Rawlins City Zoning Code

The purpose of these regulations is to encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communication in the city; to maintain and enhance the aesthetic environment and the city's ability to attract sources of economic development and growth; to improve pedestrian and traffic safety; to minimize the possible adverse effect of signs on nearby public and private property; and to enable the fair and consistent enforcement of these sign restrictions. This sign chapter is adopted under the zoning authority of the city in furtherance of the more general purposes set forth in the zoning ordinance.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

Signs may be erected, placed, established, painted, created or maintained only in conformance with the standards, procedures, exemptions, and other requirements of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

No sign shall be erected, hung, attached or displayed until a written application has been made to the Department of Community Development. Each application for such a sign permit shall include payment of the appropriate fee as set by resolution of the City Council pursuant to Title 1 of this code.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 10D-94, 10-4-1994; Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995; Ord. No. 08a-2008, 8-19-2008)

The following signs shall be exempted from permit requirements under this chapter:

A.

Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance;

B.

Emergency warning signs erected by a governmental agency, a public utility company, or a contractor doing authorized or permitted work within the public right-of-way;

C.

Any sign located inside the confines of a building;

D.

Any company logo which is integrated into the glass of a window or door of a building;

E.

Works of art that do not include a commercial message;

F.

Real Estate "For Sale," rental or lease signs, not exceeding six square feet in area.

G.

Historical Signage which does not advertise or pertain to present use.

H.

Signs in Commercial and Industrial zones which are directional or instructional only and contain no logo or advertising.

I.

Public service message signs on private or public property if authorized by City Council.

J.

Political campaign signs on private property. Signs shall be removed within fourteen days of election.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

Signs which are prohibited under this chapter include, but are not limited to:

A.

Beacons;

B.

Pennants, other than as temporary signs;

C.

Flashing lights whose individual bulbs exceed fifteen watts;

D.

Strobe lighting;

E.

Handbills, posters, notices or other signs of a temporary nature not specifically allowed by this chapter;

F.

Portable signs which are used for any purpose other than temporary signs;

G.

Any sign which does not otherwise conform to the requirements of this chapter;

H.

Political campaign signs on publicly owned property or right-of-way.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

In all zones, the maximum size of permitted signs shall be in accordance with the regulations contained in Table 19.48.060.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

Table 19.48.060
NUMBER, DIMENSIONS, CLEARANCE AND LOCATION OF
INDIVIDUAL SIGNS BY ZONING DISTRICT

;adv=;6q; a

This column does not represent a zoning district, but rather institutional uses permitted in any zone. Such uses may include, but are not necessarily limited to: churches, schools, funeral homes and cemeteries.

b

In no case shall the actual sign height exceed the actual sign setback from any adjacent lot that is zoned and used for residential purposes.

c

Signs near the Interstate area allowed greater height. Please see 19.48.150.

d

In addition to the setback requirements of this table, signs shall be located such that there is at every intersection and entrance, a clear view between the heights of three feet and ten feet in a triangle formed by the point of intersection of the curb radius and points on the curb thirty feet from the point of intersection.

e

Each separate business with an independent store front and entrance shall be considered a building.

f

Signs shall not be erected closer than one hundred fifty feet from another freestanding sign on the same lot.

(Ord. No. 3B-95, 3-7-1995; Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

The computations related to sign restrictions shall be made in accordance with the following regulations:

A.

The area of a sign face (which is also the sign area of a wall sign or other sign with only one face) shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle or combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem, or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop of structure against which it is placed, not including any supporting framework.

B.

The sign area of a two-faced sign shall be calculated on the dimensions of a single face, except where the distance between the two faces exceeds sixty inches.

C.

The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at existing grade to the highest attached component of the sign.

Lots fronting on two or more streets are allowed the permitted sign area for each street frontage; provided the total sign area which is oriented towards a particular street shall not exceed the maximum limits in Table 19.48.060A.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

Signs in residential and R-A zones shall be prohibited from advertising any commercial enterprise not conducted on the same lot. Signs in residential zones may be interior lighted or externally lighted. Exterior lighting will be limited to shielded spotlights such that no direct light or significant glare from the sign lighting shall be cast into any adjacent lot.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

Any application for a freestanding sign over ten feet in height or a roof sign or a sign which protrudes over a public right-of-way shall include plans and specifications from a qualified engineer demonstrating the ability of the roof or other structure to withstand the weight and stress of the sign for the projected life of the sign.

Roof signs shall be permitted in C-1, C-2 and industrial zones only.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 3B-95, 3-7-1995; Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

Off-premises outdoor advertising signs shall only be allowed in commercial and industrial zones. No such sign shall be erected closer than one thousand feet from another off premises outdoor advertising sign on the same side of the street, measured along the frontage. The total sign area is limited to the restrictions found in Table 19.48.060 for its given zoning district.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

Temporary signs on private property shall be allowed only on the issuance of a temporary sign permit, which shall be subject to the following conditions:

A.

A temporary sign permit shall allow the use of a temporary sign for a specified ninety-day period.

B.

Only one temporary sign permit shall be issued to the same person, business or organization on the same lot in any six-month period.

C.

Temporary signs shall be required to meet all of the requirements in Table 19.48.060.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

Portable signs shall only be allowed as temporary signs and shall meet all other sign ordinance requirements.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

No signs shall be allowed to be placed in or over the public right-of-way, except for the following:

A.

Permanent signs, including:

1.

Public signs erected by or on behalf of a governmental body to post legal notices, identify public property, convey public information, and direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic;

2.

Informational signs of a public utility regarding its poles, lines, pipes or facilities; and

3.

Awning, projecting and suspended signs projecting over a public right-of-way in conformity with the conditions of this section.

B.

Temporary signs in the public right-of-way shall be allowed only for signs meeting the following requirements:

1.

Such signs shall contain no commercial message;

2.

The term of such a permit shall be sixty days. No more than one permit for temporary signs shall be issued to any applicant in any calendar year. In all cases, the applicant shall be responsible for meeting all requirements under this section;

3.

No more than twenty signs may be erected under one permit;

4.

Such signs shall be no more than nine square feet in area each.

C.

Emergency signs erected by a governmental agency, a public utility company, or a contractor doing authorized or permitted work within the public right-of-way.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

Lots located in highway business zones (C-2), which are within one mile of Interstate 80 at Exit No. 215 and within one-half mile of Exit No. 211, shall be allowed one freestanding sign with a maximum height of one hundred feet.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 3B-95, 3-7-1995)

All signs shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following standards:

A.

All signs shall comply with applicable provisions of the building and electrical codes of the city.

B.

Except for banners, flags, temporary signs and window signs conforming in all respects with the requirements of this chapter, all signs shall be constructed of permanent materials and shall be permanently attached to the ground, a building or another structure by direct attachment to a rigid wall, frame or structure.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

Every sign shall be kept in good repair. The ground space within a radius ten feet from any ground sign shall be kept free and clear of all weeds, rubbish and flammable material. Any sign or portion thereof declared unsafe by the building official shall be restored to a safe condition or removed within fifteen days of receiving written notice. The property owner shall be ultimately responsible for all such signs on his or her property.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

Any sign or portion thereof declared unsafe or abandoned by the code enforcement officer is declared a nuisance. After delivery of written notice to the owner, such signs may be abated in the manner of any other nuisance and the property owner may be charged the cost of such abatement.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

A.

No nonconforming sign shall be reconstructed in whole or in part, raised, moved, enlarged or altered except in conformance with this chapter. Alterations shall not be interpreted as normal painting, maintenance and repair, or changing of copy in signs designed to allow changeable copy.

B.

Nonconforming signs which have been damaged by fire, explosion, vandalism, act of God or other means to the extent that more than fifty percent of their replacement cost has been lost, shall be rebuilt only in conformance with the regulations of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part); Ord. No. 6-95, 6-20-1995)

All requests for sign permits shall be accompanied by a dimensioned drawing of the proposed sign(s), including their location, existing business signs on the premises, and the dimensions of the property or parcel and all buildings located thereon. Such information must be submitted to the zoning officer prior to the approval of a sign permit.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))

For an applicant who wishes to permit two or more signs at the same time, a master sign permit may be obtained. The information required for this permit is the same as a regular sign permit except that all signs may be permitted at the same time. Any changes in the number, type or area of the signs permitted under the master sign permit will require an additional sign permit.

(Ord. No. 10A-91(part); Ord. No. 9-89(part))