The purpose of this article is to govern outdoor advertising with standards designed to balance the interests of businesses, organizations, and individuals with the public interests of maintaining an attractive city where advertising contributes to community character and avoids undue visual clutter.

The standards of this section shall apply to the erection, construction, relocation, installation or alteration of any outdoor advertising sign, structure, markings, symbol or other advertising device unless exempted in Section 17.0.124 Exemptions.

The standards of this section shall not apply to the following:

Official Notices, Warning Signs, Historical Information. Notices posted by an official of a public body or utility that provides legal notification or information or warning of a dangerous area, including signs communicating information about the history of a property or the community.

Window Displays, Indoor Signs. Indoor signs and displays that are not visible from the outside.

Building Identification, Minor Residential. Signs, plaques and similar features not to exceed four (4) square feet in area containing building names, dates of erection, commemorative information or similar content. Wall signs identifying occupants or owners of a residential property.

Real Estate. Not more than one real estate sign per lot, parcel or tract of land or a building "for sale" or "for rent" that does not exceed six square feet in area.

Religious symbols, non-commercial. Religious symbols, signs conveying a non-commercial message and temporary political signs.

Way Finding, Traffic Control. Signs that provide directional information, identify entrances/exits and control traffic that does not exceed six square feet in area.

Murals. Murals depicted on sides of buildings that contain no advertising message connected to a business, service or product.

For the purpose of this section, certain words and terms shall have the meaning as established in this subsection.

Sign. For purposes of this ordinance the term sign shall mean any structure, marking, symbol, display, illustration or other advertising device designed or intended to announce, market or attract attention to a business, product or service.

Sign Area. Sign area means the surface of a sign designed to contain a message, logo, symbol, or other communication and excludes the structural support members. Sign area for free-standing signs or signs projecting from a building may display a message on two sides that are back-to-back and the sum total of the area of each side shall not exceed the allowed sign area.

Neon and Illuminated. Signs lit with neon or exposed bulbs in an historic manner.

Internally illuminated. Illumination in which neon, fluorescent, incandescent, or other light sources are placed within a semi-transparent "can" and shine through sign panels, typically made of plastic.

The erection, construction, relocation or alteration of a sign or other advertising device not exempted in Section 17.0.203 Exemptions, requires a compliance permit. Electrical permits pursuant to the currently adopted electrical codes may be required in addition to the compliance permit.

Digital Electronic Graphic Display. Signs that display moving, or electronic images shall require a conditional use permit and be consistent with all other applicable district regulations.

Size.

A.

Residential districts. The maximum amount of sign area allowed in a residential zoning district is six square feet per lot, parcel, or tract of land. Notwithstanding, the size of sign area announcing the name of a development is one square foot of sign area per one linear foot of street frontage of the lot containing the sign, not to exceed forty square feet.

B.

Non-Residential Districts. The total amount of sign area allowed in non-residential zoning districts shall not exceed three hundred total square feet. Total signage and sign area is calculated by measuring the surface area of one face of the sign.

Number, Type. There is no maximum number of signs permitted on a property and no restriction on the types of signs provided the total sign area of all signs does not exceed the amount permitted in section size.

Height. The maximum height of all freestanding signs, including all embellishments, shall not exceed twenty feet in commercial, industrial or public zoning districts and ten feet in residential zoning districts.

On-site/off-site. Off-site signs are permitted however those signs count toward the overall sign area for that specific property and use.

Construction, Electrical Codes. Signs and other advertising devices shall comply with applicable construction and electrical codes.

The following signs shall be prohibited:

Internally illuminated. Internally illuminated signs are prohibited in all residential districts and are subject to [Section] 17.0.208 Internally Illuminated Signs.

Flashing and blinking signs. Flashing, blinking or, signs with rotating light beams, holograms, and similar devices.

Illuminated signs are only allowed inside commercially and industrially zoned districts.

Any sign legally existing on the effective date of this ordinance which does not comply with the provisions of this article shall be deemed a nonconforming sign. No nonconforming sign shall be moved, altered, re-erected, relocated or replaced unless it is brought into compliance with the standards of this article. This shall not prevent the repair or restoration to a safe condition any part of a nonconforming sign or sign structure, or a change of message or normal maintenance on a sign or sign structure.

Any sign that is not structurally sound or no longer serves to inform or attract attention of the public, including illegible signs and signs advertising or identifying abandoned uses, shall be considered abandoned and its removal required. The owner of an abandoned sign shall be responsible for the removal of the sign within sixty days of the adoption of this ordinance or within sixty days termination of the use advertised by the sign.

The zoning administrator may approve temporary signs to be erected for not more than thirty days to advertise special events and similar short-term activities.