Exterior on-premises signs (hereafter "signs") are used for businesses, institutional uses (e.g., church, parochial school or charitable organization) and community uses (e.g., public library, public school, hospital, community center, public park, sports facility). Exterior electronic/digital on-premises signs are permitted in Commercial and Industrial districts and for institutional and community uses.
(A) Agricultural and Residential Districts. Where permitted in the Agricultural and Residential Districts, signs shall not exceed in the aggregate 50 square feet, unless regulated by special exception, variance from the development standards and/or a variance of use.
(B) Commercial and Industrial Districts. Where permitted in the Commercial and Industrial Districts, signs shall not exceed in the aggregate three square feet of area for each linear foot of lot frontage.
(C) Location.
(1) Signs, where permitted, shall be integral with or attached to the principal building and shall not project more than two feet from the front thereof unless attached to a marquee or sidewalk canopy, nor more than three feet above the parapet wall or roof line except as provided in division (D).
(2) (a) Freestanding signs, where permitted, shall be set back a minimum of 30 feet from the centerline of any street and outside of a designated right-of-way.
(b) They shall not be located within less than 25 feet of the side of any adjacent lot in any R-District and shall not project above a horizontal plane 20 feet above the average level of the ground at the front lot line; except as provided in division (D).
(D) For any motor vehicle service station, motel, restaurant, or planned commercial development where these are permitted, an exterior business sign displaying only the identifying name or symbol of such use or the planned commercial development as a whole may be supported on a freestanding structure located in front of such use or development but such sign shall not project over the street line and shall not be located within 25 feet of the side lot line of any adjoining lot in any R-District. Such freestanding or pedestal signs shall not exceed 125 feet in height and 300 square feet in area.
(E) On premise signs means those signs advertising an activity conducted or maintained on the property on which they are located.
(F) Lighting.
(1) Signs are prohibited from utilizing flashing, pulsing, and swirling lights as part of the sign or its illumination. Electronic/digital signs are permitted to display messages that have motion or change with regularity or intermittently.
(2) Signs:
(a) Which are not effectively shielded to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed at any portion of the traveled ways;
(b) Which are of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or to impair the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle; and
(c) Which otherwise interfere with a driver's operation of a motor vehicle, are prohibited.
(3) No sign shall be so illuminated as to obscure or interfere with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, device, or signal.
(4) No illuminated sign shall be within 300 feet of any off-site building used as a residence or any residential district.
(5) All other Indiana laws relating to lighting of signs presently applicable to highways shall be met.
(Ord. passed 3-10-1993; Ord. 2023-02, passed 4-12-2023)