For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
(1) ADMINISTRATOR. The administrator shall be the Director of Administration or his or her authorized representative.
(2) BALLOON. An inflatable bag filled with any gas, or sometimes filled with a gas to cause the balloon to rise into the atmosphere.
(3) BANNER. Any sign of lightweight fabric or similar material which is mounted to a pole, a building, a vehicle, or a tree at one or more edges. All banners shall be considered temporary signage. Flags of governmental jurisdiction and flags carrying the emblem of a business or institution are not to be considered a banner for the purpose of this chapter.
(4) BEACON or SEARCHLIGHT. Any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere or directed at one or more points not on the same lot as the light source; also, any light with one or more beams that rotate or move. Beacons are not permitted by this chapter.
(5) BILLBOARD. A sign, of any size, directing attention to specific business, product, service, entertainment or other activity sold, offered or conducted elsewhere than upon the lot on which the sign is located for public service and information or for political advertising.
(6) DECORATIVE BANNER. A banner attached to a light pole or similar fixture that is meant purely for decorative purposes or the promotion of the City of Urbana or nonprofit institutions and events. The placement of this type of banner shall be approved by the Director of Administration or his or her designee.
(7) CUT-OUT LETTERS. Any molded, shaped, formed, or fabricated letters.
(8) ERECT. To build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend or affix, and shall also include the painting of signs directly upon a wall or other surfaces.
(9) FACE. Any viewable side of a sign. One sign may have multiple faces.
(10) FESTIVAL BANNER. A banner displayed by public or quasi-public organizations for special purposes (such as County Fair, special school event, etc.) that shall be approved by the Director of Administration or his or her designee for a period not to exceed 30 days.
(11) FLAG. An ensign, standard, colors, or emblem of a government body, association, group, business, or corporation. This definition shall include flags with the wording "OPEN," "SALE," and flags that depict a commercial logo or branding symbol. Flags of governmental jurisdiction and flags carrying the emblem of a business or institution are not to be considered a flag for the purpose of this chapter.
(12) LOT. A portion or parcel of land considered as a unit, the boundaries of which have been established by a legal instrument of record, and which is recognized and intended as a unit for the purpose of transfer of ownership.
(13) NONCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL. Any material which meets the combustibility requirements of the Ohio Basic Building Code (OBBC) for the specific application as tested in accordance with ASTM E-136.
(14) PENNANT/FESTOON/STREAMER/SPINNER. Any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, suspended from a rope, wire, or string, usually in series, designed to move in the wind. A pennant/festoon/streamer/spinner is a temporary sign.
(15) PERSON. Any individual, association, company, corporation, firm, organization, or partnership, singular or plural.
(16) SETBACK. An open space on a lot which is unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward. Setback shall be further defined as a line parallel to the front, side or rear lot line extending across the full width of the lot, set a horizontal distance from the respective lot line equal to that specified in Appendix A, 2 of this chapter.
(17) SINGLE USE BUILDING. A building designed and intended to be occupied by only one business.
(18) SIGN. Any device, fixture, placard, or structure that uses any color, form, graphic, illumination, symbol, or writing to advertise, draw attention to, announce the purpose of, or identify the purpose of a person or entity, or to communicate information of any kind to the public.
(19) SIGN, ANIMATED. Any sign that uses movement of change or lighting to depict action or create a special effort or scene. With the exception of electronic message signs, animated signs are not permitted by this chapter.
(20) SIGN, CANOPY. Any sign that is part of or attached to an awning, canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area, except a marquee. (See sign, marquee)
(21) SIGN, CHANGEABLE COPY. A sign or portion thereof with characters, letters, or illustration that can be changed or rearranged without altering the face or the surface of the sign, except electronic message boards. A sign on which the only copy that changes is an electronic or mechanical indication of time or temperature shall be considered a "time and temperature" portion of a sign and not a changeable copy sign for the purposes of this chapter. Changeable copy signs must be a part of and integral to a ground, pylon or wall sign.
(22) SIGN, DIRECTIONAL. An on-premise sign indicating a direction or location to which pedestrian or vehicular traffic is requested to move.
(23) SIGN, ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD. Any sign that incorporates the use of lights, neon, LED, Liquid Crystal Display, TV Screen, or other lighting device that displays a message or pattern to be viewed by groups of people.
(24) SIGN, EXEMPTED. Any sign which falls within the definition of Section 1137.08
of this chapter. (Signs conforming with this chapter).
(25) SIGN, GROUND. Any freestanding sign, other than a pylon/pole/post sign independently supported by the ground, or on poles not more than two feet in height, and not attached to any portion of a building.
(26) SIGN, ILLUMINATED. Any sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs or outlines illuminated by electric lights or luminous tubes as a part of the sign proper.
(27) SIGN, MANSARD. See SIGN, ROOF, INTEGRAL.
(28) SIGN, MARQUEE. Any sign attached to, or in any manner made a part of a marquee, defined as: Any permanent roof structure projecting beyond a building or extending along and projecting from the front of a building, and supported entirely by the building.
(29) SIGN, MOBILE. See SIGN, PORTABLE.
(30) SIGN, MURAL. A mural is a work of decorative art applied on or attached to an exterior wall within public view that does not include graphics or text that can be interpreted as commercial advertising. Embellishments to or decoration of architectural elements are not considered a mural. Notwithstanding the above definition, a mural may contain bona fide historic recreations of vintage advertising.
(31) SIGN, NONCONFORMING. A sign existing at the time this chapter is enacted and which does not conform to this chapter.
(32) SIGN, OFF PREMISE. See definition of “Billboard”.
(33) SIGN, POLITICAL. A sign concerning candidates for elective office, public issues, and similar matters to be decided by the public at an election.
(34) SIGN, PERMANENT. Any sign that is permanently mounted or constructed in a permanent way, and intended to be used on a continuing basis in relationship to any lot or structures upon any lot within the City.
(35) SIGN, PORTABLE. Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels; signs converted to A- or T-frames; menu and sandwich board signs; balloons used as signs; and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right of way, unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business.
(36) SIGN, PROJECTING. Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of such building or wall.
(37) SIGN, PYLON/POLE/POST. Any elevated sign that is supported by one or more poles or pylons placed in, or anchored in the ground independent of any other structure.
(38) SIGN, REAL ESTATE. Any temporary sign promoting the development, construction, rental, sale or lease of property.
(39) SIGN, ROOF. Any sign erected and constructed wholly on or above the roof of a building, and supported by the roof structure, and extending vertically above the highest portion of the roof. Roof signs are not permitted by this chapter.
(40) SIGN, ROOF, INTEGRAL. Any sign erected or constructed as an integral or essentially integral part of a normal roof structure of any design, such that no part of the sign extends vertically above the highest portion. This definition includes signs erected on the mansard area of a roof.
(41) SIGN, SNIPE. Illegal posting of handbills, leaflets, posters, flyers, announcements or any other advertising and informational materials without permits that are tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued or otherwise attached to trees, pole stakes, fences, buildings, or other objects, and the advertising matter appearing thereon is not applicable to the present use of the premises where the snipe sign is located.
(42) SIGN, SUSPENDED. A sign that is suspended from the underside of a horizontal plane surface and is supported by such surface.
(43) SIGN SURFACE or SIGN FACE. All of the surfaces or faces upon, against, or through which the message, information, or other distinguishing component or device is displayed or illuminated on the sign.
(44) SIGN SURFACE or SIGN AREA. The computation of the sign face area per face shall be counted as part of the total sign surface area except as otherwise provided in this chapter. When letters or devices are mounted directly upon the building surface, the sign surface area shall mean the smallest polygon (maximum of six sides) necessary to enclose the surface area upon which the actual letters or devices are mounted. For individual letters or devices more than 18 inches in height, the sign surface area shall be determined by the area of the smallest polygon (maximum of six sides) enclosing the individual letters or device.
(45) SIGN, SANDWICH BOARD/A-FRAME. Sandwich board or A-Frame signs mean a temporary and/or portable sign constructed with two (2) sides attached at the top allowing the sign to stand in an upright position without any other measures to secure the sign. These signs are generally pedestrian-oriented in use.
(46) SIGN, TEMPORARY. Any sign that is used only temporarily and is not permanently mounted to a structure or the ground through an approved Ohio Basic Building Code (OBBC) method.
(47) SIGN, WALL. Any sign attached parallel to and protruding not more than ten inches from a wall, painted on the wall surface or attached to and wholly supported by an outside wall of any building or structure, and which displays only one sign surface.
(48) SIGN, WINDOW. A sign painted, attached or affixed to the interior or exterior surface of windows or doors of a building or suspended on the inside or outside of the windows or doors.
(49) STRUCTURAL TRIM. The molding, battens, cappings, nailing strips, latticing and platforms which are attached to the sign structure.
(Ord. 4312. Passed 11-10-09.)
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS