The following signs are generally exempt from provisions of this code, with exceptions as noted:
(A) All non-commercial signs of any size may be posted from August 1 in a state general election year until ten days following the state general election;
(B) Construction signs and small scale remodeling or rehab signs; (Signs advertising the contractor working on a remodeling or rehab job for a single building rather than a major site redevelopment or new site construction such as a new subdivision or new commercial/industrial facility. Signs advertising a contractor or small scale rehabilitation or remodeling projects shall be exempt from the permit process. However, the signs shall not exceed 32 square feet or six feet in height, nor shall they be set back less than five feet from the property line.)
(C) Signs which provide direction or instruction and are located entirely on the property to which they pertain and do not in any way advertise a business and do not exceed four square feet in area, signs identifying rest rooms, public telephones, walkways or signs providing direction such as parking lot entrance and exit signs and those of similar nature;
(D) The flags, emblems or insignia of any nation or political subdivision or corporate flag. Flag poles, however, shall not exceed a height of 30 feet;
(E) Governmental signs for control of traffic and other regulatory purposes, street signs, danger signs, railroad crossing signs and signs of public service companies indicating danger and aids to service or safety which are erected by or on the order of a public officer in the performance of his or her public duty;
(F) Signs lettered into a building face to give the name and/or date of construction of the building itself;
(G) Signs located within the interior of any building or within an enclosed lobby or court of any building, and signs for and located within the inner or outer lobby, court or entrance of any theater, that are not visible from the public right-of-way; (This does not, however, exempt signs from the structural, electrical or material specifications as set out in this code.)
(H) Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or inlaid so as to be part of the building or when constructed of bronze or other incombustible material;
(I) Notice bulletin boards not over 24 square feet in area for medical, public, charitable or religious institutions and clustered service club signs where the same are located on the premises of the institution;
(J) No trespassing or no dumping signs not to exceed 1½ square feet in area per sign and not exceeding four in number per lot, except that special permission may be obtained from the Zoning Administrator for additional signs under proven special circumstances;
(K) Official notices posted by public officers or employees in the performance of their duties;
(L) Signs required or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or ordinance; which may be of any type, number, area, height above grade, location, illumination or animation, required by the law, statute or ordinance under which the signs are erected;
(M) Except in residential zones, for each ground floor occupancy of a building not more than two permanent signs may be painted on or otherwise displayed from the inside surface of any window, showcase or other similar facility; (The signs shall be in addition to those signs permitted under the other provisions of this code. The total copy area of the signs, however, shaft not exceed a maximum of 25% of the total window area, or one square foot per lineal front foot of the premises occupied, whichever is the lesser.)
(N) Signs advertising property for sale and containing the name, address and phone number of the real estate firm or seller; (The area of each real estate sign, however, shall be limited to ten square feet and shall be removed within seven days of sale of the property. The number of real estate signs erected per property shall be limited to the number of real estate firms or sellers of the property. Maximum height of the sign shall be four feet.)
(O) Signs in the display window of a business use which are incorporated with a display of merchandise or a display relating to services offered which comply with the division above;
(P) Religious symbols, commemorative plaques of recognized historical agencies or identification emblems of religious orders or histories agencies, provided that no symbol, plaque or identification emblem shall exceed four square feet in area, and provided further that all the symbols, plaques and identification emblems shall be placed flat against a building;
(Q) Temporary signs not exceeding four square feet in area pertaining to drives or events of civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organizations, provided that the signs are posted only during the drive or no more than 30 days before the event and are removed no more than 15 days after an event; and
(R) Signs warning the public of the existence of danger, but containing no advertising material, of a size as may be necessary, to be removed upon subsidence of danger.
(`86 Code, § 9.84A) (Am. Ord. 649, passed 12-7-93)