Real estate signs, not to exceed eight square feet in area in a residential district or 32 square feet in other districts, which advertise the sale, rental, or lease of the premises upon which said signs are temporarily located. No real estate sign shall be located in a street right-of-way. Real estate signs shall not be closer than 10 feet to a side or rear lot line. Sign placement shall comply with the traffic visibility requirements set forth in § 270-45 of this chapter.

Personal name and warning signs not to exceed two square feet located on the premises. Personal name and warning signs shall be not less than 10 feet from any street right-of-way or any side or rear lot line. Sign placement shall comply with the traffic visibility requirements set forth in § 270-45 of this chapter.

Home occupation and professional home office signs not to exceed two square feet in area and mounted flush against the dwelling.

Election campaign signs, provided that permission shall be obtained from the property owner, renter or lessee and provided that such sign shall not be erected prior to the first day of the election campaign period as defined in § 12.04, Wis. Stats., and shall be removed within two days following the election. No election campaign sign shall be located in a street right-of-way. Election campaign signs shall not be closer than 10 feet to a side or rear lot line. Sign placement shall comply with the traffic visibility requirements set forth in § 270-45 of this chapter.

Rummage sale and garage sale signs, provided that no such signs shall be erected or placed within a public right-of-way and further provided that such signs are removed within 24 hours following the sale. Sign placement shall comply with the traffic visibility requirements set forth in § 270-45 of this chapter.

Bulletin boards for public, charitable or religious institutions not to exceed 50 square feet in area located on the premises. Bulletin boards shall be not less than 10 feet from any street right-of-way or any side or rear lot line. Sign placement shall comply with the traffic visibility requirements set forth in § 270-45 of this chapter.

Memorial signs, tablets, names of buildings, and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of metal and affixed flat against a structure.

Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information, and notices.

Temporary signs or banners when authorized by the Plan Commission for a period of not more than 60 days in any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period.[1]

Wall signs placed against the exterior walls of buildings shall not extend more than six inches outside of a building's wall surface, shall not exceed 500 square feet in area for any one premises, and shall not exceed 20 feet in height above the mean center-line street grade.

Projecting signs fastened to, suspended from, or supported by structures shall not exceed 100 square feet in area for any one premises, shall not extend more than six feet into any required yard, shall not extend more than three feet into any public right-of-way, shall not be less than 10 feet from all side lot lines, shall not exceed a height of 20 feet above the mean center-line street grade, and shall not be less than 10 feet above the sidewalk or 15 feet above a driveway or an alley.

Ground signs shall not exceed 30 feet in height above the mean center-line street grade and shall not exceed 100 square feet on one side or 200 square feet on all sides for any one premises. Ground signs shall be not less than six feet from the street right-of-way and shall be not less than 10 feet from a side or rear lot line. Sign placement shall comply with the traffic visibility requirements set forth in § 270-45, and signs may not be placed so as to obstruct vision when exiting any driveway.

Roof signs shall not exceed 10 feet in height above the roof, shall meet all the yard and height requirements for the district in which they are located and shall not exceed 300 square feet on all sides for any one premises.

Window signs, except for painted signs and decals, shall be placed only on the inside of commercial buildings.

Combinations of any of the above signs shall meet all the requirements for the individual sign.

Wind pressure and dead load requirements. All signs and other advertising structures shall be designed and constructed to withstand wind pressure of not less than 40 pounds per square foot of area and shall be constructed to receive dead loads as required in the Village Building Code or other ordinance.[1]

Protection of the public. The temporary occupancy of a sidewalk or street or other public property during construction, removal, repair, alteration or maintenance of a sign is permitted, provided the space occupied is roped off, fenced off, or otherwise isolated.

Maintenance. The owner of any sign shall keep it in good maintenance and repair, which includes restoring, repainting, or replacement of a worn or damaged legally existing sign to its original condition, and shall maintain the premises on which the sign is erected in a clean, sanitary, and inoffensive condition, free and clear of all obnoxious substances, rubbish, weeds, and grass.

Supporting members or braces of all signs shall be constructed of galvanized iron, properly treated wood, steel, copper, brass, or other noncorrosive incombustible material. All projecting signs, if placed at a right or other angle to the wall or roof of any building, shall be attached by such noncorrosive metal bolts, anchors, cable, or other metal attachments as shall ensure permanent and safe construction and shall be maintained free from rust or other defects. Every means or device used for attaching any sign shall extend through the walls or roof of the building should the Village Building Inspector determine that the safe and permanent support of such sign so requires and shall be securely anchored by wall plates and nuts to the inside of the walls or to bearings on the underside of two or more roof or ceiling joists in accordance with instructions given by the Village Building Inspector. Small flat signs containing less than 10 feet of area may be attached to a building by the use of lag bolts or other means to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector.

No signs or any part thereof or sign anchors, braces, or guide rods shall be attached, fastened, or anchored to any fire escape, fire ladder, or standpipe, and no such sign or any part of any such sign or any anchor, brace, or guide rod shall be erected, put up, or maintained so as to hinder or prevent ingress or egress through such door, doorway, or window or so as to hinder or prevent the raising or placing of ladders against such building by the Fire Department of the Village, as necessity therefor may require.

Applications for a sign permit shall be made on forms provided by the Building Inspector or Village Clerk and shall contain or have attached thereto the following information:

Conditional sign permit. A conditional sign permit may be issued for certain signs pursuant to § 270-70 upon application and approval by the Village Plan Commission.

Permit issuance and denial. All sign permit applications shall be filed with the Building Inspector at least one week prior to a scheduled meeting of the Village Plan Commission. The Building Inspector may deny an application for a sign permit if the application fails to satisfy the requirements of this article. Only applications which satisfy the basic requirements of this article will be forwarded to the Plan Commission. The Village Plan Commission shall review the application and approve or deny, in writing, the application within 30 days of receipt unless the time is extended by written agreement with the applicant. The Building Inspector shall issue a permit for the erection, structural alteration, enlargement or relocation of a sign within the Village when the permit application has been approved by the Plan Commission or, in the case of a temporary sign, when authorized by the Plan Commission pursuant to § 270-60I. A sign permit shall become null and void, if work authorized under the permit has not been completed within six months of the date of issuance.

In calculating the area of a sign to determine whether it meets the requirement of this chapter, the Building Inspector shall include the sign copy and any border or frame surrounding that copy.

Supporting members of a sign shall be excluded from the area calculation. The area of irregularly shaped signs or signs containing two or more detached elements shall be determined by the area of the smallest regular polygon that will encompass all elements of the sign.

Standards. There are certain types of signs which, because of their unique characteristics, cannot be properly classified as unrestricted permitted uses in any particular zoning district or districts without consideration, in each case, of the impact of those signs upon neighboring land or public facilities. Such signs, nevertheless, may be necessary or desirable to be allowed in a particular district, provided that due consideration is given to location, size and design. Such signs are classified as conditional uses. Such signs may only be erected following the issuance of a conditional use sign permit. Prior to the granting of any conditional use sign permit, the Village Plan Commission may stipulate such conditions and restrictions upon the establishment, location, size, construction, color, maintenance and operation of the sign as deemed necessary to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the community. In granting the conditional sign permit, the Village Plan Commission shall consider the following factors:

Conditional use sign permit required. The following signs may be allowed with a conditional sign permit, as provided in § 270-68B, subject to the following conditions:

Billboards.

Unclassified signs which: