Herman Town Dodge County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Signs
§ 384-56 General requirements. [1]
Except for those specified in § 384-57, no signs shall hereafter be located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, converted, or structurally altered without a sign permit and without being in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. The sign shall also meet all the structural requirements of other applicable codes and ordinances of the Town of Herman.
§ 384-57 Signs allowed in all zoning districts without permit.
A.
The following signs are allowed in all zoning districts without a sign permit but are subject to the following regulations:[1]
(1)
Over show windows or doors of a nonconforming business establishment announcing without a display or elaboration only the name and occupation of the proprietor and not to exceed two feet in height and 10 feet in length.
(2)
Real estate signs not to exceed eight square feet in area on any one side nor 16 square feet in display area on all sides which advertise the sale, rental, or lease of the premises upon which said signs are temporarily located and limited to one such sign for each premises.
(3)
Name, occupation, and warning signs not to exceed four square feet on any one side nor eight square feet in display area on all sides and limited to one such sign for each premises.
(4)
Bulletin boards for public, charitable or religious institutions not to exceed 12 square feet in area on all sides and limited to one such sign for each premises.
(5)
Memorial signs, tablets, names of buildings, and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of metal and affixed flat against the structure.
(6)
Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information, and notices.
(7)
Temporary signs. The Zoning Administrator may permit the temporary use of a portable sign for advertising purposes in any district, provided that the portable sign will not be located in any public right-of-way, will not be located closer than 10 feet to an adjacent property, and will not cause a hazard to traffic or adjoining properties. Portable sign permits shall not be granted for a period of more than 90 days in any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period.
(8)
Home occupation and professional home office signs, not to exceed two square feet in area and mounted flush against the dwelling.
(9)
Agricultural signs, pertaining to the sale of agricultural products on a farm or to membership in agricultural or agricultural-related organizations, not to exceed 32 square feet in display area on all sides for any one farm.
(10)
Election campaign signs, provided that permission shall be obtained from the property owner, renter or lessee, and provided that such sign shall not be erected prior to the first day of the election campaign period as defined in § 12.04, Wis. Stats., and shall be removed within four days following the election.
(11)
Rummage sale and garage sale signs, provided that no such signs shall be erected or placed within a public right-of-way and further provided that such signs are removed within 24 hours following the sale.
B.
No such sign mentioned in this section shall be located closer than two feet to any public road right-of-way or exceed 10 feet in height. These requirements shall not apply to official signs.
§ 384-58 Signs permitted in B-1, M-1 and P-1 Districts with sign permit.
A.
The following signs are permitted in the Business/Commercial, Manufacturing/Industrial, and Park/Recreational Districts with a sign permit and are subject to the following regulations:
(1)
Wall signs placed against the exterior walls of buildings shall not extend more than six inches outside of a building's wall surface, shall not exceed 300 square feet in area for any one premises, and shall not exceed 20 feet in height above the mean center-line street grade.
(2)
Projecting signs fastened to, suspended from, or supported by structures shall not exceed 100 square feet in area for any one premises, shall not extend more than six feet into any required yard, shall not extend more than three feet into any public right-of-way, and shall not be less than 10 feet above the sidewalk nor 15 feet above a driveway or an alley.
(3)
Ground signs, limited to one sign for each premises, shall not exceed 20 feet in height above the mean center-line street grade, shall not be located closer to the road right-of-way than 27 feet, and shall not exceed 100 square feet in area on any one side nor 200 square feet in display area on all sides.
(4)
Pole signs shall not exceed 100 square feet on one side nor more 200 square feet on all sides for any one premises, shall not extend more than three feet into any public right-of-way, shall not be less than 10 feet from all side lot lines, shall not exceed 35 feet in height above the mean center-line street grade, and shall be not less than 10 feet above the lot grade or sidewalk grade and not less than 15 feet above a parking lot, driveway, or other area used by motor vehicles.
(5)
Window signs shall be placed only on the inside of commercial buildings and shall not exceed 25% of the glass area of the pane upon which the sign is displayed.
(6)
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 300 square feet on all sides for any one premises.
(7)
Combinations of any of the above signs shall meet all the requirements for the individual sign.
B.
The total number of signs on any premises shall be limited as follows:
(1)
Shopping centers may provide one ground or pole sign displaying the name of the shopping center, lists of individual stores, hours of operation, and/or special sales information for each 500 feet of street upon which the shopping center abuts. The shopping center may also provide one wall sign and/or one canopy sign for each business in the shopping center.
(2)
Gasoline and/or service stations may provide one ground or pole sign displaying the name of the station and the brand of gasoline sold. In addition, a maximum of two ground signs may be provided which list products sold and services offered. One wall sign may also be provided.
(3)
For all other freestanding businesses and industries, total signs shall be limited by the following table:
Table 384-58-1 Sign Requirements | ||
|---|---|---|
Floor Area (square feet) | Maximum Number of Signs Permitted | |
0 to 5,000 | 2 | |
5,001 to 20,000 | 3 | |
20,001 to 50,000 | 4 | |
More than 50,000 | 5 | |
§ 384-59 Signs allowed in all zoning districts with sign permit.
The following signs are allowed in all zoning districts, provided that a sign permit has been issued, and shall be located a minimum of 40 feet from the edge of the traveled way or two feet from the road right-of-way, whichever distance is greater:
A.
Off-premises directional signs which contain only the name of the establishment, logo or directional information useful to the traveler in locating the site, such as mileage, route numbers or exit numbers, provided that:
(1)
No more than two such signs relating to any one establishment shall be located in the approaching direction along any one highway.
(2)
Such sign shall be located within five air miles of the subject site.
(3)
No two directional signs facing the same direction of travel shall be spaced less than one mile apart. However, more than one sign may be placed on the same support, provided that the total square footage does not exceed the allowable area.
(4)
No such sign shall be located within 300 feet of a highway interchange, intersection at grade, rest area or wayside.
(5)
No such sign shall exceed 10 feet in height.
(6)
No such sign or signs in aggregate if facing the same direction of travel shall exceed 12 square feet in display area.
B.
On-premises identification signs for residential subdivisions, parks, multifamily dwelling units, mobile home parks, industrial parks, schools, town halls, hospitals and for community identification not to exceed 24 square feet in display area on all sides, limited to one such sign for each premises, and shall indicate only the name and/or address of the premises, logo, slogan, motto or other information pertinent to identifying the premises. Community identification signs may include service club organization symbols as part of the sign.
§ 384-60 Effect on traffic signs or devices; restrictions on location.
Signs shall not resemble, imitate, or approximate the shape, size, form, or color of railroad or traffic signs 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 to 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.
§ 384-61 Existing signs.
A sign lawfully existing at the time of the adoption or amendment of this chapter may be continued although the use, size, or location does not conform to the provisions of this chapter. However, it shall be deemed a nonconforming use or structure, and the provisions of Article VIII shall apply.
§ 384-62 Moving or flashing signs.
No sign shall be erected which has any flashing, rotating or brilliant intermittent parts or lights or bare reflecting-type bulbs, except those giving public service information, such as time, date, temperature, weather or similar information, or where allowed by conditional use permit. No signs, billboards or other advertising media which create a hazard or dangerous distraction to vehicular traffic or a nuisance to adjoining residential property shall be permitted in any district.
§ 384-63 Removal of signs.
Signs which advertise or identify a business or similar activity must be removed within 60 days of the date said business or similar activity ceases operation or vacates the premises. The removal of the sign shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property on which the sign is located.
§ 384-64 Proximity to right-of-way or body of water.
No sign mentioned in this article shall be located in, on or above a public road right-of-way or navigable body of water, except for official signs.
§ 384-65 Determining area of sign.
In calculating the area of a sign to determine whether it meets the requirement of this chapter, the Zoning Administrator shall include the sign copy and any border or frame surrounding that copy. Supporting members of a sign shall be excluded from the area calculation. Area of irregular-shaped signs or signs containing two or more detached elements shall be determined by the area of the smallest regular polygon that will encompass all elements of the sign.