The following are general standards that apply to all signs in all sign districts. Specific standards are contained in each of the sign districts.
A. Freestanding And Ground Mounted Signs: The following standards apply in all sign districts:
1. Freestanding or ground mounted signs are permitted according to the size and height standards of the sign district in which the property is located. All freestanding and ground mounted signs must have a landscaped area around the base of the sign. The landscape area must contain living landscape material consisting of shrubs and/or perennial ground cover plants placed throughout the landscape area. The use of architectural structures and/or embellishments that enhance the building or site and are an integrated part of the sign are encouraged. Architectural embellishments that do not exceed more than twenty five percent (25%) of the allowed height or fifty percent (50%) of the allowed square footage will not be counted against the allowance. Architectural embellishments may exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the height and fifty percent (50%) of the area with the approval of staff, upon recommendation from the Architectural Review Committee. The allowable square footage for a freestanding sign may be transferred to one building mounted sign if a freestanding sign is not used on the property.
2. A freestanding sign may consist of more than one sign panel provided all such sign panels are consolidated into one common integrated sign structure. In the event a sign is installed that does not utilize the maximum sign area permitted, any supplemental additions must conform with, and be compatible with the existing sign structure. All freestanding signs may be single-face or back-to-back but must not be canted or constructed in a "V" shape.
3. The edge of any freestanding sign nearest the property line must be set back a minimum of five feet (5') from the property line. Freestanding signs must not be installed within thirty feet (30') of any Residential District. Freestanding signs proposed to be located on a corner lot must maintain a clear vision triangular area and maximum of thirty six inches (36") to the top of the sign structure. The clear vision triangle area on a corner lot must be determined by measuring forty feet (40') along both street side property lines from their intersection or ten feet (10') from the intersection of a property line adjacent and parallel to a public or private street or driveway. Where there is one or more freestanding sign on a development site, the signs must be spaced a minimum of sixty feet (60') apart.
4. Signs will be mounted on two (2) parallel posts or an aggregate base rather than a single post.
B. Building Mounted Signs: Building signs include signs that are flush mounted on a building and signs attached to the building in some other manner. Building mounted signs are allowed in all of the sign districts. The sign district in which the property is located determines allowable square footage. This would include, but not be limited to, the signs listed below.
1. Projecting Signs: One projecting sign is permitted per business. The sign may not extend more than five feet (5') beyond the building and at least eight feet (8') above the surface below. Such signs must be placed perpendicular to the building face or corner of the building.
2. Awning/Canopy Signs: Awning/canopy signs may be used in conjunction with other building mounted signs and would be placed on permanent or temporary awning or canopy.
3. Building Wall Painting Signs: These signs would generally be painted directly on the building wall and are permitted in all districts.
4. Hanging Signs: These signs would typically be found mounted on an awning, canopy or other similar overhang on a building.
C. Measurement Of Sign Area: Sign area for the purpose of measuring total square footage will be measured as a total of all sign faces including multifaced signs 1 .
1. Sign Copy With Background: Sign copy mounted, affixed or painted on a background panel or area distinctively painted, textured or constructed as a background for the sign copy, is measured as that area contained within the sum of the smallest rectangle(s) that will enclose both the sign copy and the distinctive background panel or area.
2. Individual Letters: Sign copy mounted as individual letters or graphics against a wall, fascia, mansard or parapet of a building or surface of another structure, that has not been painted, textured or otherwise altered to provide a distinctive background for a sign copy, is measured as a sum of the smallest rectangle(s) that will enclose each word and each graphic in the total sign.
3. Area Calculation: Sign area for the purpose of measuring total square footage will be measured as a total of all sign faces including multi-faced signs.
4. Sculptural Signs: Spherical, free-form, sculptural or other nonplanar sign areas are forty percent (40%) of the sum of the areas using only the four (4) vertical sides of the smallest four (4) sided polyhedron that will encompass the sign structure.
D. Measurement Of Sign Height: Sign height will be measured as described below:
1. Freestanding Signs: Sign height is the distance measured from the centerline of the adjacent road right-of-way to the topmost portion of the sign containing lettering when the sign is below the grade of said street. When the sign is at or above the grade of the street, the sign height is measured from the grade at the base of a sign to the topmost portion of the sign area containing the lettering. Architectural embellishments that do not exceed more than twenty five percent (25%) of the allowed height or square footage will not be counted against the allowance. Architectural embellishments may exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the height with the approval of staff, upon recommendation from the Architectural Review Committee.
2. Building Mounted Signs: The height of wall, fascia, mansard, parapet or other building mounted signs is the vertical distance measured from the base of the wall on which the sign is located to the top of the sign or sign structure.
E. Lighting:
1. Lighting must be designed, located, shielded and directed to prevent misdirected or excessive artificial light and to maximize energy efficiency. Lighting must have adequate shielding or screening so it does not cast glare or direct light from artificial illumination upon any adjacent public right-of-way, surrounding property, residential property or motorist's vision. Downward directed lighting is encouraged.
2. Internally illuminated individual letters and internally illuminated signs are prohibited in all districts. Canopies, awnings, fascia and similar structures, whether or not they contain sign copy, may not be intentionally illuminated with direct internal illumination. Canopies, awnings, and fascias which are only minimally and indirectly illuminated may be permitted if, in the determination of the Zoning Administrator, they do not attract attention to a location or subject matter. Wood signs and signs made of natural materials externally lit are encouraged.
3. Use of neon and/or other lighting arranged around a building, sign or other structure for the purpose of attracting attention is prohibited.
4. Because night light pollution is a growing problem, reduction or turning off sign lighting during nonoperating hours is encouraged.
F. Total Number Of Signs: Commercial, industrial, institutional and other nonresidential uses are allowed one freestanding sign per developed site unless the developed site has highway frontage in excess of one hundred fifty feet (150') in which case one freestanding sign per one hundred fifty feet (150') is allowed as provided for in these regulations. Up to a maximum of three (3) individual building signs are permitted. A combination of any of the permitted signs is allowed provided they do not exceed the total square footage allowed under the sign district in which the property is located.
G. Multiple Businesses On A Single Development Site: A master sign plan will be required for all multiuse buildings and commercial developments containing more than one tenant and/or building that will be kept on file with the City. The master sign plan must be approved prior to issuance of a building permit for all new buildings, additions or renovations. The master sign plan will run with the multiuse building or commercial center and not with the individual tenants.
H. Alley Entrance And Signs: Signs located on rear public entrances to individual businesses must not exceed six (6) square feet in area, eight feet (8') in height and will be flush mounted to the wall. Business establishments accessible only from an alleyway are permitted one flush mounted building sign up to sixteen (16) square feet in area and eight feet (8') in height in a location of closest proximity to the business whether on or off the premises.
I. Businesses Without Frontage On A Public Road: Where a business is located on a parcel without frontage on a public road and is served by an easement through a parcel with frontage, the business without frontage is entitled to a freestanding sign, provided the parcel and easement were created prior to June 19, 2000. The parcel without frontage must incorporate its sign, and be shared equally, into the freestanding sign of the parcel with frontage. The total square foot area allowed for the freestanding sign will be based on the multi-tenant sign allowance for its underlying sign district. Signage conforming to this provision is not considered off premises signage.
J. Compliance With Building And Electrical Codes: All signs must be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Building Code and the Montana State Electrical Code. Electrical wiring must be placed underground.
K. Manual Changeable Copy Sign: A permanent sign incorporating manual changeable copy (reader board) allowed by this title may not exceed sixteen (16) square feet (24 square feet in the Highway District). Changeable copy is limited to five (5) lines of lettering and numbers not exceeding six inches (6") (8 inches in the Highway District) in height except as otherwise provided.
L. Abandoned Signs: Signs that advertise a business, goods, service or property no longer provided on the premises must be removed within thirty (30) days of the use being vacated.
M. Removal And Replacement Of Nonconforming Signs: All nonconforming signs must be removed or brought into compliance with these regulations at the occurrence of any of the following events:
1. The sign is removed, relocated or replaced for any reason, with the exception of temporary removal if required as part of a road maintenance or construction project in a public right-of- way.
2. Cessation or change of the business to which the sign pertains, and a new sign is placed on the site.
3. The structure or size of the sign is altered in any way including the change of internal or changeable popout panels in the Highway District or change of sign copy on the sign. This does not include signs intended to have manual changeable copy of individual letters or figures that are regularly or routinely changed. Where the change in signage is for a single tenant of a multi-tenant building, this clause does not apply.
4. Signs that flash, blink or rotate must cease flashing, blinking or rotating.
5. Whenever the sign is damaged or destroyed in any manner to the extent that the cost of restoration exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the total cost of reconstructing a conforming sign.
6. Signs previously granted a variance will be treated the same as any other nonconforming sign and will be brought into compliance as required by these regulations.
7. Abandonment of a sign for a continuous period of thirty (30) days.
8. The building official determines the sign is an immediate hazard to the public health, safety and welfare because of the disrepair, unsafe mounting, imminent dislodging or other safety factor.
N. Display Of Street Numbers: Each business will include the street numbers on the face of the building or sign. The numbers will be visible for easy identification of the property. Street numbers do not count against the allowable sign allowance when computing square footage where the number is incorporated on the sign.
O. Fuel Prime: The price per gallon may be:
1. Displayed on each individual pump with characters not exceeding six inches (6") in height; or
2. Displayed as changeable copy, not exceeding six inches (6") in height (8 inches in the Highway District) on the primary freestanding sign. An existing freestanding sign may be increased by ten (10) square feet for this purpose only. (Ord. 19-03, 2-4-2019; amd. Ord. 23-14, 8-21-2023)
Notes
| 1 | 1. See definition of "sign, area calculation" in section 11-9-2 of this title. |