(A)   The area bordered by River Street, Second Street, Pine Street, and Walnut Street shall be defined by the term, "downtown historical district".

   (B)   Any publicly displayed sign, symbol, or notice on premises to advertise the business therein transacted, or name of person conducting said business on premises, or directing to some other locale, requires a building permit, and shall be regulated, when appropriate, by a design review committee. (Ord. 816, 6-20-2016)

In an R district, the following signs shall be permitted:

   (A)   For each dwelling unit, one unlighted nameplate not exceeding one square foot in area, indicating the name of occupant.

   (B)   For a structure other than a dwelling unit, one identification sign not exceeding ten (10) square feet, except a church bulletin board which shall not exceed twenty four (24) square feet.

   (C)   For purpose of orientation, directional signs when established by the city. (Ord. 233, 7-3-1978)

In a B district, the following signs shall be permitted:

   (A)   Signs relating to the name and use of buildings or premises upon which they are placed shall not state or otherwise indicate any product by a trade name unless such product or trade name company purchased and/or provided the sign advertising the local business. Outdoor billboards or signs advertising products or matters not related to the occupancy of the premises shall not be permitted. (Ord. 317, 11-18-1985)

   (B)   No sign shall be attached to a building or buildings, unless it is attached in a manner as provided hereafter, and conforms to the requirements hereinafter set forth. Such attachments shall either take the form of:

      1.   If the sign is proposed to be erected parallel to the vertical wall surface, then it shall not project more than one foot (1') from the wall upon which it is attached, nor project beyond the end or top of the wall to which it is attached, nor have an area of more than sixty four (64) square feet. This may include signs attached to parapet walls.

      2.   Signs may be attached to a building and hung perpendicular therefrom by supports, but may not have an area of more than sixteen (16) square feet and such perpendicular sign shall be hung so that the sign commences no more than one foot (1') from the side of the building, nor extend closer than one foot (1') to the beginning of the street, nor shall the bottom line of such sign be closer than eight feet (8') above the ground.

      3.   No perpendicular signs in the downtown historical district shall have internal illumination.

      4.   Historically inappropriate change letter boards and digital sign boards (jumbotron, LED chase letters, flashing signs) are not permissible in the downtown historical district.

      5.   Window signs shall comply with the following:

         (a)   Sign shall not exceed twenty five percent (25%) of total window area.

         (b)   Window signs are not part of the permitted exterior wall sign area.

         (c)   Illuminated window signs (open for business sign) shall not exceed six (6) square feet per sign.

      6.   Signs on awnings or canopies are permitted, subject to issuance of a building permit, and the following standards:

         (a)   Awning and canopy sign area shall count toward permitted wall sign area for the business.

         (b)   Signs shall not exceed eighty percent (80%) of the width and height of the awning or canopy.

         (c)   Letters on a valance shall not exceed eighty percent (80%) of the width and height of the valance.

         (d)   A translucent canopy or awning shall not be permitted. (Ord. 816, 6-20-2016)

   (C)   No sign shall be permitted on any wall, fence or standard facing the side of any adjoining lot in any residential district.

   (D)   Signs attached to or hung from a marquee or canopy shall be completely within the borderline of the outer edge of the marquee or canopy and shall in no instance be lower than eight feet (8') above the ground or surface over which the marquee or canopy is constructed.

   (E)   Signs, clocks or other advertising devices otherwise permitted by this code erected upon standards or separate supports shall be placed so that the support is entirely within the property line of the premises upon which it is located; provided, however, that the sign itself shall be allowed to extend over into the parkway or sidewalk area so long as the bottom of the sign is more than twelve feet (12') above the ground and no part of the sign or standard shall have a total height greater than thirty feet (30') above the level of the street upon which the sign faces nor shall the surface of any sign exceed an area of one hundred (100) square feet.

   (F)   No illuminated sign shall be of the flashing or intermittent type.

   (G)   Traffic or directional signs designating entrances, exits and conditions of use of parking facilities accessory to the main use of the premises may be maintained; provided they are located within the property lines of the subject lot.

   (H)   Signs, clocks or other advertising devices may be placed upon standards or separate supports with said standards or separate supports to be entirely within the parkway if the following criteria are met:

      1.   The parkway upon which the standard is placed is contiguous to the premises advertised, promoted or displayed on the sign.

      2.   The support and sign shall conform in all respect with the building code 1 of the city regarding materials used and supports provided.

      3.   The sign or support does not impair the vision of drivers of motor vehicles traveling in either direction.

      4.   No part of the sign shall have a total height greater than twenty feet (20') above the level of the street nor lower than twelve feet (12') above the level of any street nor shall the surface of any such sign exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet.

   (I)   In the event that any business ceases to use the premises upon which a sign is located and such business becomes abandoned or otherwise stops and such abandonment continues for ninety (90) days or more, then upon the expiration of the ninety (90) day period, the sign shall be removed at the sole cost of the owner or occupant, as the case may be, but nothing herein contained shall be construed or required to necessitate the removal of any such sign upon any business changing ownership so long as the business continues.

   (J)   In the event that any such sign so erected becomes a hazard to pedestrians or motor vehicle traffic from any cause and in the opinion of the building inspector is in danger of falling or is otherwise unsafe, the building inspector shall have the right to notify the owner or occupant of the property by registered letter specifying the unsafe condition of the sign and requiring its restoration to a safe condition within seven (7) days from the date thereof. In the event that any such sign is not rendered safe, the building inspector shall have the right to remove such sign or to render such sign otherwise safe and any costs incurred by the city in the removing of such sign or the rendering of such sign safe shall become the obligation of the property owner and the city may sue to recover the obligation or shall be entitled to place a lien upon the owner's property. (Ord. 317, 11-18-1985)

   (K)   No vinyl sign shall be permitted on any exterior wall in the downtown historical district, as defined by the national registry.

   (L)   Temporary signs are permitted subject to the following regulations:

      1.   Banners and advertising flags are permitted once during the first year of operation of a use for a period not to exceed sixty (60) consecutive calendar days and commencing not earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the first day of operation of the use. Such banners and flags shall be located on the exterior building wall of the tenant space to which they are appurtenant and shall not exceed a total area of:

         (a)   Twenty four (24) square feet for occupancies up to five thousand (5,000) square feet;

         (b)   Thirty two (32) square feet for occupancies greater than five thousand (5,000) square feet up to twenty five thousand (25,000) square feet; or

         (c)   Sixty four (64) square feet for occupancies greater than twenty five thousand (25,000) square feet.

   (M)   Banners and advertising flags are permitted once per calendar quarter for a period not to exceed thirty (30) consecutive days. Banners and advertising flags shall be displayed no earlier than fourteen (14) days before the event, and shall be removed no later than three (3) days after the event ends. Such banners and flags may be mounted on freestanding signs or posts adjacent to streets, no closer than five feet (5') from the right of way, and shall not exceed four feet (4') in height. Banners and advertising flags shall not exceed a total area of twenty (20) square feet. (Ord. 816, 6-20-2016)

In an M district, the following signs shall be permitted:

   (A)   Signs identifying the occupant of a building or buildings.

   (B)   Billboards when located not less than one hundred feet (100') from any adjoining lot in a residential district.

   (C)   Directional signs permitted in an R district. (Ord. 233, 7-3-1978)

The following conditions shall be observed in all of the use districts:

   (A)   No signs shall be placed in a required front yard, except for the purpose of selling or renting the premises, such signs shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet.

   (B)   For the purpose of selling or renting any lot or group of lots, or for any existing or proposed building or group of buildings (structures or group of structures), a billboard may be erected on approval of location, size and necessity, by the zoning board of appeals 1 for a period of six (6) months upon a showing of necessity by the proprietor. (Ord. 233, 7-3-1978)

   (A)   Permit Required: No sign shall be erected until such time as a building permit has been issued for the erection of said sign by the Momence building inspector. The Momence building inspector shall prepare and require the submission of information requesting said permit so as to be able to determine that the proposed sign complies with the terms, conditions and requirements of this chapter.

   (B)   Fees: The fee which shall accompany the application for said building permit shall be twenty five dollars ($25.00) if the sign proposed is a sign defined in the terms of subsection 9-9-3(B)1 through (B)6, (C), (D) or (E) of this chapter. In the event that such sign proposed is defined within the provisions of subsection 9-9-3(H) of this chapter, the building permit fee accompanying the application for issuance thereof shall be fifty dollars ($50.00). The fee as herein described shall be the sole and exclusive fee required or paid to the city and any other general building permit fee is hereby excused. (Ord. 317, 11-18-1985)

   (C)   No Fees: No fee shall accompany the application for said building permit for a temporary sign defined in the terms of subsections 9-9-3(L) and (M) of this chapter. (Ord. 816, 6-20-2016)