The regulations contained in this section shall apply to all signs and all use districts.
(a) Any sign illumination shall be so arranged as to confine the illumination to the sign, avoid glare or other disturbance on adjacent property and shield the source of illumination. No flashing shall be permitted where such flashing would interfere with or distract from a traffic control sign or signal or normal traffic visibility. Such flashing shall not be permitted on portable or temporary signs.
(b) All wiring, fittings, and materials used in the construction, connection, and operation of electrically illuminated signs shall be in accordance with the provisions of the local electric code in effect, if any;
(c) No hanging sign, not horizontal to the building, shall be erected or maintained at no more than two-thirds (2/3) distance to the curb (not closer than two (2) feet from the curb) and the bottom of the sign shall be at a minimum height of nine (9) feet from the sidewalk.
(d) No sign shall be placed on the roof of any building, except those signs whose supporting structure is screened so the sign appears to be a continuation of the face of the building.
(e) No sign of any classification shall be installed, erected, or attached in any form, shape, or manner to a fire escape or any door or window giving access to any fire escape
(f) All signs hung and erected shall be plainly marked with the name of the person, firm or corporation responsible for maintaining the sign.
(g) The sign owner shall be responsible for sign maintenance and repair. If any sign reaches a state of disrepair and is deemed unsafe by the Code Enforcement Officer, and is not properly renovated, it shall be condemned and an order issued for immediate removal at the expense of the sign owner or property owner. A sign shall be removed by the sign owner or property owner when the use to which it related is abandoned or changed for ninety (90) days or longer, or the Village shall cause such sign to be removed. In case any sign is installed, erected, constructed or maintained in violation of any of the terms of this Zoning Code, the Code Enforcement Officer shall notify the property owner or lessee in writing thereof to alter such sign so as to comply with this Zoning Code. Upon receipt of written notice from the Code Enforcement Officer proceed at once to put such sign in a safe and secure condition or remove the sign.
(h) No sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way except in the central business district where subsection (c) hereof applies. Publicly owned signs, and directional signs, and signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property but bearing no advertising matter shall be permitted on any property.
(i) Signs shall not obstruct or adversely affect vision clearance or traffic visibility.
(j) Nature Limited. Outdoor advertising signs erected after the effective date of this chapter shall be limited to advertising goods sold or services rendered on the premises and the name of the business. This provision shall not apply to political signs.
(k) Sign Area. The aggregate sign area or display surface of all exterior signs of every nature shall not exceed three square feet for each lineal foot of primary lot frontage of the business being advertised.
(l) Illuminated signs. Display signs illuminated by electricity, or equipped in any way with electrical devices or appliances, shall conform with respect to wiring and appliances to the provisions of the ordinances in the Village relating to electrical installations. Signs shall not be illuminated by fluorescent lamps using more than 425 milliamperes or by transformers of more than thirty (30) milliamperes capacity. Fluorescent lamps of 800 milliamperes may be used provided the spacing between such lamps is no less than nine (9) inches from center to center of the lamp and such lamps are not closer than five (5) inches from the center of the lamp to the inside face or faces of the sign. Signs shall not be illuminated by incandescent lamps of more than seventy-five (75) watts, and such lamps shall not be closer from center to center than nine (9) inches.
(m) Location; Attached Signs.
(1) All attached signs shall be mounted on the building which houses the business advertised by such signs and shall be located on or along a wall of such building which faces the street, parking lot or service drive.
(2) Such signs not more than fifteen (15) inches in height and five (5) square feet in area, projecting outward from the building wall not more than four (4) feet, may be erected at each entrance to such a building, provided that they comply with all other provisions of this chapter. The area of such signs shall not be included in determining the aggregate sign area of such a building.
(3) Signs may be installed on an attached canopy or marquee which projects beyond the building over a walk or yard, provided that no part of such a sign may extend above such canopy or marquee and provided that they comply with all other appropriate provisions.
(4) No part of any sign in this section shall be less than nine (9) feet above ground level.
(n) Free Standing Signs. Free-standing signs may be erected henceforth only in accordance with the following:
(1) Such signs heretofore erected, maintained and now in place, but not in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, are hereby declared to be conditionally permitted signs. They may be maintained until declared unsafe by action of the Code Enforcement Officer. However, no such conditionally permitted sign shall hereafter be relocated, rebuilt, enlarged, extended, replaced or otherwise altered in any material respect.
(2) No free standing sign shall be placed or anchored on the sidewalk or on the boulevard, nor shall any part of such sign, or the pole or support that holds or supports such sign, extend into or over any street, highway, alley, public walkway, sidewalk or boulevard. No such sign, its base, or any part of the structure shall be closer to the curb line than ten (10) feet or the edge of the pavement when there is no curb. In case of a corner lot or other situations where the property abuts more than one public street, including alleys, the ten (10) -foot limitation shall be determined by measuring from the primary street.
(o) Traffic Safety; Colors, Etc. Display signs shall not closely resemble the shape, form and color of official traffic signs, signals and devices.
(p) Traffic Obstruction. No display sign shall be so placed that it will obstruct or interfere with a required doorway or other required means of ingress and egress or with the flow of traffic. (Ord. 2021-21. Passed 2-14-22.)