Blooming Grove City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
Signs
§ 235-56 Requirements and procedures.
A.
General. Prior to displaying any sign, a property owner or his duly authorized agent shall submit a written application to the Building Inspector for a sign license. The sign license fee shall be the same fee as applied to a building permit. Upon payment of the established license fee and receipt of the license, the sign may be displayed.
B.
Types and sizes of signs permitted. In all districts, maximum permitted overall size of signs of each listed type shall be in accordance with the following schedule.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
Business Signs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
District | Wall Sign | Freestanding Sign | Billboards |
RR | 4 sq. ft. | See § 235-56C(8) | Prohibited |
ORI RC | * | See § 235-56C(8) | Prohibited |
Notes: |
|---|
*One wall sign per business, provided that such wall sign shall not exceed a maximum horizontal dimension or length of 20% of the building front or face wall (for the purpose of this section, the building front or face wall shall be measured as the horizontal and vertical dimension of the exterior wall of the occupied space for a given business use) upon which sign is attached; such maximum horizontal dimension or length shall not exceed 10 feet; and such wall sign shall not exceed a maximum vertical dimension of 10% of the building front or face wall upon which the sign is attached; such maximum vertical dimension shall not exceed two feet. Notwithstanding the above, a minimum area of 18 square feet shall be permitted. |
C.
Supplemental sign regulations.
(1)
A wall sign no greater than four square feet for a home professional office or home occupation may be located on the building wall or in the required front yard, provided that such sign is set back at least 10 feet from all property lines and is not more than six feet above the natural ground level at that point.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(2)
A church or other place of worship may have one wall sign or one freestanding sign, not over 12 square feet in area, on each principal street frontage of its property, either fixed on the main wall of the building or located in the required front yard, provided that it is set back at least 10 feet from the front property line and at least 25 feet from all other property lines.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(3)
A parish house, club, school, or public or semipublic building may have one name or announcement sign, not over six square feet in area, on each principal street frontage of its property, fixed on the main wall of its building.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(4)
A business sign shall not project more than 12 inches from the building wall to which it is attached.
(5)
A business sign which is a part of or is supported by a building shall not be erected upon the roof, nor shall it extend above the height of the building.
(6)
A freestanding business sign (one which is not part of or supported by a building) may have a maximum height of 12 feet above the average ground level at its base.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(7)
A freestanding business sign shall have at least three feet of clear space between the signboard and the ground, provided that necessary supports may extend through such clear space.
(8)
The maximum size of freestanding business signs shall be based on the speed limit of the roads on which the parcels front, as follows:
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
Speed Limit on Nearest Street (MPH) | Total Maximum Sign Area (square feet) |
|---|---|
Under 35 | 16 |
35 to 45 | 24 |
Greater than 45 | 40 |
(a)
If the business is set back 50 feet or less from the roadway, either one wall sign (as set forth in § 235-56B) or one freestanding sign is permitted. Any freestanding sign shall not exceed four square feet.
(b)
If the business is set back more than 50 feet from the roadway, one freestanding sign is permitted, not to exceed four square feet, in addition to a wall sign as set forth in § 235-56B.
(c)
Where two or more businesses are located together in a single building, shopping center, or business park and such businesses are set back 100 feet or more from the roadway, one common freestanding sign shall be permitted with a maximum area as indicated above in addition to wall signs as set forth in § 235-56B. No additional freestanding signs are permitted.
(9)
There shall be only one freestanding business sign permitted on a lot.
(10)
Business signs may be illuminated by nonflashing sources, not visible from beyond the boundaries of the business property. Such illumination shall be limited to the hours of business operation, but may continue until 10:00 p.m.
(11)
Business signs shall be structures, a part of a structure or attached to or displayed on a structure.
(12)
A real estate "for sale" or "for rent" sign, or a construction sign, not exceeding 12 square feet, shall apply only to the property upon which it is placed. It may be located on the building wall or in the required front yard, provided that such sign is set back at least 10 feet from all property lines and is not more than six feet above the natural ground level at that point. One such sign may be erected on each principal frontage of the property.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(13)
An approved land subdivision of 10 or more lots may have one real estate sign, not over 40 square feet in area, located on each principal street frontage of the property during the period of active selling, provided that such sign be set back at least 20 feet from the front property line and at least 25 feet from all other property lines.
(14)
A temporary sign of not more than 24 square feet may be erected for a period of not more than two weeks upon payment of the license fee and receipt of the license. Such sign shall provide for unusual conditions, such as barn sales, auctions, and bazaars, but not including private yard sales. No business may obtain more than two licenses for temporary signs per calendar year.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(15)
Temporary or permanent signs on or attached to vehicles shall not be used in such a way as to circumvent the provisions of this article.
(16)
Signs with moving parts shall be prohibited.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(17)
Off-premises signs shall be prohibited except for houses of worship and cultural facilities.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(18)
Window signs, posters, placards, flags (except those of any nation) or other similar devices identifying products for sale on the premises or special promotions are prohibited. One window sign, not to exceed four square feet, indicating whether a store is open or closed and/or the hours of business is permitted per business.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(19)
No signs shall be permitted in any public right-of-way except as provided for in Subsection C(17) above.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(20)
Signs that display variable messages through electronic means are permitted by special permit by the Town Board, which shall determine whether the variable message display serves a public purpose and is not merely intended to attract attention to the business.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(21)
All signs shall be kept in a state of good repair. Signs that are in disrepair may be issued a violation by the Code Enforcement Officer.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
D.
Nonconforming signs.
(1)
Any sign lawfully established prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be deemed a nonconforming sign if it does not conform to the provisions of this article.
(2)
Sign depreciation schedule.
(a)
All nonconforming signs shall be terminated or brought into compliance within the time periods set forth in the sign depreciation schedule, as follows:
Value of Sign | Continuance |
|---|---|
$1 to $1,500 | 1 year |
$1,501 to $3,000 | 2 years |
$3,001 to $6,000 | 3 years |
Over $6,001 | 3 years, plus 1 additional year for every $3,000 or fraction thereof in excess of $6,001, up to a maximum of 5 years |
(b)
An owner of property on which a nonconforming sign is located shall have the right to make application to the Zoning Board of Appeals for an extension of the sign depreciation schedule. An extension may be granted if the owner establishes that the depreciation schedule set forth above is unreasonable. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall have the power to grant a reasonable extension long enough to provide the owner with an opportunity to recoup his/her investment, although the extension need not be long enough to enable to owner to recover 100% of his/her investment, especially with respect to soft or incidental costs. The owner shall bear the burden of proof.
[Added 12-27-2005 by L.L. No. 7-2005]
(3)
Value of sign.
(a)
The owner of any nonconforming sign shall file a request with the Planning Board for a determination of value.
(b)
The "value" of sign shall be considered to be the mean replacement cost.
(c)
The cost of maintenance and repair shall not be considered in determining value.
(d)
Signs for which no application for a determination of value have been applied for within a year from the effective date of this article shall be presumed to have a value not in excess of $1,500.
(e)
All determinations of the Planning Board shall be made within 60 days from the date of filing of any application. In the event that no determination is made by the Planning Board, the value set forth on the application shall be deemed final and conclusive.
E.
Illegal signs. Any sign which has been erected or altered and for which a valid permit has not been issued and which does not conform to the provisions of this article is hereby deemed an illegal sign and is subject to removal and to other penalties as provided by law.