Clarkdale City Zoning Code

A. Unless exempt from a permit in accordance with Section 7-060, permits are required for all commercial signs. Applications shall be made to the Community Development Department on applicable forms and include information as required by the Town.

B. Permanent signs require a separate permit, unless a comprehensive sign plan has been approved and is in effect.

C. Whenever a business, industry or service using a commercial sign is discontinued, the sign shall be removed or obscured by the person owning or having possession of the property within thirty (30) days after the discontinuation of the business, industry or service.

D. All signs other than wall signs may be back-to-back. Only the size of one (1) side shall count towards the cumulative maximum noted in Section 7-120, Maximum Sign Square Footage for Commercial Use.

E. Attachment of any sign to utility poles, traffic control devices or street signs shall be prohibited. Unless specifically provided for in the code, no sign shall project, overhang or otherwise be located on public property.

F. Any sign to be erected wholly or partially within state highway right-of-way shall be approved and in conformance with any intergovernmental agreement between Town of Clarkdale and Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). Should no agreement exist, then the signage must be approved by ADOT.

G. Signs shall be maintained and free of chipping paint, visible cracks or gouges, or general deterioration.

H. The back of all one-sided freestanding signs must be finished with a nonreflective surface.

I. A comprehensive sign package for each new industrial, commercial, multifamily and residential subdivision, including the type, number, size, locations, and materials of the various signs, shall be approved as a part of the design review process prior to the issuance of a permit for any sign authorized under this section of the code.

J. All occupied premises shall have street numbers and room identification numbers for lodgings, which shall be easily viewed from adjacent public rights-of-way.

K. No sign shall be erected or maintained:

L. No sign shall be erected, relocated, or maintained in a way that prevents free ingress to or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, nor shall any sign be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.

M. Applications that meet all requirements of this chapter shall be reviewed and approved administratively by the Community Development Director or designee. Only applications requesting deviations, variances, or unique design interpretations shall require review by the Board of Adjustment.

N. The Community Development Director or designee shall complete administrative sign reviews within fifteen (15) business days. Applicants denied administratively may appeal to the Board of Adjustment within fifteen (15) business days. (Revised by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; Revised by Ordinance #438 on 12/10/24; effective 1/10/25; by Prior Code on )

A. All signs and supporting structures shall be designed and constructed in conformance with current Town building and electrical codes.

B. Any sign that is installed shall have a life expectancy of at least ten (10) years.

C. All temporary signs shall be constructed using suitably durable materials such as corrugated plastic, PVC board, vinyl or aluminum composite panels.

D. All signs must comply with the height, square footage and illumination standards herein.

E. Permitted signs are those identified in Section 7-140, Permitted Signs by Type and Zoning District Chart. (Created by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26)

A. Sign area shall be measured as follows:

Sign copy mounted on or affixed to a background panel or area distinctively painted, textured, or constructed as a background for the sign copy shall be measured as that area contained within the sum of the smallest rectangles that will enclose both the sign copy and background.

B. Sign copy mounted on or cut from as individual letters or graphics on a wall, fascia, mansard, or parapet of a building or other structure that will enclose each word and each graphic in the total sign.

C. Signs with multiple faces shall be measured as follows:

The area of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign, except that only one face of a double-faced sign shall be considered in determining the sign area when both faces are parallel and the greatest distance between faces does not exceed five (5) feet, or when the interior angle of the sign faces does not exceed forty-five (45) degrees in the case of a ‘V’ – configured sign. If the area of one (1) sign face exceeds the area of the sign’s opposing face, the area of the larger face shall be used to determine the sign area.

2. Spherical, free-form, sculptural, or other non-planar sign area is measured as fifty percent (50%) of the sum of the areas using only the four vertical faces of the polyhedron that will encompass the sign structure.

D. Sign height shall be measured as follows:

2. If the sign is proposed in a location in which the finished grade beneath the sign is lower than the grade of the adjacent roadway surface, the sign height shall be measured from the top of the curb, or crown of the adjacent roadway surface where no curb exists.

4. Wall fascia, mansard, and parapet-mounted signs shall be measured as the vertical distance to the top of the sign or sign structure from the base of the wall on which the sign is located.

E. Maintenance and Repair.

A. Exterior illumination is not allowed within seventy-five (75) feet of a residential district, except as permitted in a PUD or PAD.

B. All light fixtures shall be partially or fully shielded and shall be installed in a manner as defined for partially or fully shielded fixtures.

C. Indirect lighting fixtures shall be installed so that the illuminated area is limited to the sign area, and the light must be directed downward.

D. Internally illuminated signs shall be constructed with an opaque background and translucent lettering or symbols, or with a colored background and lighter letters. The color of the background is not limited by this chapter.

E. Illuminated signs must be extinguished by 10:01 p.m. or at the close of business, whichever is later.

F. Signs shall not be animated except as provided for in Section 7-100, Permanent Signs, or have intermittent illumination or flashing lights, except emergency or warning signs installed for traffic control, including signs that draw attention to speed limits, stop signs, fire stations, school zones, and similar governmental or public uses. (Renumbered by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; by Prior Code on . Formerly 7-030)

A. Official notices required by a court, public body or safety official.

B. Directional, warning or information signs authorized by federal, state or municipal agencies.

C. The square footage of memorial plaques, building identification signs and building cornerstones when made an integral part of the building or structure will not count towards the maximum sign square footage for buildings or structures constructed prior to 2025.

D. Flags of a government or a noncommercial institution such as a country, state, tribal, school or fraternal organization.

E. Religious symbols and seasonal decorations.

F. Temporary noncommercial signs are allowed subject to the same time, place, and manner restrictions as other temporary signs, set forth in this chapter.

G. Town of Clarkdale public information signs. (Renumbered by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; by Prior Code on . Formerly 7-040)

A. Animated signs except as provided for in Section 7-100, Permanent Signs.

B. Signs with intermittent or flashing illumination except for neon signs.

C. Roof signs.

D. Private signs in public right-of-way except political signs. See Section 7-110, Temporary Signs and Banners.

E. Signs emitting sound.

F. Signs resembling traffic control devices.

G. Signs painted or erected on the exterior of fences, garages or roofs.

H. Signs obstructing clear vision in any direction from any street intersection or driveway per Section 7-130, Visibility Sight Lines.

I. Illuminated signs erected in such a location that a traffic signal is in a direct line of sight between the sign and oncoming traffic.

J. Signs employing lighting or a control mechanism which causes radio, radar or television interference.

K. Signs obstructing any fire escape, window, door or opening used or required as a means of ingress or egress for firefighting purposes.

L. Any sign which is structurally unsafe or constitutes a hazard to safety or health; is not kept in good repair; is capable of causing electrical shocks to persons likely to come in contact with it; or does not conform to the design, structural, and material standards for signs as adopted by the Town.

M. Inflatable displays except as holiday decorations or as part of a local event on public or private property. (Renumbered by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; by Prior Code on . Formerly 7-050)

A. Nonconforming. All signs that are in violation of this chapter shall be brought into conformance with the provisions of this chapter, either by removal or reconstruction within thirty (30) days following receipt of official notice of a violation from the Town.

B. Legal Nonconforming. Existing signs that are in conformance with all standards in effect on the date of their installation prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be considered legal nonconforming signs. Enlargement, relocation, extension, replacement, or substantial alteration (greater than fifty percent (50%) of the area or value of the sign) shall require conformance with the current code.

A. Bed and Breakfast.

B. Home Occupation.

C. Multiple-Family Residential.

A. Animated.

B. Awning (Canopy).

C. Freestanding Signs.

2. Minimum setback from property line equals one (1) foot for each foot of height of the sign for signs six (6) feet or less in height; for signs more than six (6) feet in height the setback shall be greater than or equal to the height of the sign.

D. Off-Premises Commercial Signs.

E. On-Site Commercial Information. As reviewed and approved by staff during review of a comprehensive sign plan application.

F. Neon.

G. Projecting.

1. Maximum height equals top of wall.

H. Subdivision Advertising, Directional and Identification.

I. Wall.

J. Window.

K. Murals. A mural shall not count towards the maximum sign size calculation for commercial businesses, unless it contains a business’s name or logo, then it will be counted as a sign and included in the maximum square footage permitted by Section 7-120. (Renumbered by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; Revised by Ordinance #438 on 12/10/24; effective 1/10/25; Revised by Ordinance #435 on 12/10/24; Revised by Ordinance #427 on 8/13/24; effective 9/14/24; by Prior Code on . Formerly 7-080)

A. Applicability. Temporary signs include but are not limited to signs previously categorized as: political, ideological, yard sale, real estate, and special event signage. These signs are regulated based on time, place, and manner regardless of the message expressed.

B. General Standards.

C. Political Signs.

D. Portable Signs.

E. Sign Walkers.

F. Special Events.

G. Yard Sale.

A. Commercial business located in commercial zoning districts and multifamily developments may use a combination of awnings, wall, window, freestanding and projecting signage on site to promote their business.

B. The maximum aggregate signage area shall be calculated at one and one-half (1.5) square feet per linear foot of building frontage, up to a maximum of two hundred fifty (250) square feet per business.

C. All commercial signs, except for temporary signs, are subject to review and administrative approval.

D. Additional square footage can be requested with the application of a conditional use permit. (Renumbered by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; Revised by Ordinance #438 on 12/10/24; effective 1/10/25; by Prior Code on . Formerly 7-090)

A. At the intersection of two (2) streets, or where a driveway or alley intersects a street, a triangle defined by measuring twenty-five (25) feet in length along the curb or edge of improved roadway from their point of intersection, the third side being a diagonal line connecting the first two (2). The Town may require more than twenty-five (25) feet in high-volume, high-speed traffic areas.

B. No signs, except traffic signs, shall exceed a height of thirty (30) inches above grade. (Renumbered by Ordinance #454 on 5/12/26; effective 6/11/26; Revised by Ordinance #438 on 12/10/24; effective 1/10/25; by Prior Code on . Formerly 7-100)

A. All signs shall be subject to inspection by the Community Development Department to ensure compliance with the Zoning Code.

B. Footing inspections shall be required for all signs with footings.

C. Signs containing electrical wiring shall conform to the standards of the applicable electrical code and the components shall bear the label of a testing agency approved by the State of Arizona.

D. When, in the opinion of the Town Manager or authorized representative, reasonable cause exists concerning the safety of a proposed or existing sign structure, the applicant or owner shall furnish written documentation from a registered civil, structural, electrical or mechanical engineer certifying its safety. The Town reserves the right to order removal of a sign if it poses a threat to public safety.

E. Notice of noncompliance of any sign shall be given to the owner of record of the property and user of such sign by first-class mail sent to the last known address of the owner of record.

F. Failure to remove or bring the sign into compliance in accordance with a notice given pursuant to Town Code shall result in appropriate enforcement action, including but not limited to:

G. For definitions see Chapter 2.

H. The Town may remove illegal or unsafe signs at the owner’s expense.

I. All signs shall be maintained in good condition and in accordance with the following priority: