1127.07 MEASUREMENTS AND CALCULATIONS.

   The following regulations shall control the computation and measurement of sign area, sign height, window area, and building frontage:

   (a)   Sign Setback. All required setbacks for signs shall be measured as the distance in feet from the applicable lot line, or other stated point of measurement, to the closest point on the sign structure.

   (b)   Sign Height.

      (1)   The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade (average grade at the base of the sign) to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade shall be construed to be the newly established grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely undertaken for the purpose of locating or increasing the height of the sign.

      (2)   In cases where the normal grade is below grade at street level, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public or private street.

   (c)   Sign Area. The surface of a sign to be included when computing maximum allowable square footage of sign area shall be calculated as follows:

      (1)   When calculating street frontage, only the street frontage that lies in the incorporated area of the City of Wooster shall be used in the calculation.

      (2)   For sign copy mounted or painted on a background panel, cabinet, or surface distinctively painted, textured, lighted, or constructed to serve as the background for the sign copy, the sign area shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle, or combination thereof that encompasses the extreme limits of the background panel, cabinet, or surface. See Figure 1127-A and Figure 1127-B.

      (3)   For sign copy where individual letters or elements are mounted or painted on a building façade where there is no background panel, cabinet, or surface distinctively painted, textured, lighted, or constructed to serve as the background for the sign copy, the sign area shall be computed by means of the combination of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle, or combination thereof that encloses all the letters or elements associated with the sign. See Figure 1127-C. In cases where there are multiple sign elements on the same surface, the Zoning Administrator shall have the authority to determine the outermost boundaries of individual sign elements.

      (4)   The calculation of sign area shall not include any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall unless such structural support is determined to constitute an integral part of the sign design by means of text or other commercial message, as determined by the Zoning Administrator. See Figure 1127-A.

Figure 1127-A: Illustration of sign area calculation for a monument sign with copy on a distinct cabinet.

 

Figure 1127-B: Example of sign area computation by the smallest circle encompassing the extreme limits of the sign message. For the purposes of calculations, equals 3.14.

 

Figure 1127-C: Illustration of sign area calculation for two differently shaped wall signs with individual letters.

 

      (5)   In the case of a three-dimensional sign where the sign faces are not mounted back-to-back, the sign area shall be calculated by the smallest square, rectangle or circle that encompasses the profile of the sign message. The profile used shall be the largest area of the sign message visible from any one point. See Figure 1127-D.

Figure 1127-D: The sign area of a three-dimensional sign is measured measuring the smallest square, rectangle, or circle that encompasses the profile of the sign (illustrated as sides).

 

      (6)   Except for three-dimensional signs, the sign area for a sign with more than one face (multi-faced signs) shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces when the interior angle is greater than 30 degrees.

      (7)   When two identical, flat sign faces are placed back-to-back or at angles of 30 degrees or less, so that both faces cannot be viewed from any one point at the same time, and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than 12 inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces. If the two faces are unequal, the sign area shall be calculated based on the larger of the two faces.

   (d)   Determining Building Frontage, Building Units, and Building Facades.

      (1)   For the purposes of this chapter, the length of the building wall that faces a public street, that faces a parking lot owned or operated by the City of Wooster, or that contains a public entrance to the uses therein shall be considered the building frontage or building facade.

      (2)   The calculation of the width or lineal measurement of any façade shall be the measurement of the façade between two side facades. The calculation shall be based on viewing the façade from a 90-degree angle (i.e., straight on), regardless of façade insets, offsets, or angles. See Figure 1127-E.

Figure 1127-E: Illustration of façade width measurement on varied façade shapes.

 

      (3)   For multi-tenant buildings, the portion of a building that is owned or leased by a single occupant or tenant shall be considered a building unit. The building frontage for a building unit shall be measured from the centerline of the party walls defining the building unit.

      (4)   The primary facade shall be the portion of a frontage that serves as the main access point to a building or building unit. A site or building will be considered to have secondary facade when any of the following site/building characteristics are present:

         A.   The subject site is a corner lot;

         B.   The primary parking area is not located adjacent to a public street; or

         C.   The building or unit has walls with public ingress and egress that do not face the public street.

      (5)   When a site has primary and secondary facade as defined herein, the Zoning Administrator shall determine which wall shall be the primary building facade and which wall(s) shall be the secondary building facade. Only one outside wall of any business shall be considered its primary facade.

   (e)   Determining Window Area. The window area of a building shall be the total glass area of windows on the building frontage. For the purposes of determining window area for ground floor occupants, the ground floor shall be considered to be no more than 15 feet in height above grade. See Figure 1127-F.

Figure 1127-F: The window area is illustrated within the dashed line area for the two storefronts in the above image.

 

(Ord. 2018-009. Passed 5-7-18.)