§ 42-11. Permanent signs requiring a permit.

This section shall govern regulations for signs permanently installed on a site and which are required to obtain a sign permit in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and the tables in section 30-394.

(1)

Wall signs. The sign area, location characteristics and number of wall signs shall be determined in accordance with the tables in section 42-14 and as outlined in this section. The following additional regulations shall apply to wall-mounted signs:

a.

Signs on building walls which do not face public streets. The permitted wall sign may be placed on a wall that does not face a public street. The maximum allowable size shall be calculated as if the wall faces a public street. The maximum allowable size for a sign on one wall is not transferable to a wall with less frontage.

b.

Additional wall sign or canopy sign permitted on corner or more than one street frontage. Lots with more than one street frontage shall be allowed to erect one additional wall or canopy sign on the secondary street frontage, provided that the secondary frontage is at least 100 feet in width at the street right-of-way. The secondary wall sign may not be placed on the same building wall as the primary sign.

c.

Wall sign or canopy sign permitted to face side or rear parking lot. Lots with parking to the side or rear of a building shall be allowed to erect an additional wall or canopy sign on each side facing the parking lot, provided that at least 25 percent of the required parking for the establishment is located to the side or rear of the building and an entrance to the establishment faces the parking lot. Side or rear parking lot wall signs may not be placed on the same building wall as the primary sign.

d.

Location requirements for wall signs. No wall sign may extend more than 18 inches from the exterior of the wall and no portion of a sign shall extend above the wall or feature on which it is mounted.

e.

Wall signs on historic buildings. Wall signs on historic buildings shall be placed within the sign frieze or a distinct place within which a wall sign was intended to be located if the building was designed for such. No wall sign shall extend beyond such space. If there is no sign frieze, the wall sign shall be placed below the typical second floor window area. The design and coloration of such signs shall be compatible with the character of the building.

f.

Murals as wall signs. Any mural on a building intended to advertise or promote a particular business, service or product within the building shall comply with the requirements of this section and the tables in section 42-14. Sign area of the advertisement, promotion or text in a mural shall be calculated as a wall sign. Any other part of the mural will be considered background and not part of the calculation.

g.

Changeable sign. A sign with changeable copy or a reader board area and electronic message board area are permitted as wall signs, provided that the changeable copy or electronic message board area does not exceed 50 percent of the total area of the sign and has a maximum square footage of four feet. An electronic message board area is included in the calculation of the total sign area unless the board displays only time and temperature information, in which case, the message area is allowed in addition to the maximum area of the sign. Electronic message board signs may only change copy every 30 seconds.

h.

Illumination. Internally and externally illuminated wall signs are allowable only if the sign is illuminated in a manner as to prevent glare that impairs a driver's vision on roads and in a manner that prevents nuisance to the adjoining property or tenants.

i.

Wall signs located within the US Hwy 17 Overlay District.

1.

Building perimeter. The total building perimeter shall be identified by the applicant on the sign permit application along with the amount of existing and proposed signage.

(i)

For the purposes of wall signage, each self-contained business, with direct access to the shared parking facilities or outdoor area, shall adhere to the maximums set forth herein as if said business were not part of a combined development with shared or common walls.

(ii)

Business located within the confines of another business with no definable separation or direct access to the shared parking lot or outdoor area shall share the signage space allotted to the building in which they reside.

(iii)

Wall signage on commercial accessory structures shall only be allowed for those businesses which said structure directly serves; any other signage placement would be considered off premises.

(iv)

Wall signage on commercial accessory structures shall be calculated based on the building perimeter of the primary structure.

2.

Wall signs may be located on any attached architectural feature or outcropping. However, as those portions of the building cannot be counted towards the building perimeter, the signs placed on said features must not exceed the maximum signage allowance identified in Table 6 of this chapter.

3.

Signs may cover no more than ten percent of any one wall, architectural feature or building outcropping.

4.

Any sign facing a residential zoning district or within sight of a residential zoning district shall not be illuminated.

5.

No wall sign may exceed more than 18 inches from the exterior of the wall and no portion of a sign shall extend above the wall or feature on which it is mounted.

6.

Murals as wall signs. Any mural on a building intended to advertise or promote a particular business; service or product within the building shall comply with the requirements of this section and the tables in section 42-14. Sign area of the advertisement, promotion or text in a mural shall be calculated as a wall sign. Any other part of the mural will be considered background and not part of the calculation.

7.

Changeable sign. A sign with changeable copy or a reader board area and electronic message board area are not permitted as wall signs.

(2)

Canopy/awning signs. The sign area, location, characteristics and number of canopy/awning signs shall be determined in accordance with the tables in section 42-14 and as outlined in the following additional regulations:

a.

Valance and copy size. The valance or apron for any canopy shall in no case exceed 12 inches in height. Individual letters or symbols on the valances shall not exceed nine inches in height. This provision shall apply only to valances to which sign copy is affixed.

b.

Historic buildings. No canopy/awning sign shall be permitted on a historic building unless documentation indicates that such a sign was used on the building when the building was originally constructed and occupied. The design and coloration of such signs shall be compatible with the character of the building.

c.

Clearance requirements. All canopy/awning signs attached to the underside of a canopy/awning shall maintain the minimum clearance above the ground level of any sidewalk or vehicular access area as specified in the most recent edition of the state building code.

d.

Illumination. Canopy/awning signs may not be illuminated.

(3)

Projected/suspended signs. The sign area, location, characteristics and number of projected/suspended signs shall be determined in accordance with the tables in section 42-14 and as outlined in the following additional regulations:

a.

Sign use. No more than one projected or one suspended sign per individual use or tenant shall be permitted.

b.

Historic buildings. No projected/suspended sign shall be permitted on a historic building unless documentation indicates that such a sign was used on the building when the building was originally constructed and occupied. The design and coloration of such signs shall be compatible with the character of the building.

c.

Clearance requirements. All projected/suspended signs attached to a building or canopy/awning shall maintain the minimum clearance above the ground level of any sidewalk or vehicular access area no less than nine feet. No sign may obstruct ingress and egress from a building.

d.

Sign wind loading, working stress, and attachment. All projected/suspended signs shall be attached to the building or canopy/awning in a manner consistent with the most recent edition of the state building code.

e.

Sign projection and setback. Projected signs shall be projected horizontally a maximum of six feet, but they shall be set back at least two feet from the back face of the curb or outer edge of the pavement where there is no curb.

1.

There is no maximum horizontal projection for suspended signs; however, suspended signs shall be set back at least two feet from the back face of the curb or outer edge of the pavement where there is no curb.

2.

No projected/suspended sign shall extend more than 12 inches above the immediately adjacent roofline of the building facade on which it is attached.

3.

On multi-use facades no projected/suspended sign shall be allowed to project more than 12 inches beyond that tenant/use's facade, as defined in section 42-1, definitions. Facade, multi-use, provided that the tenant/use's signage maintains a minimum distance of 12 inches from any adjacent tenant/use's sign, window, or other architectural accents. (See subsections (3)g.1 through 4 of this section and the tables in section 42-14.)

4.

Projected/suspended signs shall not encroach on sight distance triangles.

5.

Setback distances for projecting signs which front on state roads must be approved by the state department of transportation.

6.

No projected/suspended sign shall be located within any public right-of-way, in a public utility easement, or in any manner that impedes the town's or any utility provider's access to a right-of-way or a utility easement.

7.

Within a private utility easement, the tenant/sign applicant must provide the town with written approval for the projected/suspended sign from the utility providers within that private utility easement.

f.

Multi-tenant sign sharing. Any tenant without a building facade in a multi-tenant building shall be allowed to share projected or suspended signage with the following provisions:

1.

One sign sharing tenant must have a building facade immediately adjacent to the tenant's occupancy.

2.

All sign sharing tenants shall occupy the same building and the interior tenant must share the sign with the closest tenant having a delineated building facade.

3.

All projected/suspended signs shall be in accordance with the tables of section 42-14.

g.

Illustrations.

1.

Projected sign on single-use facade.

2.

Projected sign above adjacent roofline.

3.

Projected sign on multi-use facade.

4.

Suspended sign.

h.

Illumination. Projected/suspended signs may be illuminated by the use of directional light fixtures either surface-mounted or recessed on/into the sign face, on/in sign mounting or suspension hardware, or on/into the building facade. The use of fiber optic string or neon tube lighting as an integral part of the projected/suspended sign shall be allowed. Internally illuminated projected/suspended signs are allowable. Signs shall be illuminated in a manner as to prevent glare that impairs a driver's vision on roads and in a manner that prevents nuisance to the adjoining property or tenants.

(4)

Bracket style ground signs. The sign area, location, characteristics and number of bracket signs shall be determined in accordance with the ground sign regulations in the tables in section 30-394 and as outlined in the following additional regulations:

a.

Bracket sign as a ground sign. A bracket ground sign is allowable instead of a ground sign, not in addition.

b.

Sign base. No ground sign base is required for a bracket sign.

c.

Size. Sign on the post and arm shall not exceed 15 square feet in sign area for each sign face. No more than two signs per post are allowed, and signs may be double sided. In cases when additional ground signs are permissible, a second bracket sign is allowed at the same size of the first.

d.

Overhang. Bracket signs shall not hang over the public sidewalk.

e.

Sign location. Such signs shall not be placed in the public right-of-way, town maintained easement or any required site distance triangle.

f.

Distance requirements from existing ground signs. No proposed ground sign shall be placed within 50 feet of an existing ground sign if such signs are located on separate parcels. When such signs are located on the same parcel, the distance requirement shall be increased to 200 feet.

g.

Illumination. Indirectly illuminated bracket style ground signs are allowable only if the sign is illuminated in a manner as to prevent glare that impairs a driver's vision on roads and in a manner that prevents nuisance to the adjoining property or tenants.

(5)

Ground signs. The sign area, location characteristics and number of ground signs shall be determined in accordance with the tables in section 42-14 and as outlined in this section. The following requirements also apply to all ground signs:

a.

Base landscaping in parking and vehicular use areas.

1.

All ground signs located within parking or vehicular use areas, and not in yard areas, shall stand in a bed of landscaping at least 30 square feet in area. Such area shall contain low growing plant material such as ground covers, perennials and small shrubs.

2.

A ground sign may be located in the landscape median of a vehicular entrance/exit where the median is a minimum of 50 feet long and ten feet wide and provided that the sign is not located within ten feet of either end of the median or within two feet from the sides of the median. A sign in a median shall not visually impair drivers or pedestrians.

b.

Base landscaping in yard areas. Ground signs in yard areas shall be surrounded by low growing plant material that is installed and maintained to avoid the plants covering the sign copy.

c.

Distance requirements from existing ground signs. No proposed ground sign shall be placed within 50 feet of an existing ground sign if such signs are located on separate parcels. When such signs are located on the same parcel, the distance requirement shall be increased to 200 feet.

d.

Changeable sign. A sign with changeable copy or reader board area and exclusive and electronic message board area are permitted as on-premises ground signs, provided that the changeable copy or electronic message board area does not exceed 50 percent of the total area of the sign, up to a maximum of four square feet. Electronic message board area is included in the calculation of the total sign area unless the board displays only time and temperature information, in which case, the message area is allowed in addition to the maximum area of the sign. Messages on a changeable copy or electronic message board area may only change every 30 or more seconds.

e.

Drive-through menu signs. Drive-through menu signs shall be limited to a maximum size of 32 square feet.

f.

Additional ground signs. Businesses or developments with multiple property frontages shall be allowed to erect one ground sign per frontage, provided that each frontage is at least 100 feet in width at the street right-of-way. The additional, or secondary, ground sign is only allowable if the maximum sign area is one-half the square footage of the primary sign.

g.

V-shaped signs. Signs may be placed in a "V" formation. Reference section 42-5(5) for area computations for V-shaped signs.

h.

Sign location. Such signs shall not be placed in the public right-of-way, town maintained easement or any required site distance triangle.

i.

Illumination. Internally and externally illuminated ground signs are allowable only if the sign is illuminated in a manner as to prevent glare that impairs a driver's vision on roads and in a manner that prevents nuisance to the adjoining property or tenants.

(6)

Combined development ground signs. The sign area, location, characteristics and number of combined development ground signs shall be determined in accordance with the tables in section 42-14 and as outlined in the following additional regulations:

a.

Applicable requirements from subsection (5) of this section, ground signs. The same ground sign regulations for base landscape requirements, distance requirements from existing ground signs, changeable sign, V-shaped signs, sign location and illumination all apply to combined development signs.

b.

Combined development name. A combined development ground sign must display the development's publicly recognizable name. It is not required to display the development's tenants on the sign, but it is allowable. For the purpose of this section, a tenant is defined as any use/entity that is part of a combined development as defined in section 42-1.

c.

Tenants on combined development signs. All tenants within a combined development that are represented on the combined development signs shall share the permitted ground mounted signs in accordance with tables in section 42-14.

d.

Tenants not included on a combined development sign. Any tenant that is part of the combined development but not represented on the combined development sign shall be allowed a ground sign in accordance with the tables in section 42-14 and the requirements in subsection (5) of this section. The code enforcement officer shall also review these signs on the signage plan in accordance with section 42-4 and may require additional information on a case-by-case basis.

e.

Additional combined development ground signs. Additional signs shall be allowed as follows:

1.

Properties with multiple property frontages.

(i)

Combined developments are required to declare their main, or primary, property frontage on the signage plan. A combined development sign constructed on the primary frontage is permissible up to the maximum height allowable by the tables in section 42-14.

(ii)

Additional signs are allowed along the other secondary property frontages. Each additional combined development sign area is permissible up to one-half the square feet allowed on the primary frontage sign and in compliance with the tables in section 42-14.

2.

Properties with at least 500 linear feet of property frontage. A combined development with at least 500 linear feet of property frontage along a single street is allowed two combined development ground signs along that frontage. The following provisions apply: These signs shall be placed 50 or more feet apart.

3.

Properties with at least 1,000 linear feet of property frontage. A combined development with at least 1,000 linear feet of property frontage along a single street is allowed up to four combined development signs along that frontage. The following provisions apply:

(i)

The signs are located on that frontage within 100 feet of a full-service vehicular entrance/exit to the project;

(ii)

The signs shall be placed 50 or more feet apart and any sign at a vehicular entrance/exit shall not be closer than 200 feet to a combined development sign at a different entrance/exit;

(iii)

The code enforcement officer may provide additional requirements on a case-by-case basis.

f.

Combined development ground signs located immediately adjacent to the right-of-way of Highway 17. Combined development signs located on property immediately adjacent to Highway 17 shall be permitted subject to the following conditions:

1.

Such signs shall be no taller than 35 feet in height and the maximum allowable sign area shall be 265 square feet to include the combined development's name. Maximum 35 foot height includes a maximum base height of seven feet.

2.

Such signs shall only be permitted in combined developments that are 60 acres or more in size; and

3.

The sign shall be located on a parcel that is immediately adjacent to the right-of-way of Highway 17.

4.

Secondary ground signs as permitted by this article shall be no taller than 14 feet in height and the maximum allowable sign area shall be 105 square feet to include the combined development's name. Maximum height of secondary sign includes a maximum base of two feet.

(7)

Directional signs installed in the public right-of-way or town maintained easement. A directional sign located in the right-of-way of a town maintained roadway or town maintained easement is the only directional sign requiring a permit. These types of directional signs shall follow all provisions as required by section 42-10(9), directional signs, except as follows: Signs may be placed in the right-of-way of a town maintained roadway when the following provisions are met:

a.

The sign owner shall enter into an encroachment agreement outlining the specific provisions for the construction, maintenance, and removal of the sign;

b.

All maintenance of the sign is the responsibility of the sign owner;

c.

Any request by the town to remove such sign within the stated time period is the responsibility of the sign owner;

d.

Should the sign not be removed at such request by the town, all costs incurred by the town shall be billed to the sign owner;

e.

Should removal by the town be required, any damages to the sign and reinstallation of the sign are the responsibility of the sign owner; and

f.

All legal costs incurred by the town for review and update of any legally binding agreement regarding a sign placed in the right-of-way or town maintained easement shall be the responsibility of the sign owner and paid in full within 30 business days from the issuance of a zoning compliance permit for such sign.

(Code 2003, § 30-391; Ord. No. 11-13, § 1(exh. A), 12-5-2011; Ord. No. 12-03, § 3, 4-19-2012; Ord. No. 12-13, § 3, 11-15-2012; Ord. No. 15-18, §§ 1, 2, 10-15-2015; Ord. No. O18-005 , § 2, 4-19-2018)