The following regulations are established to preserve the natural features along the streets and highways in the city and to protect residential property values by prohibiting signs, billboards and other outdoor advertising devices in the city's residential areas.

Any individual person or firm erecting, placing or hanging any signs, billboards or other outdoor advertising in the city shall apply for a zoning permit showing that such sign billboard or other outdoor advertising is in conformance with the city's zoning ordinance.

Nonconforming signs, billboards and other outdoor advertising shall be allowed to continue in existence provided they are property maintained and kept in a good state of repair; however, no new signs, billboards or other outdoor advertising shall be permitted under any circumstances except in conformance with the regulations contained herein for those zoning districts where such signs, billboards or other outdoor advertising are permitted uses.

A.

Outdoor advertising shall be classified as a business use and shall be permitted only in the following zoning districts:

1.

General Industrial District,

2.

Central Commercial District, and

3.

Highway Commercial District.

B.

No outdoor advertising sign or display shall be erected, placed, painted, repainted or hung nearer to the street right-of-way line upon which said display faces than the building lines provided in districts where the use is permitted, except one (1) sign advertising the primary nature of the business or industry conducted on the premises may be placed not closer than five (5) feet to the street right-of-way line, but shall in no case be permitted to obstruct the view of traffic nor exceed an area of twelve (12) square feet. However, in the Central Commercial District, where buildings may be built up to the street right-of-way line, overhanging and projecting signs shall be permitted provided they comply with other provisions of this zoning ordinance and with all other applicable ordinances, regulations and codes.

1.

Signs suspended from any building in the Central Commercial District shall not project more than sixty (60) inches over any sidewalk or right-of-way line, and the bottom of such sign shall not be less than twelve (12) feet above the finished grade of the sidewalk.

2.

All outdoor advertising displays and signs advertising specific events to be held over a period of time shall be removed within seven (7) days after the last day of the event.

3.

Any sign containing less than two (2) square feet; any sign posting property; and sign advertising the specific property on which it is placed for sale or rent which contains less than ten (10) square feet may be erected without a building permit or certificate of occupancy. All other signs shall require a building permit and a zoning permit or certificate of occupancy.

4.

In any residential district small professional or announcement signs of professions or businesses permitted in these zones shall be permitted but shall not exceed four (4) square feet in area.

5.

In any zoning district, signs advertising the property on which they are located for sale, rent, lease or trade may be erected as set forth in area and distance as follows:

It is further provided that no sign in any of the aforementioned districts shall exceed sixty (60) square feet in area.

6.

Directional signs, not exceeding two (2) feet, may be erected provided they are not within the right-of-way of any street.

7.

Signs advertising lodging and tourist homes within residential districts shall be limited in size to six (6) square feet and the top of such signs shall not be higher than six (6) feet measured from ground level. Not more than one (1) sign on the premises shall be used to advertise any tourist home.

Such tourist homes and places of lodging signs shall be located not closer than two (2) feet from any street right-of-way line and so placed that they will not obstruct the view of traffic in any way. Any illumination of such signs shall be shaded so that they in no way interfere with the vision of motorist or adjoining property owners.

8.

Loud speakers, juke boxes, public address systems and electric amplifiers shall be permitted if the use of the same is for the occupant of the building only within which such equipment is installed and does not create a nuisance and disturb the peace of the other persons or properties in its own or any other district.

9.

Signs or other outdoor advertising which involve traffic lighting or motion resembling traffic or directional signals, warnings such as "stop" or "danger" or any other similar signals which are normally associated with highway safety or regulations are prohibited.

Additionally, no sign, outdoor commercial advertising device constituting a nuisance because of light, glare, focus, animation or flashing or any illuminated signs of such "intensity of illumination" as to unduly disturb the use of residential property shall be erected or continue in operation.

10.

Outdoor advertising structures shall be adequately maintained. Such maintenance shall include properly alignment of structure, continued readability of structure, and preservation of structure with paint or other surface finishing material. If an outdoor advertising structure is no maintained, written notice of any disrepair shall be issued by the administrative official to the owner of said structure. If the disrepair is not corrected within thirty (30) days of issuance of said notice, said structure shall be removed at the owner's expense.