A. Exempt Signs: The following signs are exempt from the overall sign allowance and do not require permits but must comply with all other requirements of the district, such as size, height, location, materials, etc.:
1. Signs erected and maintained by the Federal, State, or local government; public utility, public service or railroad signs that aid in safety; off premises hospital signs.
2. Signs that cannot be read from a public right-of-way, including signs located entirely inside a building and not readily visible from outside the building, as well as signs intended to be readable from within a parking area but not readable beyond the boundary of the lot where they are located.
3. Nonilluminated window displays, window signs and painted window lettering, with the exception that, in the Old Town District, such signs are allowed a limited area (see subsection 11-5-6-2A10 of this chapter).
4. A ground or wall sign not exceeding four (4) square feet located at a housing or apartment complex.
5. One subdivision sign per entrance to a subdivision on streets with different names not exceeding twenty four (24) square feet per face nor exceeding four feet (4') in height.
6. On-premises incidental signs that do not exceed two (2) square feet.
7. Non-illuminated non-commercial signs not exceeding six (6) square feet on residential and resort residential zoned properties, and not exceeding thirty two (32) square feet in Commercial and Industrial Zones.
8. Barber poles and religious symbols.
9. The following non-illuminated temporary signs located on private property, provided they are removed at the completion of the activity (in real estate, completion means closing) identified in the sign:
a. Notices posted by public agencies (i.e., notices of proposed land use actions, etc.).
b. Temporary signs placed on public property no more than two (2) weeks prior to an event and removed no more than two (2) days after the conclusion of the event as authorized by the City Council or the City Manager.
c. Temporary signs located on an active construction site not exceeding sixteen (16) square feet per face which are removed either at time of substantial completion or occupancy. Multiple contractors on a single development site are entitled to display signage, provided it is consolidated on a single sign and does not exceed thirty two (32) square feet per face.
d. Temporary signs displayed prior to, during and after elections, not exceeding six (6) square feet per face in Residential Districts, and not exceeding thirty two (32) square feet in other districts, to be removed no later than seven (7) days after the final election.
e. Temporary signs on properties for sale or rent, one per dwelling unit or property listed, six (6) square feet per sign face for detached dwelling units, thirty two (32) square feet per face for other uses, with one additional temporary sign allowed up to six (6) square feet per face on days the property is open for public viewing.
f. Temporary signs on or near residential properties having temporary yard or garage sales, up to six (6) square feet and no more than four feet (4') in height.
g. Temporary seasonal displays including flashing or blinking lights, objects and materials displayed on traditionally accepted civic, patriotic and religious days, provided that such decorations are maintained in safe condition and do not constitute a fire hazard. Temporary seasonal displays are allowed ten (10) days before Thanksgiving through the weekend after Winter Carnival in February.
10. Display boxes up to six (6) square feet are allowed for each restaurant, bar and lounge for the purpose of displaying menus. The area exceeding six (6) square feet shall be counted against the total allowable sign area. This does not apply to menu display boxes that are not intended to be seen from a public right-of-way.
11. Works of art including wall graphics, carvings and sculptures with no advertising matter, which are not used in connection with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device.
12. The flag, pennant or insignia of any nation, organization of nations, state, province, county, city, any religious, civic or fraternal organization or educational institution, providing the flag, pennant or insignia conform to the following limitations:
a. Flags and pennants shall not exceed the proportions which have been established by presidential declaration: three feet by five feet (3' x 5') when hung from a building or five feet by seven feet (5' x 7') when hung from a freestanding flagpole.
b. Flags shall have a minimum clearance of eight feet (8') when they project over public sidewalks and fifteen feet (15') when projecting over streets or roads.
c. Flags, pennants and insignia shall be maintained in a clean and undamaged condition at all times.
d. The display of national flags, pennants and insignia shall be governed by the standard rules of international protocol.
e. No more than three (3) flags, either mounted on a single flagpole or three (3) separate flagpoles installed as a group.
f. No new flagpole permit shall be granted for flags displayed over thirty five feet (35') in height measured from the ground.
13. Signs on motor vehicles or trailers which are being operated or stored in the normal course of business such as signs indicating the name of the owner or business on delivery trucks, trailers and the like; provided that the primary purpose of such vehicles is not for use as signs and provided that such vehicles are parked or stored in areas appropriate to their use as vehicles.
14. A single changeable copy sign associated with a public park facility (see subsection 11-5-5K of this chapter).
15. A shared service club sign erected in cooperation with the City that can be used to advertise established organizations within the City. One may be located on Highway 93 South and one may be located on Highway 93 North.
B. Prohibited Signs: The following types of signs or attractive devices are prohibited in all districts:
1. Abandoned signs or any sign which identifies or advertises an activity, business, product, service or special event which is no longer produced, conducted, performed or sold on the premises where the sign is located.
2. Animated, rotating, flashing or blinking signs, strobe lights and searchlights except electronic message signs displaying time and temperature as provided elsewhere in these regulations. Barbers' poles are not regulated under this section.
3. Signs that have been unlawfully or illegally erected and/or maintained.
4. Signs that constitute a traffic hazard or a nuisance that are detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the public.
5. Permanent display of banners, pennants, festoons, balloons, tethered objects, strings of flags, streamers, inflated objects or any device intended as an attractant that is affected by the movement of the air 1 .
6. Roof signs higher than the apex of the roof. Religious symbols may extend up to thirty five feet (35'). Religious symbols may extend above thirty five feet (35') with a conditional use permit. Existing religious symbols are exempt from these provisions.
7. Signs imitating or resembling official traffic or government signs or signals.
8. Advertising matter or sign painted, mounted or attached on a vehicle, trailer or boat, outdoor storage containers and/or waste receptacles or their enclosures which are stored, parked or displayed in a conspicuous manner intended to attract the attention for advertising purposes.
9. Internally illuminated vending machines located outside a building and viewable from a public right-of-way.
10. Commercial billboards and off premises signs (except off premises alley signs as otherwise permitted herein).
11. Any portable reader board.
12. Permanent reader board (changeable copy) signs incorporated into a sign or as a stand-alone sign except for those associated with a religious assembly, school, fuel prices, theater, public park facilities, convention center or accommodation vacancy/no vacancy signs.
13. Any temporary sign attached to public property, including, but not limited to, a utility pole or structure, streetlight, tree, fence, fire hydrant, bridge, curb, sidewalk, park bench or other location on public property except as otherwise provided for in these regulations.
14. Any sign with exposed incandescent, metal halide or fluorescent light bulbs.
15. Any sign which emits audible sound, odor, smoke, steam, laser or hologram lights or other visible matter, including any device that employs any stereopticon, motion picture or audio projection.
16. Any sign placed in any public right-of-way except for signs erected by the City, County, State or other authorized government agency; or as authorized by the City Council issuance of a right- of-way encroachment permit. Private signs permitted in the City right-of-way shall be included in the overall sign allowance for the property.
17. Internally illuminated individual letters and internally illuminated signs.
18. Electronically automated changeable copy signs, except that such signs displaying the time and temperature shall be permitted up to six (6) square feet in size, which square footage shall be in addition to the square footage otherwise allowed in this chapter.
19. A-frame signs except as provided for in the Old Town District.
20. Human signs that are considered commercial signs.
21. Signs not expressly allowed by the regulations of this chapter.
C. Special Standards: The following sign types and land uses have special sign standards that do not neatly fit within the sign regulations. These signs or uses are subject to the following sign standards and not the sign district regulations within section 11-5-6 of this chapter:
1. Temporary Commercial Event Signs:
a. Temporary commercial signs of a duration not to exceed thirty (30) consecutive days twice per calendar year, but no two (2) periods shall be closer than four (4) months apart. Any community wide sales event, whether sponsored by the local chamber, community service group or promoted by the City, shall not count toward the allowable days in this subsection. A single temporary sign is allowed per business. No more than two (2) temporary signs shall be displayed for multi-tenant locations. Display of banner signs up to twenty four (24) square feet, pennants, festoons, balloons, tethered objects, strings of flags, streamers, inflated objects or any other device intended as an attractant which is affected by the natural movement of the air may be temporarily allowed under this section. A business must apply for a special temporary event sign permit from the City Zoning Administrator to qualify under this subsection. Only the specific items approved on the special temporary sign permit may be used by the applicant. Items not approved on the special temporary sign permit remain prohibited.
Balloons would specifically be allowed under these temporary sign regulations for a duration not to exceed thirty (30) days in a six (6) month period.
b. Any business, organization, or community group whose access, visibility, or patronage is detrimentally affected by a government street, excavation, or infrastructure project, as determined by the Zoning Administrator, may obtain up to two (2) temporary signs totaling not more than twenty four (24) square feet combined, for the duration of the project without regard to the limit of thirty (30) consecutive days in a six (6) month period in the previous paragraph. There shall be no fees assessed for such temporary signs during a government project.
2. Performing Art Centers:
a. A single changeable copy sign (see subsection 11-5-5K of this chapter).
b. One wall sign no more than twenty four (24) square feet. Such sign may be integrated into the event promotion sign or may be a separate sign. This wall sign is separate and distinct from the permitted changeable copy sign.
c. Freestanding signs shall conform to the standards within the applicable sign district.
d. An area of a building wall or fascia may be designated for event promotion signage. The purpose of this area is to allow multiple changing signs to promote current and upcoming events. Event promotion sign panels shall be mounted rigidly and shall only be affixed within a structural frame within the designated sign area. The sign location shall be established through an overall sign plan submitted by the operator/owner of the building to the Planning Department for review and approval. Once the overall sign plan is approved, no additional permit is required to change individual event promotion sign panels. In no case shall the individual area of each event promotion sign panel exceed twenty four (24) square feet nor the total number of event promotion sign panels exceed three (3). In addition, a small sign not to exceed two (2) square feet per sign shall be permitted above or below each individual event promotion sign panel stating, "Now Playing", "Coming Soon" or something similar.
3. Schools:
a. Public and private schools (K - 12) are allowed one externally illuminated ground mounted sign a maximum of eighteen (18) square feet per side, set back five feet (5') from property lines, landscaped around the base, no more than six feet (6') in height, and preferably made of wood. Additionally, one non-internally illuminated building mounted school identification sign of up to sixteen (16) square feet is allowed per school, as well as one building mounted "slogan" sign, such as "Home Of The Bulldogs", not to exceed twelve (12) square feet.
b. A single changeable copy sign (see subsection 11-5-5K of this chapter).
4. Religious Assemblies Or Convention Centers:
a. In addition to other signs allowed per these regulations in the applicable sign district, a single changeable copy sign (see subsection 11-5-5K of this chapter). (Ord. 19-03, 2-4-2019)
Notes
| 1 | 1. See also subsection C1 of this section for temporary use. |