All proposed exterior signage or interior signage that is primarily placed to be viewed from outside of the building requires the review and approval of a sign permit by the City of West Des Moines. All signage shall follow the architectural theme of the Grand Avenue Redevelopment Plan and shall comply with title 9, chapter 18 of the city code except as modified herein or within the Grand Avenue Redevelopment Plan. Sign design and construction not typically allowed by code may be permitted by the sign administrator if it is deemed to carry and reinforce the design intent of the Val-Gate district. Allowance of alternate design and construction measures shall only be allowed if there is no other code compliant manner in which to create the sign. The use of LED illumination for signage emulating "neon style" lighting and relevant to the architectural theme of the district may be allowed with the approval of the Development Services Director or their designee. The following additional modifications to title 9, chapter 18 of the city code are hereby made:
A. Business Identification Signs:
1. Business identification signs, including wall, ground monument, roof, and projecting signs shall be consistent with and reinforce the design intent of the redevelopment plan.
2. This site shall be allowed one (1) square foot of wall signage per linear foot of building frontage along 1st Street and Ashworth Road.? The allowed signage may be divided into multiple signs as long as the total amount of sign area earned, based upon the formulas above, is not exceeded. Wall signs shall not exceed one (1) square foot per the building facade's linear footage (i.e. a 20' long building side is allowed up to 20 sf of signage). If the front of a building faces away from the street frontage, that wall area for the front of the building would earn signage at a rate of one-half (1/2) square foot of sign area per linear footage of said wall.
3. A projecting sign shall be permitted as wall signage up to a maximum of thirty-five (35) square feet of the allowed wall signage for a building. Said sign shall be allowed to extend above the building roof no more than one-half (1/2) the height of the sign.
4. Ground monument signs shall be allowed in accordance with city code for the CMC district with the following exception:
a. The main sign structure shall not exceed thirty-five (35) square feet and five feet (5') in height. Up to an additional one foot (1') of height shall be allowed for columns or other architectural elements.
5. Window Signs: Window graphics must be less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the glazed surface on the windows on the same wall to be allowed as window signage, Window signage is not counted towards allowed building signage and no permit is required. If window graphics exceed the twenty-five percent (25%) allowed, they are counted toward the allowed building signage and would require a permit.
6. Illuminated banding (led) may be allowed on the primary structure, canopy and/or monument signs if it is approved as part of the architectural design.
7. All signs: Lighted signs will be required to have a timer to shut off the sign illumination, as required in the City Sign Code, between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM unless the business is open later than 11:00 PM, then the signs shall be shut off within one hour of closing. (Ord. 2441, 10-5-2020)