Except as otherwise provided in Sections 400.845 (Signs Excluded from Regulation) and 400.848 (Certain Temporary Signs—Permit Exceptions and Additional Regulations), no sign may be constructed, erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated or substantially altered except in accordance with the provisions of this Section. Mere repainting or changing the message of a sign shall not, in and of itself, be considered a substantial alteration.

If plans submitted for a zoning permit or conditional use permit include sign plans in sufficient detail that the permit issuing authority can determine whether the proposed sign or signs comply with the provisions of these regulations, then issuance of the requested zoning or conditional use permit shall constitute approval of the proposed sign or signs.

Signs not approved as provided in Subsection (B) or exempted under the provisions referenced in Subsection (A) may be constructed, erected, moved, enlarged, illuminated or substantially altered only in accordance with a sign permit issued by the Administrator.

The following signs are exempt from regulation under these regulations except for those stated in Section 400.870(B) through (D).

The following temporary signs are permitted without a zoning, conditional use or sign permit. However, such signs shall conform to the requirements set forth below as well as all other applicable requirements of these regulations except those contained in Sections 400.855 (Total Sign Surface Area) and 400.860 (Number of Freestanding Signs).

Other temporary signs not listed in Subsection (A) shall be regarded and treated in all respects as permanent signs, except that (as provided in Section 400.855) temporary signs shall not be included in calculating the total amount of permitted sign area.

For the purpose of determining the number of signs, a sign shall be considered to be a single display surface or display device containing elements organized, related and composed to form a unit. Where matter is displayed in a random manner without organized relationship of elements, each element shall be considered a single sign.

Unless otherwise provided by this Article, a two-sided or multi-sided sign shall be regarded as one (1) sign so long as:

Unless otherwise provided in this Article:

Unless otherwise provided in this Article, the total surface area devoted to all signs on any lot shall not exceed the limitations set forth in this Section and all signs except temporary signs shall be included in this calculation.

Unless otherwise provided in this Article or in Article XI (Supplementary Use Regulations), the maximum sign surface area permitted on any lot in any residential district (see Section 400.503) is four (4) square feet.

Subject to the other provisions of this Section, the maximum sign surface area permitted on any lot in a commercial district other than the "C-5" District or manufacturing district shall be determined as follows:

Subject to the other provisions of this Section, the maximum sign surface area on any lot in the "C-5" District or those signs located within six hundred sixty (660) feet of the interstate corridor right-of-way and located in a "C-4" Zoning District shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the vertical surface area of the principal building with a fifty percent (50%) maximum wall coverage on any given wall. Freestanding sign area is to be excluded from this calculation.

If a lot has frontage on more than one (1) street, then the total sign surface area permitted on that lot shall be the sum of the sign surface area allotments related to each street on which the lot has frontage. However, the total sign surface area that is oriented toward a particular street may not exceed the portion of the lot's total sign surface area allocation that is derived from frontage on that street.

Whenever a lot is situated such that it has no street frontage on any lot boundary and an applicant desires to install on such a lot a sign that is oriented toward a street, then the total sign surface area permitted on that lot shall be the sign surface area that would be allowed if the lot boundary closest to the street toward which such sign is to be oriented fronted on such street. The applicant shall be restricted to using only one (1) street and the closest lot boundary to this street for determining the total permitted sign surface area. However, the applicant shall be given the opportunity to determine the one (1) street used in the calculations.

The sign surface area of any sign located on a wall of a structure may not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the total surface area of the wall on which the sign is located.

For purposes of this Section, with the exception of billboards subject to Section 400.880, a side of a freestanding sign is any plane or flat surface included in the calculation of the total sign surface area as provided in Section 400.853. For example, wall signs typically have one (1) side. Freestanding signs typically have two (2) sides (back to back), although four-sided and other multi-sided signs are also common.

Subject to Subsection (C), a single side of a freestanding sign may not exceed three-tenths (0.3) square feet in surface area for every linear foot of street frontage along the street toward which such sign is primarily oriented. However, in no case may a single side of a freestanding sign exceed fifty (50) square feet in surface area if the lot on which the sign is located has less than two hundred (200) feet of frontage on the street toward which that sign is primarily oriented, seventy-five (75) square feet on lots with two hundred (200) or more but less than four hundred (400) feet of frontage and one hundred (100) square feet on lots with four hundred (400) or more feet of frontage.

In the "C-5" District, except for billboards subject to Section 400.880, or those signs located within six hundred sixty (660) feet of the interstate corridor right-of-way and located in a "C-4" Zoning District, a single side of a freestanding sign may not exceed seven hundred fifty (750) square feet in surface area and sign maximum of one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet in surface area.

With respect to freestanding signs that have no discernible sides, such as spheres or other shapes not composed of flat planes, no such freestanding sign may exceed the maximum total surface area allowed under Subsections (B) or (C) for a single side of a freestanding sign.

Except as authorized by this Section or Section 400.880 or Section 400.848(A)(5), no development may have more than one (1) freestanding sign.

If a development is located on a corner lot that has at least one hundred (100) feet of frontage on each of the two (2) intersecting public streets, then the development may have not more than one (1) freestanding sign along each side of the development bordered by such streets.

If a development is located on a lot that is bordered by two (2) public streets that do not intersect at the lot's boundaries (double front lot), then the development may have not more than one (1) freestanding sign on each side of the development bordered by such streets.

Freestanding signs shall observe the setback requirements set forth in Section 400.625.

No sign may extend above any parapet or be placed upon any roof surface, except that for purposes of this Section, roof surfaces constructed at an angle of seventy-five degrees (75°) or more from horizontal shall be regarded as wall space. This Subsection shall not apply to displays, including lighting, erected in connection with the observation of holidays on the roofs of residential structures.

No surface-mounted sign attached to a building may project more than twelve (12) inches from the building wall.

No sign or supporting structure may be located in or over the traveled portion of any public right-of-way unless the sign is attached to a structural element of a building and an encroachment permit has been obtained from the City.

Except as provided in Section 400.880, no part of a freestanding sign may exceed a height, measured from ground level, of one hundred (100) feet in the "C-5"; thirty-two (32) feet in the "C-4", except those signs located within six hundred sixty (660) feet of the interstate corridor right-of-way and located in a "C-4" Zoning District may be one hundred (100) feet, "M-1" and "M-2" Districts and fifteen (15) feet in all other districts.

No sign shall exceed a height which will interfere with the operation or expansion of the Sullivan Regional Airport.

As provided in the Table of Permissible Uses (use classification 27.000), no off-premises signs (except those exempted from regulation or from permit requirements under Sections 400.845 or 400.848) may be located in any district other than a "C-5", "M-1" or "M-2" District.

No sign may be located so that it substantially interferes with the view necessary for motorists to proceed safely through intersections or to enter onto or exit from public streets or private roads.

No sign may be erected so that by its location, color, size, shape, nature or message it would tend to obstruct the view of or be confused with official traffic signs or other signs erected by governmental agencies.

Freestanding signs shall be securely fastened to the ground or to some other substantial supportive structure so that there is virtually no danger that either the sign or the supportive structure may be moved by the wind or other forces of nature and cause injury to persons or property.

All signs and all components thereof, including, without limitation, supports, braces and anchors, shall be kept in a state of good repair.

If a sign other than a billboard advertises a business, service, commodity, accommodation, attraction or other enterprise or activity that is no longer operating or being offered or conducted, that sign shall be considered abandoned and shall, within thirty (30) days after such abandonment, be removed by the sign owner, owner of the property where the sign is located or other party having control over such sign.

If the message portion of a sign is removed, leaving only the supporting "shell" of a sign or the supporting braces, anchors or similar components, the owner of the sign or the owner of the property where the sign is located or other person having control over such sign shall, within thirty (30) days of the removal of the message portion of the sign, either replace the entire message portion of the sign or remove the remaining components of the sign, except the supporting structure. This Subsection shall not be construed to alter the effect of Section 400.878(C) which prohibits the replacement of a non-conforming sign. Nor shall this Subsection be construed to prevent the changing of the message of a sign.

The area within ten (10) feet in all directions of any part of a freestanding sign shall be kept clear of all debris and all undergrowth more than five (5) inches in height.

No person may, for the purpose of increasing or enhancing the visibility of any sign, damage, trim, destroy or remove any trees, shrubs or other vegetation located:

Subject to the remaining restrictions of this Section, non-conforming signs that were otherwise lawful on the effective date of this Article may be continued subject to the following Subsections.

No person may engage in any activity that causes an increase in the extent of non-conformity of a non-conforming sign. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no non-conforming sign may be enlarged or altered in such a manner as to aggravate the non-conforming condition. Nor may illumination be added to any non-conforming sign.

A non-conforming sign may not be moved or replaced except to bring the sign into complete conformity with these regulations.

If a non-conforming sign is destroyed by natural causes, it may not thereafter be repaired, reconstructed or replaced except in conformity with all the provisions of these regulations and the remnants of the former sign structure shall be cleared from the land. For purposes of this Section, a non-conforming sign is "destroyed" if damaged to an extent that the cost of repairing the sign to its former stature or replacing it with an equivalent sign equals or exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the value (tax Assessor's appraised value if listed for tax purposes) of the sign so damaged.

The message of a non-conforming sign may be changed so long as this does not create any new non-conformities (for example, by creating an off-premises sign under circumstances where such a sign would not be allowed).

Subject to the other provisions of this Section, non-conforming signs may be repaired and renovated so long as the cost of such work does not exceed within any twelve (12) month period fifty percent (50%) of the value (tax Assessor's appraised value if listed for tax purposes) of such sign.

If a non-conforming sign, other than a billboard, advertises a business, service, commodity, accommodation, attraction or other enterprise or activity that is no longer operating or being offered or conducted, that sign shall be considered abandoned and shall be removed within thirty (30) days after such abandonment by the sign owner, owner of the property where the sign is located or other party having control over such sign.

If a non-conforming billboard remains blank for a continuous period of one hundred eighty (180) days, that billboard shall be deemed abandoned and shall, within thirty (30) days after such abandonment, be altered to comply with this Article or be removed by the sign owner, owner of the property where the sign is located or other person having control over such sign. For purposes of this Section, a sign is "blank" if:

As soon as reasonably possible after the effective date of these regulations, the Administrator shall make every reasonable effort to identify all the non-conforming signs within the City's planning jurisdiction. He/she shall then contact the person responsible for each such sign (as well as the owner of the property where the non-conforming sign is located, if different from the former) and inform such person:

Billboards are off-premise signs which typically are freestanding signs while freestanding signs are not all billboards. When the term freestanding sign is used throughout this Article, the provisions of this Section shall supersede any provisions which may appear to be in conflict.

Subject to the provisions of Section 400.530, billboards shall be allowed within six hundred sixty (660) feet of the nearest edge of the right-of-way of any interstate highway, subject to the following regulations: