Signs, as permitted in all use districts, shall be designed to be compatible in character and style with regard to materials, color and size of the building, other signs designed or located on the same building and other signs on adjoining buildings, in order to produce an overall unified effect, and shall be designed in accordance with the standards set forth in this section. Signs shall be reviewed with respect to each of the provisions of this section and shall require approval by the Planning Commission.
(a) Continuity. Signs shall be considered in relationship to their surrounding environment and, if seen in series, should have a continuity of design.
(b) Style and Color. The style of a sign shall be generally consistent throughout the particular building or block involved; the color of signs shall be a component of the color of the building facade and the total number of colors on a sign shall be limited to four.
(c) Lettering. The lettering on a sign shall be large enough to be easily read but not overly large or out of scale with the building upon which it is placed. An excessive amount of information on signs, where visual clutter could create a potential safety hazard to motorists or pedestrians, shall not be permitted. All letters, figures, characters or representations in cut-out or irregular form maintained in conjunction with, attached to or superimposed upon any sign shall be safely and securely built or attached to the sign structure.
(d) Materials. Signs shall be fabricated on and out of materials which are of good quality and good durability and which are complementary to the building of which they become a part.
(1) When noncombustible outdoor signs or display structures are required by this chapter, all parts, including the supporting structure, shall be of noncombustible material, provided, however, that wood, approved plastic or other material not more combustible than wood or approved plastic shall be permitted for small ornamental moldings, cappings, nailing strips, individual letters, symbols, figures and insignia, and on the face of a sign, provided that the aggregate area of such facing for any sign shall not exceed 100 square feet.
(2) All metal parts used in any sign or structure, supports and braces shall be of corrosion-resistant material or shall be galvanized and/or painted with corrosive-resistant paint at least once every two years. When existing poles or structures are used for new or remodelled sign installation, all remaining parts shall be brought to like-new condition and painted with rust and corrosion-resistant paint. Existing pole or sign supports are subject to the approval process of this chapter being used in new or remodeled sign installation.
(3) Every permitted sign shall be securely attached to the building walls, marquees or structures using suitable metal poles, supports, metal anchors, bolts, chains, stranded cables, steel rods or braces, and the working stresses of chains, cables and steel rods and their fastenings shall not exceed one-quarter of their ultimate strengths.
(4) Wall signs attached to exterior walls of solid masonry or concrete shall be safely and securely attached to same by metal anchors, bolts or lead expansion anchors of not less than three-eighths of an inch in diameter and shall be imbedded to the manufacturer's required depth for the device used.
A. No wooden blocks or anchorage with wood used in connection with screws, nails, spikes or staples shall be considered proper anchorage.
B. Wall signs attached to wood walls may be supported by lag screws of not less than one-fourth of an inch in diameter, but shall be of a size and length to support the load involved.
(e) Structural Design. Any graphic or other sign structure, marquee, canopy or awning, as defined in this chapter, shall be designed and constructed to withstand a wind pressure of not less than thirty pounds per square foot of net surface area, allowing for wind from any direction, and shall be constructed to withstand loads as required in the Building Code of the Village. Signs shall not be attached to parapets. The construction, bracing, anchorage and support of permanent signs shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Building Code of the Village and of this chapter. The roofs of all marquees shall be properly guttered and drained.
(f) Vertical Clearance. The lowest member for all signs, unless otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, shall not be less than eight feet above the finished grade of a sidewalk or any pedestrian way, and if located over a pavement used for vehicular traffic or within twenty-four inches of the vertical projection of the edge of such pavement, the lowest member of the signs shall be not less than twelve feet above the finished pavement.
(g) Relation to Traffic Devices. Signs shall not be erected so as to obstruct sight lines along any public way, traffic control lights, street name signs at intersections or street sight lines. Signs visible from the sight lines along a street shall not contain an arrow or words such as "stop", "go", "slow", etc., and the movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination shall not resemble highway traffic signs or interfere with the sight lines of a traffic signal.
(h) Other Safety Requirements. No sign shall be erected or placed so that any part thereof, including cables, guys, braces, supports, etc., shall be within a fifteen-foot distance of public utility electric conductors carrying not more than 600 volts, and for conductors carrying more than 600 volts, not within a distance of thirty feet of such conductors, except that this provision shall not apply to electric conductors which serve the sign.
(Ord. 95-2-3. Passed 4-4-95.)