(A) Maximum size of nameplates is two square feet and fixed flat to the main wall of a residence building, not exceeding one per street frontage. Information on nameplates shall be limited to the name of the occupant and address.
(B) Ground signs are permitted subject to the following:
(1) Allowed for nonresidential uses; or at the entrance from a public street to a multiple-family residence development, or a mobile home park, or a subdivision. Maximum number is one per street frontage. Information is limited to the name of the facility, building or organization and address number. The maximum size is 24 square feet. The maximum height is six feet.
(2) In the Historic Preservation zone, the size is limited to six square feet. The maximum height is six feet.
(3) In the I-40 Overlay District for non-residential uses, maximum number is one per street frontage. Information is limited to the name of the facility, building, or organization, gas pricing board (if applicable), and address number. The maximum size is 100 square feet. The maximum height is 20 feet.
(C) Directional signs are allowed when required to assist the flow of traffic in multiple-residence development or other permitted uses containing multiple tenants or building groups. Not to exceed six square feet in area and three feet in height.
(D) Directory signs are allowed when required in multiple-residence development or other permitted uses containing multiple tenants or building groups. Not to exceed 24 square feet in area and six feet in height except in the historic preservation zone where the size is limited to six square feet.
(E) The following temporary signs are permitted in indicated zoning districts:
(1) For sale, lease or rent.
(a) For each single- and two-family residential use one freestanding for sale, lease or rent sign is allowed on each street frontage and on the property it advertises. The maximum size shall be six square feet in area and five feet in height.
(b) For all other uses one freestanding for sale, lease or rent sign is allowed on each street frontage and on the lot for which it advertises. The maximum size shall be six square feet in area and five feet in height. In addition, one for sale, lease or rent wall sign is allowed per each street frontage. The sum of the square footage of all allowed freestanding temporary signs shall not exceed 24 square feet in area.
(2) On-site subdivision or development. One ground sign is permitted at each entrance to the subdivision or development from a public street. The maximum size shall be 32 square feet. Each sign shall be located on the site for which it advertises and not closer than 50 feet to any existing residential dwelling unit outside of the subdivision or development. All signs must be removed if the subdivision or development is sold out or at the end of five years whichever comes first.
(3) Off-site directional sign. Off-site directional signs to a subdivision or development, open house, or other special event are limited to six square feet in area and a maximum of three in number. Other special events include garage sales, yard sales, food sales, craft sales, bazaars, and auctions. Off-site directional signs are only permitted for four three-day special events in any one calendar year. All off-site directional signs can only be placed on private property with the permission of the property owner and must be removed within 24 hours after the conclusion of the event.
(4) Promotional displays limited to grand openings, a change in business name, or a change in business ownership. Banners are allowed for 30 consecutive days with a permit. Pennants, streamers, flags, and other attention-attracting devices associated with such events are allowed for a maximum of three consecutive days per week in any district except the Historic Preservation District, and must be well maintained.
(5) Special daily event. Special daily event for businesses, including but not limited to; dances, food or drink special, sale items, special activity or function, etc. are allowed one banner for a period not to exceed one day per week or three consecutive days per occurrence and not more than two occurrences per month.
(6) Long-term special events. Long-term special events such as community events and seasonal activities shall be allowed to display pennants, banners, streamers, flags, and other attention-attracting devices for a maximum of 30 consecutive days per year, and these items must be well maintained. Each distinctly different event shall be allowed a 30 consecutive day period. Such advertisement shall be allowed to be displayed no more than two weeks prior to the event for the duration of the event.
(7) Political signs. One freestanding sign per each street frontage per each candidate or measure is allowed on private property with the property owner's permission. The maximum sign shall be 16 square feet in size and a maximum of six feet in height if the sign is located in an area zoned for residential use, or a maximum of 32 square feet if the sign is located in any other zoning district. Signs must contain the name and telephone number of the candidate or campaign committee contact person. Political signs may be erected 60 days before an election day. The signs must be removed with 15 days after the specific election to which they refer. Political signs may be placed in a public right-of-way that is owned or controlled by the city, as long as it is not placed in a location that is hazardous to public safety, obstructs clear vision in the area or interferes with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 - 12213 and 47 U.S.C. §§ 225 and 611). If the city deems that the placement of a political sign constitutes an emergency, the city may immediately relocate the sign. If a sign is placed in violation of division (E)(6) above and the placement is not deemed an emergency, the city may notify the candidate or campaign committee that placed the sign of the violation. If the sign remains in violation for at least 24 hours after notification, the city may remove the sign. A city employee acting within the scope of the employee's employment is not liable for an injury caused by the failure to remove a sign, unless the employee intended to cause injury or was grossly negligent.
(F) Limited to allowed temporary signs only.
(G) Freestanding signs are permitted subject to the following:
(1) For all districts other than the I-40 Overlay:
(a) One sign is allowed per each public street frontage;
(b) Each sign can be a maximum of 75 square feet in area;
(c) The maximum height shall not exceed 25 feet;
(d) Limited to a minimum height of ten feet above the ground surface immediately below the sign; and
(e) Each sign must be set back from any property line a minimum of 25 feet except signs for commercial uses in the Central Business District on Railroad Avenue and Route 66, where 25 feet cannot be accommodated, the setback shall be determined by staff. In no event shall any sign be closer than 30 feet to any residential zoning district.
(2) For the I-40 Overlay District:
(a) One sign is allowed per street frontage;
(b) Each sign can be a maximum of 300 square feet in area, except as provided in division (G)(2)(c) below;
(c) For properties within the I-40 Overlay District that are at least ten acres in size and which have multiple independent businesses on the same property, the size of the sign may be increased, subject to an approved conditional use permit, by 100 square feet in area for each additional independent business to a maximum of 600 square feet (each individual business used to calculate additional signage area must be advertised on the larger sign and must provide its primary product(s) and/or service(s) to customers) on the premises). Advertising panels for vacant businesses must be removed from the sign structure within 60 days of such vacancy, and the removed panel must be replaced by opaque, blank panels to match the color and design of the structure;
(d) Maximum height shall be 75 feet;
(e) Limited to a minimum height of ten feet above the ground surface immediately below the sign; and
(f) Each sign must be set back from any property line a minimum of 25 feet and in no event shall any sign be closer than 30 feet to any residential zoning district.
(H) Wall signs are permitted subject to the following:
(1) For a building that contains a single business:
(a) A maximum of one sign is allowed per each public street frontage;
(b) If the business has a rear parking lot, a sign is also allowed to the rear of the building; and
(c) Each sign can be a maximum of two square feet for each linear foot of building frontage but in no event shall the sign exceed 75 square feet in area.
(2) For buildings that contain multiple businesses, i.e., strip malls, indoor malls:
(a) A maximum of one sign is allowed per each public street, private driveway or rear parking lot frontage, not to exceed two wall signs, and shall comply with division (H)(l)(c) above for square footage allowances; and
(b) Each business within the building is allowed one sign per each public street or rear parking lot frontage, not to exceed two wall signs. Each sign can be a maximum of one square foot for each linear foot of business frontage, but in no event shall the sign exceed 20 square feet in area.
(3) The maximum height shall be no higher than the building facade;
(4) Limited to a minimum height of eight feet above the ground surface immediately below the sign; and
(5) Each sign may project no more than eight inches from the surface of the wall to which it is attached.
(I) Copy may be affixed to a vertical face of a canopy (limited to logo and/or color scheme).
(J) Lighting including internal and external sources shall be installed so as to shield the light source and direct the light downward and to avoid any glare or reflection into any residential building or into any street, alley, or driveway if such glare or reflection might create a traffic hazard. Brightness level shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light measured using foot-candle (Lux) meter at a distance of 100 feet.
(K) Within the historic preservation district (see map at the end of this section) the following regulations shall apply.
(1) Each principal building shall be limited to a maximum of two signs (one may be a wall sign and one may be a projecting sign) per each public street frontage and if the business has a rear parking lot, these signs are also allowed to the rear of the building.
(2) Freestanding signs may be used in lieu of projecting signs. The maximum size freestanding sign is 16 square feet and the maximum height is 16 feet. The minimum height above the ground level is eight feet.
(3) Projecting signs are limited to 16 square feet in area and must project no more than five feet. The minimum height above the ground is eight feet. The sign may project over public (city) rights-of-way with an approved sign permit pursuant to § 152.04(D)(2), of the city code.
(4) Wall and projecting signs may not extend above the top of the building facade to which affixed.
(5) Wall signs can be a maximum of two square feet for each linear foot of building frontage but in no event shall the sign exceed 75 square feet in area.
(6) Awning signage may be used in lieu of wall and/or projecting signage.
(7) Luminous paints are not allowed.
(8) Animated signs are not allowed.
(9) Holiday and seasonal decorations that employ lighting shall be erected no more than one month before the holiday and removed within 15 days after the holiday, with the exception of Christmas when decorations may be erected on October 15.
(10) Window signs to be attached to the interior of the window only are limited in size as follows:
(a) May not exceed 25% of the window area;
(b) May not exceed the total allowable signage for all types of signs; and
(c) EMC signs are allowed inside windows up to six square feet in area subject to requirements of this chapter.
(11) Sign installation shall not damage the building’s facade.
(12) On unpainted masonry buildings, all facade penetrations shall be set into lead sleeves or other approved, engineered fasteners, and the sleeves shall be set into masonry joints.
(13) A portable sandwich sign, maximum size six square feet and minimum five-foot setback from the sidewalk, may be displayed as follows:
(a) Only on the private property for which it advertises; or
(b) On public (city) rights-of-way with an approved sign permit pursuant to § 152.04(D)(2) of the city code.
(14) Any existing historical sign must be maintained as close to its original form as possible.
(15) The reconstruction of a historic sign is allowed upon approval of the Historic Preservation Commission. The reconstruction is allowed based on a historic image of the sign itself and may be subject to conditions approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. The sign should maintain the original colors and style as much as is practical. The location of the historic sign may be in the original location or relocated anywhere in the Historic District subject to the approval of the Historic Preservation Commission.
(16) All signage must be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission including the following:
(a) Signs illuminated with visible bulbs; and
(b) Signs illuminated with neon lighting, also known as “neon signs.”
(17) Promotional displays limited to grand openings, a change in business name, or a change in business ownership are allowed in the Historic Preservation District for 30 consecutive days with a permit.
(L) Under canopy signs limited to two square feet in area.
(M) Off-site signs limited to signs owned by a public or quasi-public entity. Off-site signs shall be permitted as follows: only along those property lines of Commercial or Industrial zoned property which are contiguous with the right of way lines of Railroad Avenue, Bill Williams Avenue, Rodeo Road and Grand Canyon Boulevard. All off-site signs are subject to the following limitations:
(1) All off-site signs shall be free-standing signs, not attached to any building, wall post, or other structure. Off-site signs shall be attached to the ground with metal posts and footings that are designed and constructed in accordance with the sign code and the building codes of the city. Signs shall measure no more than six feet high by eight feet wide in a solid rectangular shape with the highest point of the sign no more than 12 feet above grade.
(2) Off-site sign shall be located no more than ten feet from the property line/right of way line along which they are allowed. No off-site sign shall be nearer than 300 feet from any other off site sign.
(3) Each off-site sign shall have space for at least four but no more than eight individual advertising copy panels, each of which shall be no more than 24 inches high by 36 inches wide. No individual off-site sign shall contain more than one advertising copy panel per business or use advertised thereon. No advertiser may advertise on an off-site sign unless all other signs in the city that advertise that particular user are in compliance with all applicable city codes and regulations.
(4) The background color of all off-site signs shall be reflectorized blue and shall include a 1-1/8 inch wide white border along the outside edges of the sign face except at the corners where it shall have a six-inch outside radius. The background color and border shall be identical in shade and composition as the background color and border on standard “Tourist Information” signs as erected by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The color of each individual advertising panel will be at the discretion of the individual advertiser.
(5) All off-site signs must be maintained by the owner of such signs, with all parts of said signs, including faces, paint, structure, individual advertising panels, etc., kept in “like new” condition. Off-site signs, including sign faces and advertising copy panels, shall be constructed of aluminum or other metal materials not susceptible to weathering.
(N) Electronic message center EMQ signs.
(1) EMC signs are allowed in the following districts: Central Business District (CBD); Highway Commercial (HC); Interstate 40 (I-40) Overlay; and Industrial (I-1 and I-2) Districts, and in any zoning district for school and church marquee use. EMC signs located within 100 feet of any residential parcel shall not be displayed between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
(2) EMC signs are permissible subject to the following conditions.
(a) EMC signs may be incorporated into permitted signs so long as they contain static images that are displayed for a minimum hold time of eight seconds before transitioning from one static image and/or message to the next.
(b) Not more than one such sign shall be placed on property held in single and separate ownership unless the property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign shall be permitted on each separate street frontage.
(c) EMC signs shall be included as part of other allowed flush wall mounted or freestanding signs.
(d) EMC signs are only allowed in conjunction with a nonresidential use. EMC signs are not allowed in the Historic Overlay District, except EMC signs are allowed inside windows up to six square feet subject to the same requirements as all other EMC signs.
(e) The maximum allowable area of an EMC sign that is incorporated into a larger sign shall not exceed 35% of the allowable square footage.
(f) All EMC signs shall come equipped with automatic dimming technology which automatically adjusts the sign’s brightness based on ambient light conditions.
(g) No EMC sign shall exceed a brightness level of 0.3 foot candles above ambient light as measured using a foot candle (Lux) meter at a preset distance depending on sign area at a position five feet to six feet above ground level and perpendicular from the face of the sign, measured as follows:
Area of Sign (sq. ft.) | Measurement Distance (ft) |
Area of Sign (sq. ft.) | Measurement Distance (ft) |
10 | 32 |
15 | 39 |
20 | 45 |
25 | 50 |
30 | 55 |
32 | 56.7 |
For Signs of Other Sq. Ft. Measurement: Distance = Square Root of the (area of Sign Sq. Ft. x 100);  (100 x Area)
| |
(h) Flashing, revolving, moving, rotating, or similar intermittent lights are prohibited on EMC signs.
(i) Frame effects shall not be allowed. All frame changes shall be instantaneous.
(O) Window signs are to be attached to the interior of the window and are not to exceed 25% of the window area, and may not exceed the total allowable signage.
(P) Manual reader boards (MRBs) are allowed as follows: within the Central Business District (CBD), Historic Preservation Overlay, Highway Commercial (HC) District, Interstate 40 (I-40) Overlay, and Industrial (I-1 and I-2) Districts; and in any zoning district for school or church use. MRBs shall not exceed 35% of the signage.
(Q) Monument signs are permitted subject to the following.
(1) One sign is allowed per each public street frontage in lieu of a freestanding sign.
(2) Each sign can be a maximum of 75 square feet in area, including the base.
(3) The maximum height shall not exceed eight feet and the maximum length shall not exceed ten feet.
(4) Each sign must be set back from the property line not to interfere with pedestrian or traffic line of site as determined by staff.
(Ord. 939, passed 3-27-2014)