Park Falls, WI Zoning Ordinance

Park Falls City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VIII

Signs

§ 480-55 Purpose.

The purpose of these sign regulations is to promote health, safety, general welfare, and order within the City of Park Falls through the establishment of a comprehensive and impartial series of standards, regulations and procedures governing the type, numbers, size, structure, location, height, lighting, use, and/or display of devices, signs, or symbols serving as a visual communication media to persons situated within or upon public right-of-way or properties. With this purpose in mind, it is the intention of this section to authorize signs which are:

Compatible with their surroundings.

Appropriate to the activities to which they pertain.

Expressive to the identity of the individual properties or the community as a whole.

Legible in the circumstances in which they are seen.

Safely located with respect to passing vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

It is further the intent of this section to prohibit signs which:

(1)

Prevent or inhibit adequate light, air, or ventilation.

(2)

Inhibit the safety of vehicular or pedestrian traffic by actual physical or visual impairment or obstruction.

(3)

Distract from the aesthetics of the location, area, and community as a whole.

§ 480-56 Permitted signs.

All signs are prohibited in the R-1, R-2, and W-1 Districts except the following:

(1)

All signs over show window or doors of a nonconforming business establishment announcing without display or elaboration only the names 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 which advertise the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which said signs are temporarily located.

(3)

Name, occupation, and warning signs not to exceed two square feet located on the premises.

(4)

Bulletin boards for public, charitable, or religious institutions not to exceed 32 square feet in area located on the 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 a structure.

(6)

Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information and notices.

(7)

Temporary signs or banners when authorized by the Zoning Administrator.

(8)

Billboards/signs shall be permitted in a W-1 District upon authorization of the Plan Commission and approval of the Common Council.

(9)

Sign for a home-based business, provided the sign is a flat unlit wall-mounted sign not exceeding four square feet.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]

Signs are permitted in the C-1 and I-1 Districts, subject to the following restrictions:

(1)

Wall signs placed against the exterior walls of buildings shall not extend more than 12 inches outside of a building's wall surface 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 be less than 10 feet from all side lot lines, shall not exceed a height of 30 feet above the mean center line street grade, and shall not be less than 10 feet above the sidewalk or less than 15 feet above a driveway or an alley.

(3)

Ground signs shall not exceed 40 feet in height above the mean center line street grade, shall meet all yard requirements for the district in which located, and shall not exceed 310 square feet on one side or 620 square feet on all sides for any one premises.

(4)

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 located and shall not exceed 300 square feet on all sides for any one premises.

Combinations of any of the above signs shall meet all the requirements for the individual sign.

Ground signs.

(1)

Application and permit.

(a)

A person may erect a ground sign that is not in accordance with this section, provided:

[1]

The erections of the ground sign is not in violation of any other section of this Code of Ordinances;

[2]

The ground sign is not erected in a public right-of-way, side yard or backyard;

[3]

An application and application fee is submitted to the City Clerk or Treasurer by the person intending to erect this ground sign; and

[4]

The permit is approved by the Zoning Administrator.

(b)

The City Clerk or Treasurer shall charge a fee for the processing of the aforementioned permit application to cover costs and expenses associated with the processing of the application as determined by the Common Council.

(2)

A person or business that requires the use of multiple identical ground signs may apply for a multiple ground sign use permit under the requirements of this subsection, provided the person or business notifies the office of the City Clerk or Treasurer of the placement of each individual ground sign 48 hours prior to the placement of each ground sign. The City shall reserve the right to deny the placement of an individual ground sign to a multiple ground sign permit holder. The City Clerk or Treasurer shall charge a fee for the processing of the permit application to cover the costs and expenses associated with the processing of the application for multiple ground signs as determined by the Common Council. In the event that the applicant has multiple signs that are like in kind, the applicant shall only be responsible for payment of one application fee per calendar year; however, the applicant shall be responsible for notifying the City Clerk or Treasurer of the placement of all signs during the course of the calendar year.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]

Electronic signs are permitted under the following restrictions:

(1)

Electronic sign may not be erected unless the Board of Public Works first approves the sign and directs the Zoning Administrator to issue a sign permit.

(2)

No more than one electronic sign per premises, regardless of the size or location of the premises or the location or type of mounting of the electronic sign.

(3)

Messages must be static and not scrolling. Overhead wiring to or from any electronic sign is prohibited.

(4)

All electrical systems for electronic signs must be wired to comply with the National Electric Code.

§ 480-57 Prohibited signs.

The following signs are specifically prohibited by this article:

Signs which obstruct the vision of drivers or pedestrians or detract from the visibility of any official traffic control device.

Electronic signs that are rolling. Exemptions are time and temperature information.

Permanent signs which consist of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or similar devices for private or commercial purposes.

Signs or posters which are tacked on trees, fences, utility poles, or other such permanent supports within the public right-of-way.

No person shall park any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way property or on private properties so as to be seen from a public right-of-way which has attached thereto or located thereon any sign or advertising device for the basic purpose of providing advertisement of products or directing people to a business activity located on the same or nearby property or any other premises. The Zoning Administrator may issue special permits for the parking of advertising vehicles for a period not to exceed five days per location.

Off-premise signs erected after January 1, 2014.

Signs not in compliance with Wisconsin Department of Transportation Ch. Trans 201, Wis. Adm. Code, as may be amended.

§ 480-58 Computation of number and square footage of signs.

The gross sign area shall be the area within the single continuous line enclosing the extreme limits of such sign and in no case passing through or between any adjacent elements of the same. It does not include any structural or framing elements lying outside the limits of such sign surface and not forming an integral part of the display.

In computing the number and square footage of signs, all signs other than those allowed in § 480-56 and signs on windows shall be included.

§ 480-59 Maintenance and removal.

All signs and sign structures shall be kept in good repair. Responsibility for the maintenance and removal of signs and structures rests first with the sign owner and secondly with the property owner.

At the termination of a business, commercial, or industrial enterprise, all signs shall be removed if the building and/or property remains vacant after six months. Responsibility for removal in this case rests with the property owners, according to the latest official tax roll listing.

Vacant lots upon which signs now exist or are erected in the future shall be maintained in an orderly fashion by the removal of rubbish and maintenance of any plants growing on the lot.

If any sign is in violation of this article or becomes damaged or dilapidated, the Zoning Administrator shall give written notice to the owner of the sign or the owner of the property on which the sign is located, in person or by mail, addressed to the last-known post office address of such owner to repair or remove the sign. If the order is not complied with within 30 days of serving the notice, the Zoning Administrator shall cause the sign and structure to be razed and the cost thereof assessed as a special charge against the property on which the sign was located.

Any unauthorized sign or sign structure in a street right-of-way or on public property may be removed and destroyed by the Zoning Administrator or his designee without notice.

Park Falls City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VIII

Signs

§ 480-55 Purpose.

Compatible with their surroundings.

Appropriate to the activities to which they pertain.

Expressive to the identity of the individual properties or the community as a whole.

Legible in the circumstances in which they are seen.

Safely located with respect to passing vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

It is further the intent of this section to prohibit signs which:

(1)

Prevent or inhibit adequate light, air, or ventilation.

(2)

Inhibit the safety of vehicular or pedestrian traffic by actual physical or visual impairment or obstruction.

(3)

Distract from the aesthetics of the location, area, and community as a whole.

§ 480-56 Permitted signs.

All signs are prohibited in the R-1, R-2, and W-1 Districts except the following:

(1)

(2)

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.

(3)

Name, occupation, and warning signs not to exceed two square feet located on the premises.

(4)

Bulletin boards for public, charitable, or religious institutions not to exceed 32 square feet in area located on the 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 a structure.

(6)

Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information and notices.

(7)

Temporary signs or banners when authorized by the Zoning Administrator.

(8)

Billboards/signs shall be permitted in a W-1 District upon authorization of the Plan Commission and approval of the Common Council.

(9)

Sign for a home-based business, provided the sign is a flat unlit wall-mounted sign not exceeding four square feet.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]

Signs are permitted in the C-1 and I-1 Districts, subject to the following restrictions:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Combinations of any of the above signs shall meet all the requirements for the individual sign.

Ground signs.

(1)

Application and permit.

(a)

A person may erect a ground sign that is not in accordance with this section, provided:

[1]

The erections of the ground sign is not in violation of any other section of this Code of Ordinances;

[2]

The ground sign is not erected in a public right-of-way, side yard or backyard;

[3]

An application and application fee is submitted to the City Clerk or Treasurer by the person intending to erect this ground sign; and

[4]

The permit is approved by the Zoning Administrator.

(b)

(2)

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]

Electronic signs are permitted under the following restrictions:

(1)

Electronic sign may not be erected unless the Board of Public Works first approves the sign and directs the Zoning Administrator to issue a sign permit.

(2)

No more than one electronic sign per premises, regardless of the size or location of the premises or the location or type of mounting of the electronic sign.

(3)

Messages must be static and not scrolling. Overhead wiring to or from any electronic sign is prohibited.

(4)

All electrical systems for electronic signs must be wired to comply with the National Electric Code.

§ 480-57 Prohibited signs.

The following signs are specifically prohibited by this article:

Signs which obstruct the vision of drivers or pedestrians or detract from the visibility of any official traffic control device.

Electronic signs that are rolling. Exemptions are time and temperature information.

Permanent signs which consist of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or similar devices for private or commercial purposes.

Signs or posters which are tacked on trees, fences, utility poles, or other such permanent supports within the public right-of-way.

Off-premise signs erected after January 1, 2014.

Signs not in compliance with Wisconsin Department of Transportation Ch. Trans 201, Wis. Adm. Code, as may be amended.

§ 480-58 Computation of number and square footage of signs.

In computing the number and square footage of signs, all signs other than those allowed in § 480-56 and signs on windows shall be included.

§ 480-59 Maintenance and removal.

Vacant lots upon which signs now exist or are erected in the future shall be maintained in an orderly fashion by the removal of rubbish and maintenance of any plants growing on the lot.

Any unauthorized sign or sign structure in a street right-of-way or on public property may be removed and destroyed by the Zoning Administrator or his designee without notice.

Park Falls City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VIII

Signs

§ 480-55 Purpose.

Compatible with their surroundings.

Appropriate to the activities to which they pertain.

Expressive to the identity of the individual properties or the community as a whole.

Legible in the circumstances in which they are seen.

Safely located with respect to passing vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

It is further the intent of this section to prohibit signs which:

(1)

Prevent or inhibit adequate light, air, or ventilation.

(2)

Inhibit the safety of vehicular or pedestrian traffic by actual physical or visual impairment or obstruction.

(3)

Distract from the aesthetics of the location, area, and community as a whole.

§ 480-56 Permitted signs.

All signs are prohibited in the R-1, R-2, and W-1 Districts except the following:

(1)

(2)

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.

(3)

Name, occupation, and warning signs not to exceed two square feet located on the premises.

(4)

Bulletin boards for public, charitable, or religious institutions not to exceed 32 square feet in area located on the 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 a structure.

(6)

Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information and notices.

(7)

Temporary signs or banners when authorized by the Zoning Administrator.

(8)

Billboards/signs shall be permitted in a W-1 District upon authorization of the Plan Commission and approval of the Common Council.

(9)

Sign for a home-based business, provided the sign is a flat unlit wall-mounted sign not exceeding four square feet.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]

Signs are permitted in the C-1 and I-1 Districts, subject to the following restrictions:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Combinations of any of the above signs shall meet all the requirements for the individual sign.

Ground signs.

(1)

Application and permit.

(a)

A person may erect a ground sign that is not in accordance with this section, provided:

[1]

The erections of the ground sign is not in violation of any other section of this Code of Ordinances;

[2]

The ground sign is not erected in a public right-of-way, side yard or backyard;

[3]

An application and application fee is submitted to the City Clerk or Treasurer by the person intending to erect this ground sign; and

[4]

The permit is approved by the Zoning Administrator.

(b)

(2)

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]

Electronic signs are permitted under the following restrictions:

(1)

Electronic sign may not be erected unless the Board of Public Works first approves the sign and directs the Zoning Administrator to issue a sign permit.

(2)

No more than one electronic sign per premises, regardless of the size or location of the premises or the location or type of mounting of the electronic sign.

(3)

Messages must be static and not scrolling. Overhead wiring to or from any electronic sign is prohibited.

(4)

All electrical systems for electronic signs must be wired to comply with the National Electric Code.

§ 480-57 Prohibited signs.

The following signs are specifically prohibited by this article:

Signs which obstruct the vision of drivers or pedestrians or detract from the visibility of any official traffic control device.

Electronic signs that are rolling. Exemptions are time and temperature information.

Permanent signs which consist of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or similar devices for private or commercial purposes.

Signs or posters which are tacked on trees, fences, utility poles, or other such permanent supports within the public right-of-way.

Off-premise signs erected after January 1, 2014.

Signs not in compliance with Wisconsin Department of Transportation Ch. Trans 201, Wis. Adm. Code, as may be amended.

§ 480-58 Computation of number and square footage of signs.

In computing the number and square footage of signs, all signs other than those allowed in § 480-56 and signs on windows shall be included.

§ 480-59 Maintenance and removal.

Vacant lots upon which signs now exist or are erected in the future shall be maintained in an orderly fashion by the removal of rubbish and maintenance of any plants growing on the lot.

Any unauthorized sign or sign structure in a street right-of-way or on public property may be removed and destroyed by the Zoning Administrator or his designee without notice.