Section 6.02 Definitions.

Chapter 6 SIGN REGULATIONS

The following definitions shall apply; interpretations of these definitions shall be the responsibility of the Community Development Director.

Abandoned Sign: A sign that is no longer associated with the location, product or activity conducted on the premises on which the sign is located.

Advertising Copy: Copy that includes, but is not limited to information such as phone numbers, prices, announcement of sales, business hours, meeting times, individual or specific product or merchandise information, and directional information.

Advertising Sign: A sign which includes any copy and/or graphics relating to any business, service, product, person, organization, place, or building in addition to simple identification.

A-Frame Sign: A temporary sign normally supported by its own frame in a manner that usually forms an "A" when in use; also referred to as a “sandwich” or “tent” sign.

Animated Sign: A sign with actual motion, including light changes or color changes, or the illusion of motion.

Awning: An architectural projection or shelter projecting from, or supported by, the exterior wall of a building and composed of a covering of rigid or non-rigid materials and/or fabric on a supporting framework that may be either permanent or retractable, including such structures which are internally illuminated by fluorescent or other light sources.

Awning Sign: A sign displayed on, or attached flat against, the surface or surfaces of an awning or any other surface attached to a building that provides shelter.

Ballast: The portion of a sign required to operate a fluorescent lamp.

Banner: A temporary sign composed of fabric, plastic, or other pliable material on which advertising copy or graphics may be displayed.

Bench sign: A sign painted on or affixed to a bench.

Billboard: A permanent off-premise outdoor advertising sign erected, maintained or used for the purpose of commercial or non-commercial messages.

Building Mounted Sign: Any sign mounted onto the vertical surface of a building; see also Wall Sign.

Business Area: An area designated by the Zoning Administrator as containing a concentrated group of business.

Business Block: A portion of a business area consisting of at least three lots, bounded on all sides by a public right-of-way, alleyway or an adjacent property line.

Cabinet Sign: A frame constructed to hold internal components and covered by a face to hold the advertising sign.

Canopy Sign: See definition of Awning Sign.

Changeable Copy Sign: A sign constructed to hold individual letters or individual text sections that are mounted in or on a track system. Changeable copy signs are usually used as Directory Signs.

Channel Letter: Individual letters constructed to be applied singly in the formation of a Building Mounted Sign or a Freestanding Sign. Channel letters may be illuminated or non-illuminated.

Comprehensive Sign Plan: Comprehensive Sign Plans are required in all Commercial Zoning Districts for multi-tenanted buildings or shopping centers. The Comprehensive Sign Plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Community Development Director or designee and conform to the sign regulations contained in this chapter. A “multi-tenanted building” is a building complex or center that contains any number of businesses, greater than one, that share the same site, use common points of ingress, and egress to and from the site.

Copy: The text, graphics or message of a sign.

Direct Illumination: A sign that is constructed with a light source that is externally mounted; also referred to as “exterior illumination”.

Directional Sign: A sign, supplying pertinent directional information for the purpose of promoting safety and the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Example Directional Sign

Directory Sign: A sign listing the names and/or uses, and/or locations of the various tenants or activities within a building, or in a multi-tenant development, or group of buildings. Directory Signs may be constructed as Changeable Copy Signs.

Electronic Message Center: A sign that uses computer-generated or electronic means to change advertising copy, messages or color, including signs that flip or rotate.

Face, Letter: The exterior side of an individual letter or individual graphic element.

Face, Sign: The area enclosing the copy and graphic components of a sign.

Flag: Includes the United States, State, corporate flags for registered corporations, flags of foreign nations and decorative flags.

Fascia Sign. A sign, which is permanently affixed to the horizontal member or surface at the edge of a projecting or slanting roof.

Flashing Sign: A sign with an intermittent, repetitive or flashing light source.

Freestanding Sign: A sign that has its own supporting structure independent of the building or business it identifies.

Frontage: Building: The linear measurement of an exterior building wall or structure that faces the public roadway.

Front Lit Letter: An internally illuminated individual letter or graphic component of a sign that has a translucent face.

Fuel Price Sign: A sign displaying the price(s) of fuel.

Ground Mounted Sign: A freestanding sign with no visible base.

Halo Illumination: Wall or Freestanding Signs having the sign lighting constructed so that the light for the entire sign, or the light for each individual component of the sign, is directed against the surface behind the sign or sign component, producing a halo effect.

Holiday Window Decorations: The decorative display of holiday themed decorations or window painting.

Identification Sign: A sign which contains only the name of the business, person, organization, place, or building at that location.

Ideological Sign: A sign which expresses, conveys, or advocates a non-commercial message.

Illuminated Sign: A sign which is lighted, either externally or internally.

Internally Illuminated Sign: A sign constructed with a light source behind the face of the sign.

Logo: A graphic design representing a product, identity or service.

Mansard Roof: A roof style composed of a combination of a steep semi-vertical plane connected to a flatter plane. Any sign proposed for a building with a Mansard Roof shall have the top of the sign mounted no higher than the lowest point of any portion of the roofline.

Menu Board: A changeable sign orientated to the drive-thru lane for a business that advertises the menu items or services available from the drive-through window.

Mobile Sign: See Portable Sign.

Monument Sign: A Ground Mounted Freestanding Sign identifying a multiple-occupancy development such as a shopping center, office building or planned industrial park, which has multiple suites, offices or tenants. A Monument Sign shall be a part of the signage regulated by a Comprehensive Sign Plan.

Example Monument Sign

Multi-Tenant Building Identification Sign: A sign for a building complex or center that contains any number of businesses, greater than one, that share the same site and use common points of ingress and egress to and from the site.

Neon Sign: Any sign that uses neon, argon or any similar gas to illuminate transparent or translucent tubing or other materials, or any use of neon, argon or any similar gas lighting on or near the exterior of a building or window.

Open House Directional Sign: A temporary sign, with directional arrow, directing pedestrian or vehicular travel to the property or premise for sale, lease or rent.

Pan Channel Letter: An individual letter of a sign constructed so that the sides and back of the letter are one unit.

Parapet: An extension of a vertical building wall above the line of the structural roof.

Parapet Sign: A sign mounted to the face of a building parapet.

Pennant: Any lightweight plastic, fabric or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire or string, usually in a series and designed to move in the wind. Pennants must not exceed 12 inches in any direction.

Pole Mounted Sign: A Freestanding Sign constructed with a support structure that is more than 10% of the height of the total sign and less than 90% of the width of the sign. The sign support structure shall be included in the sign area computation.

Political Sign: A sign which identifies a person, expresses a position, conveys a message concerning, or advocates a position on the candidacy of a person, party or issue on an upcoming ballot.

Portable Signs: Any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of persons or wheels; signs converted to A-frames; menu and sandwich board signs; balloons used as signs; umbrellas for advertising; and signs attached to or painted on vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless said vehicle is used inm the normal day-to-day operations of the business, in which case the vehicle must be removed form site during non-business houses.

Pylon Sign: See Pole Sign.

Real Estate Sign: A sign, attached to the site, advertising the sale, lease or rental of the property or premises on which it is located.

Reverse Pan Channel Letter: An individual letter of a sign constructed of an opaque material so that the sides and front of the letter are one unit.

Roof Sign: A sign affixed on, above or over the roof of a building so that it projects above the roofline. The top of a parapet wall shall be considered the roofline. The vertical portion of a Mansard Roof shall be considered the roofline. The top of the facia of a hipped roof shall be considered the roofline. Where a parapet wall is combined with a mansard roof, the roofline shall be the top of the parapet.

Shared Monument Sign: A monument sign displaying the names of participating business within a sign district.

Sign: Any visual element, or combination of elements, including words or symbols, designed or placed to attract attention or convey information, including any device providing identification, advertising or directional information for a specific business, service, product, person, organization, place, or building. Graphic devices such as logos, obtrusive colored facia or architectural elements, banners, balloons, streamers, inflatable structures, exterior merchandise displays, projected picture signs, holographic projection signs and other attention attracting media and devices.

Sign District Agreement: An agreement between prospective sign district members and the business block property owner(s) in which the shared monument sign will be erected, containing the name of each business and its owner(s) and the business address and telephone number, and evidencing that the sign district members have agreed to the following:

(a) The placement of the shared monument sign within the business block;

(b) A shared monument sign meeting the requirements of Section 6.08(28);

(c) The individual business owners' and property owner's respective responsibilities for maintenance, removal and alteration of the shared monument sign; and

(d) The individual business owners' and property owner's responsibilities in the event that the sign district is dissolved.

Sign District Members: Business owners within a sign district.

Temporary Signs: A sign intended to display either commercial or non-commercial messages of a transitory or temporary nature. Portable signs, any sign not permanently embedded in the ground, or signs affixed to a building, wall, fence, or sign structure for a non-permanent time period, are considered temporary signs. Any banner, pennant, poster, balloon, construction sign, political sign or A-frame sign shall be considered a temporary sign.

Tent Sign: A temporary sign normally supported by its own frame in a manner that usually forms an “A” when in use; also referred to as a “sandwich” or “A-frame” sign.

Under Canopy Sign: A sign attached to the underside of a canopy, marquee, cantilevered roof or eave, or any other surface having an angle plus or minus 15 degrees from perpendicular to a horizontal overhead structure.

Wall Sign: A sign, which is fastened to any vertical portion of a building; see also Building Mounted Sign.

Window Sign: Any sign, pictures, symbol, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale or service that is affixed to, or located within any area six feet behind a window pane, positioned to be read from the exterior of a building.

(04-12, Amended, 08/19/2004, Resolution 2004-44, Prior Text; 6.02, Amended, 08/11/2004, Prior Text; 6.02, Amended, 05/27/2003, Prior Text; 6.02, Amended, 05/01/2003, Prior Text)