The following principles shall control the computation of sign area and sign height.
(a) Computation of Area of Individual Signs. The area of a sign shall be measured in conformance with the regulations as herein set forth provided that the structure or bracing of a sign shall be omitted from measurement unless such structure or bracing is made part of the message or face of the sign. Where a sign has two or more display faces, the area of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign.
(1) Signs with Backing. The area of all signs with backing or a background, material or otherwise, that is part of an overall sign display shall be measured by determining the sum of the areas of each square, rectangle, triangle, portion of a circle or any combination thereof which creates the smallest single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of the display surface or face of the sign including all frames, backing, face plates, non-structural trim or other component not otherwise used for support.
(2) Signs without Backing. The area of all signs without backing or a background, material or otherwise, that is a part of the overall sign display shall be measured by determining the sum of the area of each rectangle, triangle, portion of a circle or any combination thereof which creates the smallest single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of each written representation, including any series of letters, emblems or figures of similar character including all frames, emblems or figures of similar character including all frames, face plates, nonstructural trim or other component parts.
(3) All Other Signs or Combinations Thereof. The area of any sign having parts both with and without backing shall be measured by determining the total area of all squares, rectangles, triangles, portions of a circle or any combination thereof constituting the smallest single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of any of the following combinations; the display surface or face of the sign including all frames, backing, face plates, nonstructural trim or other component parts not otherwise used for support for parts of the sign that backing and each written representation, including any series of letters, emblems or figures of a similar character including all frames, face plates, nonstructural trim or other component parts not otherwise used for support for parts of the sign having no backing.
(b) Multi-faced Signs. No sign shall have more than two faces. The sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces visible from any one point. When two identical sign faces are placed back to back, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time, and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than 42 inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces.
(c) Computation of Maximum Total Permitted Sign Area for a Zone Lot. The permitted total area of all individual signs on a zone lot, exclusive of on-site informational signs, shall be governed by Table 9-C, Permitted Signs by District and Type. Lots fronting on two or more streets are allowed the permitted sign area for each street frontage. Where frontage is on more than one street, only the signs computed with the frontage of that street shall face that street.
(1) Window signs. No more than one sign per window and two per business are permitted. Lettering painted or affixed directly on a display window shall not exceed six inches in height. If the use’s identification sign is placed inside a display window, the sign shall not exceed five percent of the total glass area of the window. Informational signs may be allowed in display windows. The total area of all window signs shall not exceed fifteen percent or more than six square feet in area of the glass area on any given facade.
(2) Upper story signs. Signs located above the first floor are permitted. Such signs may be (1) wall signs, or (2) painted on or affixed upon the interior face of windows and may not exceed 15 percent of the window surface to which they are applied nor more than six square feet in area.
(3) Projecting or hanging signs. The maximum area per sign face shall be 12 square feet. The top of any such sign shall not extend above or beyond the window sills of second floor windows or twenty feet from ground level, whichever is less.
(d) Computation of Height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the lower of (1) existing grade prior to construction, or (2) the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely for the purpose of locating the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public street or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the zone lot, whichever is lower.
(e) Maximum allowed height.
(1) In residential districts and for residential buildings in commercial and industrial districts, the maximum allowed height for a sign shall be 15 feet or one story, whichever is lower.
(2) In the EMO district, the maximum allowed height for a sign on non- residential buildings shall be 20 feet or roof level, whichever is higher.
(3) In the C-1 district, the maximum allowed height for a sign on non- residential buildings shall be 20 feet or roof level, whichever is higher.
(4) In the C-2 district, the maximum allowed height for a sign on non- residential buildings shall be 25 feet or roof level, whichever is higher.
(5) In the industrial districts, the maximum allowed height for a sign on non- residential buildings shall be 25 feet or roof level, whichever is higher.