9.29.215 Permanent Signs
Permanent signs may be permitted pursuant to the permit procedures set forth in this division and shall be governed by the standards enumerated for each category of sign. In addition to such standards, consideration shall be given to building setbacks, landscaping, visibility of the sign on the site, and the proposed sign's relationship to the overall appearance of the property and to the surrounding neighborhood. Compatible design, simplicity, and sign effectiveness shall also be used as guidelines for sign approval.
(a) All electrical signs shall be listed by Underwriters Laboratories (U.L.) and shall be installed in accordance with the installation instructions and with Article 600 of the National Electrical Code.
(b) Business wall signs. Wall signs may be permitted with a planned sign program in commercial, office, industrial and business park land use categories except where expressly prohibited. A planned sign program is to be approved by the director or commission. A planned sign program must be approved prior to the installation/placement of any business wall sign. Wall signs shall be subject to the following:
(1) Wall signs shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each linear foot of building frontage or portion thereof. Total aggregate sign area for such signs shall not exceed 100 square feet for each business use. If the building frontage of any such use is less than 25 square feet, only one sign, having a maximum area of 25 square feet, shall be permitted.
(2) Sign copy shall be limited to the business name, logo, or generic description of the activity, service, or business, such as "barber shop" and "hardware," unless the trade name, product, or service is an integral part of the fictitious name of the business or service.
(3) Multistory office or multistory mixed-use buildings with three stories or more may have up to a maximum of two (2) identification signs per building unless otherwise approved as part of a special sign permit. All other multistory office or multistory mixed-use buildings with less than three full stories shall have only one (1) identification sign per building unless otherwise approved as part of a special sign permit.
(4) Only channel letter signs shall be permitted unless approved differently in a planned sign program. Channel letters for minor tenants shall not be more than 18 inches in height. Major tenant signs shall be approved by a planned sign program.
(c) Business freestanding monument identification signs. Business freestanding monument identification signs may be permitted in commercial, office, industrial and business park land use categories except where expressly prohibited. A planned sign program must be approved prior to the installation/placement of any business freestanding monument identification sign. Freestanding monument signs shall be subject to the following:
(1) Freestanding monument signs shall not exceed six feet in height including the base, ten feet in width, and 36 square feet in area, unless approved by a planned sign program.
(2) One identification freestanding monument sign may be permitted for each site with a street frontage in excess of 99 feet. Where a site abuts more than one street, one additional identification freestanding monument sign may be permitted on each additional street frontage that is in excess of 99 feet in length. In no case shall there be more than one sign on each street frontage for each site.
(3) For a single tenant site, the sign copy shall be limited to the name of the business. Unless otherwise approved as part of a special sign permit, for multi-tenant sites, the sign copy shall be limited to the name of the commercial center and the name(s) up to a maximum of three (3) tenants unless otherwise approved as part of a special sign permit.
(4) Each freestanding monument sign shall contain the street address of the premises, in letters and/or numbers not less than 4 inches nor more than 6 inches high unless approved in a planned sign program.
(5) No freestanding monument sign shall be placed or located closer than 5 feet to the ultimate right-of-way.
(6) Each freestanding monument sign shall be architecturally compatible with the architecture of the commercial center on the site, including but not limited to scale, materials, and architectural style.
(d) Automobile service station sign. Automobile service station signs may be permitted in service station designated areas. A planned sign program must be approved prior to the installation/placement of any automobile service station sign. Automobile service station signs shall be subject to the following:
(1) One freestanding monument identification sign not to exceed six feet in height including the base from finished grade and 36 square feet in area may be located along each street frontage abutting the site.
(2) Permanently affixed price signs shall be constructed with and integrated in the monument sign.
(3) Freestanding monument signs shall be located no closer than 100 feet from the point of intersection of abutting streets.
(4) Wall signs may be permitted but shall be limited to the major service station name only. No canopy facia signs shall be permitted.
(5) The total area of all freestanding, wall, and price signs shall not exceed an aggregate of 100 square feet in area on the premise.
(6) No freestanding monument sign shall be placed or located closer than five feet to the ultimate right-of-way.
(e) Multitenant directional signs. Multitenant directional signs may be permitted in commercial, office, industrial and business park land-use categories except where expressly prohibited. A planned sign program must be approved prior to the installation/placement of any multitenant directional sign. Multitenant directional signs shall be subject to the following:
(1) Multitenant directional signs shall be located in the interior of commercial centers.
(2) No multitenant directional sign shall be located in the front or street side setback area for the site.
(3) Multitenant directional signs shall have a maximum sign area of ten square feet per sign.
(4) The number of multitenant directional signs permitted for each site shall be established by a planned sign program and shall give consideration to the unique characteristics of the commercial center, as well as the number and location of tenants within the center, while avoiding visual clutter.
(5) All multitenant directional signs on a site shall have a uniform background color.
(f) Window signs. Window signs may be permitted in commercial, office, industrial and business park land-use categories except where expressly prohibited. Window signs shall be subject to the following:
(1) Window signs shall cover no more than 25 percent of the storefront window area for any individual business. In calculating the maximum allowable coverage, exempt signs placed on the window, temporary window signs, and permanent window signs set back from the storefront but facing outward and intended to be read from outside the window shall count against the 25-percent cap
(Ord. No. 98-193, §§ 1--4, 10-19-98; Ord. No. 07-248, §§ 10--15, 4-2-07)