(a)

Scope. This section is intended to regulate and limit the construction or reconstruction of signs in order to protect the public health, safety, aesthetics and general welfare. Such signs as will not, by reason of their size, location, construction, or manner of display, endanger life and limb, confuse or mislead traffic, obstruct vision necessary for vehicular and pedestrian traffic safety, or otherwise endanger public welfare shall be permitted except as may be otherwise provided for herein.

(b)

Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Banner sign means a temporary sign, constructed of canvas, paper, cloth, nylon or other similar non-rigid fabric-like material without an enclosing structural framework which is not permanently affixed to a supporting structure. A banner sign is not a feather flag or a flutter flag sign.

Business center means any two or more businesses which:

(1)

Are located on a single parcel;

(2)

Are under one common ownership or management and have a common arrangement for the maintenance of the grounds;

(3)

Are connected by common walls, partitions, canopies, other structural members, or walkways to form a continuous building or group of buildings;

(4)

Share a common parking area; or

(5)

Otherwise present the appearance of single continuous business area.

Directional sign means a sign used primarily to give information about the location of either the driver of motorized vehicles or possible destinations. Although this is a content-based distinction, these signs are important to prevent public confusion and facilitate collision-free flow of traffic.

Festoons means a temporary sign consisting of a string of ribbons, tinsel, pennants or pinwheels.

Flag sign, permanent means a sign made of cloth, nylon or other similar non-rigid fabric-like material attached to or hung from a single pole installed in the ground in a permanent fashion.

Flag sign, temporary. Also called "feather flags" or "flutter flags." A sign made of cloth, nylon or other similar non-rigid fabric like material attached to a single pole positioned in the ground in a non-permanent fashion or hung from a building or structure. A banner sign is not a temporary flag sign.

Freestanding sign means a sign supported by one or more uprights, poles or braces placed in or upon the ground and not attached to any building and having clear space of at least eight feet from the ground to the bottom of the sign.

Government sign means a temporary or permanent sign erected by the City of Greenville, Montcalm County, state, or federal government.

Ground sign means a sign resting directly on the ground or supported by short poles and not attached to a building or wall.

Illuminated sign means a sign that provides artificial light directly (or through any transparent or translucent material) from a source of light within such sign, or a sign illuminated by a light so shielded that no direct rays from it are visible from any public right-of-way or from the abutting property.

Inflatable sign/balloon sign means a portable sign which is a three-dimensional object capable of being filled with air or gas depicting a container, figure, product or product trademark, whether or not such object contains a message or lettering.

Marquee means a permanent structure that projects from the exterior wall of a building.

Marquee sign means a sign attached to a marquee, canopy or awning projecting from and supported by the building.

Mean grade means a reference plane representing that arithmetic mean of the lowest and highest grade elevations in an area within five feet of the foundation line of a sign structure, or in the area between the sign structure foundation lien and the lot line, in the case where the sign structure foundation line is less than five feet from the lot line.

Nit means a unit of illuminative brightness equal to one candela (12.5 lumens or 1.16 foot candles) per square meter, measured perpendicular to the rays of the source.

Noncommercial sign means a sign either portable or non-portable not advertising commerce, trade, or location and not otherwise defined herein.

Pennant means a flag or cloth that tapers to a point.

Permanent sign means a sign installed on a support structure which is not intended or designed to be moved or removed, but to remain for an indefinite period of time.

Projecting sign means a sign which projects from and is supported by a wall of a building and does not extend beyond, into, or over the street right-of-way.

Reader board means a portion of a sign on which copy is changed manually.

(1)

Manual: A sign on which the letters or pictorials are changed manually; or

(2)

Electronic reader board/digital display sign: A sign or portion thereof that displays electronic, pictorial or text information in which each alphanumeric character, graphic, or symbol is defined by a small number of matrix elements using different combinations of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), fiber optics, light bulbs or other illumination devices within the display area. Such signs include computer programmable, microprocessor controlled electronic displays; or

(3)

Multi-vision sign: Any sign composed in whole or in part of a series of vertical or horizontal slats or cylinders that are capable of being rotated at intervals so that partial rotation of the group of slats or cylinders produces a different image or images.

Right-of-way signs means signs erected by the city, county, state, federal and other public/quasi-public agencies and located within the public right-of-way.

Roof line means that line which represents the highest portion of any part of the roof structure, excepting gables, chimneys or other incidental architectural features.

Roof sign means any sign erected, constructed and maintained wholly upon or over the roof of any building with its principal support on the roof structure.

Sidewalk sign means a temporary sign typically of A-Frame construction designed to be placed on the sidewalk in front of a building, structure or use. Also called a "sandwich board sign."

Sign means an exterior device, structure, fixture, object or placard using graphics, symbols, written copy and/or itself, visible to the general public and designed to advertise, attract, identify or inform the public.

Street frontage means the width of a lot or parcel meeting the minimum requirements of this chapter for the district in which it is located.

Temporary sign means a sign not permanently attached to the ground, a structure, or a building displayed for a limited period of time. Temporary signs may include banners, festoons, pennant, and any other signs displayed for a limited period of time.

Traffic warning sign means a sign that indicates a hazard ahead on a road that may not be readily apparent to a driver, bicyclist, or pedestrian. Although this is a content-based distinction, these signs are important to prevent public confusion and facilitate collision-free flow of traffic.

Video display sign means a sign that changes its message or background in a manner or method of display characterized by motion or pictorial imagery of a television quality which may or may not include text and depicts action or a special effect to imitate movement, the presentation of pictorials or graphics displayed in a progression of frames which give the illusion of motion, including, but not limited to, the illusion of moving objects, moving patterns or bands of light, or expanding or contracting shapes. Video display signs include projected images or messages with these characteristics onto buildings or other.

Wall sign means a sign which is attached directly to or painted upon a building wall and which does not extend more than 18 inches therefrom with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel to the building wall.

Window sign means a sign installed or placed inside of a building, close to and facing a window so it is clearly visible from outside of the building.

(c)

Permits required.

(1)

A sign permit shall be required for the erection and construction of all permanent signs exceeding 20 square feet except those exempted by subsections (c)(5) and (e).

(2)

A sign permit is not required for ordinary maintenance of signs such as painting, cleaning and light replacement and alteration of sign message.

(3)

An application for a sign permit shall be made to the city zoning administrator or their agent along with a fee as required by council resolution. The application, at a minimum, shall include the following:

a.

Name, address, and telephone number of applicant and the person, firm or corporation erecting the sign.

b.

Address or permanent parcel number of the property where the sign will be located.

c.

A sketch showing the location of the building, structure, or lot upon which the sign is to be attached or erected, and showing the proposed sign in relation to buildings and structures along with setback from lot lines.

d.

An accurate drawing to scale of the plans and specifications, method of construction and attachment to structures or ground. If required by the zoning administrator, the applicant shall provide engineered stress sheets (sealed plans) and calculations showing that the structure is designed according to the requirements of the city building code for wind load restrictions.

e.

Any required electrical permit shall be attached to the application.

f.

The zoning district in which the sign is to be located.

g.

Any other information which the zoning administrator may require in order to demonstrate compliance with this article.

h.

Signature of applicant or person, firm, or corporation erecting the sign.

i.

For temporary signs which require a permit the permit shall designate the days on which the sign may be displayed.

(4)

The zoning administrator shall issue a sign permit if all provisions of this article and other applicable city regulations are met. A sign authorized by a permit shall be installed within six months of the date of issuance of the sign permit or else the permit shall expire. In the case of an expired permit, a new permit may be issued upon filing of a new application and fee.

(5)

Signs not requiring permit. The following signs shall not require a sign permit but shall be subject to the other requirements of subsection (d) and other applicable provisions of this section.

a.

Directional signs of six square feet in size or less.

b.

Government signs.

c.

Window signs.

d.

Right-of-way signs.

e.

Ordinary maintenance of signs such as painting, cleaning and light replacement.

f.

Alteration of sign message.

g.

Reserved.

h.

Temporary signs as permitted and regulated by the zoning district within which the sign is located.

(d)

General sign provisions.

(1)

A sign not expressly permitted by this section is prohibited.

(2)

All signs including signs which do not require a permit are subject to the requirements of subsections (d), (f) and all other applicable requirements of this section.

(3)

Signs, except for home occupation signs, may be internally illuminated or, if externally illuminated, the source of the light shall be enclosed and directed to prevent the source of light from shining directly onto traffic or any residential district or property.

(4)

Signs shall not be placed in, upon or over any public right-of-way, or alley, except as may be otherwise permitted by the city council or Michigan Department of Transportation.

(5)

No light pole, utility pole, publicly-owned landscaping, fire hydrant, or other supporting member shall be used for the placement of any sign unless specifically designed and approved for such use.

(6)

A sign shall not, by reason of its position, shape, color, or other characteristic, interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal, or device, or constitute a nuisance per se.

(7)

A sign shall not, in the opinion of the zoning administrator, interfere with or obstruct the view of drivers or those on foot or bicycle, or create any type of safety hazard or distraction to vehicle drivers.

(8)

No commercial vehicles or trailers, which in the opinion of the zoning administrator have the intended function of acting as a sign, shall be parked in any area abutting the street, unless no other parking area is available.

(9)

All outside signs shall not have any flashing, blinking, scrolling, alternating, sequentially lighted, animated, rolling, shimmering, sparkling, bursting, dissolving, twinkling, fade-in/fade-out, oscillating, moving text or moving images or simulated movement of text or images except for traditional barber pole signs.

(10)

No sign shall contain any moving or animated parts nor have the appearance of having any moving or animated parts.

(11)

No wall sign shall extend beyond the edge of the wall to which it is affixed, and no wall sign shall extend above the roof line of a building.

(12)

All ground, wall, and freestanding signs may include reader boards as permitted by subsection (g)(2) herein.

(13)

Signs maintained by or for services, businesses, attractions, activities, lessors, owners that are no longer in operation shall not be permitted. A sign that remains after the operation ceases shall be considered abandoned and the sign face shall be removed or replaced with a blank face within 90 days after written notification from the city to the sign owner, the property owner where the sign is located, or any other party having control over the sign.

(14)

Signs shall not obstruct sidewalk passage of pedestrians.

(e)

Exempted signs. The following signs shall be exempt from the provisions of this section, except for the provisions of subsection (d):

(1)

Government signs.

(2)

Signs two square feet or less in size.

(3)

Window signs which are electronic reader board signs shall also be subject to subsection (g)(2) herein.

(4)

Reserved.

(5)

Murals.

(6)

Signs not visible from any street.

(7)

Reserved.

(8)

Reserved.

(9)

Reserved.

(10)

Flags or insignia of any nation, state, city, township, government or government authorized agency. Such flags shall only be displayed on a flag pole.

(11)

Right-of-way signs.

(f)

Measurement of area and height of a sign.

(1)

The measurement of the area of a sign shall include the entire area within a circle, triangle or parallelogram enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representation, emblem, or any figure of similar character, together with any frame or other material forming an integral part of the display or used to differentiate such sign from the background against which it is placed; excluding the necessary supports or uprights on which such sign is placed.

(2)

Where a sign has two or more faces, the areas of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign, except that where two such faces are placed back to back and are at no point more than two feet apart from one another, the area of the sign shall be taken as the area of one face if the two faces are of equal area, or the area of the larger face if the two faces are of unequal area. In the case of a circle or sphere, the total area of the circle or sphere is divided by two for purposes of determining the maximum permitted sign area.

(3)

The height of a sign shall be measured as the vertical distance from the highest point of the sign to the grade of the adjacent street or the mean grade of the ground immediately beneath the sign, whichever is less.

(4)

Any sign, including any awning to which a sign is affixed or displayed, not resting directly on the ground shall maintain a minimum clear space of eight feet from the bottom of the sign to the ground.

(5)

For buildings with multiple tenants, sign areas for wall signs, projecting signs, and awning signs shall be determined by taking that portion of the front wall of the building applicable to each tenant and computing sign limits for that portion of the total wall.

(g)

Signs permitted in all districts. The following signs are permitted in all zone districts:

(1)

Directional, identification, traffic warning, or government signs, provided the size of each sign does not exceed six square feet and four feet in height and each sign is located at least five feet from any lot line.

(2)

Reader boards. All wall and freestanding signs in all zoning districts may include reader boards subject to the following regulations:

a.

A reader board shall not consist of more than 50 percent of the allowable sign area except for signs, which are 32 square feet, or less in area.

b.

The dwell time, defined as the interval of change between each individual message, shall be at least five seconds and a change of message must be accomplished within one second or less. The dwell time shall not include the one second or less to change the message.

c.

An electronic reader board sign shall not exceed a maximum illumination of 6,500 nits (candelas per square meter) during daylight hours and a maximum illumination of 325 nits (candelas per square meter) between dusk to dawn as measured at the sign's face at maximum brightness.

However, even if such signs comply with the nit requirements above such signs shall not, in the opinion of the zoning administrator: be brighter than is necessary for clear and adequate visibility; be of such intensity or brilliance as to impair the vision of or be a distraction to a motor vehicle driver with average eyesight or to otherwise interfere with the driver's operation of a motor vehicle or; be of such intensity or brilliance that it interferes with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, device, or signal.

Prior to the issuance of a sign permit for an electronic message board the applicant shall provide to the zoning administrator certification from the manufacturer of the sign that the illumination settings for the sign comply with the maximum illumination requirements of this subsection (g)(2).

d.

An electronic reader board shall be equipped with a brightness control sensor that allows for the brightness to automatically adjust to the surrounding light conditions.

e.

An electronic reader board shall not have any flashing, blinking, scrolling, alternating, sequentially lighted, animated, rolling, shimmering, sparkling, bursting, dissolving, twinkling, fade-in/fade-out, oscillating, moving text or moving images or simulated movement of text or images.

f.

Electronic message board signs legally in existence upon the effective date of this subsection (g)(2) shall be required to comply with the illumination and message display requirements of this section within 60 days from the effective date of this section.

g.

Electronic reader board signs which do not face a public street or land zoned or used for residential purposes and when such signs are used for drive-through restaurants, gas stations and similar establishments serving motorists then such signs are exempt from the requirements of this subsection (g)(2).

(3)

Window signs.

a.

A window sign may consist of illuminated letters including neon lights.

b.

An electronic reader board is allowed as a window sign and may utilize continuous scrolling letters but a window sign shall otherwise comply with the requirements for electronic reader boards as set forth in subsections (g)(2) and (g)(2)d. herein. Any flashing or strobe type lights within a building or structure which are visible from the exterior of the building or structure are prohibited.

(h)

Construction and maintenance of signs.

(1)

All signs shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the current Michigan Construction Code.

(2)

Signs shall be maintained free of peeling paint or paper, fading, staining, rust, or other conditions which impair legibility.

(3)

All signs, sign supports, frames, braces, wiring, guys and anchors shall be maintained in such a manner that they do not create a hazard for pedestrians and vehicles.

(4)

Signs shall not be allowed to become unsightly through disrepair or action of the elements.

(5)

In the event the applicant fails to maintain any sign properly or fails to remove the sign at the time of expiration of the permit, the applicant shall be required to remove such sign. An inspection fee, as determined by the city council, shall be paid to the zoning administrator for each such sign at the time of the original permit and at each renewal thereof.

(6)

All signs shall be designed to ensure a dead load and wind pressure in any direction of not less than 30 pounds per square foot of area. All signs shall be securely anchored or otherwise made immobile.

(i)

Regulations for temporary signs.

(1)

A temporary sign may be installed concurrent with the event and removed upon the end of the event. The zoning administrator shall have the discretion to determine the beginning and end date of the event.

(2)

The zoning administrator shall have the discretion to determine when a temporary sign is a permanent sign and subject to the rules for permanent signs.

(3)

Permits are required for temporary signs that exceed 20 square feet in size. The permit shall designate the days on which the sign may be displayed. Display of the sign on any day other than those days designated on the permit shall be a violation of this section.

(4)

A temporary sign permit may be issued as part of and in conjunction with a building permit. The sign permit issuance shall be noted on the building permit.

(5)

The size and number of temporary signs allowed shall be as specified within each zoning district provided in subsection (j).

(6)

Signs shall be anchored in a safe and secure manner. The anchoring of signs by tying or attaching weighted objects (such as cinder blocks or tires) is prohibited.

(7)

The sign shall be located a minimum of five feet from the edge of any road or street right-of-way or public or private sidewalk except for sandwich board signs as regulated herein.

(8)

A sign shall not be displayed if it is torn, bent, faded, not upright, unreadable, or otherwise unsightly.

(9)

Temporary signs held by a person shall not be displayed in the road right-of-way and shall not hamper the visibility of a driver on or off the site.

(10)

Temporary signs shall only be internally illuminated.

(11)

An electronic reader board/digital display sign may serve as a temporary sign and shall comply with the requirements of subsection (g)(2).

(j)

Zone district signs. The following signs are permitted within the zone districts indicated:

See zone district tables below for:

•

Residential districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, and MHP) permitted signs

•

O-1 and C-1, commercial—Permitted signs

•

C-2 general commercial district—Permitted signs

•

C-3 central business district—Permitted signs

•

IND industrial district—Permitted signs

(k)

Nonconforming signs.

(1)

Signs lawfully erected prior to November 1, 1991, or applicable amendment thereto which do not meet the standards of this section may be continued, except as hereinafter provided. No nonconforming sign shall:

a.

Have any changes made in the words or symbols used or the message displayed on the sign, unless the sign is specifically designed for periodic change of message;

b.

Be structurally altered so as to change the shape, size, type or design of the sign; or

c.

Be reestablished or continued after the activity, business, or use to which it applied has been discontinued for 90 days or longer.

(2)

Signs lawfully erected prior to the adoption of this chapter or applicable amendment thereto which do not meet the size limitations of this section may be changed to another nonconforming sign, provided that the sign replacing the original nonconforming sign is at least 30 percent smaller in area than the original nonconforming sign.

(3)

No sign shall be required to be removed which was erected in compliance with this section if such sign becomes nonconforming due to a change occurring after the adoption of this chapter or applicable amendment thereto in the location of a building, streets, or other signs, and which change is beyond the control of the owner of the premises on which the sign is located.

(4)

If the owner of the premises on which a sign is located changes the use of the building, or changes the location of any property line or sign, so that any sign is rendered nonconforming, such sign must be removed or made to conform to this section.

(l)

Discontinuance or abandonment. Whenever the activity, business or use of a primary premises to which a sign is attached or related has been discontinued for a period of 90 days or longer, such discontinuance shall be considered conclusive evidence of an intention to abandon the sign attached or related thereto. At the end of this period of abandonment, the sign shall either be removed or altered to conform with the provisions of this section. All costs of removal shall be at the property owner's expense.

(Prior Code, §§ 15.2001—15.2011; Ord. No. 150, §§ 20.01—20.22, 11-1-1997; Ord. No. 150-A, 4-16-2002; Ord. No. 150-J, §§ 1—5, 5-1-2007; Ord. No. 150-S, §§ 1—15, 12-7-2010; Ord. No. 17-01, § 1, 1-3-2017; Ord. No. 22-01, § 10, 2-1-2022)