§ 153.350. Restricted and prohibited signs and locations.

The following on-premises signs are permitted subject to all requirements of this code:

A.

Projecting Signs. Projecting signs may be permitted to extend over public property (except on South Main Street between Bartges Street and Furnace Street) if they are authorized by the Board of Zoning Appeals, on application in a specific case, and if they meet the following requirements:

1.

No projecting sign nor any part thereof shall project more than six feet past the right-of-way line of any street, sidewalk, alley, or other public thoroughfare, nor shall any such sign or part thereof extend nearer a curb line than to a vertical plane parallel to the right-of-way line and twenty-four inches nearer the building, structure, pole, or poles, supporting the sign than is the curb line.

2.

No part of the sign shall project over the roof line or parapet of the building to which it is attached.

3.

No projecting sign, any part of which extends over public property, shall have a total area exceeding thirty-six square feet.

4.

A projecting sign shall not extend beyond the top of the wall on which it is placed nor higher than thirty feet.

B.

Pole Signs.

1.

The provisions of this Zoning Code which apply to projecting signs shall apply to pole signs, except where otherwise provided in this chapter.

2.

The clear height below a pole sign shall be not less than ten feet.

3.

A pole sign shall not extend over public property.

4.

A pole sign may be supported by a single support not exceeding twenty-four inches in width or by double supports, placed not less than forty-eight inches apart, with each support not exceeding nine inches in width.

5.

A pole sign shall not exceed thirty feet in height.

C.

Ground Signs.

1.

No ground sign nor part thereof shall be erected nor placed nearer the street or right-of-way line, of a public thoroughfare than the building line established by this Zoning Code except that in business and industrial districts;

a.

A ground sign not exceeding two and one-half feet in height shall be allowed up to the public right-of-way.

b.

A ground sign not exceeding five feet in height shall be permitted up to ten feet from the public right-of-way.

2.

No ground sign shall be erected so as to unduly obstruct the necessary view of traffic at intersecting streets, alleys, or other public thoroughfares. Placement of ground signs within the setback shall be subject to the approval of the Traffic Engineer.

3.

The continuous horizontal length of one or more ground signs, which exceed two feet in width vertically and which abut or are joined together, shall not exceed sixty feet except when such signs are separated by an open space not less than two feet long horizontally by the width of the sign vertically. The space shall not be closed by light lattice work or similar construction in excess of fifty percent including necessary supports, uniformly distributed over the area.

4.

No ground sign shall exceed ten feet in height.

D.

Freestanding Signs.

1.

All wiring that serves a freestanding sign shall be underground.

2.

No freestanding sign shall be located on or over public property.

3.

The maximum height of a freestanding sign shall be thirty feet.

E.

Wall Signs. No wall sign shall extend beyond the right-of-way of any street, alley, or other public thoroughfare more than eighteen inches out from a building wall. No wall sign shall extend beyond the top or ends of the wall on which it is placed.

F.

Vehicular Signs. Vehicular signs shall be permitted only on vehicles used for the delivery of merchandise, performance of services, or transportation.

G.

Changeable Copy Signs. Changeable copy signs shall be permitted within Class U3, U4, U5 and U6 Districts provided the sign is not a flashing sign and does not rotate or have the appearance of moving.

Except Electronic Message Centers shall not be permitted in Downtown. The area of a changeable copy sign shall not exceed 50 percent of the freestanding identification sign upon which it is placed.

H.

Prohibited Signs.

1.

No portable sign shall be permitted.

2.

No roof sign shall be permitted.

3.

No sign, with the exception of an identification sign, shall be painted on the exterior walls of a building. Any repainting of a sign that is painted on the exterior wall of a building shall conform to the provisions of this chapter.

4.

No sign or outside lighting shall flash, be animated, rotate, or have the appearance of moving, except that nonrotating signs which depict the time, temperature, current weather, or news and changeable copy signs as permitted by subsection G shall be permitted.

5.

No sign shall contain banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or similarly fixed or moving devices. The devices are similarly prohibited unless they are permitted specifically as a temporary sign as a conditional use under Sections 153.460—153.492.

(Ord. 508-2006: prior code § 153.307; Ord. 859-1992; Ord. 219-1987; Ord. 621-1985; Ord. 512-1982; Ord. 511-1977; Ord. 322-1976; Ord. 528-1949)

(Ord. No. 221-2011, § 4, 7-11-11)