Unless otherwise specifically stated, the following regulations shall apply to all signs within the City:
(a) The construction, erection, safety, and maintenance shall comply with all applicable building and electrical codes.
(b) All signs shall be constructed in a professional manner in conformance with the appropriate building code and other applicable requirements of the City and shall be structurally sound to withstand wind pressures of at least 30 pounds per square foot of surface area.
(c) No sign or sign structure shall be placed on private or public property without the written consent of the owner or agent thereof.
(d) All signs shall be located and secured so as to pose no threat to pedestrian or vehicular traffic. All signs shall be subject to the intersection visibility standards established in Section 1115.02(d).
(e) Permanent signs shall be fabricated with rigid materials that are of good quality and good durability.
(f) All freestanding signs shall be set back from the right-of-way so as to comply with the clear vision triangle requirements.
(g) Electric signs and all permanent signs involving structural requirements of the building code shall be installed, repaired, altered and serviced only by a contractor licensed to perform such tasks.
(h) Temporary signs shall be durable and weather-resistant, and fastened or anchored sufficiently, whether attached to the building or positioned in the ground.
(i) No sign regulated by any of the provisions of this chapter shall be erected in the right-of-way, in proximity to railroad crossings, or at the intersection of any streets in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision (See Section 1115.02(d)), or at any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color, it may interfere with, obstruct the view of any authorized traffic sign, signal or device.
(j) No sign or sign structure shall be designed or built in a manner that it may be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal, or device.
(k) In the event there is a conflict between the provisions of this section and the provisions of any applicable building codes, the provisions of the applicable building code shall govern.
(l) Substitution with Noncommercial Speech. The commercial message sign area allowed for any permanent sign permitted in this chapter may be substituted with a noncommercial message. A sign permit shall not be required for this substitution if there is no structural change to the sign.
(m) Signs in Rights-of-Way.
(1) Signs shall be prohibited in the right-of-way with the exception of:
A. Signs installed by the City, Wayne County, State of Ohio, or approved transit agency that are allowed pursuant to the latest version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD);
B. Any warning signs or traffic safety signs required by public utility providers; or
(2) Any sign to be installed in the right-of-way by an agency other than the City shall require prior approval of the City Engineer.
(3) The City Engineer may remove or cause to be removed any unlawful sign in the public right-of-way.
(n) Illumination. Signs shall be permitted to be illuminated in compliance with the following:
(1) Light sources shall be shielded from all adjacent buildings and streets.
(2) Lights shall not be of such brightness so as to cause glare that is hazardous to pedestrians or motorists, or cause reasonable objection from adjacent residential districts.
(3) In the R-1, R-2, and R-T Districts,
A. Temporary signs shall not be illuminated.
B. Permanent, freestanding signs shall only be externally illuminated, unless such sign is an electronic message center sign in conformance with Section 1127.06(n)(4) and any other applicable sections of this chapter.
(4) Electronic Message Centers. Electronic message center signs shall be subject to the following:
A. Electronic message centers may only be used as part of a window sign, freestanding sign, or drive-through sign in accordance with this chapter.
B. All electronic message centers shall be set back a minimum of 100 feet from a residential dwelling unit.
C. Any message change shall be a static, instant message change.
D. Messages can only change once every three seconds or more.
E. The transition time between messages shall be less than one second.
F. All electronic message centers shall contain a default mechanism that will cause the sign to revert immediately to a black screen if the sign malfunctions.
G. Electronic message center signs shall not operate or project any display between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. when located in a residential zoning district.
H. The electronic message center shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness based on ambient light conditions.
I. Illumination shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles over ambient lighting conditions when measured at 50 feet in any direction from an electronic message center sign.
J. Audio emissions from electronic message center signs shall be prohibited.
(Ord. 2018-009. Passed 5-7-18.)