As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BUILDING FRONTThe area (in square feet) of the part of a building facing the front street, calculated by multiplying the length times the height of the part of the building facing the street.
DOUBLE-FACED SIGNA sign with two parallel or nearly parallel faces, back to back and located not more than 36 inches from each other.
ILLUMINATED ARCHITECTURAL CANOPY SIGN An enclosed illuminated structure that is attached to the wall of a building with the face of the sign approximately parallel to the wall and with the message integrated into or onto its surface.
[Added 2-9-1993 by Ord. No. 93-01]
A. Area:
(1) In applying sign area limits, only the area occupied by the message of the illuminated architectural canopy sign will be used.
(2) The area of the sign shall be calculated by multiplying the length of the sign by the width of the sign. No portion of the sign's construction to project the sign from the wall shall be included within the area calculation. The height and width shall be determined by dimensions which will most closely enclose all lettering and logos within straight lines.
(3) Each side of an awning on which advertising is printed shall constitute a separate sign.
B. Construction. The supporting frame of an illuminated architectural canopy sign shall be constructed of noncombustible materials. The canopy surface, including the enclosing soffit, shall be of an approved light-transmitting material. The fabric shall be classified as nonflammable under appropriate State of Delaware and Kent County regulations.
C. Clearance. Illuminated architectural canopy signs shall have a minimum clearance of eight feet above the sidewalk grade or edge of roadway grade nearest the sign and shall not be located closer than two feet from the curb of any roadway as defined by the County's subdivision regulations.
D. Emergency personnel access. Each sign shall comply with all other design and construction standards established by the County's Zoning Chapter and any other applicable County regulations. No part of any awning shall project within two feet of any established fire lane.
E. Illumination. The sign shall be internally illuminated so as to illuminate the canopy and the exterior wall below. The illuminated architectural canopy sign shall bear the electric sign label of an approved testing agency with a reinspection service.
ILLUMINATION (INDIRECT) (GROUND)A sign which does not produce artificial light from within itself, but which is opaque and backlighted or illuminated by spotlights or floodlights not part of or attached to the sign itself, or a sign of translucent nontransparent material illuminated from within but with no exposed or exterior bulbs, tubes or other light source.
INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED SIGNA sign designed to give forth artificial light or designed to reflect light from one or more sources of artificial light erected for the purpose of providing light for the sign.
SIGN AREAThat area within a line, including the outer extremities of all letters, figures, characters and delineations, or within a line, including the outer extremities of the framework or background of the sign, whichever line includes the larger area. The support for the sign background, whether it be columns, a pylon or a building or part thereof, shall not be included in the sign area. Only one side of a double-faced sign shall be included in a computation of sign area; for other signs with more than one face, each side shall be included in a computation of sign area. The area of a cylindrical sign shall be computed by multiplying one-half of the circumference by the height of the sign.
SIGN HEIGHTThe vertical distance from the street grade or the average lot grade at the front setback line, whichever is greater, to the highest point of the sign.
SIGN SETBACKThe number of feet from the property line to the front edge of the sign.
SINGLE-FACED WALL-MOUNT SIGNAny sign attached to and erected parallel to the face of, or erected or painted on the outside wall of, a building and supported throughout its length by such wall or building and not extending more than 16 inches from the building wall.