§ 7.04 ENFORCEMENT.

   A.   Plans, specifications, and permits.

      1.   Permits. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, alter, relocate, or structurally change a sign or other advertising structure , unless specifically exempted by the article, without first obtaining a permit in accordance with the provisions set forth herein. A permit shall require payment of a fee, that shall be established by the Township Board .

      2.   Applications. Application for a sign permit shall be made upon forms provided by the Building Official . The following information shall be required:

         a.   Name, address, and telephone number of the applicant.

         b.   Location of the building , structure , or lot on that the sign is to be attached or erected .

         c.   Position of the sign in relation to nearby buildings , structures , and property lines .

         d.   Plans showing the dimension, lettering style, color, materials, method of construction, method of illumination, and method of attachment to the building or in the ground.

         e.   Copies of stress sheets and calculations, as required by the Building Code.

         f.   Name and address of the person, firm, or corporation owning, erecting, and maintaining the sign .

         g.   Information concerning required electrical connections.

         h.   Insurance policy or bond, as required in this article.

         i.   Written consent of the owner and/or lessee of the premises upon that the sign is to be erected .

         j.   Other information required by the Building Official to make the determination that the sign is in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

      3.   Review of application.

         a.   Planning Commission review. Sign permit applications submitted in conjunction with the proposed construction of a new building or addition to an existing building shall be reviewed by the Planning Commission as a part of the required site plan review. Proposed signs must be shown on the site plan.

         b.   Building Official review. Unless otherwise specified herein, the Building Official shall review the sign permit application for any sign proposed on a site or existing building where no other new construction is proposed.

         c.   Issuance of a permit. Following review and approval of a sign application by the Planning Commission or Building Official as appropriate, the Building Official shall have the authority to issue a sign permit.

      4.   Exceptions. A new permit shall not be required for ordinary servicing or repainting of an existing sign message, cleaning of a sign , or changing of the message on the sign where the sign is designed for such changes (such as lettering on a marquee or numbers on a gasoline price sign ). Furthermore, a permit shall not be required for certain exempt signs listed in § 7.05, subsection A. However, an electrical permit shall be required for all signs that make use of electricity.

   B.   Inspection and maintenance.

      1.   Inspection of new signs . 

         All signs for which a permit has been issued shall be inspected by the Building Official when erected . Approval shall be granted only if the sign has been constructed in compliance with the approved plans and applicable Zoning Ordinance and Building Code standards.

         In cases where fastenings or anchorages are to be eventually bricked in or otherwise enclosed, the sign erector shall advise the Building Official when such fastenings are to be installed so that inspection may be completed before enclosure.

      2.   Inspection of existing signs. The Code Enforcer shall have the authority to routinely enter onto property to inspect existing signs .

      3.   Maintenance. All signs shall be maintained at all times in a safe, secure, and aesthetically attractive manner. Exposed surfaces shall be cleaned and painted as necessary. Broken and defective parts shall be repaired and replaced. Tattered, faded, or torn window signs shall be removed.

      4.   Signs in violation of ordinance declared a public nuisance . Any sign that is erected , constructed, maintained, enlarged, altered, moved, or converted in violation of any of the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby declared to be a public nuisance per se, and may be abated by order of any court of competent jurisdiction.

      5.   Correction of violations.

         a.   If the Code Enforcer finds that any sign is in violation of this Ordinance, he or she shall notify one or more of the responsible persons to correct the violations by repair, removal, or other action, within a timetable established by the Code Enforcement Officer.

         b.   The notice provided in subsection (a) may be accompanied or followed by a written order, sent to the responsible persons, requiring correction of violations by repair, removal, or other action within 30 days. Where there is imminent danger to public safety, immediate removal or action may be required, pursuant to this Ordinance or other applicable ordinances.

         c.   For purposes of this section, responsible persons includes persons who own, erect, or maintain a sign , the owner and/or operator of the business to that a sign pertains and the owner and/or operator of the building , structure , or premises upon that the sign is located.

   C.   Removal of obsolete signs . 

      Any sign that identifies a business that is no longer in operation, or that identifies an activity or event that has already occurred, shall be considered abandoned and shall be removed by the owner, agent, or person having use of the building or structure . Upon vacating a commercial or industrial establishment, the proprietor shall be responsible for removal of all signs used in conjunction with the business within 30 days after vacating the business.

      However, where a conforming sign  structure and frame are typically reused by a current occupant in a leased or rented building , the building owner shall not be required to remove the sign  structure and frame in the interim periods when the building is not occupied , provided that the sign  structure and frame are maintained in good condition.

   D.   Nonconforming signs . No nonconforming sign shall be altered or reconstructed, unless the alteration or reconstruction is in compliance with Article 3.00 of this Ordinance, except that nonconforming signs shall comply with the following regulations:

      1.   Repairs and maintenance. Normal maintenance shall be permitted, provided that any nonconforming sign that is destroyed by any means to an extent greater than 50% of the sign ’s pre-catastrophe fair market value, exclusive of the foundation, shall not be reconstructed. Normal maintenance shall include painting of chipped or faded signs ; replacement of faded or damaged surface panels; or, repair or replacement of electrical wiring or electrical devices.

      2.   Nonconforming changeable copy signs . The message on a nonconforming changeable copy sign or nonconforming bulletin board sign may be changed provided that the change does not create any greater nonconformity .

      3.   Substitution. No nonconforming sign shall be replaced with another nonconforming sign . However, the sign face containing the message may be replaced with a different message without affecting the legal nonconforming status of a sign , provided that the sign  structure or frame is not altered.

      4.   Modifications to the principal building . Whenever the principal building on a site that a nonconforming sign is located is modified to the extent that site plan review and approval is required, the nonconforming sign shall be removed.

   E.   Appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals . Any party who has been refused a sign permit for a proposed sign or received a correction or removal order for an existing sign may file an appeal with the Zoning Board of Appeals , in accordance with § 29.05 of this Ordinance.

(Ord. passed 7-9-2013)