St Paris City Zoning Code
SIGNS AND
ADVERTISING
§ 154.285 SIGN DEFINED AND REGULATED.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.286 OUTDOOR ADVERTISING STRUCTURES DEFINED.
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING STRUCTURES are any outdoor display for the purpose of advertisement, notice, or announcement located apart from the premises or product referred to in the display.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.287 MEASUREMENT OF AREA.
The surface area of a sign shall be computed as including the entire area within a regular, geometric form, or combinations of regular, geometric forms comprising all of the display area of the sign and including all of the elements of the matter displayed. Frames and structural members not being advertising matter shall not be included in the computation of surface area. If both sides of the sign contain advertising matter, then both sides are included in the computation.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.288 GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR PERMITS.
Permits for all signs and outdoor advertising structures shall be granted by the Zoning Officer in accordance with the requirements set forth in §§ 154.289 through 154.318, except that no permit shall be required for any sign containing less than six square feet of advertising area, or advertising the sale, rent, or lease of the premises on which the sign is located.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.289 LOCATION AND AREA OF ADVERTISING SIGNS.
Signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area and advertising the sale, rental, or lease of the premises on which the sign is located shall be permitted on any property, except that the maximum size of such a sign in any residential district shall not exceed six square feet.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.290 AREA OF ANNOUNCEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL SIGNS.
Announcement or professional signs for home occupations and professional activities, where permitted, shall not exceed four square feet in area in a residential district, and not more than six square feet in other districts.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.291 SIGNS FOR PUBLIC OR QUASI-PUBLIC PURPOSES.
Bulletin boards and signs for a church, school, community, or other public or quasi-public institutional building shall be permitted; provided the area of such bulletin board or sign shall not exceed 15 square feet and which shall be located on the premises of such institution.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.292 WALL SIGNS.
(A) Wall signs pertaining to a nonconforming use shall be permitted on the same premises of such use; provided the area of such sign does not exceed 15 square feet.
(B) No building wall shall be used for display of advertising except that pertaining to the use carried on within such building.
(C) Every wall sign projecting out from the face of the building shall be securely attached to the building wall, structure, or suitable metal posts located within the lot lines by iron or metal anchors, bolts, supports, chains, stranded cables, or steel rods. No such sign shall project into the street right-of-way or be supported from a street, road, or sidewalk.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.293 AWNINGS WITH SIGNS.
(A) Permanent type awnings that are a part of the building structure with no posts or supports shall be a minimum height of eight feet.
(B) Roll down awnings attached to buildings are permitted, if kept at a minimum height of seven feet when rolled down. They shall also be maintained in a good state of repair.
(C) Signs, when a part of the awning (permanent or roll down), are permitted. The size of such signs is covered in § 154.308.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.294 TEMPORARY SIGNS.
Temporary signs not exceeding in the aggregate 50 square feet, announcing special public or institutional events, or the erection of a building, the architect, the builders, contractors, and the like may be erected for a period of 60 days plus the construction period.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.295 SIGNS AND PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY.
(A) No sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way except publicly-owned signs, such as traffic control signs and directional signs.
(B) Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter, shall be permitted on any property.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.296 SIGNS PLACED ON VEHICLES OR TRAILERS.
No sign shall be placed on vehicles or trailers which are parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying such sign. This does not apply to allowed portable signs or letters on buses, taxis, or vehicles operating during the normal course of business.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.297 BUSINESS DISPLAYS AND ADVERTISING.
(A) In any commercial or industrial district, each business shall be permitted advertising signs or merchandise that may be displayed in front of the particular business handling the merchandise displayed on the sidewalk. A minimum of 48 inches of unobstructed right-of-way for pedestrian traffic must be left between the display and any object along the curb (lightpole, fire hydrant, trash receptacle, and the like).
(B) DISPLAY means items for sale lined or hung along the building on the street front. ADVERTISING means a temporary sandwich or banner sign, not to exceed 12 square feet (see § 154.287), set at least two feet from the curb (leaving a minimum of four feet for sidewalk thoroughfare).
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.298 GOVERNMENT FLAGS, INSIGNIA; SIGNS.
(A) Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion, shall be permitted on any property.
(B) Legal notices, identification, information, or directional signs erected or required by governmental bodies shall be permitted on any property.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.299 ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED SIGNS.
All wiring, fittings, and materials used in the construction, connection, and operation of electrically illuminated signs shall be in accordance with the provisions of the National Electric Code (or the local electric code in effect).
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.300 MARKING OF SIGNS.
All signs hereafter hung or erected shall be plainly marked with the name of the person, firm, or corporation hanging or erecting such sign.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.301 ATTACHMENT SIGNS.
No sign of any classification shall be installed, erected, or attached in any form, shape, or manner to a fire escape, or any door or window giving access to any fire escape.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.302 INSPECTION OF SIGNS.
(A) No electrical sign of any description shall hereafter be erected without having first been inspected on the ground and approved by the Zoning Officer, or his or her authorized agent.
(B) It shall be the duty of the erector of such sign to notify the Zoning Officer when such sign is ready for aforesaid ground inspection.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.303 MAINTENANCE OF SIGNS.
Should any sign be, or become, insecure or in danger of falling, or otherwise unsafe, the owner thereof, or the person maintaining the same, shall upon receipt of written notice from the Zoning Officer proceed at once to put such sign in a safe and secure condition, or remove the sign.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.304 SIGNS INSTALLED IN VIOLATION OF REQUIREMENTS.
In case any sign shall be installed, erected, constructed, or maintained in violation of any of the terms of this chapter, the Zoning Officer shall notify, in writing, the owner, or lessee, thereof to alter such sign so as to comply with this chapter.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.305 SIGNS IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
In a commercial or industrial district, each business shall be permitted two flat or wall signs on different frontages. Projection of wall signs shall not exceed two feet measured from the face of the main building.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.306 FREE-STANDING SIGNS.
Free-standing signs not over 30 feet in height, having a maximum total sign area of 100 square feet per display area and located not closer than ten feet to any street right-of-way line, and not closer than 30 feet to any adjoining lot line, may be erected to serve a group of business establishments. There shall be only one free-standing sign for each building, regardless of the number of businesses conducted in said building.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.307 POLE SIGNS.
Pole signs of symbolical design shall be permitted for business establishments; provided no part of such sign shall project into the right-of-way of any street or highway; the maximum area of any face of such sign shall not exceed 30 square feet; and the pole support of the sign shall not be less than 50 feet from any lot in any residential district.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.308 AREA OF BUSINESS ADVERTISING SIGNS.
The area of all permanent advertising signs for any single business enterprise may have an area equivalent to one and one-half square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of width of a building, or part of a building, occupied by such enterprise, but shall not exceed a maximum area of 100 square feet. For the purposes of this section, width shall be measured along the building face nearest, and parallel to, the street line. In the case of a corner lot, signs may be erected on both frontages. However, the frontage that the sign is placed on determines the maximum area of the sign.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.309 ROOF SIGNS.
No sign shall be placed on the roof of any building.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.310 POLITICAL SIGNS.
No political sign shall be posted in any place, or in any manner, that is destructive to public property upon posting or removal. All candidates for public office, their campaign committees, or other persons responsible for the posting on public property of campaign material shall remove such material within two weeks following election day.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.311 SIGN SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.
(A) General. Except as provided in this subchapter, signs and outdoor advertising structures, where permitted, shall be set back from the established right-of-way line of any street or highway at least as far as the required front yard depth for a principal use in such district, except for the modifications in this section and § 154.312.
(B) Increased setbacks. For every square foot by which each sign or outdoor advertising structure exceeds 50 square feet, the setback shall be increased by one-half foot but not exceed 100 feet.
(C) Setbacks at intersections of highways. At the intersection of a state, federal, or major local highway with a major or collector street, the setback of any sign or outdoor advertising structure shall not be less than 50 feet from the established right-of-way of each highway or street.
(D) Setbacks for public and quasi-public signs. Real estate signs and bulletin boards for a church, school, or any other public or quasi-public, religious, or educational institution may be erected not less than ten feet from the established right-of-way line of any street or highway; provided such sign or bulletin board does not obstruct traffic visibility at street or highway intersections.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.312 SPECIAL YARD PROVISIONS.
Signs and advertising structures, where permitted, shall be erected or placed in conformity with the side and rear yard requirements of the district in which located, except that no sign or advertising structure shall be erected or placed closer than within 50 feet to a side or rear lot line in any residential district.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.313 ILLUMINATION.
All signs and advertising structures, except as hereinafter modified, may be illuminated internally or by reflected light; provided the source of light is not directly visible and is so arranged as to reflect away from the adjoining premises; and, provided further, that such illumination shall not be so placed as to cause confusion or a hazard to traffic or conflict with traffic control signs or lights.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.314 SUBDIVISION SIGNS.
Upon application to the Zoning Officer, a permit may be issued as a conditional use in accordance with this chapter allowing a land-sales sign; provided that the sign shall not be illuminated; the sign shall advertise the sale or development of a recorded lot subdivision; the sign shall be erected only upon the property for sale or being developed, and shall be set back from the street right-of-way at least one foot for each square foot of sign area; the sign shall not be in excess of 30 square feet; not more than one such sign shall be placed along single road frontage of any property in single and separate ownership; provided that not more than two such signs may be permitted in any single development; and a permit for the erection, construction, or maintenance of said sign shall expire within one year.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.315 SIGN PERMITS REQUIRED.
A separate permit shall be required for the erection of signs regulated in this subchapter, except that no permit shall be required for temporary real estate signs with an area of 12 square feet or less for the sale or lease of property, and for small announcement signs with an area of less than four square feet. Announcement signs shall be removed by the person or persons responsible for posting the same within 30 days after erection.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.316 DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS.
Clear drawings and specifications shall be made of the proposed sign indicating the location, quality of material, full dimensions in figures, supports, manner of erecting, manner of fastening the sign to the structure, number, and the weight of the sign. Such plans to be made on blanks furnished by the Zoning Officer, signed by the owner or tenant of property for which sign is to be used, and by the erecting contractor.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)
§ 154.317 SIGNS INTERFERING WITH TRAFFIC CONTROL OR MOVEMENT PROHIBITED.
(A) No person shall place, maintain, or display upon, or in view of, any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be, or is, an imitation of, or resembles, a traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view, or interfered with the effectiveness of, any traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal, and no person shall place or maintain, nor shall any public authority permit upon any highway, any traffic sign or signal bearing thereon any commercial advertising.
(B) This section does not prohibit the erection, upon private property adjacent to highways, of signs giving useful directional information of a type that cannot be mistaken for traffic control devices.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981) Penalty, see § 154.999
§ 154.318 EXEMPTIONS.
Public notice by governmental bodies, traffic control signs, and other official signs and notices are exempt from the provisions of this subchapter.
(Ord. 420, passed 3-4-1981)