Washington Court House
City Zoning Code

SIGNS

§ 156.110 PURPOSE.

The purpose of these sign regulations is to encourage the proper development and regulation of signs and signage systems. It is the intent of these regulations to prevent signs from becoming a distraction or obstruction to the safe flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, to prevent signs from becoming a nuisance to adjacent properties or uses, to protect and encourage a healthful economic business environment in the community and thereby protect the general health, safety, and welfare of the community.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

§ 156.111 DEFINITIONS.

For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

AWNING. A hood or cover that projects from the wall of a building and which can be retracted, folded or collapsed against the face of the supporting building.

BANNER. A nonrigid cloth, plastic or canvas sign typically related to a special event or promotion.

DIRECTIONAL SIGN. Any sign which indicates the direction or specific location of an institution, organization or business, which does not include advertising or any information regarding product lines or services offered.

FLASHING. A sign or graphic which in any manner, as a whole or in part, physically changes in light intensity or gives the appearance of such change.

FREESTANDING SIGN. A sign erected on a pole, poles, pillars, or posts and which is wholly independent of any building for support.

JOINT IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign intended to provide the identity or name, for two or more uses within one building or on one property or the name of the building or its address for property occupied by two or more businesses.

MOVING SIGN. Any sign, all or any part of which physically moves or is animated so as to give the appearance of movement.

PENNANT. A triangular-shaped banner.

PERMANENT SUBDIVISION IDENTIFICATION SIGN. Those signage features specifically related to the denotation of a major entrance or entrances to a subdivision.

PERMANENT SIGN. A sign intended to be erected or used, or in fact which is used for time period in excess of one year.

PORTABLE SIGN. A sign designed or constructed in such a manner that it can be moved or relocated without involving any structural or support changes and shall include:

(1) TRAILER SIGN. A sign that is constructed on a chassis intended for the mounting of wheels, thereby permitting the sign to be moved forward.

(2) FOLDING PORTABLE SIGN. A sign constructed of wood or other durable material which can be folded or collapsed for ease of transport.

PROJECTING SIGN. A sign which extends outward perpendicular to the building face.

ROOF SIGN. Any sign erected upon or completely over the roof of any building.

SIGN. Any device for visual communication which is designed, intended, or used to convey a message, advertise, inform or otherwise direct attention to a person, institution, organization, activity, business, place, object or product. Signs that are placed internally within a structure or building that are not externally visible shall be excluded from the sign regulations of this chapter. Signs erected by the local, state or federal government for the purposes of discharging in any normal governmental function, such as traffic control or safety, are likewise excluded from the regulations of this subchapter.

STREAMER. A ribbon-shaped or cord-like rope which may have pennants and/or banners attached which is stretched or hung between two or more supports.

TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign intended to be used, or in fact used, for a time period of one year or less.

WALL SIGN. A sign attached to a building face, with the exposed face thereof in a plane parallel to the plane of the wall. Wall signs include painted murals, messages, graphics and other designs painted along with any letters or numerals mounted directly on buildings.

WINDOW SIGN. A sign, graphic, poster, symbol or other identification which is physically affixed to or painted on the glass or other structural component of the window.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

§ 156.112 SIGN PERMITS.

(A) Permit required. No permanent or temporary sign, except as exempted in § 156.133 of this chapter shall hereafter be erected, constructed or maintained within the city unless a permit for the same has been issued by the Building and Zoning Inspector.

(B) Contents of application.

(1) Application for a permit to construct or erect a sign shall be made by the owner of the property upon which the sign is proposed, or his agent. The fee shall be established by separate ordinance.

(2) Each application for a sign permit shall be made on forms provided by the Building and Zoning Inspector, and shall include the following information:

(a) Name, address, and telephone number of the applicant.

(b) Drawings to an appropriate scale, showing at a minimum:

1. The width of the building face or faces that abut the streets and the width of the lot not occupied by a building.

2. The design and layout of the proposed sign, including the total area of the sign and the size, height, character, materials and color of letters, lines, and symbols.

3. The method of illumination.

4. The exact location of the sign in relation to the building and property.

(D) Name, address and telephone number of the sign contractor or company.

(E) Other information as may be required by the Building and Zoning Inspector to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

§ 156.113 SIGNS WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE A PERMIT.

The following signs may be erected without a permit:

(A) Address and name of occupant of premises for a residential structure, not to include designations as to employment or home occupation, and to be limited in size to two square feet.

(B) Signs required or authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or ordinance, such signs to include traffic control devices provided that such signs contain no supplementary advertising.

(C) Signs which are in the nature of cornerstones, commemorative tables and historical signs provided that such signs are less than nine square feet in size and not illuminated.

(D) Signs clearly in the nature of decorations customarily associated with any national, local or religious holiday. Such signs may be of any illumination or animation provided that safety and visibility hazards are not clearly created.

(E) Political signs or posters concerning candidates for elective office, public issues and similar matters to be decided by public election, to be displayed beginning no more than 45 days prior to election and to be removed no later than three days after such election, subject to penalty. Such signs shall not exceed six square feet in area, shall not be illuminated, and shall not create a safety or visibility hazard, nor be affixed to any public utility pole or tree or be located within a public right- of-way.

(F) Signs that indicate the sale, development, rental or lease of a particular structure or land area, to be limited to one sign allowed per street front. Such signs shall not be located in a public right-of-way.

(G) Temporary window signs which promote special business sales, promotion or occasions. No business shall display such signs for more than 30 days per calendar year. The date for each sign is first displayed and the time period for which the sign will be displayed shall be legibly marked on the sign.

(H) Signs, which are less than two square feet in size and mounted or attached flat or parallel onto a building face of an administrative, business or professional office building, which denote the name and address of an occupant in a building where more than one tenant is located and which has individual and separate entries.

(I) A sign which advertises the sale of personal property, such as a garage, yard, porch or moving sale sign, provided such sign is located on the sale premises for a time period not greater than three consecutive days, and is not be located in a public right-of-way.

(J) Temporary construction signs which display the identification of the construction project including identification of the contractors, architects and other construction principals provided that such construction sign is removed upon the completion of construction or the commencement of occupancy, whichever event occurs first.

(K) Signs promoting community events and programs which last for a time period of 14 days or less and which are sponsored by nonprofit, public, educational, religious and charitable organizations. All such signs shall be removed not later than 48 hours after the scheduled activity.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

§ 156.114 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS - TEMPORARY SIGNS.

Temporary signs shall be subject to the following general requirements:

(A) Banners and pennants less than ten square feet in area are permitted provided they are secured at each corner, point and/or end so as to prevent movement. Banners erected by public or nonprofit groups announcing a community or charitable event shall be exempt from this provision. Streamers are prohibited.

(B) Portable signs as defined in § 156.111 are prohibited except as set forth in division (D) of this section.

(D) Portable signs shall be permitted in the public-right-of-way during the customary business house of mercantile or commercial establishment that comports with all of the following requirements.

(1) The portable sign is less than ten square feet per side and displays no more than two sides of lettering or advertising.

(2) The sign shall not be placed so as to block or obstruct vehicular or pedestrian line of sight of an intersection of any two or more streets and the intersection of an alley or driveway to a public street.

(3) The sign shall be freestanding and located in front of the business or mercantile establishment the sign represents.

(4) The sign may be located in the public-right-of-way, but not within two feet of the curb, not in the clear path of travel and not in the clear areas adjacent to any street furniture.

(5) The sign shall be removed during non-business hours of the commercial or mercantile establishment and shall be removed when weather conditions create potentially hazardous conditions.

(6) Paper signs and wind-activated devices shall not be used or attached to a sign.

(7) The sign must be constructed of wood, metal or other durable materials in such a manner as to resist movement by high winds.

(8) The sign may consist of a changeable writing board, chalkboard or surface that accommodates changeable letters.

(9) No sign that requires electricity or any other power source shall be permitted.

(10) Signs shall be constructed in a manner that incorporates a base from which no supports or feet extend which may cause pedestrians to trip. No external cables, brackets, wires or props shall be permitted.

(11) A sign shall be replaced when the sign becomes defaced or tattered in whole or in part, at the determination of the City Manager or his or her designee.

(12) No more than one portable sign as described in this division shall be permitted per business.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90; Am. Ord. 46-2003, passed 2-25-03) Penalty, see § 156.999

§ 156.115 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS - PERMANENT SIGNS.

(A) Compliance required. Permanent signs shall be subject to the following requirements, as well as the requirements of the schedule of sign regulations in § 156.118.

(B) Wall signs, awning/canopy signs, projecting signs. Wall signs may be erected on any building wall or extension of a building wall which faces a street parking lot or service drive, and such sign may not extend beyond any building setback line. Wall signs shall be attached parallel to the building face and extend outward perpendicular from the building face a maximum of 12 inches, except as follows:

(1) Signs may be painted on an awning area or attached to a canopy, marquee or roof which projects beyond the building provided that no part of such sign may extend above the roof line, canopy or marquee.

(2) Projecting signs not to exceed eight square feet in size, is placed not less than eight feet above the sidewalk or ground level, and projects no more than six feet outward from the building face.

(C) Freestanding signs. Freestanding signs may be erected on a lot provided the location, height and other characteristics of the sign meet the regulations of this subchapter.

(D) Window signs. Permanent window signs shall be limited to signs denoting the identification of the occupant, the address of the premises, and its use. Window signs shall be limited to one sign per window and shall not exceed 33% of the total area of the window.

(E) Off-premises signs. Off-premises signs are designated as a permitted principal use in the LI District. Not more than one off-premises sign with a sign face area not exceeding 200 square feet is permitted on a single lot. Off-premises signs shall conform to all applicable yard, setback and height restrictions for structures in the zoning district where they are located.

(F) General requirements.

(1) Illumination. Illumination of signs shall be permitted in all districts. Illumination shall be from a concealed or indirect light source and shall not flash, blink, fluctuate in intensity, travel, move or in any manner fail to provide constant illumination, and shall not create a hazard or visibility problem or interfere with or impair vehicular traffic. The level of illumination emitted from a sign shall not be of an intensity to constitute a demonstrable safety hazard to vehicular movement on any street. Illuminated signs shall be constructed and maintained so that the source of illumination is shielded or otherwise prevented from beaming directly onto adjacent properties or streets.

(2) Moving signs. Moving signs and the animation of signs are prohibited.

(3) Pennants and/or streamers. No permanent sign shall contain or consist of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers, balloons or similar devices.

(4) Construction. All signs and parts thereof, including any electrical wiring, shall be erected, constructed, and maintained so as to not constitute a safety hazard.

(5) Location. In no case shall any part of a sign be placed in, over, or extend onto any public right-of-way. In no case shall any part of a sign be placed over, or extend above the roof of any structure.

(6) Joint identification signs. Joint identification signs shall be limited to wall or freestanding signs, and to premises where there are two or more uses located on one public street. If the property fronts on one public street, only one joint identification sign is permitted. If the property fronts on two public streets, two joint identification signs shall be permitted. Any joint identification sign shall not exceed 15 feet in height if in the B-3, LI or GE District, and no more than eight feet in height if any other district.

(7) Roof signs. Roof signs are prohibited.

(8) Permanent subdivision identification signs. Such signs shall be limited to wall mounted signs or graphics only, with placement on walls, railroad ties, entrance columns or similar architectural or landscaping features used to denote the entrance to the subdivision and not more than five feet in height and shall set back at least 25 feet from the right-of-way of both streets.

(9) Signs in Planned Unit Development Districts. Signs in the Planned Unit Development District shall generally meet the requirements for similar uses in the Residential, B-1 and GE Districts. The applicant shall submit a total signage plan for the proposed planned unit development as part of the final development plan.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

§ 156.116 MEASUREMENT OF SIGN.

For the purposes of this chapter, the measurement of sign area shall comply with the following standards:

(A) Sign area shall include the face of all the display area of the sign not including bracing, framing and structural supports of the sign, unless such support members are made part of the message or face of the design.

(B) Where a sign has two or more display faces, the area of all faces of the sign shall be included in determining the area of the sign. For spherical signs, the sphere shall be bisected by an imaginary line through the center of the sphere, and the surface area of the half sphere shall be counted as the sign face. For cubical signs, the area of all display faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign.

(C) The area of the letters, numbers or emblems mounted on a building wall or wall extension shall be computed by enclosing such sign with the smallest single continuous perimeter consisting of rectangular or series of rectangles around the letters, number or emblems, and determining the area.

(D) For structures and uses having no direct frontage on public roads, as within shopping centers, frontage shall be counted as the intersection of the building line onto adjacent drives or parking areas.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

§ 156.117 NONCONFORMING SIGNS.

(A) Abandonment.

(1) The continuance of an existing sign which does not meet the regulations and requirements of this subchapter shall be deemed a nonconforming sign which shall terminate by abandonment when any of the following conditions exist:

(a) When the sign is associated with an abandoned use.

(b) When the sign remains after the termination of a business. A business has ceased operations if it is closed to the public for at least 90 consecutive days. Seasonal businesses are exempt from this requirement.

1. All signs, together with all supports, braces, guys and anchors shall be kept in a proper state of repair.

2. Every sign and the immediately surrounding premises shall be maintained by the owner, or his agent, in a clean sanitary and inoffensive condition, free from all obnoxious substances, rubbish and weeds.

(2) Upon finding that the sign is abandoned, the right to maintain and use such sign shall terminate immediately.

(B) Relocation or replacement. A nonconforming sign shall not be structurally relocated or replaced unless it is brought into compliance with the provisions of this section. Should any replacement or relocation occur without being brought into compliance, the sign shall be existing illegally, and subject to the penalties as specified in § 156.999 of this chapter.

(1) The size and structural shape of the sign shall not be changed or altered. The copy may be changed provided that the change applies to the original use associated with the sign at the time the sign became nonconforming. The copy area shall not be enlarged.

(2) In case damage occurs to the sign to the extent that more than 50% of the replacement value is lost, the sign shall be removed within 60 days.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90) Penalty, see § 156.999

§ 156.118 SCHEDULE OF SIGN REGULATIONS.

The Schedule of Sign Regulations as follows on the accompanying table is hereby made a part of this chapter.

(Ord. 34-90, passed 12-26-90)

Use/District	Permitted Contents	Permitted Types	Maximum Number of Signs	Maximum Height (Ft.)	Maximum Sign Areas (Sq. Ft.)	Minimum Feet From Right-of- Way (Freestanding Sign)
Residential
Single-family residence (all districts)	Address/name of occupant	Wall	1	20	2	—
Subdivision identification sign	Identification of subdivision	Wall	1	8	20	15
Two- and multiple- family dwellings (all districts)	Address/name of occupant	Wall	1	20	2	—
Office in RO District	Identification, address	Wall	1	20	2	—
Nursery schools, day care facilities, in R-3 District	Address, identification, directional*	Wall, freestanding	1 per frontage	20	10	15
Commercial/Office/Institutional
Schools, churches, hospitals and other institutions in CF District	Address, identification, bulletin, board directional*	Wall, freestanding	1 per frontage	35	40	15
Business, professional, administrative offices in B-1 and B-2 Districts	Address, identification of occupant and activity, directional*	Wall, freestanding, window projecting, awning	1 per frontage	15	30	15
Business, professional, public and administrative offices in B-3 District	Address, identification of occupant and activity, directional*	Wall, window, freestanding projecting, awning	2 per frontage†	25	100	15
General and retail and commercial in B-1 and B-2 Districts	Address, identification, sales promotion, directional*	Wall, window, freestanding projecting, awning	2 per frontage†	20	50	15
General retail and commercial in the B-3 District	Address, identification, sales, promotion, directional*	Wall, window, freestanding projecting, awning	2 per frontage†	25	200	30
Automobile dealership, hotel, motel in B-3 District	Address, identification, sales promotion, directional*	Wall, window, freestanding projecting, awning	3 per frontage†	35	200	30
Industrial
Permitted uses within the LI, GE Districts	Address, identification, directional	Wall, window, freestanding	2 per frontage†	35	200	30
NOTE: Buildings with multiple business occupants who share a common entryway, for example, shopping centers, shall be permitted one joint identification sign in addition to signage permitted for the individual uses, as per the above regulations. Such joint identification signage shall meet the requirement of § 156.115.
* In addition to the permitted signs above, businesses, offices and institutions in the B- 1 and B-3 Districts shall be permitted not more than two directional signs. Such directional signs shall be not more than three feet in height and be not more than two square feet in area. The location of such sign shall be not less than five feet from the street right-of- way. † Not more than one of the permitted signs in CF, B, LI and GE Districts shall be a freestanding sign.