Iron Ridge City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Signs
§ 365-57 Sign permit required.
No sign shall hereafter be located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, converted, or structurally altered without a zoning permit except those signs excepted in § 365-58 and without being in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. The sign shall also meet all the structural requirements of the Building Code.
§ 365-58 Signs excepted.
All signs are prohibited in all residential and agricultural districts except the following:
A.
Signs over show windows or doors of 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, tablets, 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 or banners when authorized by the Plan Commission.
§ 365-59 Signs in business and industrial districts.
Signs are permitted in all C-1 and C-2 Districts and the I-2 General Industrial District, subject to the following restrictions:
A.
Signs prohibited in public ways. Except for traffic signs and signals, signs specifically permitted to project into the public way by this chapter, or any other sign so authorized by law, no signs shall be placed upon, over, or in any public way. Except for signs projecting from business structures located on the front property line, any signs located upon, or encroaching upon, any public way shall be removed within one year of the adoption of this chapter. Permits for signs projecting into the right-of-way of any street shall be revocable as provided in § 86.04, Wis. Stats.
B.
Lighting. No sign shall be illuminated by intermittent, rotating or flashing lights.
C.
Ground signs. Ground signs will be permitted in lieu of signs mounted on building facades, subject to the size restrictions of the sign replaced, and must observe all applicable building setback lines, and shall not exceed 30 feet in height.
D.
Billboards on vacant lots. Vacant lots upon which billboards now exist shall be maintained in an orderly fashion by the frequent and periodic removal of rubbish and maintenance of any verdure growing on the lot.
E.
Signs projecting into street. No sign shall project over any part of any street, except where a business structure is located on the front property line. In such case, a sign may not extend beyond the front face of curb.
F.
On-premises exterior signs.
(1)
On-premises exterior signs are limited to two signs for each individual business premises which advertise the business name, services offered, or products sold. Total display area for all on-premises exterior signs shall not be greater than 50 square feet.
(2)
No on-premises exterior sign shall exceed 20 feet in height above the mean center line street grade. All on-premises exterior signs shall meet all yard requirements for the district in which it is located.
G.
Wall signs placed against the exterior walls of buildings shall not extend more than 12 inches outside of a building's wall surface.
H.
Projecting signs fastened to, suspended from, or supported by structures shall not extend more than six feet into any required yard; shall be not less than 10 feet from all lot lines; and shall be not less than 10 feet above the sidewalk and not less than 15 above a driveway or an alley.
I.
Off-premises ground signs shall not be located within 50 feet of the existing or proposed right-of-way of any state or county trunk highway, or any town or Village road, measured horizontally along a line normal or perpendicular to the center of the right-of-way; and shall not be located within 1,000 feet of any other off-premises ground sign; shall not exceed 10 feet in height; and shall not exceed 100 square feet in display area on any one side nor 200 square feet in display area on all sides.
J.
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.
K.
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 50 square feet on all sides for anyone premises.
L.
Lighting. Business and industrial signs may be internally lighted or illuminated by a hooded reflector; provided, however, that such lighting shall be arranged to prevent glare, and no sign shall have lighting of an intermittent or varying intensity. Animated signs, or signs having moving parts, or signs which may be mistaken for traffic signal devices, or which diminish the visibility or effectiveness of such traffic signal devices are prohibited.
M.
Obstruction of openings. Any sign so erected, constructed or maintained as to obstruct or be attached to any fire escape, window, door or opening used as means of ingress or egress, or for firefighting purposes or placed so as to interfere with any opening required for legal ventilation is prohibited.
N.
Street intersections. No sign or advertising device shall be erected or maintained at the intersection of streets in such a manner as to obstruct clear vision of the intersection.
O.
Height. No sign shall be erected above the roofline of a building or more than 30 feet from the ground.
P.
Billboards. Billboards, outdoor advertising signs and any business or industrial signs not located on the same property as the business or industry advertised shall not be permitted in any district.
§ 365-60 Signs resembling traffic control devices.
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 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.
§ 365-61 Existing signs.
Signs 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 with the provisions of this chapter. However, it shall be deemed a nonconforming use or structure; and the provisions of Article VIII shall apply.