Dresser City Zoning Code
17.25 Signs
[Amended by Ord. No. 143]
(1)
Purpose and intent.
(a)
The purpose of these regulations on outdoor advertising signs is to establish minimum standards to protect the public health, safety and welfare and promote the community aesthetics by regulating the location, size, construction, appearance and maintenance of signs in the Village. Outdoor signs of all types are to be regulated to protect property values, create a more attractive economic and business climate, enhance and protect the physical appearance of the community and preserve the scenic and natural beauty of the Village. It is further intended to reduce sign or advertising distractions and obstructions that may contribute to traffic accidents and to reduce hazards that may be caused by signs within the public rights-of-way.
(b)
The Village determines that these regulations constitute a legitimate exercise of the police power of the Village to regulate the use of public streets and public ways. The Village recognizes that its economy relies, in substantial part, upon tourism for its economic well being. The Village finds that the proper regulation and control of outdoor advertising will promote tourism in the Village.
(2)
Applicability.
(a)
Regulations apply to all districts. The requirements of this section apply to all signs in all districts unless specifically exempted or excluded.
(b)
Governmental signs excluded. For the purpose of this section, "sign" does not include signs erected and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function or required by law, ordinance or governmental regulation. All other signs and outdoor advertising are hereby regulated.
(c)
Definitions. Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions shall be used in the interpretation of this section:
1.
SIGN — Any letter, symbol, number or combination of these that can be seen from the right-of-way of a street or highway. Signs include all outdoor advertising, but do not include buildings or ornamental wall murals approved by any Village commission and other official public information signs.
2.
SIGN, GROUND — A sign that is attached to posts, landscape walls or fences, or placed on the ground and is not affixed to any part of any building on the subject site.
3.
SIGN, ON-SITE — A sign relating in its subject matter to the premises on which it is located or to products, accommodations, services or activities on the premises.
4.
SIGN, OFF-PREMISES OR BILLBOARD — A sign that advertises a business, commodity, service, entertainment or public service where the item advertised is not located on the site where the sign is located.
5.
SIGN, PORTABLE TRAILER — A motor vehicle or trailer with a street graphic mounted thereon. It may be double faced.
6.
SIGN, PROJECTING — A sign which is attached to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of such building or wall.
7.
SIGN, ROOF — Any sign placed, erected, constructed or maintained upon or over the roof or parapet of any building with the principal support being on the roof structure.
8.
SIGN, WALL — All signs attached or painted against a building, fence or other structure. Wall signs shall not extend beyond the surface of the building or structure to which attached by more than six inches.
9.
SIGN, WIND — Any streamer, pennant, flag, whirligig or other device designed to move, flutter, rotate or display any other movement under the influence of the wind for advertising or signage purposes.
(3)
Building permit required. No sign shall be hereafter located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged or structurally altered without a building permit and without being in conformity with the provisions of this section. The sign shall also meet all the structural requirements of the Building Code.
(4)
Sign permits required. No sign shall hereafter be located, moved, erected, extended, enlarged or structurally altered without a sign permit and without being in conformity with the provisions of this section. All signs shall meet all structural requirements of other applicable sections of this Code. The building permit and sign permit requirements of this section shall be as set forth in sec. 14.08 of this Code.
[Amended by Ord. No. 147]
(5)
Signs permitted in residential districts. All signs are prohibited in all Residential Districts except the following:
(a)
Signs over show windows or doors or a nonconforming business establishment announcing without display or elaboration only the name and occupation of the proprietor and not to exceed two feet in height and 10 feet in length.
(b)
Real estate signs not to exceed eight square feet in area which advertise the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which said signs are temporarily located.
(c)
Name, occupation and warning signs not to exceed two square feet located on the premises.
(d)
Bulletin boards for public, charitable or religious institutions not to exceed eight square feet in area located on the premises.
(e)
Memorial signs, tables, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of metal and affixed flat against a structure.
(f)
Official signs such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information and notices.
(g)
Temporary signs when authorized by the Building Inspector for a period not to exceed 30 days.
(h)
Temporary real estate signs erected for the purpose of promoting or selling residential real estate or dwellings located in a residential development approved by the Village Board and under construction in accordance and in compliance with ch. 18 of this Code and, further provided, that the Village Board approves an application for such signs after review and establishes that all the following minimum standards exist:
[Added by Ord. No. 187]
1.
Such signs shall not exceed 100 square feet on any one side nor shall such signs exceed the height limitations imposed elsewhere in this Code.
2.
Only one such sign shall be permitted for each street frontage upon which the subdivision property abuts.
3.
Such signs shall not be located closer than 100 feet from any residence in existence at the time the sign is erected.
4.
Such signs shall not be located on any public property nor shall such signs be placed off the development property premises. This provision shall not be deemed to prohibit any advertising of the existence, sale, lease or other promotion of the development real property or dwellings otherwise permitted outside the residential district.
5.
Such signs shall not be illuminated.
6.
The approval for such signs shall be for one year, at the end of which time all such signs shall be removed unless the Village Board receives a written extension application filed with the Clerk-Treasurer by the developer not less than 30 days in advance of the then current expiration date. The approval of any extension shall be on the same grounds as any original application. Any extension of approval shall be for one year. However, any extension application may be denied whenever the project real estate is 85% sold or leased. Any such signs shall be removed and any extension application shall be denied at any time the Village Board determines that the whole remaining project property is or has been conveyed to any person or entity other than the original developer.
(6)
Restrictions in commercial and industrial districts. Signs are permitted in all Commercial and Industrial Districts subject to the following restrictions:
(a)
Wall signs placed against the exterior walls of buildings shall not extend more than six inches outside of a buildings wall surface, shall not exceed 200 square feet in area for any one premises and shall not exceed 20 feet in height above the mean center line street grade.
(b)
Projecting signs fastened to, suspended from or supported by structures shall not exceed 100 square feet in area, shall not exceed more than six feet into any required yard, shall not extend more than six feet into any 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 nor 15 feet above a driveway or alley.
(c)
Ground signs shall not exceed 20 feet in height above the mean center line street grade, shall meet all yard requirements for the district in which they are located and shall not exceed 200 square feet on all sides for any one premises.
(d)
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 200 square feet for any one premises.
(7)
Illumination. Illumination of signs shall be permitted, provided that the source of light shall be located, shielded or concentrated in such a manner as to prevent glare upon any street.
(8)
Spacing. No sign except those permitted in sub. (4) above shall be permitted to face a Residential District within 100 feet of each district boundary.
(9)
Interference. Signs shall not resemble, imitate or approximate the shape, size, form or color of railroad or traffic signs, signals or devices. Signs shall not obstruct or interfere with the effectiveness of railroad or traffic signs, signals or devices. No sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window or fire escape and no sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape. No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct or interfere with traffic visibility.
(10)
Off-premises signs. Off-premises signs, including billboards and movable free standing signs, are prohibited.
(11)
Prohibited signs. The following signs are prohibited except as specified below:
(a)
Signs in the public right-of-way. No sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way or publicly owned property except publicly owned signs such as traffic control signs and directional signs. Signs may not project into the public right-of-way or adjoining parcels. The only other exceptions to the prohibition of signs in the public right-of-way are signs promoting community, service, fraternal or youth organizations that are specifically approved by the Plan Commission.
(b)
Moving or flashing signs. No sign shall be erected that has any flashing, rotating or brilliant intermittent parts or lights or bare reflecting bulbs, except those giving public service information such as time, date, temperature, weather or similar information.
(c)
Wind signs. Wind signs shall be prohibited. National, State or local government flags or the official flag of any institution or business shall not be considered as wind signs.
(d)
Portable trailer signs and signboards. Portable trailer signs and signboards shall be prohibited.
(12)
Noncommercial messages. Any sign otherwise permissible and permittable, where required, shall not lose its legal, conforming status nor be deemed to be unacceptable if displaying a noncommercial, otherwise legal message.
(13)
Nonconforming signs. Signs lawfully existing at the time of the adoption or amendment of this section may be continued although the use, size, location or other specifications do not conform with the provisions of this section. However, the same shall be deemed to be legal but nonconforming uses or structures.
(a)
Normal maintenance of nonconforming signs, including necessary nonstructural repairs and incidental alterations that do not extend or intensify the nonconforming features of the signs are permitted. No structural alterations or extensions shall be made unless they result in the elimination of the non-conforming feature. A change in the sign message or copy that does not violate the provisions of this section otherwise shall not be prohibited nor shall such affect the legal status of the sign.
(b)
A nonconforming sign shall not be changed or altered in any manner that would increase the degree of its non-conformity, be enlarged or expanded, or be substantially structurally altered or moved in whole or in part to a location where it would remain nonconforming.
(c)
The provisions of § 59.97(10), Wis. Stats., shall apply to all nonconforming signs.