As used in this chapter:
(1) "Abandoned sign" means a sign which no longer identifies or advertises a bonafide business, lessor, service, owner, product, or activity, and/or for which no legal owner can be found.
(2) "Accessory sign" means a small sign mounted on the same structure as a larger sign giving information such as telephone number, time of opening, etc.
(3) "Animated sign" means any sign which uses movement or change of lighting to depict action or to create a special effect or scene (see also "Flashing sign").
(4) "Area." See "Sign, area of."
(5) "Awning" means a shelter projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building, constructed of nonrigid materials on a supporting framework (see also "Marquee").
(6) "Awning sign" means a sign painted on, printed on, or attached flat against the surface of an awning, but which does not extend beyond the limits of such awning.
(7) "Banner sign" means a sign made of fabric or any nonrigid material with no enclosing framework.
(8) "Billboard." See "Off-premises sign."
(9) "Building face" means all window and wall areas of a building in one plane or elevation.
(10) "Building frontage" means the linear length of a building facing a public way or which contains a public entrance.
(11) "Building inspector" means the Chief Building Official of the City or his or her duly authorized representative.
(12) "Canopy" means a permanent roof-like shelter extending from but only partially supported by the building face and constructed of some durable material which may or may not project over a public right of way (see also "Marquee").
(13) "Canopy sign" means a sign painted on, printed on, or attached to a canopy, but which does not extend beyond the limits of the canopy.
(14) "Changeable copy sign (automatic)" means a sign on which the copy changes automatically on a lampbank or through mechanical means, e.g. electrical or electronic time and temperature units.
(15) "Changeable copy sign (manual)" means a sign on which copy is changed manually in the field, e.g. readerboards with changeable letters.
(16) "Civic organizations" means organizations dedicated to the welfare of the community, generally considered tax exempt by the IRS.
(17) "Clearance of a sign" means the smallest vertical distance between the grade of the adjacent street or street curb and the lowest point of any sign, including framework and embellishments, extending over that grade.
(18) "Construction sign" means a temporary sign identifying an architect, contractor, developer, subcontractor, and/or material supplier participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located.
(19) "Copy" means the wording on a sign surface in either permanent or removable letter form.
(20) "Directional/information sign" means an on-premises sign giving directions, instructions, or facility information and which may contain the name or logo of an establishment, but no advertising copy, e.g. parking or exit and entrance signs.
(21) "Double-faced sign" means a sign with two faces.
(22) "Electrical sign" means a sign or sign structure in which electrical wiring, connections, or fixtures are used.
(23) "Electronic message center." See "Changeable copy sign (automatic)."
(24) "Exempt sign" means a sign exempted from normal permit requirements.
(25) "Externally illuminated sign" means a sign whose illumination is derived entirely from an external artificial source.
(26) "Facade" means the entire building front, including the parapet.
(27) "Face of sign" means the area of a sign on which the copy is placed.
(28) "Festoons" means a string of ribbons, tinsel, or pinwheels.
(29) "Flashing sign" means a sign whose artificial light(s) are either not maintained in a stationary position or at a constant intensity. "Flashing sign" does not include changeable copy signs, animated signs which, through reflection or other means, create an illusion of flashing of intermittent light (see also "Changeable copy sign").
(30) "Freestanding sign" means a permanent sign supported upon the ground by poles or a wall and not attached to any building. A "freestanding sign" may also be referred to as a "ground sign," "detached sign," or "pole sign."
(31) "Frontage street" means the length of the property line of any one premises along a public right of way on which it borders.
(32) "Government sign" means any temporary or permanent sign erected and maintained by the City, County, State or Federal government for traffic direction or for designation of or direction to any school, hospital, historical site, or other public service, property, or facility.
(33) "Graphics" means relating to, or representing, by a symbol or word or the symbols or devices used in conveying a meaning or message.
(34) "Ground sign." See "Freestanding sign."
(35) "Height (of a sign)" means the vertical distance measured from the highest point of the sign, excluding decorative embellishments, to the grade of the adjacent street or the surface grade beneath the sign, whichever is less (see also "Clearance").
(36) "Identification signs" means a sign whose copy is limited to the name and address of a building, institution, or person and/or to the activity or occupation being identified.
(37) "Illegal sign" means a sign which does not meet the requirements of this chapter and which has not received legal nonconforming status.
(38) "Illuminated sign" means a sign with an artificial light source incorporated internally or externally for the purpose of illuminating the sign.
(39) "Incidental sign" means a small sign, emblem, or decal informing the public of goods, facilities, or services available on the premises (e.g. a credit card sign or a sign indicating hours of business) which sign, emblem or decal is less than one square foot in area.
(40) "Lot" means a parcel of land legally defined on a subdivision map recorded with the County Recorder's office, or a parcel of land defined by a legal record or survey map.
(41) "Maintenance" means the cleaning, painting, repair, or replacement of defective parts of a sign in a manner that does not alter the basic copy, design, or structure of the sign.
(42) "Mansard" means a sloped roof or roof-like facade architecturally comparable to a building wall.
(43) "Marquee" means a permanent roof-like structure or canopy of rigid materials supported by and extending from the facade of a building (see also "Awning" and "Canopy").
(44) "Marquee sign" means any sign attached to or supported by a marquee structure and which does not extend beyond the limits of the marquee.
(45) "Monument sign" means a freestanding sign with a solid base.
(46) "Moving sign." See "Rotating sign."
(47) "Nameplate" means a nonelectric on-premises identification sign giving only the name, address, and/or occupation of an occupant or group of occupants.
(48) "Nonconforming sign" means a sign which does not conform to the specifications outlined in this chapter.
(49) "Occupancy" means the portion of a building or premises owned, leased, rented, or otherwise occupied for a given use.
(50) "Off-premises sign" means a sign structure advertising an establishment, merchandise, service, or entertainment which is not sold, produced, manufactured, or furnished at the property on which said sign is located, e.g. "billboards," "outdoor advertising," or "off-site sign."
(51) "On-premises sign" means a sign which pertains to the use of the premises on which it is located.
(52) "Owner" means a person recorded as such on official records. For the purposes of this chapter, the owner of property on which a sign is located is presumed to be the owner of the sign unless facts to the contrary are officially recorded or otherwise brought to the attention of the Building Inspector, e.g. a sign leased from a sign company.
(53) "Painted wall sign" means any sign which is applied with paint or similar substance to the face of a wall.
(54) "Parapet" means the extension of a false front or wall above a roofline.
(55) "Parcel of property." See "Lot."
(56) "Permanent sign" means a sign intended to be used for more than thirty days.
(57) "Person" means any individual, corporation, association, firm, partnership, or similarly defined interest.
(58) "Point-of-purchase display" means advertising of a retail item accompanying its display, e.g. an advertisement on a product dispenser.
(59) "Pole cover" means covers enclosing or decorating poles or other structural supports of a sign.
(60) "Pole sign." See "Freestanding sign."
(61) "Political sign" means a temporary sign used in connection with a local, State, or national election or referendum.
(62) "Portable sign" means any sign designed to be moved easily and not permanently affixed to the ground or to a structure or building. A portable sign is considered temporary.
(63) "Premises" means a parcel of land with its appurtenance and buildings which, because of its unity of use, may be regarded as the smallest conveyable unit of real estate.
(64) "Projecting sign" means a sign, other than a flat wall sign, which is attached to and projects from a building wall or other structure more than twelve inches.
(65) "Public service information sign" means any sign intended primarily to promote items of general interest to the community, such as time, temperature, date, atmospheric conditions, news or traffic control, but which shall not espouse any person or issue on a partisan basis.
(66) "Real estate sign" or "property sign" means a temporary sign advertising the real estate upon which the sign is located as being for rent, lease, or sale.
(67) "Roof line" means the top edge of a roof or building parapet, whichever is higher, excluding any cupolas, pylons, chimneys, or minor projections.
(68) "Roof sign" means any sign erected over or on the roof of a building (see also "Mansard" and "Wall sign").
(69) "Rotating sign" means any sign or device which has any visible moving part, visible revolving part, or visible mechanical movement. Such motion does not refer to methods of changing copy. "Rotating sign" may also be referred to as a "moving sign."
(70) "Sign" means any device, structure, fixture, light, banner, pennant or placard using graphics, symbols, and/or written copy designed specifically for the purpose of advertising or identifying any establishment, product, goods, or services.
(71) "Sign, area of" includes all lettering, wording, designs and symbols, together with the background, whether open or enclosed, on which they are displayed, but does not include any supporting framework and bracing which carry no advertising and are incidental to the display itself. The area of a double faced sign whose individual faces average one foot or less separation shall be computed based upon one face (the largest) only.
For a sign painted upon or applied to a building, the area includes all lettering, wording and accompanying designs and symbols, together with any background of a different color than the principal color of the building.
For signs attached to or painted on a surface, building, canopy, awning, wall, or window, where the background is the same as the supporting surface, the area will be calculated from the area of the smallest rectangle or other geometric shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
(72) "Skeleton signs" means signs whose background consists of some open or perforated material providing significantly lower wind resistance than realized with a solid background.
(73) "Special events sign" means a temporary sign advertising or pertaining to any civic, patriotic or special event of general public interest taking place within the City.
(74) "Special use sign" means a sign which is at variance with this chapter, and which has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals as an exception.
(75) "Subdivision identification sign" means a freestanding or wall sign identifying a recognized subdivision, condominium complex, residential development, commercial shopping center or industrial park.
(Ord. 89-8. Passed 12-4-89.)
(76) "Temporary commercial sign" means a sign not constructed or intended for use for more than fifteen consecutive days and for not more than thirty days in any calendar year. Temporary commercial signs shall not be permitted in any district zoned residential.
(Ord. 97-51. Passed 7-7-97.)
(77) "Tract development sign." See "Construction sign."
(78) "Under-canopy sign" means a sign suspended beneath a canopy, ceiling, roof, or marquee.
(79) "Use" means the purpose for which a building, lot, sign, or structure is intended, designed, occupied, or maintained.
(80) "Wall sign" means a sign attached parallel to and extending not more than twelve inches from the wall of a building. This definition includes painted, individual letter, and cabinet signs, and signs on a mansard. A "wall sign" may also be referred to as a "fascia sign".
(81) "Window sign" means a sign installed inside a window and intended to be viewed from the outside.
(Ord. 89-8. Passed 12-4-89.)