(a)

Scope. This section applies generally to all signs and is in addition to the regulations contained elsewhere in this chapter.

(b)

Permit generally. No sign unless excepted in this section, shall be erected, constructed, posted, painted, altered, maintained or relocated, except as provided in this article and in this chapter, until a permit has been issued by the administrator. Before any permit is issued, an application especially provided by the administrator shall be filed, together with three sets of drawings and/or specifications (one to be returned to the applicant) as may be necessary to fully advise and acquaint the administrator with the location, construction, materials, manner of illuminating and/or securing or fastening, and number of signs applied for, and the wording of the sign or advertisement to be carried on the sign. All signs which are electrically illuminated shall require a separate electrical permit and inspection. All signs shall be erected on or before the expiration of 30 days from the date of issuance of the permit; otherwise, the permit shall become null and void and a new permit shall be required. Each sign requiring a permit shall be clearly marked with the permit number and the name of the person placing the sign on the premises.

(c)

Building codes and ordinances; inspections. Structural and safety features and electrical systems shall be in accordance with the requirements of the applicable codes and ordinances. No sign shall be approved for use unless it has been inspected by the department issuing the permit and is found to be in compliance with all the requirements of this chapter and applicable technical codes.

(d)

Exemptions. The following signs are exempted from the provisions of this article and may be erected or constructed without a permit but in accordance with the structural and safety requirements of the building code:

(1)

Official traffic signs or sign structures and provisional warning signs or sign structures, when erected or required to be erected by a governmental agency, and temporary signs indicating danger.

(2)

Changing of the copy on a bulletin board, poster board, display encasement or marquee.

(3)

Temporary nonilluminated signs, not more than six square feet in area, advertising real estate for sale or lease or announcing contemplated improvements of real estate, and located on the premises, one such sign for each street frontage.

(4)

Temporary nonilluminated signs not more than 20 square feet in area, erected in connection with new construction work and displayed on the premises during such time as the actual construction work is in progress, one such sign for each street frontage.

(5)

Intentionally deleted.

(6)

Nonilluminated signs warning trespassers or announcing property as posted.

(7)

Temporary nonilluminated portable signs, not exceeding six square feet in area, in a business or industrial district, one for each 50 feet of street frontage.

(8)

Sign on a truck, bus or other vehicle, while in use in the normal course of business. This section shall not be interpreted to permit parking for display purposes of a vehicle to which signs are attached in a district where such signs are not permitted.

(e)

Illuminated signs. No flashing signs or exposed gas-filled or illuminated tubing such as neon shall be permitted in any district.

(f)

Roof signs. No sign which is not an integral part of the building design shall be fastened to and supported by or on the roof of a building, and no projecting sign shall extend over or above the roofline or parapet wall of a building.

(g)

Unusual signs. Applications for unusual signs or displays which give rise to questions of interpretation of this article may be referred by the administrator to the board of zoning appeals for the purpose of interpretation by the board and recommendation for action on the application by the administrator. If, in the opinion of the board, the application is not adequately covered by this article, the board may make recommendations for amendment of this chapter.

(h)

Signs resembling emergency or traffic signals. No sign shall be constructed, erected, used, operated or maintained which:

(1)

Displays intermittent lights resembling or seeming to resemble the flashing lights customarily associated with danger or such as are customarily used by police, fire or ambulance vehicles, or for navigation purposes.

(2)

Is so located and so illuminated as to provide a background of colored lights blending with traffic signal lights to the extent of confusing a motorist when viewed from the normal approaching position of a vehicle at a distance of 25 to 300 feet.

(i)

Nonconforming uses. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this article, all signs shall be subject to the provisions of article VII of this chapter governing nonconforming uses.

(j)

Number of signs. Except as otherwise provided, this article shall be interpreted to permit one sign of each permitted type, in accordance with applicable regulations, for each street frontage, for each permitted use on the premises. For the purpose of this article, sign types are flat (or wall), projecting and marquee signs, or special purpose signs specifically listed in the district regulations.

(k)

Types and height of signs. Except as otherwise provided, any sign may be flat, detached or projecting and, except as otherwise provided, no detached sign shall exceed a height of 15 feet.

(l)

Walls of buildings. Signs of permitted types and sign areas may be placed on walls of buildings other than the front, except on side or rear walls facing and within 100 feet of a residential district.

(m)

Yard requirements. Unless otherwise specified in this article, all signs shall comply with the yard requirements of the district in which they are located, provided that one accessory sign may occupy required yards in a district where such sign is permitted by this article, if such sign is not more than 32 square feet in area, and other requirements of this article are complied with.

(n)

Traffic rules. No sign, portable or otherwise, is to be placed or located so as to impede vision or contravene other requirements of applicable traffic ordinances.

(o)

Attachment to building. All signs shall be attached to a building.

(p)

Responsibility. The owner and/or tenant of the premises and the owner and/or erector of the sign shall be held responsible for any violation of this article. Where a sign has been erected in accordance with this article, the sign company shall be relieved of further responsibility under this article after final approval of the sign by the administrator.

(q)

Condition of signs. All signs shall be maintained in good condition and appearance. After due notice has been given as provided in subsection (r) of this section, the administrator may cause to be removed any sign which shows gross neglect or becomes dilapidated.

(r)

Enforcement. The administrator shall remove or cause to be removed any sign erected or maintained in conflict with this article if the owner or lessee of either the site or the sign fails to correct the violation within 30 days after receiving written notice of violation from the administrator. Removal of a sign by the administrator shall not affect any proceedings instituted prior to removal of such sign.

(Ord. of 11-12-1992(1), § 12-211; Ord. of 2-12-2009(2), § 1)

In any residential district, the following signs shall be permitted, when the main use itself is permitted:

(1)

Home occupation signs. One sign, not exceeding two square feet in area, for the purpose of indicating a home occupation, when erected or displayed on the property upon which a private dwelling is located and bearing only the name and/or home occupation of an occupant of such dwelling.

(2)

Church bulletin boards. One church bulletin board, not exceeding 24 square feet in area, when erected or displayed on the property of the church; provided, however, that when a church faces more than one street, one such church bulletin may be erected or displayed on each street frontage. Church bulletin boards shall be set back at least ten feet from the front lot line.

(3)

Identification signs. One sign, not exceeding 24 feet in area, for the purpose of showing the name and use of convent, monastery, seminary, country club, public building, public park, playground, community building, hospital, sanitorium, cemetery, children's home, orphanage, fraternal organization or apartment, when such use is permitted in a residence zone, and such sign is erected or displayed on the property so identified. Such identification signs shall be set back at least ten feet from the front lot line.

(4)

Subdivision signs. Signs, not exceeding 24 square feet in area, for the purpose of advertising or identifying a housing development or subdivision, when erected or displayed on the property so advertised or identified at least ten feet from the front lot line; provided, however, that only one such sign shall be erected or displayed facing any one street on the perimeter of such development or subdivision.

(5)

Temporary signs. One contractor's sign, not exceeding 24 square feet in area, and subcontractors' signs not exceeding eight square feet in area when erected or displayed on the premises upon which building operations are being conducted; provided, however, that such shall be removed upon completion of the work.

(6)

Real estate signs. Signs not exceeding a total sign area of 12 square feet, for the purpose of advertising the sale, lease or future use of real estate, when erected or displayed on the property so advertised; however, a total sign area of not more than 40 square feet shall be permitted when such signs are set back at least 50 feet from the front lot line.

(7)

Directional signs. A directional sign, one end of which may be pointed or on which an arrow may be painted, indicates the direction to which attention is called. It shall be less than two square feet, giving only the name of the business or individual responsible for the sign.

(Ord. of 11-12-1992(1), § 12-212)

The limitations as to number and area of signs in commercial and industrial districts shall apply separately to separate establishments, with the area of signs computed on the basis of the actual width of building frontage occupied by the particular establishment. Commercial signs identifying products or services available on the premises or advertising a use conducted thereon may be displayed in commercial and industrial districts under the conditions and to a maximum aggregate area of all signs as follows:

(1)

The maximum aggregate area of all signs shall be two square feet for each foot of width of the front wall of the building and must also be proportionate to the building.

(2)

In addition, one sign, not exceeding six square feet in area, may be erected to identify secondary entrances to a building from a pedestrian way, from an alley, or from an automobile parking space.

(3)

In addition, in a unified shopping center in single ownership or control, where business establishments have common walls, one place name sign for each establishment, not exceeding a sign area of three square feet per sign may be suspended from a common canopy ceiling, and one shopping center name sign may be displayed not exceeding a maximum area of one-quarter square foot for each foot of common building width.

(4)

In addition, an automobile service station may display signs on a group of pumps not exceeding an aggregate area of 12 square feet of each pump island; cloth or paper signs relating to price may be displayed without a permit. Authorized establishments may display not more than one sign not exceeding nine square feet in area per face, indicating state inspection service.

(5)

The maximum aggregate area of all signs on any lot, the use of which consists primarily of the use of land, shall be two square feet for each foot of frontage of the lot with a maximum of 50 square feet conforming to the following freestanding sign regulation.

(6)

One freestanding sign not exceeding 50 square feet may be located on a lot with a front of 100 feet or more, not to exceed two display faces, with the interior angle between them not exceeding 45 degrees. In the case of a corner or a through lot with a minimum frontage of 25 feet, a freestanding sign may be erected for each street frontage, the area of which shall not exceed 50 square feet. The total sign area of such freestanding sign or signs shall be included in the maximum area of sign display permitted on the lot. Not more than 75 percent of the maximum sign area allowed shall be for freestanding signs.

(7)

For buildings located on corner lots or lots abutting streets at both the front and rear, or for buildings served by an abutting parking lot of not less than 60 feet in width located to the side or rear of the main building, on that side or rear wall of commercial buildings which abuts a public street or a parking lot:

a.

On side walls in all business and industrial districts, the maximum aggregate area of all signs, including signs which may be projecting signs (as permitted and regulated under this chapter) shall be one-half of the maximum aggregate area of signs permitted on the front wall of that building.

b.

On rear walls in business and industrial districts, one sign for each establishment as follows:

1.

If such sign is within 100 feet of or across a street from a residential district, the area of each sign shall not exceed one-half square foot for each foot of width of such wall.

2.

If situated other than as specified in subsection (7)b.1 of this section, the area of each sign shall not exceed one square foot for each foot of width of such wall.

(Ord. of 11-12-1992(1), § 12-213; Ord. of 2-12-2009(3), § 1)

Cross reference— Businesses, ch. 22.

No sign approved or erected before the effective date of the ordinance from which this section derives shall be repaired, altered or moved, nor shall any sign, or part thereof, be erected, reconstructed, rebuilt or relocated unless it is made to comply with all applicable requirements of this article. This section shall not be construed to prevent the repair of restoration to a safe condition of any part of an existing sign when damaged by storm or other accident. This section shall not be construed to prevent the replacement, renovation or repair (but not the relocation) of a sign of the same size depicting the same use of the premises that existed immediately prior to the replacement, renovation or repair. All decisions by the planning commission regarding size, color and placement shall be final.

(Ord. of 11-12-1992(1), § 12-214; Ord. of 2-12-2009(4), § 1)