Woodway City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 14
42 SIGNS
§ 14.42.010 Sign regulations.
A.
Commercial Signs.
1.
The placing of commercial signs or commercial notices of any kind in the public right-of-way or on public property in the Town of Woodway is hereby prohibited.
2.
Commercial advertising signs and commercial notices on private property are hereby prohibited unless the signs are of a commercial nature relating to the status of the particular property where posted, such as owners' names, for-sale signs, for-rent signs, names of persons performing design, construction or financing related to the property, security providers, etc. These signs may be posted subject to the following rules:
a.
Said signs shall be no greater than four square feet per sign face;
b.
Signs shall be spaced one hundred feet apart;
c.
Signs shall not obstruct or interfere with safe movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic;
d.
Signs which are of a commercial nature relating to the status of the particular property where posted shall be promptly removed after the completion of the commercial activity.
B.
Political Signs.
1.
Political signs, which are no greater than four square feet per sign face, shall not impede vehicular or pedestrian movement or pose a safety hazard as determined by the Town.
2.
Political signs shall be removed within ten days after a voting day, except that signs promoting successful candidates in a primary election may remain displayed until ten days following the immediately subsequent general election.
C.
Real Estate Open House Signs. Real estate open house signs are allowed when all of these conditions are met:
1.
The signs are limited to two-faced A-frame signs with a maximum dimension of four square feet per face and a maximum height of four feet.
2.
A maximum of four such signs may be placed on the public right-of-way; provided, that no more than one sign be placed on a collector street as defined in the Town's comprehensive plan. The signs are allowed only during daylight hours when the seller or broker agent is on the premises and the open house is actually occurring.
3.
Real estate open house signs shall not impede vehicular or pedestrian movement or pose a safety hazard as determined by the Town.
4.
People wishing to place real estate open house signs on the public right-of-way must obtain an annual permit from the Town. The permit may be obtained by an individual or by a real estate office. Any application from a real estate office must be accompanied by a list of names and phone numbers for all individuals included in the application. The fee is as set forth in Section 3.32.010.
5.
Term of Permit and Renewal.
a.
Each real estate open house sign permit shall be effective for the calendar year in which issued.
b.
Application for renewal shall be made on forms prescribed by the Clerk/Finance Office. Every real estate open house sign permit shall be personal to the permittee(s) and shall not be assignable or transferable to any person.
D.
Special Event Signs. A special event is a non-recurring event held for a specific and limited purpose and time period, such as a wedding, party, garage sale, etc. Special event signs are allowed, provided they meet all the following:
1.
No more than two signs per event may be placed or posted in the public right-of-way.
2.
Each sign shall not exceed four square feet per face.
3.
Signs shall not be placed for more than seventy-two hours per event.
4.
Signs shall not impede vehicular or pedestrian movement or pose a safety hazard as determined by the Town.
(Ord. 295 § 2, 1994; Ord. 01-409 § 1, 2001; Ord. 04-431 § 16, 2004; Ord. 09-511 § 1, 2009)
§ 14.42.100 Penalties.
A.
Misdemeanor. Any violation of the provisions of this chapter is a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars. Each day of such violation shall be deemed a separate violation subject to the penalty as set forth above.
B.
Public Nuisance. Any sign in the public right-of-way or on public property in violation of this chapter is declared a nuisance and may be removed by the Town. Such removed signs shall be stored not less than thirty days by the Town. If the owner does not recover the sign within the thirty-day period, the Town may destroy or dispose of the sign. A fee of twenty-five dollars must be paid for each sign that the owner recovers from the Town.
C.
Civil Infraction. In addition to the criminal penalties set forth in subsection A, above, any person so violating this title shall be guilty of a civil infraction and may be punished by a fine of up to one hundred dollars per day. Each day that a violation continues shall be considered as a separate infraction.
(Ord. 01-409 § 2, 2001)