All signs and sign structures, in the district noted, are subject to the following:
(A) Permit required. All signs, except those otherwise noted, shall require issuance of a permit by the Zoning Administrator who shall review each application for compliance with this section. Each application for permit shall include detailed plans and specifications for each sign and shall include the type, size, location and illumination of each, and such other information deemed necessary to determine compliance with the provisions of this section.
(B) Sign area. Sign area shall be calculated as the entire area within an imaginary rectangle enclosing the extreme limits of the sign structure, regardless of the shape of the sign (excluding all necessary supports or uprights on which the sign is placed.)
(1) R-1A and R1-B Residential Districts. The following signs are allowed:
(a) Up to 36 square feet of temporary, free standing, and non-illuminated signs not to exceed four feet in height (including support posts) in total.
(2) R-M1 multiple and group housing developments. The following signs are allowed:
(a) All signs permitted in R-1A and R-1B districts.
(b) One free standing or attached sign or structure which shall not exceed 24 square feet in area and which may be illuminated, provided that the source of light is not visible.
(3) B-1 Local Business District, B-2 General Business District, and VC Village Core Mixed Use District. The following signs are allowed:
(a) A total of four signs (any combination of wall signs or freestanding signs) for each property, not to exceed 120 square feet in total. Corner lots shall be permitted to have two additional signs and 60 additional square feet. Complexes containing more than four tenants shall be permitted to have one additional sign for each additional tenant.
(b) All light sources and immediately adjacent reflecting surfaces shall be shielded from view, and no flashing lights or animated devices shall be permitted. For the purposes of this section, the image or text on an electronic message board sign shall not change more frequently than every six seconds, and a sequential illumination sign shall not change more frequently than every three seconds.
(c) Wall signs shall be subject to the following requirements:
1. No wall sign shall extend farther than 12 inches from the face of the wall to which it is attached, provided, however, that where a sign extends over a public sidewalk more than three inches from the face of the wall, the bottom of the sign shall not be closer than eight feet to the ground or sidewalk level below the sign.
2. The maximum width of any sign shall not exceed 90% of the width of the facade to which it is attached.
3. The total sign area of all signs permitted on the face of any wall shall not exceed 20% of the area of the face of the wall upon which such sign or signs are attached, inclusive of windows and doorways. Signs may be attached to any face of the building.
(d) Freestanding signs. One of the permitted signs may be a freestanding sign when the building is set back at least 25 feet from the front lot line, subject to the following requirements:
1. No part of such sign shall be located closer than ten feet from any street line adjacent to the premises.
2. The area of such sign shall not exceed 32 square feet per side.
3. Such sign shall not be closer to any side lot line than a distance equal to its height.
4. The height of all such signs shall be limited to eight feet in height.
5. The base of a freestanding sign must have the same width as the sign itself, and may not exceed two feet in height. The base of a freestanding sign must be made of materials designed to match the principal building on the site. Pylon signs are not permitted.
(e) Sandwich board signs shall not exceed six square feet on each side, with a maximum height of 42 inches, subject to the following requirements:
1. Such signs may be located in the right-of-way but must be within five feet of a building entrance.
2. The sign location shall not reduce the passable area of the sidewalk below five feet, and shall not obstruct any door, including vehicle doors, windows or fire escapes, and shall not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
3. Such sign shall not be illuminated, nor shall it contain moving parts or have balloons, streamers, pennants or similar adornments attached to it.
4. Such sign shall be placed only during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., and shall be stored within a completely enclosed building when not in use.
5. The village retains the right to remove such sign for municipal purposes related to snow removal, traffic issues, utility maintenance and the like.
6. Signs shall be stable and self-supporting. It is the responsibility of the sign owner to remove the sign during inclement weather, such as wind, rain or snow. No such sign shall be placed when there is a snow accumulation on the sidewalk. The village accepts no liability for any injury or damage caused by a sandwich board sign.
7. Such signs shall require a permit, but do not count as one of the signs permitted by division (B)(3)(a) of this section.
(f) Signs attached to a pedestrian bench or other similar public structure are permitted, but shall require a permit.
(g) Awnings, canopies, or marquees, with or without signage, may be permitted, provided:
1. Signs shall be located on the vertical surfaces of the structure or covering.
2. Any signs on an awning, canopy, or marquee shall be counted as one of the signs permitted by division (B)(3)(a) of this section, and shall be considered a wall sign for purposes of calculating the total allowable square footage of wall signage for the site.
3. The awning shall not extend more than eight feet from the wall to which it is attached.
4. The awning shall extend no closer than two feet to the curb line of the adjacent street.
5. The awning, including any valence or fringe features, shall hang no less than eight feet above the highest point on the ground (including stairs or thresholds) underneath it.
6. The applicant must obtain a sign permit for the sign and a building permit for the installation.
(h) Projecting signs not exceeding 20 square feet in area are permitted to project from the front building face, provided:
1. No sign may project a distance in excess of six feet from the wall to which it is attached, and no closer than two feet to the curb line of the adjacent street.
2. No sign shall be hung less than eight feet above the ground or sidewalk level below it.
3. A projecting sign shall be counted as one of the signs permitted by division (B)(3)(a) of this section.
4. The top of the sign may not extend more than six feet above the height of the roof line.
(i) Window signs are permitted when attached to the inside of a window or door of a building, provided that the total window sign area shall not exceed 25% of the total glass area of the window or door to which it is attached. Such signs shall not require a permit, and do not count as a sign permitted by (B)(3)(a) of this section.
(i) Window signs are permitted when attached to the inside of a window or door of a building, provided that the total window sign area shall not exceed 25% of the total glass area of the window or door to which it is attached. Such signs shall not require a permit, and do not count as a sign permitted by (B)(3)(a) of this section.
(4) HC-1 Highway Commercial Districts. The following signs are allowed:
(a) All signs permitted in the B-1, B-2, and VC districts.
(b) Advertising structures permitted under the Highway Advertising Act, M.C.L.A. 252.301.
(c) Freestanding signs. One of the permitted signs may be a freestanding sign when the building is set back at least 25 feet from all street lines adjacent to the premises, subject to the following requirements:
1. No part of such sign shall be located closer than ten feet from any street line adjacent to the premises.
2. The area of such sign shall not exceed 32 square feet per side.
3. Such sign shall not be closer to any side lot line than a distance equal to its height.
4. The height of all such signs shall be limited to the height of the building to which it is related, but in no case shall the sign exceed 25 feet in height.
5. Pylon signs are permitted, provided that the sign is structurally sound.
(5) M-1 Industrial District. The following signs are allowed:
(a) Any sign permitted in any residential, agricultural, or business districts and subject to the same requirements for those districts.
(b) Advertising structures permitted under the Highway Advertising Act, M.C.L.A. 252.301.
(6) Tourist-oriented directional signs. The village may permit tourist-oriented directional signs, as defined by M.C.L.A. 247.401, within its jurisdictional boundaries, as provided by and pursuant to M.C.L.A. 247.403(7), with the following conditions.
(a) An operator of a tourist-oriented activity who wishes to participate in a directional sign program under Public Act 299 of 1996, as amended, and is applying for a sign that would reside within the boundaries of the village in accordance with the provisions of Public Act 299 of 1996, 2, being M.C.L.A. 247.402, shall submit the application for review by the Village Council or its designee.
(b) The Village Council or its designee may approve or reject the placement of any tourist-oriented directional sign within its jurisdictional boundaries under the provisions of this chapter.
(c) The Village Council may appoint a designee by resolution to approve or reject the placement of any tourist-oriented directional sign within its jurisdictional boundaries under the provisions of this chapter.
(7) Prohibited signs. The following signs are not allowed in any zoning district:
(a) Signs which are illegal under state or local law regulation or ordinance.
(b) Signs or sign structures which are not clean or in good repair, and which pose a hazard to the general public.
(c) Signs of any type that are located on a lot with no building or structure.
(d) Signs not securely affixed to a substantial, permanent structure or foundation, on the premises.
(e) Signs which attempt or appear to attempt to regulate, warn, or direct the movement of traffic or which interfere with or resemble any official traffic sign, signal, or device.
(f) Signs which are erected or maintained upon trees, painted or drawn upon rock, or other natural features.
(g) Signs which project above the cornice or roof line of the related use, except as otherwise noted.
(h) Signs depicting specified anatomical areas or specified sexual activities, as defined in § 153.003.
(i) Signs which are not consistent with the standards in this chapter.
(8) Substitution. Any sign permitted to contain commercial messaging, including advertising structures permitted under the Highway Advertising Act, M.C.L.A. 252.301, is permitted to substitute a non-commercial message for a commercial message. The intent of this clause is to prevent inadvertent favoring of commercial speech over non-commercial speech that may be implied by any other part of this section.
(9) Waiver process. The Village Council, after a public hearing that meets the requirements of the State of Michigan and this chapter, shall have the ability to waive or modify any of the above standards, provided that the following criteria are met. A waiver granted under this section shall apply for the lifespan of the sign in question, but shall not be transferable to any other sign or premises.
(9) Waiver process. The Village Council, after a public hearing that meets the requirements of the State of Michigan and this chapter, shall have the ability to waive or modify any of the above standards, provided that the following criteria are met. A waiver granted under this section shall apply for the lifespan of the sign in question, but shall not be transferable to any other sign or premises.
(a) The applicant provides all requested information and pays all applicable application and review fees, to be determined by the Village Council.
(b) The proposed sign does not endanger the public health, safety, and welfare by virtue of being distracting to drivers, obscuring vision, being unnecessarily bright, being designed or constructed poorly, or in any other way.
(c) The design of the sign is consistent with the character of the surrounding area.
(d) The sign does not block the view of other nearby signs to the extent that it would harm the ability of neighboring businesses to operate.
(e) The sign will not be a nuisance to any residential uses.
(f) A sign designed to meet the standards of this chapter would not adequately serve the purpose desired by the applicant.
(Ord. 230, passed 12-9-2014; Ord., passed 8-10-2021) Penalty, see § 153.999