Sec. 326.102. - Definitions.

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following terms and words shall have the following meanings: (a) Animated sign means a sign with motion, action or flashing or other light or color changes which is activated by mechanical, electrical or other non-natural means. However, this term does not include changing message devices or wind-activated elements such as flags, pennants, or banner signs. (b) Banner sign means a sign made of canvas or other approved flexible materials with or without a structural frame and attached to a building, canopy, pole or other structure. (c) Changing message device means any sign with fixed boundaries, frames or edges visible from a public right-of-way or approved private street that either: (1) Displays a verbal or numerical message that scrolls from left to right, for no more than eight seconds with an eight second break between messages, with all other portions of the sign static and unchanging, or (2) Changes electronically under the following conditions: (i) The entire portion of the sign that can change shall be static and unchanging for at least eight seconds. (ii) The time to completely change the entire portion of the sign that can change is a maximum of one second. (iii) The change shall occur simultaneously for the entire portion of the sign that can change; and (iv) There shall be a default design that will ensure no flashing, intermittent message or any other apparent movement that is displayed should a malfunction occur. (d) Construction sign means a temporary sign erected or placed on premises on which construction is taking place during the period of such construction indicating the names of owners, architects, engineers, landscape architects, contractors, artisans, financial supporters, or others having a role or interest with respect to the structure or project. (e) Directional or directing sign means an on-premise incidental sign designed to guide or direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic for information only. Such signs shall not contain any form of advertisement, except for identifying logos, and shall not be included in calculating the maximum area or the number of signs under this Chapter or Chapters 320 and 656. (f) Double-faced sign means a sign with two surfaces against, upon or through which a message is displayed. A double-faced sign shall have both surfaces parallel to each other and must be constructed, tied or otherwise fastened together into an integral unit with no visible air space between the surfaces. (g) Eaves means the lowest horizontal line of a sloping roof. (h) Free standing sign or ground sign means a sign which is supported by one or more poles, pylons, columns, uprights or braces in or upon the ground and is not attached to a building or structure. (i) Illuminated sign means a sign in which internal or indirect continuous lighting is maintained by one or more lights in a stationary condition which remain constant in intensity and color at all times when such sign is illuminated. (j) Indirect lighting means the illumination of a sign by a light source that is not a component part of the sign. (k) Mobile sign means any sign not exceeding a maximum of 32 square feet in area for each display face, not exceeding ten feet in height to the top thereof above the surrounding ground level and specifically designed to be of a temporary nature and capable of being transported to various locations. The subject matter of the sign shall be exclusively related in its content to the use of the lot on which it is located or to offices, products, accommodations, services available or activities sold, produced, available or conducted on the lot on which the sign is located. Mobile signs shall not be animated, flashing or revolving, but may be illuminated. (l) Occupancy frontage means the length of that portion of a building occupied by a single office, business or enterprise abutting a street, alley, parking area, or other means of customer access such as an arcade, mall, or walkway. (m) Off-site sign means any combination of structure and message in the form of an outdoor sign, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, placard, poster, billboard, advertising structure, advertising logos, symbol or other form, whether placed individually on or a V-type, back-to-back, side-to-side, stacked or double-faced display, designed, intended or used to advertise or inform, any part of the advertising message or informative contents of which is visible from any place on the main or traveled way and which sign relates in its subject matter to offices, products, accommodations, services or activities which are sold, produced, available, conducted or rendered at locations other than on the premises where the sign is located. The term does not include an official traffic control sign, official marker, specific information panel erected, or other form of public information caused to be erected or approved by any government upon its property or right-of-way. (n) On-site sign means any sign which advertisement is exclusively related in its subject matter to the use of the premises on which it is located or to offices, products, accommodations, services or activities sold, produced, provided, available or conducted on the premises where the sign is located. (o) Projecting sign means a sign which is erected or supported on the wall of a building or other structure and projects from it. Signs which extend into or over public space or street rights-of-way, including roof signs, shall be considered as projecting signs. (p) Real estate sign means a temporary sign advertising the real estate upon which the sign is located as being for sale or rent. (q) Roof line means the highest continuous horizontal line of a roof. On a sloping roof, the roof line is the principal ridge line, or the highest line common to the principal slope or slopes of the roof. On a flat roof, the roof line is the highest continuous line of the roof or parapet, whichever is higher. (r) Roof sign means a sign erected, constructed or maintained on the roof of a building or structure above the eaves, or above mansards, parapets, or other similar architectural features of buildings or structures which are capable of supporting signs. (s) Sign means any structure or device which is placed, erected, constructed or maintained on or in the ground or outside of an enclosed building or other object or structure or affixed or painted on or inside an exterior window of a building for the purpose of display, information, advertisement or attraction of the attention of persons, including posters, pictures, pictorial or reading matter and a letter, word, model, device or representation used in the nature of an advertisement, announcement, attraction or direction. (t) Sign area computation means the method by which the area of each surface of a sign is computed. For signs with fixed boundaries, frames or edges, it shall be computed by calculating the area within and including the exterior boundaries, frames or edges enclosing the letters or graphic matter which composes each sign surface. For signs with no fixed boundaries, frames or edges, such as where a sign is composed of separate letters which are placed or painted upon or against a building or upon or through a window or other similar surface not designed, framed or edged specifically for sign presentation, the sign area shall be computed on the basis of the smallest regular geometric shape, such as a triangle, rectangle, square or circle encompassing the outermost exteriors of the outermost individual letters, words or numbers which yields the least total square footage of area. Computation of sign area shall include border trim. (u) Street frontage means the property line of a lot abutting the right-of-way line of public or approved private streets, excluding alleys to which such property has the legal right of access. (v) Temporary embellishment means an embellishment placed on the facing of a sign for a period not to exceed six months. (w) Under canopy sign means a sign suspended beneath a canopy, ceiling, roof or marquee. (x) Wall sign means a sign attached to and parallel with a wall, including signs printed or painted on walls. (y) Awning sign means an awning with lettering placed on the canvas, or other approved flexible material, with a structural frame that is attached to a building. The awning sign shall not be placed above the roof elevation of a single story building or above the second floor of a multi-story building. An awning sign shall not be wind activated, or inflatable, such as a balloon. (Ord. 71-342-174; Ord. 71-700-400, § 3; Ord. 72-1206-631, § 2; Ord. 77-315-634, § 1; Ord. 83-591-400, § 1; Ord. 83-1249-615, § 1; Ord. 85-1201-663, § 6; Ord. 86-1523-871, § 2; Ord. 92-1768-1444, § 3; Ord. 2010-900-E, § 1) Note— Former § 900-1600.2; § 334.102.