(A) No signs shall be installed within the city until a sign permit has been issued by the Zoning Administrator, with the exception of temporary billboards.
(B) Sign regulations of this code shall not apply to governmental signs, including traffic signs which are erected and intended for public information, direction, safety or control purposes, and no sign in any district shall conflict in any manner with the clear and obvious appearance of public devices controlling public traffic.
(C) The only permitted sign in any zoning district, except as otherwise provided herein, is a sign attached to a building. Said sign shall not project more than two feet from the building, nor more than two feet above the face of the building.
(D) No sign shall be placed on any public property, right-of-way or easement, except as noted in division (E). In addition, no sign which would obstruct the line of sight shall be placed within the triangular portion of land designated as “restricted area” in Figure 1 of § 40-4-2.
(E) No sign shall extend into a public right-of-way, except in a B-3 District. Such signs shall be attached to a building, and shall be at least eight feet above the traveled way. All restrictions from division (C) shall apply.
(F) No roof signs shall be permitted in any district.
(G) Illuminated signs, flashing or scrolling signs, and electronic message boards.
(1) Any sign located nearer than 75 feet of any residential zoning district shall not be illuminated, unless approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
(2) No flashing or scrolling signs shall be permitted in any zoning district.
(3) Notwithstanding the above, one electronic time and temperature sign and two message board signs shall be permitted, but only if changed less often than every 15 seconds. Signs permitted under this section shall be allowed to have background images, such as snowflakes falling, but not video. Further, any sign permitted under this section, which is contiguous to or directly across the street from residential property, shall be automatically controlled to reduce its illumination by 90%, from dusk to dawn, and shall conform to division (G)(1) above.
(H) In any business district, the maximum total surface area of all signs shall be one square foot of sign area for each linear foot of width of business building or business unit that faces a right-of way, provided that the total surface area of all signs shall not exceed 200 square feet on any business.
(I) In any business district, when the business building is located on a lot or parcel of more than 15 acres, then the total surface area of signs or any building face shall not exceed 800 square feet. Also, in any business district, when the business building is located on a lot or parcel of more than 15 acres, not less than two nor more than three freestanding signs of not more than 350 square feet in the aggregate shall be permitted.
(J) Signs permitted in Districts I-1 and I-2 shall not exceed 100 square feet per premise.
(K) Only one side of any double-facing sign shall be considered in the total sign area permitted for any business, building, use or lot, provided that the same message appears on both faces of the sign.
(L) Freestanding and monument signs.
(1) In any B or I District, a freestanding or monument sign of not more than 100 square feet shall be permitted, subject to the provisions of division (H) of this section.
(2) In any R District, a maximum of two monument signs, of not more than 32 square feet each, shall be permitted at each major access point to any subdivision or development.
(3) No freestanding or monument sign shall be placed on the right-of-way, easement areas or restricted areas. See § 40-4-2, Figure 1.
(4) No freestanding sign shall exceed 20 feet in height from ground level, or 20 feet in height above the grade level of the traveled way to which the sign is oriented. No freestanding sign shall exceed 100 square feet of sign area, or 12 feet in length or width.
(5) The base of a monument sign will not be included in the calculation of total sign area.
(6) Monument signs shall be a maximum of six feet high.
(7) In determining the height of any sign above grade level, it shall be measured on the shortest line perpendicular with the top of the sign and the traveled way.
(8) Route 3 corridor frontage lots are considered to be lots located adjacent to and having frontage along Route 3. This is separate and shall not be included in the total wall surface area of division (H). The following divisions apply to freestanding and monument signs on Route 3 frontage lots, excluding all of Market Street.
(a) Freestanding signs are not permitted.
(b) Signs shall not be closer than 50 feet from another sign.
(c) Lots with one building site are permitted one monument sign.
(d) The total monument sign area allowance shall be four-tenths square feet of signage per linear foot of Route 3 frontage, and shall not exceed 75 square feet. For example: 100 foot frontage x 0.4 = 40 square foot sign. The frontage length shall be measured along the front yard building setback adjacent and parallel to Route 3.
(e) Monument signs shall not exceed six feet in height above the average existing finished grade or the elevation of the adjacent street, whichever is higher, to a maximum height of 12 feet. Any building-up or mounding of land at the base of such sign generated to “lift” such sign above a consistent grade with the lot shall be debited against the permitted sign height. For each additional five-foot setback from the property line along Route 3, the sign height may increase by one foot, for a maximum of 12 feet in height.
(f) The base shall be no less than 50% of the width of the face of the sign.
(M) A business center adjacent to New Route 3 or Market Street, as an entity, may erect a business center sign in accordance with the provisions of this code if: (1) the center is a minimum of three acres in size, then a sign of up to 50 square feet in area may be permitted; or if (2) the center is over seven acres in size, then a sign of up to 100 square feet in area may be permitted. A second business center sign may be permitted at a rear entrance to the business center, with a sign area not to exceed 50% of the above sign. Business center signs will not be calculated toward the total surface sign area.
(N) In a subdivision for which a plat has been approved by the city, non-illuminated, temporary, subdivision signs may be erected, subject to the following requirements:
(1) No more than one such sign at each major access point shall be permitted for any subdivision, except when a permanent monument sign has been erected thereat, in which case one additional such subdivision sign shall be permitted at the location. The subdivision signs authorized by this division (N)(1) shall be removed within seven days of the closing of the subdivision developer’s sale of the last lot in the subdivision, unless the subdivision developer resides, occupies or conducts business upon a lot or lots in the subdivision, in which case such signs must be removed within seven days of the sale of the last lot other than the lot or lots on which the developer resides, occupies or conducts business.
(2) The total sign area of each such subdivision sign shall not exceed 32 square feet.
(O) In any zoning district where a planned unit development exists or occurs, only one sign on a freestanding structure or building at each major access point of the development, extending not more than one foot from such building or structure, and not exceeding 50 square feet, shall be permitted to identify the development.
(P) In any residential district where urban home occupations are permitted, the only sign permitted shall be an identification sign of not more than one square foot that is attached to the residence. Said sign shall be flush with the facade and shall not extend past the facade edge in any way.
(Q) Bed and breakfast establishments shall be limited to one sign, not to exceed nine square feet in area.
(R) With the exception of division (N), temporary signs shall be allowed for a period not to exceed 14 days, and shall not exceed 32 square feet of sign area. Time extensions may be granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The location of temporary signs must comply with all requirements of this code, and their use is limited to twice per year per property. If a temporary sign is erected and then removed prior to the 14 consecutive days allowed, that will be considered to be one use.
(S) "For Sale" signs in any R District shall not exceed six square feet in area, and in any B or I District shall not exceed 32 square feet in area.
(T) Directional signs are permitted on parking areas subject to an aggregate total of ten square feet.
Such directional signs shall be excluded from computations of total surface sign area.
(U) Construction signs shall not exceed 64 square feet per premise.
(V) Special sign permits may be granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals:
(1) In case of unusual circumstances, for signs that substantially meet applicable requirements of this code, subject to additional conditions that may be applied by the Zoning Board of Appeals; and
(2) For a sign area in excess of that allowed by division (H) of this section for a business on a single site in a B District.
(W) Unsafe and unlawful signs.
(1) Whenever a sign is found to be erected or maintained in violation of any provision of this
code or of any other ordinance or law, the Zoning Administrator shall order that such sign be altered, repaired, reconstructed, demolished or removed as may be appropriate to abate such condition. Any work required to be done shall, unless a different time is specified, be completed within ten days of the date of such order.
(2) Failure, neglect, or refusal by any person, corporation or otherwise to comply with any of the provisions of this section shall be subject to the penalties defined in § 40-1-11.
(Ord. 1070, § 40-4-15, passed 7-20-1998; Am. Ord. 1254, passed 4-7-2003; Am. Ord. 1424, passed 2-26-2007; Am. Ord. 1483, passed 7-7- 2008; Am. Ord. 1491, passed 9-2-2008; Am. Ord. 1507, passed 4-6-2009; Am. Ord. 1640, passed 5-20-2013; Am. Ord. 1838, passed 2-7-2022) Penalty, see § 1-1-19