The exterior of the premises and the condition of accessory structures shall be maintained so that the appearance of the premises and all buildings thereupon shall reflect a level of maintenance in keeping with the standards of the immediate neighborhood. The appearance of the premises and structures shall not constitute a blighting factor for adjoining property owners nor an element leading to the progressive deterioration and downgrading of the immediate neighborhood with the accompanying diminution of property values, or the creation of unhealthy and unsafe conditions, including the following:
(a) Landscaping. Premises shall be maintained so that lawns, hedges and bushes shall not become overgrown and unsightly where exposed to public view and where the same constitute a blighting factor depreciating adjoining property;
(b) Signs and Billboards. All permanent signs and billboards exposed to public view permitted by other regulations or as a lawful nonconforming use shall be maintained in good repair. Any signs which have weathered or faded, or those upon which the paint has peeled or cracked, shall, with their supporting members, and bases or planter boxes be removed forthwith or put into a good state of repair. All non-operative or broken electrical signs shall be repaired or shall, with their supporting members, be removed forthwith;
(c) Windows. All windows exposed to public view shall be kept free of foreign substances, except when otherwise permitted by the Codified Ordinances of the City of Willoughby Hills, or when necessary in the course of changing displays. No storage of materials, stock or inventory shall be permitted in window display areas or other areas ordinarily exposed to public view and other than items customarily displayed in areas exposed to public view, unless such areas are first screened from the public view by drapes, venetian blinds or other permanent rendering of the windows opaque to the public view. All screening of interior areas shall be maintained in a clean and attractive manner and in a good state of repair;
(d) Store Fronts. All store fronts shall be kept in good repair, painted where required, and shall not constitute a safety hazard or nuisance. In the event repairs to a store front become necessary, such repairs shall be made with the same or similar standards materials used in the construction of the store front in such a manner as to permanently repair the damaged area. Any cornice, or appurtenance visible above a store front shall be kept painted where required and in good repair;
(e) Awnings and Marquees. Any awning or marquee and its accompanying structural members which extend over any street, sidewalk or other portion of the premises shall be maintained in good repair and shall not constitute a nuisance or a safety hazard. In the event such awnings or marquees are not properly maintained in accordance with the foregoing, they shall, together with their supporting members, be removed forthwith. In the event such awnings or marquees are made of cloth, plastic, or of similar materials, such cloth or plastic where exposed to public view shall be maintained in good condition and shall not show evidence of weathering, discoloration, ripping, tearing or other holes. Nothing herein shall be construed to authorize any encroachment on streets, sidewalks or other parts of the public domain.
(f) Dumpsters. All refuse and rubbish shall be placed and stored in dumpsters or other suitable covered containers. A sufficient size or number of containers shall be provided so as to eliminate any overflow of such containers on a regular basis. Such containers shall be kept within a structural enclosure when such enclosure is provided or required. In the absence of any such enclosures, refuse and rubbish containers shall be screened from public view by location or suitable landscaping.
Also see Chapter 1375 of the Codified Ordinances of the City.
(Ord. 2003-60. Passed 10-23-03.)