§ 13-17. On-premises signs.

In addition to the requirements listed under other sections of this chapter, the following regulations shall apply:

(a)

The total maximum sign area for all ground and wall signs shall not exceed 200 square feet.

(b)

Ground signs: Not more than one ground sign is permitted per parcel, unless such parcel is located on a corner of two thoroughfares (namely, Highways 101, 70, 24, 58 and 12). In that case, two ground signs shall be permitted, one for each road front of the lot. A ground sign may not be closer than 50 feet to the intersection of two such thoroughfares.

(1)

One ground or pole on-premises sign shall be permitted per parcel, unless the use is located within a complex, such as a business complex or office complex and shall not exceed ¾ square foot to each linear foot of road frontage (e.g., 100 feet of road frontage would allow a 75 square foot sign) or the maximum sign area permitted in a district, whichever is less.

(2)

The height of a ground or pole on-premises sign shall not exceed 20 feet in height from the grade of the right-of-way or surface grade beneath the sign, whichever is less. The clearance of a ground or pole on-premises sign shall not be less than eight feet from the grade of the right-of-way or finished grade beneath the sign, whichever is less. Signs may be located closer to surface grade if the setback is increased by one foot for every one foot closer to the ground the sign is located.

(3)

On-premises ground signs that are placed parallel to the right-of-way shall be permitted to be located at ground level ten feet from the right-of-way.

(4)

No on-premises ground sign shall be erected at the intersections of streets, driveways, or alleys in such a manner as to obstruct clear vision.

(5)

In the event a business is located on a corner lot, two on-premises ground or pole signs shall be permitted per parcel, provided that it is the intersection of two thoroughfares (i.e., Highways 70, 24, 58, 101 and 12).

(6)

No on-premises ground sign shall be placed within 50 feet of a lot used or zoned for residential purposes.

(c)

Wall signs: Wall signs cannot exceed more than 50 percent of the total wall area.

(d)

Roof signs are not permitted.

(e)

Special events displays: These shall be permitted, provided that they meet all the regulations of the chapter. The application for the permit shall have the following additional information: length of time the sign will remain. In no case shall this exceed 30 calendar days within a 12-month period.

(f)

Directional signs: Directional signs not exceeding the six square feet per face shall be permitted. Not more than two directional signs shall be permitted at each entrance.

(g)

Directory signs shall be permitted, provided they are not visible from the highway right-of-way. Maximum sign area shall be 12 square feet. The height of the sign shall not exceed eight feet and the bottom of the sign shall be not more than three feet from the ground thereunder.

(h)

Menu boards shall be permitted.

(i)

No sign shall be less than ten feet from the nearest street right-of-way or less than 15 feet from the side property line.

(j)

On-premises signs may be illuminated by indirect or internal illumination.

(k)

No sign shall copy or simulate official governmental signs or signals.

(l)

Sign copy shall be submitted for all proposed on-premises signs to the planning department. No sign shall have lewd or lascivious letters, words or characters designating the same.

(m)

Special events displays are permitted, provided that they are in accordance with all sections of this chapter.

(n)

Signs that are located parallel to the right-of-way shall be permitted to be located at ground level ten feet from the right-of-way.

(o)

Signs allowed for both special and permitted uses shall be subject to all the restrictions listed in this section.

(p)

School identification signs: School identification signs shall not exceed 80 square feet in area. Such signs shall be placed so as not to obstruct the view of traffic.

The sign may include a message board that does not exceed 40 percent of the total area of the sign. The message board portion may be changeable, whether digitally or manually. Only text may be displayed on the message board. The remaining area of the sign shall be stationary.

Blinking, flashing, flickering, oscillating, rotating, or scrolling of the changeable area or stationary area shall not be permitted. The message cannot change more than once every 30 seconds. The message board shall have one background color and one text color. The sign shall not emit any sound or noise of any type. The message board lighting shall be limited to LED or similar low-intensity lighting. The stationary portion may be externally illuminated with downlighting so as not to affect the view of motorists.

School identification signs shall not be taller than 20 feet and shall comply with the other requirements of this section.

(q)

Electronic message boards: Electronic message boards can be used as a portion of the allowed signage area. Blinking, flashing, flickering, oscillating, rotating, or scrolling of the changeable area or stationary area shall not be permitted. The message cannot change more than once every 30 seconds. The message board shall have one background color and one text color. The sign shall not emit any sound or noise of any type. The message board lighting shall be limited to LED or similar low-intensity lighting. The stationary portion may be externally illuminated with down lighting so as not to affect the view of motorists.

(Ord. of 1-13-14(1); Ord. of 6-16-14(1))