As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates:
(a) "Awning" means any structure made of cloth or similar material, with a metal frame attached to a building to shield a window from sun or elements.
(b) "Banner" means a sign made of unconstructed flexible material.
(c) "Billboard" and "signboard" mean any structure situated on private premises, on which lettered, figured or pictorial matter is displayed for advertising purposes.
(d) "Board" means the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Municipality.
(e) "Canopy" means any structure, other than an awning, made of cloth with a metal frame attached to a building and carried by a frame supported by the ground or sidewalk.
(f) "Directional sign" means a sign used to assist one to find a specific location, as "visitors," "parking," "receiving," "information", "safety center," or an arrow. A directional sign shall contain no advertising and shall not exceed four square feet in size.
(g) "Erect" means to build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend, affix or otherwise place for public display and shall also include the painting of signs on walls.
(h) "Facing" and "surface" mean the surface of the sign upon, against or through which the message is displayed or illustrated on the sign.
(i) "Flag" means a piece of flexible material having a distinctive size, color, and design, used as a symbol, standard, signal, or emblem.
(j) "Flashing sign" means a sign which changes in light, colors or intensity or has the appearance of moving letters.
(k) "Gateway sign" means ornamental gateways to developments, parks or the like and shall be considered free-standing signs.
(l) "Ground sign" means any sign not attached to any building and placed directly on the ground.
(m) "Illuminated sign" means any sign which is illuminated by electric lights which are integral to the sign itself.
(n) "Item of information" means a word, a name, an abbreviation, a number, a symbol or a geometric shape portrayed on a sign. In computing items of information, graphics combining several different geometric or nongeometric shapes or shapes of unusual configuration shall be assessed one additional item for each noncontinuous plane. Excluded is lettering which is less than nineteen inches in height carved into or securely attached in such a way that such is an architectural detail of the building, provided that it is not illuminated apart from the building, it is not made of reflecting material, it does not contrast sharply in color with the building and it does not exceed one inch in thickness.
(o) "Marquee" means any type of permanent construction projecting from the wall of a building above an entrance or part thereof and not supported by ground posts.
(p) "Master Signage Plan" means documentation of the sign design layout, color, materials, position, and location of all permitted signage on a building or property.
(q) "Neon sign" means any sign illuminated by luminous tubes as part of the sign proper.
(r) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind.
(s) "Pole sign" means any free-standing sign supported by a pole, posts or other supports, and placed in the ground.
(t) "Projecting sign" means any sign which is attached to a building or other structure and which extends beyond the line of the building or structure or beyond the surface of that portion of the building or structure to which it is attached. (Ord. 1994-41. Passed 5-18-94.)
(u) "Roof sign" means any sign erected, constructed and maintained upon or over the roof or parapet wall of any building with the principal support on the roof structure.
(v) “Shopping Center” means a unified shopping center or development containing more than ten (10) tenants and over 150,000 square feet of leasable tenant space.
(w) “Shopping Center Gateway Sign” means a free-standing sign that identifies the name and/or logo of the Shopping Center near but not within a public right of way.
(x) “Shopping Center Monument Sign” means a sign identifying a Shopping Center and up to eight (8) of its tenants.
(y) “Shopping Center Pylon Sign” means a tall pylon sign identifying a Shopping Center and up to ten (10) of its tenants.
(z) "Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent right-of-way property lines, intended for the use of pedestrians for the purposes of this chapter only.
(aa) "Sign" means every sign, billboard, free-standing sign, wall sign, roof sign, illuminated sign, projecting sign, window sign, window graphics, temporary sign, marquee, awning or canopy, and shall include any announcement, declaration, demonstration, display, illustration or insignia used to communicate items of commercial information or promote the commercial interests of any person when the same is placed out-of-doors in view of the general public or when the same is placed indoors where the basic intent is for view by the general public outside of the building.
(bb) "Signable wall area" means a continuous portion of a building unbroken by doors or windows on any one face of the building. It is calculated by drawing a rectangle within the area and computing the square footage of the rectangle.
(cc) "Structural trim" means the molding, battens, cappings, nailing strips, latticing and platforms which are attached to the sign structure.
(dd) "Temporary sign" means a sign designed for a specific occasion.
(ee) "Wall sign" means any sign painted on, attached to or erected against the wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel to the plane of the wall.
(ff) "Window showcase" means that area which is used or designed to be used to display information or merchandise to persons outside the building.
(Ord. 2022-44. Passed 9-14-22; Ord. 2023-62. Passed 11-8-23.)