Oakland City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Signs
§ 300-45 Intent and exemptions from the terms of this article.
A.
No sign shall be erected, hung, placed or painted in any district except as hereinafter provided.
B.
Tacking, painting, posting or otherwise affixing of signs or posters of a miscellaneous character on the walls of buildings, barns, sheds, trees, posts, poles, fences, walls or other structures except as provided for in this chapter is prohibited.
C.
No sign erected before the enactment of these regulations shall be altered in any respect or moved, except in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
D.
The flag, emblem or insignia of a nation, other governmental unit, nonprofit educational, charitable or religious group shall be exempt from the terms of this article.
§ 300-46 Word interpretation.
For the purpose of this article and any other sections in this chapter relating to signs, the following words are intended to include any tense or the prefix "re": affix, alter, attach, display, erect, hang, move, paint, paper, paste, place, post, repair.
§ 300-47 Area of sign.
A.
The area of a sign shall be construed to include all lettering, wording, and accompanying designs and symbols, together with the background, whether open or enclosed, on which they are displayed, but not to include any supporting framework and bracing which are incidental to the display itself.
B.
The area of a sign painted upon or applied to a building shall be construed to include all lettering, wording, and accompanying designs or symbols together with any backing or bordering associated with the sign.
C.
Where the sign consists of individual letters or symbols attached to or painted on a surface, building, wall or window, the area shall be considered to be that of the smallest rectangle or other shape which encompasses all of the letters and symbols.
D.
In computing square foot area of a double-face sign, only one side shall be considered, provided both faces are identical.
§ 300-48 Permit requirements for signs.
No on-premises sign over six square feet in area and no off-premises sign (except governmental sign) of any size shall be erected, affixed, painted, hung or otherwise displayed, altered or repaired, unless a permit therefor has been issued. No permit shall be required for the repainting or repapering of a sign which conforms to the provisions of this chapter. Signs on theaters advertising changes in program shall not require permits except for the initial installation thereof. All signs of any size must comply with all the regulations contained herein, irrespective of whether a permit is required.
§ 300-49 General sign regulations.
A.
No sign shall project more than three feet above the roof of a building. No such sign shall be larger than 15 square feet in area. No sign shall be hung from a building if it shall extend more than four feet from the face of the building, and there shall be a minimum of eight feet clearance from the bottom of the sign to the ground. No sign protruding out over any sidewalk may exceed 10 square feet in area. Such signs are to be properly anchored and maintained, with the maximum thickness of eight inches.
B.
No signs shall be located within any street rights-of-way except signs permitted in § 300-50A(1).
C.
Signs shall not exceed the height limit permitted in any district in which they are located.
D.
Signs shall not obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or other opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress for any building or structure.
E.
No sign shall constitute a public safety and traffic hazard, such as by obstructing traffic signs, road warning signs, street name signs, or the full view of the traffic in all directions. Lighting devices shall be shielded so they do not shine directly into a public street or highway or into a residential district.
F.
All signs except temporary signs shall be constructed of durable material and kept in good condition and repair. Whenever, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator, a sign becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of a building or premises or the public safety, the Zoning Administrator shall order that such sign be made safe or be removed. Such order shall be complied with within five days of receipt thereof by the person, firm or corporation owning or using the sign or the owners of the building or premises on which such unsafe sign is affixed or erected.
G.
Nonconforming signs, once removed, shall be replaced only with conforming signs; however, nonconforming signs if not removed may be repaired or repainted, provided that such repainted or repaired sign does not exceed the dimensions of the existing sign, and provided no change is made in the general wording or content of the sign.
H.
No sign advertising a business or commercial enterprise shall remain on any property, building, or structure, within the Town of Oakland, after the commercial enterprise or business has ceased to exist. The owner of such property upon which such sign remains shall remove said sign within 30 days of the closing of such business. In the event that such sign is not removed, the Town of Oakland shall have the right to remove such sign and assess the cost thereof against the owner of the property upon which such sign is located.
I.
Special provisions for light emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD) and scrolling message signs shall be as follows, and also in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 300, Attachment 1, Table of Use Regulations, amended Subsection (63), and adding Subsection (64)[1] as noted below:
[Added 3-3-2008 by Ord. No. O2008-01; amended 2-1-2021 by Ord. No. O2021-01]
(1)
LED, LCD and scrolling message signs shall be permitted for accessory on-premises uses pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 300, Attachment 1. On-premises LED, LCD and scrolling message signs shall be subject to the following additional standards and limitations:
(a)
The illuminated portion of any LED, LCD and scrolling message sign shall not exceed 25% of the total area at any given time.
(b)
No flashing illuminations of the sign shall be permitted; single-line message signs shall not change messages more frequently than one-second intervals and multiple-line message signs shall not change messages more frequently than four-second intervals.
(2)
LED, LCD and scrolling message signs may be permitted for off-premises uses by special exception only in the TC and C zoning districts and shall not be permitted in any other zoning district. Off-premises LED, LCD and scrolling message signs shall be subject to the provisions of § 300-49I(1)(a) through (b) above and messages on such off-premises signs shall not change more frequently than one-hour intervals.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said subsections appear in the Table of Use Regulations included at the end of this chapter.
§ 300-50 Signs permitted in residential districts.
A.
On-premises signs.
(1)
Official traffic signs and other official federal, state, county or town government signs.
(2)
A sign indicating the name or number of the building or premises or the accessory use of a dwelling for a home occupation, provided that such sign shall not exceed two square feet in area; that not more than one such sign shall be erected on a property, unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage. A sign, if illuminated, shall be of any enclosed lamp design and nonflashing.
(3)
A sign advertising the sale of farm products grown or produced on the premises, provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed 20 square feet, and not more than one such sign shall be placed on a property unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage.
(4)
Bulletin or announcement board or identification signs for schools, churches, hospitals and other principal uses and buildings other than dwellings, provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet and not more than one such sign shall be placed on a property unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage.
(5)
Signs advertising exclusively the prospective sale or lease of the land or building upon which such signs are displayed, provided that the area of any such signs shall not exceed six square feet and not more than one such sign shall be placed on a property, unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage. Such signs shall be removed immediately upon final settlement or renting of a property.
(6)
A temporary sign advertising the development of the property upon which it stands or the opening of a new subdivision, provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed 100 square feet, that not more than one such sign may be placed on a property, unless such property fronts on more than one street, in which case one such sign may be erected on each street frontage. Such signs shall be removed immediately upon completion of the development.
(7)
Temporary contractors', architects', or building signs, provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet. Such signs shall be removed immediately upon completion of the work or 18 months after erection of the signs, whichever shall occur first.
(8)
Traffic control and directional signs not exceeding two square feet in area. Such signs shall not be illuminated, but may be of the beaded reflector type. No advertising matter whatsoever shall be contained on signs of this type.
(9)
Temporary signs announcing a campaign, drive, or event of a civic, philanthropic, education, or religious organization. Such signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area and shall be removed not more than five days after the event.
(10)
Temporary signs announcing yard or garage sales, auctions or the like shall not be put up more than five days before the event and must be removed within 24 hours after the conclusion of the sale.
(11)
No trespassing signs, signs indicating the private nature of a road, driveway, or premises, provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet.
B.
Off-premises signs.
(1)
Signs directing patrons, members or audiences to temporary exhibits, shows, or events, subject to the following requirements:
(a)
No such sign shall exceed 12 square feet in area.
(b)
Signs shall be removed within five days after the date of the exhibit, show or event.
(c)
No permit shall be issued for the erection of such signs until a deposit shall be made with the Zoning Administrator in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by the Town Council to guarantee removal within the time prescribed. Failure to remove such signs within the time prescribed shall result in forfeiture of the deposit, and the Mayor and Town Council shall have the authority to enter upon the premises and remove the sign.
(d)
No such sign shall be posted earlier than two weeks before the occurrence of the event to which it relates.
(2)
Official traffic signs and other federal, state, county or Town governmental signs.
(3)
Along a state highway, directional signs used for directing persons to service clubs, churches, nursing homes, health services or educational and governmental uses shall be permitted, provided that permission is granted by the property owner or right-of-way owner, provided that the signs are less than two square feet in size and provided that the sign shall only indicate the direction and name of the facility. Such signs must be a maximum of 10 feet in height and must comply with other zoning regulations in § 300-49.
[Added 2-2-2015 by Ord. No. O2015-01]
§ 300-51 Signs permitted in commercial and employment districts.
A.
On-premises signs.
(1)
All signs permitted in § 300-50 at the standards prescribed therein except as otherwise provided in this section.
(2)
Signs for permitted nonresidential uses, provided:
[Amended 10-1-2007 by Ord. No. O2007-05]
(a)
The aggregate area of all signs attached to or printed on a building shall not exceed 10% of the area of the building face to which they are attached or painted, or 200 square feet, whichever is less, unless as noted in Subsection A(2)(b) below.
(b)
For large retail "big box" uses as defined in this chapter, no sign attached to or printed on a building may exceed 400 square feet.
(c)
Freestanding signs identifying a single building or its business or a shopping center in accordance with the following schedule:
Total Street Frontage (feet) | Number of Signs Permitted | |
|---|---|---|
1 to 1,000 | 1 | |
Each additional 1,000 feet | 1 |
(d)
The area of any freestanding sign shall not exceed one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage occupied by the use on which or in connection with which the sign is to be erected, but in no case shall the area of a sign exceed 200 square feet.
(3)
Temporary signs announcing a special commercial promotion or commercial event shall be permitted as follows:
[Added 2-2-2015 by Ord. No. O2015-01]
(a)
A maximum of two temporary signs shall be permitted at any given time;
(b)
Temporary signs shall be limited to four square feet in size, regardless of the size of the property;
(c)
A special permit must be obtained from Oakland City Hall for temporary signs, and there shall be a fee assessed for each permit;
(d)
The temporary signs shall only be permitted to be up for seven days, and shall be removed within 24 hours after the permitted time/event; and
(e)
Temporary sign permits shall only be issued once every four months.
B.
Off-premises signs.
(1)
All signs permitted in § 300-50 at the standards prescribed therein.
(2)
Signs used for directing patrons, members, or audience to service clubs, churches, or other nonprofit organizations, provided signs shall indicate only the name, emblem, meeting hours, address and the direction of the facility, and shall not exceed four square feet in area.
