Zoneomics Logo
search icon

Strasburg City Zoning Code

SIGNS

§ 153.130 PURPOSE.

   No sign shall be constructed, erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated, substantially altered or permitted in any district except as hereinafter provided. All signs shall be considered permanent, temporary, exempt or prohibited.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020) Penalty, see § 153.999

§ 153.131 INTENT.

   The purposes of these sign regulations are:
   (A)   To effectively communicate information while maintaining pedestrian and traffic safety;
   (B)   To protect and enhance the unique character of the community by encouraging signs to be compatible with their surroundings;
   (C)   To maintain the community’s ability to attract sources of economic development and growth;
   (D)   To minimize the possible adverse effect of signs on adjoining properties; and
   (E)   To fairly and consistently enforce the sign regulations.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)

§ 153.132 TYPES AND STANDARDS OF SIGNS ALLOWED WITH PERMITS.

   The types of signs described below are allowed with a sign permit, subject to the regulations of this chapter. Except as provided for in division (A) of this section, no sign shall be used for display of advertising except that pertaining to the use carried on within such building.
   (A)   Billboard sign. A freestanding sign to be permitted only if it is located adjacent to the interchange of a controlled access highway, primarily designed to convey information which is not related to the principal use of the land on which such sign is located. Such sign shall be considered the main use of the property on which it is located and shall conform to the following:
      (1)   No billboard shall be located within 1,000 feet of another billboard abutting either side of the same street;
      (2)   The height of such signs shall not exceed 100 feet;
      (3)   The maximum area of any face of such signs shall not exceed 200 square feet; and
      (4)   Such signs shall be immovable and, if illuminated, must maintain constant illumination and not flash.
   (B)   Bulletin board sign. A sign erected by a charitable, educational or religious institution for purposes of providing general information or announcing events that are held on the premises. Bulletin boards for a church, school, community or similar institutional use shall be permitted; provided the area for such bulletin board or sign shall not exceed 32 square feet in area per sign face. Such signs may be erected not less than ten feet from the established right-of-way line of any street. Bulletin board signs are not permitted for dwellings.
   (C)   Canopy sign. A sign that is displayed and affixed flat on the surface of a canopy and does not extend beyond the limits of the canopy. Such sign is permitted as part of an awning, canopy or other fabric, plastic or structural protective cover over a door, entrance or window. The lowest point of a canopy shall be at least nine feet above a sidewalk or other walkway and at least 17 feet above a driveway or road. One such sign is permitted on a premises, and conveying information about activities conducted on the premises. If any portion of the sign projects above a public sidewalk or right-of-way, the owner shall maintain in force liability insurance in such form and such amount as the village may determine.
   (D)   Home occupation sign. A sign on the premises of a home occupation. Only one such sign is permitted, which shall be no more than two square feet in size and shall be limited to a wall sign. Illumination of such signs is prohibited.
   (E)   Monument sign. A sign permitted in lieu of a pole sign and mounted on a base which is set firmly in the ground, of which the top of the sign is not more than four and one-half feet high. Such sign shall not exceed 25 square feet in area per sign face. Such signs may be erected not less than ten feet from the established right-of-way.
   (F)   Pole sign. A sign which is attached to or a part of a self-supporting structure. A freestanding sign may be erected to serve a business or a group of business establishments. Such sign shall be a maximum of 30 feet in height, having a maximum total sign area of 100 square feet with no portion of the sign located closer than ten feet to any street right-of-way line. The supporting structure of a pole sign shall be set firmly in or below the ground not closer than five feet to any street right-of-way line. There shall be only one pole sign for each building, regardless of the number of businesses conducted in said building. No part of such sign shall project into the right-of-way of any street. In the case of a lot occupied or intended to be occupied by a group of businesses, the sign permit shall be issued in the name of the lot owner or agent rather than in the name of individual businesses. The village shall not be responsible for enforcing the provisions of any allocation formula, lease or other private restriction.
   (G)   Projecting sign. A sign attached at an angle or perpendicularly to a wall of a building or structure. Only one such sign is permitted, which shall be no more than eight square feet per sign face. Such signs shall not project further than four feet measured from the face of the main wall of the building; provided that no part of the projecting sign shall extend nearer than one foot to a curb line. The lowest point of a projecting sign or any part thereof shall be at least nine feet above a sidewalk or other walkway and at least 17 feet above a driveway or road. If any portion of the sign projects above a public sidewalk or right-of-way, the owner shall maintain in force liability insurance in such form and such amount as the village may determine.
   (H)   Roof sign. A sign erected or constructed as an integral part of a normal roof structure. Such signs may be erected provided that no part of the sign extends vertically above the highest portion of the roof and such that no part of the sign is separated from the rest of the roof by a space of more than six inches.
   (I)   Sidewalk sign. A freestanding sign, not fixed to the sidewalk, which is placed on the sidewalk abutting the wall near the public entrance of a business only during those hours in which the establishment is open to the public. Examples include, but are not limited to, messages about special sales, daily menus or regular merchandise. A sidewalk sign may be designed as, for example, a small pole-type sign or A-frame sign. Such signs shall have no illumination, and no elements that move or give the illusion of movement. The height of such sign shall be a minimum of three feet and a maximum of four feet. The maximum width shall be two feet. The base of such sign shall not exceed six square feet. The purpose of these requirements is to provide safety for pedestrians, including ability for most people to see over the sign, sturdiness so that signs are not easily moved or tipped over and to maintain space for pedestrian traffic. Not more than one sidewalk sign is permitted per establishment. The owner shall accept all liability for such sign. No sidewalk sign may obstruct a fire escape, door or other entrance or exit. The Zoning Inspector may prohibit those sidewalk signs where safety and emergency forces have determined that a hazardous condition will result from the location of such signs.
   (J)   Street banner sign. A temporary banner suspended across a street, which is authorized by Village Council related to non-commercial special events, and which is intended for a limited period of display as determined by Village Council. The minimum clearance beneath the banner shall be 16 feet.
   (K)   Subdivision or multi-family development signs. A sign located at the entrance of a unified residential development for identification purposes. Such signs may be erected at any entrance to a residential subdivision or multi-family development; provided that there may be not more than two signs identifying such subdivision or development. The total surface area of all such signs located at a single entrance may not exceed 32 square feet.
   (L)   Temporary sign. A sign, or other advertising device, with or without a structural frame, in which the characters, letters, illustrations or embellishments are applied to non-rigid plastic, vinyl, paper or fabric of any kind. Such signs shall be related to special events, and are intended for a limited period of display. Temporary signs may be erected for a maximum period of 30 days per event. Any such sign posted or utilized for a longer period than 30 days must meet the requirements for permanent signs set forth in this chapter. The area of temporary signs shall be considered as part of the total square footage allowed for all signs and the total area of temporary signs shall not exceed a combined total of 50 square feet.
   (M)   Temporary construction sign. A temporary sign placed upon property for the purpose of advertising the sale or development of said property, and/or to identify the sponsors and agencies involved in the development. A temporary construction sign may not be illuminated, shall be erected only on the property for sale or being developed and shall not be in excess of 50 square feet. Additional signs may be requested or required by the village to direct construction traffic.
   (N)   Wall sign. A sign attached parallel to, or painted on the wall or window surface, that is confined within the limits of an outside wall and displays only one sign surface. Such signs shall be attached directly to a wall, or painted on the wall or window surface, with the face of the sign parallel to the building wall. Projections of wall signs shall not exceed two feet measured from the face of the main wall of the building.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020) Penalty, see § 153.999

§ 153.133 EXEMPT SIGNS.

   A permit is not required for the types of signs listed below. Exempt signs shall conform to all provisions of this chapter.
   (A)   Public signs. Notices by government agencies, including traffic-control signs and other official signs and notices, but excluding signs posted by private individuals and organizations and which are intended to be seen by the public.
   (B)   Sales or rental of premises. Signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area, and advertising the sale, rental, lease or auction of the premises on which the sign is located.
   (C)   Customary residential signs. Non-illuminated signs not exceeding a total of four square feet in area that are customarily associated with residential use and that are not of a commercial nature, including, but not limited to:
      (1)   Signs giving property identification names or numbers or names of occupants;
      (2)   Signs on mailboxes or newspaper tubes; and
      (3)   Signs posted on private property warning the public against trespassing, danger from animals or other non-commercial message.
   (D)   Integral decorative or architectural features. Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings or works of art.
   (E)   Incidental signs directing and guiding traffic on private property. Incidental signs directing and guiding traffic on private property that do not exceed four square feet and contain no advertising matter. Not more than one such sign shall be erected in each 200 feet of street frontage.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)

§ 153.134 PROHIBITED SIGNS.

   The following signs are prohibited in all districts:
   (A)   Signs imitating warning signals. No sign shall display intermittent lights resembling the flashing lights customarily used in traffic signals or in police, fire, ambulance or rescue vehicles, nor shall any sign use the words “stop”, “danger” or any other word, phrase, symbol or character in a manner that might mislead or confuse an automobile or other vehicle driver.
   (B)   Illegal signs. No sign is permitted which does not meet the requirements of this chapter or which cannot be demonstrated by the owner to have legal non-conforming status to the satisfaction of the village.
   (C)   Signs within street rights-of-way. Except as herein provided, no sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way except publicly-owned signs, including, but not limited to, traffic-control signs and directional signs. Signs shall not be erected or otherwise fixed to any utility pole, tree, stone, fence, building, structure or other object within any right-of-way.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020) Penalty, see § 153.999

§ 153.135 PERMITTED SIGNS BY TYPE AND ZONING DISTRICT.

   Signs are permitted in accordance with all requirements of this chapter and the table set forth below. Signs not exempt or specifically permitted in a particular district are expressly prohibited in that district. “P” means permitted with permit.
Zoning District
Sign Type
S-1
R- R
R- 1
R- 2
R- 3
R- 4
B- 1
B- 2
B- 3
M- 1
M- 2
Zoning District
Sign Type
S-1
R- R
R- 1
R- 2
R- 3
R- 4
B- 1
B- 2
B- 3
M- 1
M- 2
Billboard
P
P
P
Bulletin board
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Canopy
P
P
P
P
P
Home occupations
P
P
P
P
P
Monument
P
P
P
P
P
Pole
P
P
P
P
Projecting
P
P
P
Roof
P
P
P
P
Sidewalk
P
Street banners
P
Subdivision
P
P
P
P
P
Temporary
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Temporary construction
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Wall
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
 
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)

§ 153.136 GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR ALL TYPES OF SIGNS.

   (A)   Maximum allowable sign area. The area of all permanent and temporary 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 chapter, width shall be measured along the building face nearest parallel to the street line. In the case of a corner lot, either frontage may be used in determining maximum area of the sign.
   (B)   Determination of sign surface area. The area of a sign shall be measured by the following method.
      (1)   Areas excluded from calculation. Sign area shall not include foundations, supports or a base which contains no sign related elements.
      (2)   Frame or cabinet. The area of sign faces enclosed in frames or cabinets shall be based on the outer dimensions of the frame or cabinet surrounding the sign face.
      (3)   Base material. When a sign is on a base material, such as a wood board or plexiglass panel, and attached without a frame, the sign area shall be the dimensions of the base material
      (4)   Faces containing advertising. In computing the area of signs, all faces on which advertising is displayed are considered sign area.
      (5)   Area within a rectangle. When signs consist of individual elements attached or painted on a wall, window or canopy, the sign area is determined by a rectangle drawn around all the elements.
   (C)   Sign bonus. The Planning Commission may, but is not required to, grant a sign bonus if in its determination a proposed sign is produced with outstanding artistry and craftsmanship. The purpose of the sign bonus is to protect the unique, small town identity of the village by encouraging one-of-a-kind signs of exceptional design and quality.
      (1)   Applicability of sign bonus. The sign bonus may be applied to the following types of signs:
         (a)   Canopy;
         (b)   Monument;
         (c)   Pole;
         (d)   Roof; and
         (e)   Wall.
      (2)   Outstanding design and craftsmanship. A sign bonus may be granted if the proposed design is one-of-a-kind, is especially creative, crafted with exceptional skill or uses unusually beautiful materials. Creative elements to be considered should include lettering, pictures and patterns, framing, poles and mountings, colors, shape and placement. A design that is used at other establishments in or outside of the community, even if it is of exceptional quality, does not qualify for the bonus.
      (3)   Bonus dimensions. For applicable signs, the following bonuses may be granted:
         (a)   Up to 15% increase of maximum sign area allowed; and
         (b)   Up to 15% increase in maximum height allowed.
   (D)   Illumination of signs. The following provisions shall be observed in the illumination of signs and advertising structures.
      (1)   Internal or reflected light permitted. All signs and advertising structures, except as otherwise restricted, 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 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.
      (2)   No appearance of flashing lights. No illumination involving flashing, movement or causing the illusion of movement by reason of the lighting arrangement or other devices shall be permitted except that portion of a sign indicating the time, date or weather conditions.
   (E)   Setbacks for signs. Except as provided elsewhere in this chapter, signs shall conform to setback requirements as follows.
      (1)   Near intersections. At intersection of any streets, the setback of any billboard shall not be less than 100 feet from the established right-of-way of each street.
      (2)   Signs facing an R District. No sign shall be permitted which faces the front lot line of any lot in any R District within 100 feet of such lot line.
      (3)   Side and rear setbacks. Signs shall be erected or placed in conformity with the side and rear yard requirements of the district in which located, except no sign shall be erected or placed closer than within 50 feet to a side or rear lot line in a B or M District which is adjacent to an R District.
      (4)   Maintain traffic visibility. No sign shall be erected which obstructs existing traffic visibility on any public right-of-way, public property or private property
   (F)   Materials, construction and maintenance standards.
      (1)   No permanent sign other than a canopy shall be fabricated from fabric, flexible vinyl or non-rigid plastic.
      (2)   All signs, canopies, including all supporting framework, shall be kept and maintained in a safe, clean and orderly condition and appearance, and shall be repainted or otherwise maintained periodically by the owner to prevent deterioration caused by weather, age or any other conditions
      (3)   All letters, figures, characters and embellishments on a sign shall be safely and securely attached to the sign structure.
      (4)   Materials used in sign fabrication that will be exposed to the weather when the sign is displayed shall be rated for exterior exposure.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)

§ 153.137 ABANDONED SIGNS.

   In the event a business ceases operation for a period of time in excess of 90 days, any associated signs shall be considered abandoned and subsequently removed. Signs that pertain to a time event or purpose that no longer applies shall also be deemed abandoned and subsequently removed. All abandoned signs are prohibited and shall be removed by the owners of the signs or the owners of the premises at such owner’s expense. For the purpose of this chapter, removal of the sign shall mean the sign face and any associated supporting structures, or, the painting over of any wall sign in such a manner to completely cover the sign and restore the wall appearance to match the existing facade.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)

§ 153.138 LEGAL NON-CONFORMING SIGN.

   A legal non-conforming sign does not conform to the requirements of this chapter, but can be demonstrated by the owner to have been lawfully erected but made non-conforming by adoption of subsequent amendments of village ordinances. Such signs must be maintained and repaired to ensure safe and attractive conditions. Legal non-conforming signs shall not be otherwise altered or moved unless made to comply with the regulations of this section. Further, any sign or parts thereof which is removed or requires repairs which exceed 60% of its reproduction value, shall not be rebuilt or relocated unless made to comply with all regulations of this section. The message of a legal non-conforming sign may be changed; provided that such a change does not increase the non-conformity.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)

§ 153.139 SIGN PERMITS.

   (A)   Separate permits for different signs. A separate sign permit shall be required for the erection or substantial alteration, as determined by the Zoning Inspector, of each sign regulated in this chapter; provided, however, that all signs erected within the first 30 days of the initial establishment of a business may be obtained with a single permit. Repainting or changing the message of a sign for the same business shall not, in and of itself, be considered a substantial alteration.
   (B)   Contents of application for sign permit. A sign permit application shall be submitted by the applicant to the Zoning Inspector who shall review the application for completeness. The application shall contain the following:
      (1)   A letter containing the name, address, telephone number and contact person for the applicant; a statement signed by the property owner to authorize the applicant to submit the application. The letter may, but is not required to, contain a written description of the proposed sign, a statement describing how the sign complies with the regulations of this chapter;
      (2)   Drawings to scale of the sign, including the maximum sign area, height, color scheme, lettering or graphic style, lighting and materials;
      (3)   A plot plan of the proposed site showing the location of the proposed sign, location of buildings, parking lots, driveways, existing signs and landscaped areas on and adjacent to the proposed site; and zoning of adjacent properties;
      (4)   A fee as determined by the village;
      (5)   The scale of drawings submitted with the application shall be sufficient to adequately evaluate whether the proposed signs comply with the regulations of this chapter; and
      (6)   The Zoning Inspector may waive any of the above requirements when, in his or her opinion, such detail is not required.
   (C)   Sign permit expiration.
      (1)   Permits for street banner signs shall expire according to the determination of the Village Council.
      (2)   Permits for temporary signs shall expire after the 30th day of display, or after one year, whichever is first.
      (3)   Permits for temporary construction signs shall expire one year after the date of approval and may be extended by the Zoning Inspector for good cause; provided that substantial progress is being made on the development.
      (4)   Permits for the erection, construction or alteration of all other signs shall expire one year after the date of approval and may be extended by the Zoning Inspector for good cause; provided that substantial progress is being made on work authorized by the permit. If the erection, construction or alteration has not begun within the one year period, the permit shall be null and void after which time a new permit must be obtained subject to the regulations in effect at the time of submission of the new permit application.
(Ord. O-38-2020, passed 12-14-2020)