(A) No sign shall be permitted in any district except as hereinafter provided.
(B) General provisions.
(1) Signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area and advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises on which the sign is located shall be permitted on any property.
(2) Illumination involving movement or causing the illusion of movement by reason of the lighting arrangement or other device shall be permitted in any business or industrial zoned area with approval of the city Zoning Inspector. All signs involving illumination movement or causing the illusion of movement adjacent to or in Residential Zoned areas would require approval of the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(3) Bulletin boards and signs for a church, school, community or other public or semipublic institutional buildings shall be permitted provided the area of such bulletin board or sign shall not exceed 15 square feet in area.
(4) Wall signs pertaining to a nonconforming use shall be permitted on the same premises of such use, provided the area of such sign does not exceed 20 square feet.
(5) No building wall shall be used for display of advertising except that pertaining to the use carried on within such building.
(6) Temporary signs not exceeding in the aggregate 50 square feet, announcing special events or the erection of a building, the architect, the builders, contractors, and the like, may be erected for the period of 60 days, plus the construction period.
(7) No sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way except publicly owned signs, such as traffic control signs and directional signs, without approval of the Board of Control.
(C) Business or industrial district signs.
(1) In a business or industrial district, each business shall be permitted 1 flat or wall sign. Projections of wall signs shall not exceed 2 feet measured from the face of the main wall of the building.
(2) The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise shall be limited according to the widths of the building or part of building occupied by such enterprise. For the purpose of this section, width shall be measured along the building face nearest parallel to the street line. In the case of a corner lot, either frontage may be used in determining maximum area of the sign.
(3) The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise may have an area equivalent to 1½ square feet of sign area for each linear foot of width of a building or part of a building, occupied by such enterprise, but shall not exceed a maximum area of 200 square feet, except that a larger sign may be permitted in an industrial district where the extent and acreage of the industrial enterprise warrants an exception in computing the area of free standing or protruding signs all faces on which advertising is displayed are considered sign area.
(4) Free-standing signs not over 30 feet in height, having a maximum total sign area of 150 square feet and located not closer than 10 feet to any street right-of-way line and not closer than 100 feet to any adjoining lot line may be erected to serve a group of business establishments.
(5) Pole or logo signs of symbolical design shall be permitted for business establishments provided:
(a) No part of such sign shall project into the right-of-way of any street or highway, without approval of the Board of Control.
(b) The maximum area of any face of such sign shall not exceed 50 square feet.
(c) The maximum height of such sign shall not exceed 30 feet.
(d) The pole support of the sign shall not be less than 50 feet from any lot in any R District.
(e) No more than 1 such sign shall be permitted for each business establishment, except that a second pole sign may be erected if the property of such business establishment is located at the intersection of major highways.
(D) Setback requirements. Except as provided above, signs and outdoor advertising structures, where permitted, shall be set back from the established right-of-way of any street or highway at least as far as the required front yard depth for a principal use in such district except for the following modifications:
(1) For every square foot by which such sign or outdoor advertising structure exceeds 80 square feet, such setback shall be increased by ½ foot but need not exceed 100 feet.
(2) At the intersection of any state or federal highway with a major or secondary street, the setback of any sign or outdoor advertising structure shall not be less than 100 feet from the established right-of-way of each highway or street.
(3) Real estate signs and bulletin boards for a church, school, or any other public or semipublic, religious or educational institution may be erected within ten feet from the established right-of-way line of any street or highway, provided such sign or bulletin board does not obstruct traffic visibility at street or highway intersections.
(E) Special yard provisions. The following special provisions shall be observed in the erection or placement of signs and outdoor advertising structures.
(1) No such sign or advertising structure shall be permitted which faces the front or side lot line of any lot in any R District within 100 feet of such lot line, or which faces any public parkway, public square or entrances to any public park, public or parochial school, library, church, or similar institution, within 300 feet thereof.
(2) Signs and advertising structures, where permitted, shall be erected or placed in conformity with the side and rear yard requirements of the district in which located except no sign or advertising structure shall be erected or placed closer than within 50 feet to a side or rear lot line in any district.
(F) Illumination. The following provisions shall be observed in the illumination of signs and advertising structures:
(1) All signs and advertising structures except as hereinafter modified may be illuminated internally or by reflected light, provided the source of light is not directly visible and is so arranged as to reflect away from the adjoining premises and provided that such illumination shall not be so placed as to cause confusion or hazard to traffic or conflict with traffic control signs or lights.
(2) No illumination involving movement or causing the illusion of movement by reason of the lighting arrangement or other devices shall be permitted.
(G) Permits.
(1) A separate permit shall be required for the erection of signs regulated by this chapter, except that no permit shall be required for temporary real estate signs with an area of 12 square feet for the sale or lease of property and for small announcement signs with an area of less than 2 square feet. Announcement signs, except those for professional and home occupations, shall be removed by the person or persons responsible for posting same within 30 days after erection.
(2) Each application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by a drawing showing the design proposed, the size, character and color of letters, lines and symbols, method of illumination, the exact location of the sign in relation to the building and property and the details and specifications for construction.
(H) Exemptions. Public notices, traffic control signs and other official signs and notices are exempt from the provisions of this section.
(I) Adult foster care homes. No signs shall be permitted upon any premises designated as adult foster care homes.
(1981 Code, § 150.46) (Ord. 6570-93, passed 12-13-1993; Am. Ord. 18-01-001, passed 2-12- 2018; Am. Ord. 23-05-030, passed 6-26-2023)