The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
BUILDING FACE OR WALL: All window and wall areas of a building in one plane or elevation.
CANOPY: Any structure attached to a building at the inner end and supported on the other end, or a freestanding structure, with one or more supports, meant to provide shelter from weather elements onto which signs may be affixed or incorporated.
CODE OFFICIAL: The appointed building inspector shall be known as the "code official". The "code official" shall be responsible for the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter, and shall be known as the "department of building inspection" in this chapter.
CORNER LOT: A lot with property lines of two (2) streets intersecting at an angle.
ERECT: To build, construct, reconstruct, attach, hang, rehang, alter, place, affix, enlarge, move or relocate, and includes the painting and repainting of existing sign structures.
FACADE: The face or wall of a building as it is presented to view; the apparent width and/or height of a building as viewed from streets, driveways, and parking lots. Minor changes in wall elevations do not constitute the creation of additional facades.
FLAG: A fabric or bunting containing distinctive colors, patterns, or symbols used as a symbol of a government, political subdivision, or other entity.
FRONTAGE: The length of the lot along the street side. The frontage of a lot bordering more than one street is considered separate for each street.
GAS STATION (SERVICE STATION): Any business that dispenses, or is designed to dispense, gasoline and/or oil for use in motor vehicles or boats.
GRAPHICS: The wording or designs on a sign surface (also known as "copy").
GROUND LEVEL: Immediate surrounding grade at the sign base.
HEIGHT (OF SIGN): The vertical distance measured from the lowest surrounding grade to the highest point of a sign.
ILLUMINATED: Having an internal or external light source to highlight a sign's graphics.
INTERIOR PROPERTY LINE: Property lines other than those forming a dedicated public right of way.
INTERSECTION: The point at which two (2) or more, or a combination of, streets, highways, or rail lines meet.
LOGO: A letter, character, or symbol used to represent a business enterprise, corporation or person.
MALL OR STRIP MALL: See definition of Shopping Center.
OWNER: A person recorded as such on official records and including the duly authorized agent or notary, a purchase lessee, or any person having a vested or contingent interest in the property or business in question.
PENNANT: Any lightweight plastic, fabric or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire, or string.
PREMISES: An area of land with its appurtenances and buildings that, because of its unity of use, may be regarded as the smallest conveyable unit of real estate (used interchangeably with "lot").
ROOF LINE: The highest point of the coping on a flat roof, false mansard, or parapet wall; the deck line of a true mansard roof; the ridge line between the upper and lower slopes of a gambrel roof; or the mean height between the eaves and ridge for a gable or hip roof.
SHOPPING CENTER: A lot having one or more buildings containing multiple shops, stores, and/or other places of business, and providing off street parking facilities in common for all of the businesses and their customers. (Also known as "malls", "strip malls", etc.)
SIGN: Any name, identification, description, illustration or device, illuminated or unlighted, which is visible from any public place or is located on private property and exposed to the public and which directs attention to a product, service, place, activity, person, institution, business or solicitation, including any permanently installed or situated merchandise or any emblem, painting, banner, pennant or placard designed to advertise, identify or convey information, with the exception of window displays and national flags. For the purpose of removal, signs shall also include all sign structures. Not included are decorative devices or emblems as may be displayed on a residential mailbox. For the purpose of this chapter, this definition shall include those signs painted directly upon a building or other structure.
SIGN AREA: The area of the sign face. The "sign area" of a multifaced sign is the sum of the sign areas of each face, including structural trim that can be seen from a single location on an adjacent street. If a sign is attached to a building or suspended in any manner whereby there is no apparent trim or confining border, the sign area shall be computed by drawing an imaginary straight line around a generally rectangular margin and measuring the area so encompassed upon a building or other structure.
SIGN STRUCTURE: The sign and all parts associated with its construction.
SIGN SUPPORTS: All structures by which a sign is held up, including, for example, poles, braces, guys, and anchors.
SIGN TYPES:
Abandoned: A sign that no longer correctly directs or exhorts any person, advertises a bona fide business, lessor, owner, project or activity conducted or product available on the premises where such sign is displayed.
Animated: Any sign that uses movement or change of lighting to depict action or create a special effect or scene. This term does not refer to "changeable copy" or "flashing signs" that are defined separately.
Banner: A sign made of fabric, plastic, paper or other light, pliable material, not enclosed in a rigid frame.
Billboard: Any sign of more than two hundred (200) square feet per face, which directs attention to a commercial enterprise, product, service, industry, or other activity conducted, sold, or offered at a location other than on the premises upon which the sign is erected; or a sign which directs attention to a business that is no longer conducted or to a product that is no longer produced or provided on the lot on which the sign is located. (Also known as a "standard outdoor advertising structure".)
Business: A sign, which may include a logo, that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, activity, idea, slogan, or entertainment conducted, sold, offered, or available upon the premises where such sign is located or to which it is affixed.
Canopy: Any sign that is part of, or attached to, an awning, canopy, or the fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area. A marquee is not a "canopy".
Changeable Copy (Automatic): A sign, such as electronically or electrically controlled public service time, temperature and date sign, where different copy changes are shown on the same lamp bank (see also Message Board).
Changeable Copy (Manual): A sign on which copy is changed manually in the field, i.e., reader boards with changeable letters or changeable pictorial panels.
Church Bulletin Board: A sign attached to the exterior of a church or located elsewhere on church premises and used to indicate the church's name, services, and/or other church activities.
Commercial Development: Any temporary sign that provides direction to any commercial development under construction, or promotes the commercial development on the project site.
Commercial Directory: A permanent pole sign designating the name of a commercial center and listing the various tenants of the center.
Construction Project: A temporary sign used during the construction of new buildings or reconstruction of or additions to existing buildings, such as those identifying the project and denoting the owner, architect, engineer, contractor, and/or financing institutions of the project.
Crop Identification: A sign whose content includes the type, description, identification and otherwise pertinent information of crops being grown on a plot of land.
Directional: A sign that indicates a direction for vehicular or pedestrian traffic or other movement.
Flashing: Any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation, or an externally mounted intermittent light source (see also Message Board).
Fluttering: A sign which flutters and includes banners, flags, pennants, or other flexible material which moves with the wind or by some artificial means.
Freestanding: Any sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on, or anchored in, the ground and that are independent from any building or other structure.
Ground: A permanent sign supported by uprights or braces securely anchored in the ground, with no more than two feet (2') of clear space between the bottom of the face of the sign and the lowest grade beneath the sign face, but not exceeding a total sign height of six feet (6') above the lowest grade at its base.
Hanging: Any sign suspended entirely beneath a canopy, porch, or portico.
Identification (Occupational): A sign used to display and identify the name of the individual, business, profession, organization, or institution occupying the premises upon which the sign is located. The sign is mounted adjacent to the main entrance of the building and may include a logo.
Illegal: A sign which contravenes this chapter, or a nonconforming sign for which a permit required under a previous ordinance was not obtained.
Illuminated: Any sign illuminated by a light source mounted on or in the sign or at some other location.
Inflatable: A sign inflated with air or helium, such as a balloon.
Marquee: A sign attached to any permanent roof like structure of rigid materials supported by and extending from the facade of a building.
Memorial Or Tablets: The permanent part of a building denoting the name of the building, date of erection, historical significance, dedication, or other similar information.
Message Board: A panel that uses changing and/or flashing lights to electronically communicate text and/or graphics. A panel with lights flashing time and temperature only is not a "message board".
Nonconforming: A sign legally erected prior to the effective date hereof, but that does not conform to the provisions of this chapter.
Permanent: Any sign that is not a temporary sign, and is designed to be in compliance with the Waterman building code and Waterman electrical code 1 .
Pole: Any detached sign supported by a structure of one or more stationary poles providing at least two feet (2') between the bottom of the face of the sign and the grade beneath the sign face, but not exceeding a total sign height of thirty feet (30') above the lowest grade at its base.
Political: A temporary sign advocating or opposing any political proposition or candidate for public office.
Portable: Signs not permanently affixed to the ground or to a building.
Project Identification: A permanent ground sign identifying an apartment complex, condominium project, or mobile home development entry, manufactured home development entry, modular home development entry, name, or street names within the project.
Projecting: Any sign affixed to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than twelve inches (12") beyond the surface of such building or wall.
Real Estate: A sign pertaining only to the prospective rental, lease, or sale of the property upon which it is located.
Residential Development Project: Any temporary sign that provides direction to any residential development under construction, or promotes the residential development on the project site.
Roof: Any sign erected on a roof, but excluding marquee, canopy, and wall signs. The generally vertical plane of a mansard type roof shall be interpreted as the same as a wall of a building.
Seasonal Or Special Occasion: A temporary sign that is limited to a specific activity or in the celebration of holidays or other special events.
Special Displays: Signs not exceeding thirty two (32) square feet, used for holidays, public demonstrations, or promotion of civil welfare or charitable purposes.
Subdivision Identification: A permanent ground sign identifying a subdivision entry, subdivision name, or street names within the subdivision.
Temporary: A sign intended for a limited length of time or intermittent period, as per subsection 8-3-13B of this chapter, and is not permanently mounted.
Trailer: Any trailer situated on a site for use as a sign, rather than the incidental information for a normal business operation of hauling.
Vehicle: Any vehicle primarily situated to serve as a sign rather than as transportation or driven to a site to be used specifically as a sign. An automobile, van, or truck displaying the name and/or other information regarding the related establishment used for normal business operation or for employee transportation is not a "vehicle sign".
Wall: Any sign attached parallel to but within twelve inches (12") of a wall, painted on the wall surface of, or erected and confined within the limits of an outside wall of any building or structure, which is supported by such wall or building.
Window: Any sign, picture, symbol, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale, or service, placed inside a window or door or upon the window or door panes or glass and is visible from the exterior of the window or door. (1999 Code § 19.03; amd. 2005 Code)
Notes
| 1 | 1. See chapter 1, articles A and B, respectively, of this title. |