtained from the building official, except where noted. In the case of temporary signs or special promotional advertising, a temporary use permit (TUP) is required as per Article IX, Division B.
3. Electric signs, section signs, and outline lighting must be erected or installed by a State Licensed Electrical Sign Contractor. The company's municipal registration to erect signs with the city shall be filed with the City of Tyler Development Services Department. Additionally, a sign contractor who erects or installs electric signs, section signs or outline lighting must have a valid Master Electrician's license or a Master Sign Electrician's license on staff to perform work on any electric sign. All electrical signs and outline lighting shall be listed and installed according to the City adopted building codes. (Ord. No. 0-2010-119, 11/10/10)
4. No sign base or support structure of any sign type is allowed in the public right of way in any zoning district.
5. Multi-tenant signs, in accordance with the an approved Master Signage Plan, may utilize one roof sign constructed of individually cut lettering and/or graphics without backing panel per frontage in lieu of allowable freestanding signage provided that the sign does not exceed ten percent of the width of the overall building façade and protrude four feet above the midpoint of the principal roof line of a pitched roof or the top of a mansard roof or flat roof for any building or structure. Roof signs shall otherwise be prohibited. Facade signs shall be allowed for each tenant that has a direct, outside entrance or storefront. Sign placement is limited to the extent of the bay or storefront. (Ord. No. 0-2016-76; 08/24/16)
6. Permanent signs and other forms of outdoor advertising may not be located in or permited to project into the public right-of-way, except as provided in this section. (Ord. No. 0-2010-20, 3/10/10)
7. Each sign base or support must be erected on private property and not public right-of-way.
8. Signs that are historically designated shall not be counted towards maximum sign allowance.
e. e.Advertisement will be allowed on the windows of Tyler Transit vehicles subject to approval by the City of Tyler and Tyler Transit.
(Ord. No. 0-2009-19; 3/11/09) (Ord. No. 0-2010-20, 3/10/10) (Ord. No. 0-2010-119; 11/10/10) (Ord. No. 0-2011-45; 6/8/2011) (Ord. No. 0-2016-76; 08/24/16) (Ord. No. 0-2019-62; 8/14/19)
The following signs are exempt from regulation under this code:
a. Any public notice, or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance;
b. Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the lot or parcel on which such sign is located;
c. Works of art that do not include a commercial message;
d. Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message, except in multi-family and non-residential districts;
e. Decorative landscape lighting only;
f. Traffic control signs on private property, such as Stop, Yield, and similar signs that meet U.S. DOT or TXDOT standards;
g. Address and postbox numerals conforming to incidental sign regulations;
h. Government signs erected by the city, county, state, or federal government in furtherance of their governmental responsibility;
i. Legal notices;
j. Memorial signs or tablets and building markers displayed on public or private buildings and tablets or headstones in cemeteries; and
k. Signs prepared by or for the local, state, or federal government marking sites or buildings of historical significance.
(Ord. No. 0-2009-19; 3/11/09) (Ord. No. 0-2010-20, 3/10/10)
All signs not expressly permitted under this code or exempt from regulation hereunder in accordance with the previous section are prohibited in the city. Such signs include, but are not limited to:
a. Beacons;
b. Portable signs;
c. Inflatable signs and balloons, if located within a multi-family or non-residential district;
d. Flashing, fluttering, undulating, swinging, rotating, or otherwise moving signs;
e. Signs, temporary or otherwise, affixed to a tree or utility pole;
f. Signs violating the "sight triangle" provisions (see Sec. 10-218);
g. Off premise advertising signs, except as expressly permitted in this Section;
h. Three-dimensional or statuary signs;
i. Streamers; and
j. Snipe signs.
(Ord. No. 0-2010-20, 3/10/10) (Ord. No. 0-2010-119; 11/10/10)
The following principles will control the computation of sign area and sign height:
a. Computation of Area of Single-Faced Signs
The area of a sign face (which is also the sign area of a wall sign or other sign with only one face) will be computed as the area of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, or triangle in a horizontal plane that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem, or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed, but not including any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall when such fence or wall otherwise meets the requirements of this code and is clearly incidental to the display itself.
b. Computation of Area of Multi-Faced Signs
The sign area for a sign with more than one face will be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one point. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time, and when such sign faces are substantially similar, and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure the sign area will be computed by the measurement of one of the faces.
c. Computation of Height
The height of a sign will be computed as the mean distance from the base(s) of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade will be construed to be the lower of (1) existing grade prior to construction or (2) the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely for the purpose of locating the sign.
d. Computation of Maximum Total Permitted Sign Area
The permitted sum of the area of all individual signs must be computed by applying the zoning district formulae contained in sections 10-408 and 10-409 for maximum area per sign, to the lot frontage, building frontage, or wall area, as appropriate. Lots fronting on two or more streets are allowed to calculate both street frontages into the allowable allocation to be identified by the master signage plan.
e. Computation of Maximum Number of Signs
Pursuant to the tables in sections 10-408 and 10-409 each lot is allocated the maximum number of signs allowed per district. Where indicated, additional signs beyond the identified allowance will be determined by the linear frontage of the lot. (Ord. No. 0-2010-119; 11/10/10)
a. Illumination of all outdoor signs and advertising of permanent or temporary duration, must be accomplished by means of indirect light. Illumination of any type may not be animated, chasing, or flashing.
b. When any sign is illuminated, the light(s) must be properly installed, shaded, or concealed, so that the light emitted will illuminate the sign face and will not interfere with the vision of motorists nor shine directly onto residentially zoned property or abutting residential uses.
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