Unless specified herein, no person shall erect, alter, reconstruct, or relocate any permanent sign without first obtaining a sign permit for such work from the Building Official. No permit shall be issued until the Building Official determines that such work is in accordance with the requirements contained in this subsection and the current version of the Uniform Sign Code adopted by the City, except where amended by this subsection. When a sign permit has been issued by the Building Official, it shall be unlawful to change, modify, alter, or otherwise deviate from the terms or conditions of said permit without prior approval of the Building Official. A written record of such approval shall be entered upon the original permit application and maintained in the files of the Building Official.

Unless specified herein, no person shall erect, alter, reconstruct, or relocate any temporary sign without first obtaining a sign permit for such work from the Planning Director. No permit shall be issued until the Planning Director determines that such work is in accordance with the requirements contained in this subsection and the current version of the Uniform Sign Code adopted by the City, except where amended by this subsection. When a temporary sign permit has been issued by the Planning Director, it shall be unlawful to change, modify, alter, or otherwise deviate from the terms or conditions of said permit without prior approval of the Planning Director. A written record of such approval shall be entered upon the original permit application and maintained in the files of the Planning Director.

Upon application for a sign permit, a dimensioned site plan must be submitted showing the location of the lot lines, structures (including accessory structures), above-ground and underground utilities, easements, the location of the proposed sign, and details showing sign area dimensions. This site plan shall be at a legible scale and such scale shall be listed on the site plan. If the proposed sign(s) is to be located on the building facade, dimensioned elevations with building height and width must be submitted. In addition, an engineer's construction specifications for the sign including structural loading data must be submitted.

Businesses that sell or rent signs may display the signs to be sold or rented without applying for a sign permit. Signs displayed must clearly indicate they are being used as displays or examples and may not replicate, or substantially replicate, the messaging on the approved permanent sign for that business.

Any owner of portable signs renting such portable signs on a regular basis may permit their signs for use at various business establishments, provided all other regulations laid out in this subsection are followed. The application for the permit shall be made to the Planning Director, and the permit fee, as established by resolution by the Board of City Commissioners, shall be paid prior to the issuance of the permit and at each yearly renewal period. A monthly report prior to the time of sign placement shall be provided to the Planning Director for each sign owner licensed in this manner or, a sign owner may submit individual placement requests prior to placing the sign. The reports shall include the following:

Obscene or indecent signs.

Abandoned signs.

Revolving signs.

Signs installed or displayed in any public right-of-way, pursuant to Section 25.G.5.R, and excluding sandwich board signs in the Downtown area, as defined by Exhibit A, or in other areas where private property on which to display such signs is limited and where the storefront abuts the right-of-way. Such signs must be permitted.

Signs that obstruct the view of street or railroad crossings.

Signs that unreasonably obstruct from view any other sign or use currently in existence.

Signs that reduce any required parking for any use on the lot upon which the sign is placed.

Signs that obstruct any access to any habitable structure.

Signs that obstruct or overhang any driveway required for Fire Department access.

Signs unable to meet the structural loading requirements as established in the currently adopted version of the North Dakota State Building Code or otherwise be structurally sound.

Signs that overhang or project into any public right-of-way, except as specifically noted in this subsection.

Any sign that projects into or is placed within the sight triangle zone, which is defined as a height of between 2.5 feet and 10 feet above the established curb grades of the intersecting streets within the triangle formed by the curblines of the intersecting streets and the line joining points a distance of 25 feet on each curbline from their point of intersection.

Signs that protrude above the point of a building with a flat roof, the eave line of a gambrel, gable, or the hip roof of the deck line of a mansard roof, except for roof signs as defined by Section 25.G.2.

Any sign which is not included under the types of signs permitted in district regulations or in this subsection.

Any sign, outdoor commercial advertising or lighting device that has not received a permit. Such devices constituting a nuisance because of lighting glare, focus, animation, or flashing are prohibited in any district.

Any sign which conflicts in any manner with the clear and obvious appearance of public signs and traffic control devices.

Any notice, political poster or handbill, advertisement or any other sign upon any power or telephone pole, bridge, fire hydrant, official public sign, street light pole, or in any portion of a public right-of-way.

Any freestanding sign on public property, except by approval of the City Commission.

Inflatable signs which wave rapidly and erratically, with or without wording, which are intended to draw business or attention to a business and which do not meet the allowances below.

Signs not exceeding four square feet in area and bearing only post box numbers, names of occupants of premises, address, or name of home occupation.

Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion.

Signs from government agencies directing and guiding traffic, and parking on public or private property, but bearing no advertising matter.

Street banners: Signs advertising a public event, providing that specific sign approval is granted under regulations established by the City.

Seasonal holiday decorations: Signs pertaining to national holidays and national observances.

Public signs: Signs of a noncommercial nature and in the public interest, erected by or upon the order of a public officer in the performance of his public duty, such as safety signs, danger signs, trespassing signs, traffic signs, memorial plaques, signs of historical interest and other similar signs, including signs designating hospitals, libraries, schools and other institutions or places of public interest or concern, with no advertising.

Integral signs: Signs for churches or temples, or names of buildings, dates of erection, monumental citations, commemorative tablets and other similar signs when carved into stone, concrete or other building material or made of bronze, aluminum, or other permanent type of construction and made an integral part of the structure to which they are attached.

Window signs: Such signs that are displayed inside of or on a window or within a building.

Temporary signs on Ag, R-3, R-4 and R-5 properties no more than 32 square feet and no more than six feet tall. However, no more than one temporary sign is allowed per street frontage. If a property has more than 200 feet of frontage, an additional temporary sign may be allowed every 200 feet, but may not be allowed within 200 feet of another temporary commercial sign. Additional regulations can be found in Section 25.G.12.c(iv)(b)(2).

Temporary signs on R-1E, R-1A, R-1, R-2, R-2A, R-6 and R-7 properties that are no more than six square feet. However, no more than one temporary sign is allowed per street frontage. If a property has more than 200 feet of frontage, an additional temporary sign may be allowed every 200 feet, but may not be allowed within 200 feet of another temporary commercial sign. Additional regulations can be found in Section 25.G.12.c(iv)(b)(1).

Fixed yard signs on P, C-1, C-2, C-3, HCC, M-1, M-2, and M-3 lots which are no more than 32 square feet and no more than six feet tall. However, no more than one fixed yard sign is allowed per street frontage. If a property has more than 200 feet of frontage, an additional temporary commercial sign may be allowed every 200 feet, but may not be allowed within 200 feet of another temporary commercial sign.

Drive-through menu signs, provided the message on such signs includes only menu information and does not advertise the business.

Signs that are not visible from a public right-of-way, private way, or court or from a property other than that on which the sign is installed.

Directional signs provided that such signs:

Sign area:

Sign height. The height of a sign is measured from the average grade level below the sign to the topmost point of the sign or sign structure.

Static messaging:

Changeable copy:

Dynamic messaging:

Design, construction, and maintenance: All signs shall be designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the following standards:

All signs which were lawful on the date of adoption of this subsection but which would be prohibited, regulated, or restricted under the terms of this subsection shall be treated pursuant to Section 6, Nonconformities, of this zoning ordinance.

All signs must bear a sticker, plate, or other permanent marking of at least six square inches in area indicating the owner or installer of the sign, a current mailing address, and a current contact phone number. The sticker, plate, or other permanent marking must appear on the lower part of each sign face. Signs not displaying such a sticker, plate, or other permanent marking will be considered to be the responsibility of the owner of the property on which the sign is installed or displayed.

Illumination on all signs shall be designed to minimize glare, light trespass, and excessive amounts of misdirected light. All lighted signs, including interior-lit cabinets, shall be designed by a qualified professional. The use of minimum lumens or footcandles required to adequately illuminate the sign is required.

Emergency locator signs:

Permanent signs may:

Awning and canopy signs: Awning and canopy signs, where permitted, are subject to the following regulations:

Business center identification signs. Business center identification signs may not be monopole signs. See Section 25.G.11.f, Monopole signs. A sign master plan is required.

Marquee signs: Marquee signs, where permitted, are subject to the following regulations:

Projecting signs and graphics: Projecting signs and graphics, where permitted, are subject to the following regulations:

Monopole signs: Monopole signs, where permitted, are subject to the following regulations:

Wall signs and graphics: Wall signs and graphics, where permitted, are subject to the following regulations:

Temporary commercial signs:

Nonresidential, noncommercial uses.

Residential temporary signs:

Non-worded advertisement that is primarily designed to draw attention to a property for the purpose of gaining business:

Off-premises signs hereafter erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, or moved in the City shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the current version of the Uniform Sign Code, adopted by the City, the latest edition of the North Dakota State Building Code and currently adopted National Electrical Code, except as amended by this subsection.

Existing off-premises signs which are located on property in the City's jurisdiction may be maintained as built, and are not considered to be nonconforming.

Off-premises signs are allowed in the M-2 Heavy Industrial Districts as permitted uses only if they conform to the following provisions:

Murals in the Center Downtown Area, defined by Exhibit A, are required to be submitted to the Design Review Board for review and approval.

Murals outside of the Center Downtown Area are required to be submitted to the Development Review Committee for review and approval.

No such sign shall be erected, altered, constructed, reconstructed, or moved until an application and plans shall have been filed with the Building Official as to size, location, and construction.

Neighboring property within 150 feet of the proposed sign shall receive a notice of the proposed SPU.

Other considerations shall be taken such as the size of the lot, number of existing signs, the size of existing signs, in addition to the findings for SPUs prescribed in Section 27 of this subsection and listed below:

An applicant may submit a sign master plan detailing the size, location and design of all signs on the site. The sign master plan shall contain specific standards for consistency among all signs on the lots affected by the plan. Criteria for a common signage designation include but are not limited to color scheme, lettering or graphic style, lighting, location of each sign on the buildings or lots, sign material, sign proportions, and cumulative sign display areas and heights of all signs. All owners within the sign plan area shall be required to sign a document waiving any rights to individual freestanding monopole signs in exchange for signage on the shared business center identification signs.

Business center identification sign master plans must also show that the signage is proportional to the buildings/center, and must show the proposed signage in relation to the street and property. Sign master plans must show that proposed signage is proportional to the scale of the development and the street. These requirements must show that the sign master plan meets modern commercial design standards.

Business center identification signs are only allowed with a sign master plan, and shall be limited to one per major business center entrance, located on an arterial or highway, no more than 45 feet high and 400 feet square, and one per minor business center entrance, or business center entrance on a collector or local street, no more than 25 feet high and 200 feet square. Sign master plans must be reviewed by Planning and Zoning Commission.

Sign master plans may also be used for campus properties in residential zones.

Continuing maintenance obligation: All signs must continue to be maintained in working condition, as required by Section 25.G.9.a.(iii). All sign faces must remain clearly legible and the sign mounting must remain structurally sound. All illumination must be maintained to fully illuminate the sign.

Inspection and monitoring: All signs allowed by this subsection are subject to inspection and monitoring. Signs not in compliance with the requirements of this subsection or not in compliance with the approved sign permit will be subject to enforcement actions pursuant to Section 26D of this zoning ordinance. These enforcement actions include the City hiring a contractor to remove a noncompliant sign and backcharging the property owner for the cost of this work.

Fines: Temporary signs displayed in violation of this subsection shall be fined as indicated in the Fee Schedule, Section 5-321 of the City of Williston Code of Ordinances.

Sunset clause: All commercial temporary signs will need to either be removed or be properly permitted for an event as allowed above within 90 days of January 1, 2017. Any commercial temporary sign that is still in place and not properly permitted will be fined as per Section 5-321 of the City of Williston Code of Ordinances.