(a) Compliance Required. No sign shall be permitted in any district except as hereinafter provided.
(b) General Provisions.
(1) Signs not exceeding twelve square feet in area and advertising the sale, rental, or lease of the premises on which the sign is located shall be permitted on any property.
(2) Announcement or professional signs for home occupations and professional activities where permitted shall not exceed two square feet in area in a residential district.
(3) Bulletin boards and signs for a church, school, community or other public or semi-public institutional buildings shall be permitted provided the area of such bulletin board or sign shall not exceed fifteen square feet in area.
(4) Wall signs pertaining to a nonconforming use shall be permitted on the same premises of such use, provided the area of such signs does not exceed twenty square feet.
(5) No building wall shall be used for display of advertising except that pertaining to the use carried on within such building.
(6) Temporary signs not exceeding in the aggregate fifty square feet announcing special events or the erection of a building, the architect, the builders, contractors, etc., may be erected for the period of sixty days, plus construction period.
(7) Political campaign and garage sale signs shall conform to the following:
A. Be no larger than thirty-six by thirty-six inches except for billboards;
B. Be located outside the public rights of way;
C. Be removed within fifteen days following the election.
(8) No sign shall be placed in any public right of way except publicly owned signs, such as traffic control signs and directional signs. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, signs meeting the criteria set forth in Section 1129.02(h) and located within the sidewalk area of the Central Business District (C-1 ) shall be permitted.
(9) Any existing sign removed or altered must conform to the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance.
(c) C-2, M-1 and M-2 District Signs.
(1) In the foregoing districts, each business shall be permitted one flat or wall sign. Projection of wall signs shall not exceed two feet measured from the face of the main wall of the building.
(2) The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise shall be limited according to the widths of the building or part of building occupied by such enterprise. For the purpose of this section, width shall be measured along the building face nearest parallel to the street line. In the case of a corner lot, either frontage may be used in determining maximum area of the sign.
(3) Free-standing signs with either a single display area or with back-to-back display areas not over ten feet in height, having a maximum total sign area of 100 square feet per display area and located not closer than ten feet to any street right-of-way line and not closer than 100 feet to any adjoining lot line may be erected to serve a group of business establishments. There shall be only one freestanding sign for each building, regardless of the number of businesses conducted in such building.
(4) Pole signs of symbolical design shall be permitted for business establishments including automobile service stations provided:
A. No part of such sign shall project into the right of way of any street or highway.
B. The maximum area of any face of such sign shall not exceed forty- five square feet.
C. The pole support of the sign shall not be less than fifty feet from any lot in any residential district.
(5) All permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise may have an area equivalent to one and one-half square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of width of building, or part of a building, occupied by such enterprise, but shall not exceed a maximum area of 100 square feet. In computing the area of freestanding or protruding signs, all faces on which advertising is displayed are considered sign area.
(d) Central Business District (C-1). The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise shall be limited according to the widths of the building or part of building occupied by such enterprise. For the purpose of this section, width shall be measured along the building face nearest parallel to the street line. In the case of a corner lot, either frontage may be used in determining maximum area of the sign.
(1) Central Business District (C-1) flush mount wall signs.
A. The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise may have an area equivalent to one and one-half square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of width of building, or part of a building, occupied by such enterprise, but shall not exceed a maximum area of 100 square feet.
B. Projection from the surface to which the sign is mounted cannot exceed 12 inches.
C. Height must be such that no interference with pedestrian traffic can occur and must be mounted a minimum of seven feet high off the walkway.
D. Illumination of sign is allowed providing it adheres to the restrictions set forth under Section 1129.02(e), Illumination.
(2) Central Business District (C-1) awnings/canopies.
A. The width of any awning/canopy can be no larger than the building to which it is mounted.
B. Plans for awning/canopy arrangement must be approved by the Zoning Inspector prior to installation.
C. Any material is permissible, provided it does not pose a safety hazard to pedestrian traffic below and meets the following:
1. Non-flexible material awnings must be mounted a minimum of eight feet above walkway.
2. Flexible material may be mounted seven feet above walkway providing the stationary object to which it is attached is eight feet above the walkway.
D. Projection of canopy/awning may not exceed four feet from the building surface to which it is attached.
E. Illumination is allowed providing it adheres to the restrictions set forth under Section 1129.02(e), Illumination.
F. Advertising on awning/canopy may have an area equivalent to one and one-half square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of width of awning/canopy.
(3) Central Business District (C-1) wall mounted perpendicular signs.
A. Plans for perpendicular sign arrangement must be approved by the Zoning Inspector prior to installation.
B. Projection of sign may not exceed three feet from the building surface to which it is attached.
C. Bottom of sign must be a minimum of eight feet above walkway surface.
D. Must be readable from both directions.
E. Must be permanently attached to wall and adhered in such a fashion that movement is prevented.
F. Total square feet of sign cannot exceed 20 square feet.
G. Illumination of sign is allowed providing it adheres to the restrictions set forth under section 1129.02(e), Illumination.
(4) Combination signing.
A. Plans for a combination sign arrangement must be approved by the Zoning Inspector prior to installation.
B. Any business may utilize any combination of signs described provided that all individual guidelines are met and 100 square feet total is not exceeded.
(5) There shall be no pole signs permitted in the Central Business District
(C-1).
(6) Portable advertising; flags, banners. and sidewalk A-frames.
A. This subsection is applicable to the C-1 District only.
B. Permit is required.
C. Except for sidewalk A-frames, all flags and banners must be attached to the business in which the advertising medium is in regards.
D. May only be displayed during business hours.
E. Must be placed in such a fashion as to not interfere with pedestrian traffic on sidewalks.
F. A limit of two per business of any combination of flags, banners, and sidewalk A frame.
G. Sidewalk A-frames are only permitted under the following conditions:
1. Maximum size is six square feet per side with a maximum of two sides.
2. Must be readable from both sides.
3. Must be collapsible and of such a weight that allows for removal after business hours.
4. Placement must be in front of the building in which the advertising business resides.
5. Liability lies on the particular business the sign is advertising.
6. Must be placed in such a fashion as to not interfere with pedestrian traffic on sidewalks or traffic on streets.
7. Besides self-contained lighting (battery powered), illumination is prohibited; also no flashing lights or simulated movement.
(e) Illumination. The following provisions shall be observed in the illumination of signs and advertising structure:
(1) All signs and advertising structures except as hereinafter modified may be illuminated internally or by reflected light provided the source of light is not directly visible and is so arranged as to reflect away from adjoining premises and provided that such illumination shall not be so placed as to cause confusion or a hazard to traffic or conflict with traffic control signs or lights.
(2) No illumination involving movement or causing the illusion of movement by reason of the lighting arrangement or other devices shall be permitted which may cause confusion or a hazard to traffic or conflict with traffic control signs or lights.
(f) Setback Requirements. Except in C-2, M-1 and M-2 Districts, sign and outdoor advertising structures, excluding pole and symbolical signs, where permitted shall be set back from the established right-of-way line of any street or highway at least as far as the required front yard depth for a principal use in such district except for the following modifications:
(1) For every square foot by which such sign or outdoor advertising structure exceeds eighty square feet, such setback shall be increased by one-half foot not to exceed 100 feet.
(2) At the intersection of any State or Federal highway with a major or secondary street, the setback of any sign or outdoor advertising structure shall not be less than 100 feet from the established right-of-way of each highway or street.
(3) Real estate signs and bulletin boards for a church, school or any other public or semi-public, religious or educational institution may be erected not less than ten feet from the established right-of-way line of any street or highway provided such sign or bulletin board does not obstruct traffic visibility at street or highway intersections.
(g) Special Yard Provisions. The following special provisions shall be observed in the erection or placement of signs and outdoor advertising structures:
(1) No such sign or advertising structure shall be permitted which faces the front side lot line of any lot in any residential district within 100 feet of such lot line, or which faces any public or parochial school, library, church or similar institution, within 300 feet thereof.
(2) Signs and advertising structures where permitted shall be erected or placed in conformity with the side and rear yard requirements of the district in which located except no signs or advertising structure shall be erected or placed closer than within fifty feet to a side or rear lot line in any residential district.
(h) Temporary Signs.
(1) Temporary signs not exceeding fifty square feet in surface area may be erected for a period of sixty days. Any person or firm erecting a temporary sign under this section shall notify the Zoning Inspector in writing so that the sixty-day period can be established.
(2) Portable advertising for events, of the type resembling marquee billboards whether illuminated or not is permissible with a permit for a period of no longer than three days and must be removed within 24 hours after the event.
(i) Permits.
(1) A separate permit shall be required for the erection of signs regulated in this Zoning Ordinance, except that no permit shall be required for temporary real estate signs with an area of twelve square feet for the sale or lease of property and for small announcement signs with an area of less that six square feet. Announcement signs, except those for professional and home occupations, shall be removed by the person or persons responsible for posting sign within ten days after completion of such scheduled event.
(2) Each application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by a drawing showing the design proposed; the size, character and color of letters, lines and symbols; method of illumination; the exact location of the sign in relation to the building and property; the details and specifications for construction. The fee as established by Council shall accompany the application.
(j) Exemptions.
(1) Public notices, traffic control signs and other official signs and notices are exempt from the provisions of this section.
(2) All former provisions of any ordinance inconsistent with this section are hereby expressly repealed.
(Ord. 16-2007. Passed 5-7-07.)