The purpose of this article is to regulate, administer, and enforce outdoor sign advertising and display within the Village of Rothschild. This article recognizes the need to protect the safety and welfare of the public, the need for well-maintained and attractive sign displays within the community, the need for adequate business identification, advertising and communication, and the need to protect persons' First Amendment rights to free speech.

This article authorizes the erection and use of signs visible from public rights-of-way, provided that the signs are:

Sign permit administration. The Zoning Administrator or designated person shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of this article. The Zoning Administrator or designated person shall examine all applications for permits for the erection of signs; issue permits and denials; authorize the continued use of signs which conform to the requirements of this article; record and file all applications for permits with any accompanying plans and documents; make inspections of signs in the Village of Rothschild; and make such reports as the Village Board may require.

Permits required. It shall be unlawful to erect, construct, enlarge, or structurally modify a sign or cause the same to be done in the Village of Rothschild without first obtaining a sign permit for each such sign from the Zoning Administrator or designated person as required by this article. Permits shall be required for all new signs and any change in the copy of an existing conforming sign. Permits shall not be required for the repainting or other type of resurfacing, cleaning, and other normal maintenance and repair of the sign and sign structure.

Application for a permit. An application for a permit shall be filed with the Village Clerk upon forms provided by the Village and shall contain the following information:

Permit fee. The application for a permit shall include the permit fee. The fee for a sign permit shall be established in a separate fee schedule for the Village of Rothschild. Signs installed without a permit are subject to removal and/or double fees according to the provisions under Subsection J, Remedies, below.

Permit issuance. The Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator or designated person shall issue a permit for the construction, structural alteration, enlargement, or relocation of a sign within the Village of Rothschild when the permit application is properly made, all appropriate fees have been paid, and the sign complies with the appropriate laws and regulations of the Village of Rothschild.

Permit expiration. Sign permits shall expire six months from the date of issuance if no construction has started. Sign construction or alteration shall be completed within one year of the issuance of the permit.

Permit denial. If the sign permit is denied by the Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator or designated person, he/she shall give written notice of the denial to the applicant, together with a brief written statement of the reasons for the denial.

Sign permit appeal. In the event that it is alleged by an applicant whose permit has been denied that said denial was in error, or where complying with the requirements of this article poses a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship, an appeal may be filed with the Village of Rothschild Board of Appeals. An application for variance must be made within 30 days after notice that the sign involved does not conform to this article. In the event that the appeal is not made in writing to the Board of Appeals within the thirty-day period, a variance may not be granted. The Board of Appeals shall take action on any variance request within 60 days after receipt of the variance application. The Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator or designated person shall comply with and enforce the decision of the Board of Appeals.

Indemnification of sign installation and maintenance. All persons engaged in the business of installing or maintaining signs which involves in whole or in part the construction, alteration, relocation, or maintenance of a sign, or other sign work in, over, or immediately adjacent to a public right-of-way or public property that is used or encroached upon by the sign contractor, shall agree to hold harmless and indemnify the Village of Rothschild, its officers, agents and/or employees from any and all claims of negligence resulting from the construction, alteration, relocation, or maintenance of this sign or any other sign work.

Remedies. Violation or failure to comply with the provisions of this article shall be and is hereby declared unlawful. Any sign constructed, altered, moved or structurally modified without a permit, or altered, moved or structurally modified with a permit but in violation of this article, shall be removed at the owner's expense or brought into compliance within 30 days of written notification by the Zoning Administrator or designated person. If the violation is failure to obtain a permit, the required permit fee shall be doubled to account for the Village's increased expenses due to such failure. In the event that the owner does not remove or bring into compliance any sign, the Zoning Administrator or designated person may order removal at the expense of the property owner as a special charge pursuant to § 66.0627, Wis. Stats.

Eligibility for characterization as legal nonconforming sign. Any sign located in the Village of Rothschild as of the date of adoption of the amendments to this article which does not conform to the provisions of this article is eligible for characterization as a legal nonconforming sign and is permitted, provided that it also meets the following requirements:

Loss of legal nonconforming status.

Maintenance and repair.

Abandoned signs. All signs or sign messages shall be removed by the owner or lessee of the premises when a sign is abandoned or discontinued for a period of 12 months or longer, it is composed of obsolete advertising matter, it is without advertising matter, or is in need of substantial repair, or at the discretion of the Planning and Zoning Commission. If the owner or lessee fails to remove the sign, the Zoning Administrator or designated person shall give the owner 60 days' written notice to remove said sign. Upon failure to comply with this notice, the Village of Rothschild may cause removal to be executed, the expense of which shall be borne by the property owner as a special charge pursuant to § 66.0627, Wis. Stats.

Deteriorated or dilapidated signs. The Zoning Administrator or designated person shall cause the removal of any deteriorated or dilapidated signs under the provisions of this article. If the owner or lessee fails to remove the sign, the Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator or designated person shall give the owner 60 days' written notice to remove said sign. Upon failure to comply with this notice, the Village of Rothschild may cause removal to be executed, the expense of which shall be bore by the property owner as a special charge pursuant to § 66.0627, Wis. Stats.

Abandoned signs.

Flashing or moving signs. No sign shall be permitted which is animated by means of flashing, blinking, or travelling lights. Signs with physically moving components visible from the public right-of-way are not permitted. Electronic reader boards with a changeable message are not subject to this restriction.

Swinging signs.

Unscreened floodlighted signs. Reflection-illuminated signs whose light source is positioned so that its light intensity is directly visible from a public right-of-way or whose light source is visible from residential property are prohibited. Any external light source must be screened. The light source shall terminate at the sign surface.

Mobile and portable signs.

Vehicular signs; parking of advertising vehicles. No person shall park any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way or public property or on private property so as to be visible 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 or activity located on the same or other premises. This subsection is not intended to prohibit any form of vehicular signage attached or lettered upon a motor vehicle to identify the ownership or function of that vehicle, provided that the vehicle is not parked in a conspicuous location so as to advertise for the business.

Official traffic look-alike. No sign shall use any word, phrase, symbol, shape, form, or character in such manner and location as to interfere with moving traffic, including signs that incorporate typical street-type and/or traffic-control-type signage designs and colors.

Unclassified signs. Those which bear or contain statements or pictures of obscene, pornographic, lewd or profane subjects.

Roof signs.

Sandwich signs.

Except as otherwise provided for by Wisconsin Statute, no sign shall be placed within the limits of any street or highway except such as are necessary for the guidance or warning of traffic. The Village shall cause the removal and disposal of all other signs from streets or highways for which it has been charged with maintenance. Any person who shall erect any sign in violation of this chapter or § 86.19, Wis. Stats., without the written consent of the appropriate highway authority shall be subject to Code § 1-2, except that forfeitures shall be for not less than $10 nor more than $100, and for a second or subsequent violation shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $500. Section 86.19, Wis. Stats., is hereby incorporated into this Code by reference as if fully set forth herein.

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

All ground sign structures shall be self-supporting structures and permanently attached to sufficient foundations.

Electric service to ground signs, monument signs, pole signs and wall signs shall be concealed.

All signs, except those attached flat against the wall of a building, shall be constructed to withstand wind loads.

No sign shall be suspended by chains or other devices that will allow the sign to swing due to wind action. Signs shall be anchored to prevent any lateral movement that would cause wear on supporting members or connections. Supports and braces shall be an integral part of any sign.

Signs shall not be located within a vision triangle and must comply with the clear area provisions as defined in § 590-85.

Awnings containing any type of copy are considered signs and must meet the specifications as defined in this article.

Safety. All signs shall be designed, constructed, installed and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this article and all other local, state and federal regulations.

Electric signs. Floodlighted signs, internally illuminated signs, and changeable message signs shall be constructed and installed in strict accordance with all applicable codes.

All projecting and canopy signs shall maintain a minimum vertical distance between the bottom of the sign and the grade below the sign of 10 feet above any landscaped area or lawn area and a minimum of 15 feet above any driveway, sidewalk, parking area or alley.

Projecting signs may extend not further than six feet from the building or structure to which they are attached. They may not extend over any public right-of-way or pedestrian walkway.

No part of any sign shall project beyond the existing or future right-of-way line or the property line of the site where the sign is located. No sign shall be located in the right-of-way.

The gross area of window signs shall not exceed 50% of any individual window's area.

Any sign location that is accessible to vehicles shall have a minimum vertical clearance at grade of 15 feet.

No sign adjoining a residential district shall be closer than 25 feet to that district line.

All sign setbacks shall be calculated from the right-of-way line and shall be calculated to the leading edge (closest point) of the sign face or sign structure.

Temporary signs. The Zoning Administrator or designated person may issue a temporary sign permit for a temporary sign in any zone subject to the following restrictions:

Banners and other promotional devices. Banners, pennants, searchlights or balloons shall not be used on a permanent basis.

(Reserved)[1]

Signs requiring a permit. All signs permitted under this section shall, in addition to the following specifications, conform to all regulations prescribed in §§ 590-174, 590-175 and 590-176 of this article.

Permitted signs in R-1 to R-5 and R-R Districts.

Permitted signs in R-6 District.

Signs requiring a permit. All signs permitted under this section shall conform to all regulations prescribed in §§ 590-174, 590-175 and 590-176 of this article.

Permitted signs. On-premises wall signs, window signs, ground signs, canopy/marquee signs, pole signs, roof signs, and directory and directional signs are permitted in these zoning districts.