Sec. 656.1303. - Zoning limitations on signs.

Signs shall comply with the requirements of Chapters 320 and 326 and with the applicable provisions of F.S. Ch. 479. In addition, the following restrictions shall apply in the indicated zoning districts: (a) Residential zoning districts: (1) RR, RLD, RMD-A and RMD-B zoning districts— (i) One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of one square foot in area and mounted flat against the wall of the building or structure is permitted, unless otherwise specifically prohibited in the Zoning Code. (ii) One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area may be allowed, provided it is specifically authorized in the grant of exception, unless otherwise specifically prohibited in the Zoning Code. (2) RMD-C, RMD-D, RMD-E and RHD zoning districts— (i) One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area is permitted, unless otherwise specifically prohibited in the Zoning Code. (3) In all residential zoning districts, ground signs or free-standing signs shall not exceed 20 feet in height and shall not be located in any required yard. (4) Roof signs, neon signs, changing message devices and strip lighting are prohibited. (b) Assembly and institutional uses located in residential zoning districts, other than in historic districts designated under Chapter 307 , Ordinance Code— (1) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated monument sign not exceeding 12 square feet in area is permitted; or (2) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated monument sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area may be allowed, provided it is specifically authorized in the grant of zoning exception, and further provided that the following performance standards and development criteria are met: (i) The sign shall be located no closer than 50 feet from a residential use located in a residential zoning district and may not be located in a required front yard; (ii) The sign must not exceed eight feet in height; (iii) Illumination associated with the sign must be external, provided that the source of such illumination shall be designed, installed and maintained in a manner which prevents any glare or light from shining onto residentially used property; or (3) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated monument sign not exceeding one square foot in area for each five linear feet of street frontage, per street, to a maximum of 50 square feet, provided the signs are located no closer than 200 feet apart, as measured by a straight line between such signs, and further provided that the sign(s) are located on a street classified as a collector street or higher, and the following performance standards and development criteria are met: (i) The sign shall be located no closer than 100 feet from a principal residential structure located in a residential zoning district and may not be located in a required front yard; (ii) The sign must be a sign, not exceeding 12 feet in height; (iii) Illumination associated with the sign must be external, provided that the source of such illumination shall be designed, installed and maintained in a manner which prevents any glare or light from shining onto residentially used property. (4) For purposes of this Part assembly and institutional uses shall include, but are not limited to, churches, schools, lodges. (5) These provisions shall not apply to any assembly or institutional use located in a residential zoning district located within a historic district designated under Chapter 307 , Ordinance Code. It is intended that signs within residentially zoned areas of historic districts shall be governed by specific provisions within the historic district zoning overlay regulations for the particular district or by Section 656.1303 (a) hereinabove, until such time as such regulations are adopted. (c) Commercial zoning districts: (1) CO and CRO zoning districts— (i) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated monument sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area and 12 feet in height is permitted; and (ii) One five square foot nonilluminated, externally illuminated or internally illuminated wall sign is permitted; or (iii) In lieu of (i) and (ii), above, one nonilluminated, externally illuminated or internally illuminated wall sign not exceeding 32 square feet in area is permitted. (iv) In lieu of the wall sign allowed under (ii) or (iii) above, the following wall signs are allowed, provided the property has at least 200 feet of street frontage, is at least three acres in size and meets all other applicable requirements of this Section regarding occupancy frontage: (A) For buildings less than three stories in height: (1) Two wall signs not exceeding, collectively, 100 square feet if located on the side of the building facing an arterial or higher roadway, and (2) Two wall signs, per side of building, not exceeding, collectively, 75 square feet in area if located on the side of the building facing any other roadway. (B) For buildings three stories or higher in height: (1) Two wall signs not exceeding, collectively, 150 square feet in area if located on the side of the building facing an arterial or higher roadway, and (2) Two wall signs, per side of building, not exceeding, collectively, one 100 square feet in area if located on the side of a building facing any other roadway. (C) The wall signs allowed under this subsection (iv) shall be allowed only if the sign structure is not located within 250 feet of any residential zoning district. (v) Assembly and institutional uses located in CO and CRO zoning districts, other than in historic districts designated under Chapter 307 , Ordinance Code: (A) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated monument sign not exceeding 12 square feet in area is permitted; or (B) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated monument sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area may be allowed, provided it is specifically authorized in the grant of zoning exception, and further provided that the following performance standards and development criteria are met: (1) The sign shall be located no closer than 50 feet from a residential use located in a residential zoning district and may not be located in a required front yard; (2) The sign must not exceed 12 feet in height; (3) Illumination associated with the sign must be external, provided that the source of such illumination shall be designed, installed and maintained in a manner which prevents any glare or light from shining onto residentially used property; or (C) One externally illuminated sign not exceeding one square foot for each five linear feet of street frontage, per street, to a maximum of 50 square feet, provided the signs are located no closer than 200 feet apart, as measured by a straight line between such signs, and further provided that the sign(s) are located on a street classified as a collector street or higher, and the following performance standards and development criteria are met: (1) The sign shall be located no closer than 100 feet from a principal residential structure located in a residential zoning district and may not be located in a required front yard; (2) The sign must be a monument sign, not exceeding 12 feet in height; (3) Illumination associated with the sign must be external, provided that the source of such illumination shall be designed, installed and maintained in a manner which prevents any glare or light from shining onto residentially used property. (D) One nonilluminated or externally illuminated wall sign per building, not exceeding 24 square feet. (E) For purposes of this Part, assembly and institutional uses shall include, but are not limited to, churches, schools, lodges. (F) These provisions shall not apply to any assembly or institutional use located in a commercial zoning district located within a historic district designated under Chapter 307 , Ordinance Code. It is intended that signs within commercially zoned areas of historic districts shall be governed by specific provisions within the historic district zoning overlay regulations for the particular district or by Section 656.1303 (c), in which case the more stringent shall apply. (2) CN zoning district— (i) One street frontage sign per lot not exceeding one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage, per street, to a maximum size of 200 square feet in area for every 200 linear feet of street frontage or portion thereof is permitted, provided they are located no closer than 200 feet apart. (ii) Wall signs are permitted. (3) CCG, CCBD and CR zoning districts— (i) One street frontage sign per lot not exceeding one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage, per street, to a maximum size of 300 square feet in area for every 300 linear feet of street frontage or portion thereof is permitted, provided they are located no closer than 200 feet apart. (ii) Wall signs are permitted. (iii) One under the canopy sign per occupancy not exceeding a maximum of eight square feet in area is permitted; provided, any square footage utilized for an under the canopy sign shall be subtracted from the allowable square footage that can be utilized for wall signs. (iv) In lieu of the street frontage sign permitted in subsection (i) above, a flag containing a business logo or other advertising is permitted; provided, the square footage of any such flag shall not exceed 100 square feet, or 35 percent of the allowable square footage of the street frontage sign permitted in subsection (i) above, whichever is smaller; and provided further that the pole upon which such flag is flown shall not exceed the height limitation set forth in subsection (h)(1), below. Only one flag containing a business logo or other advertising shall be permitted for a premises, regardless of any other factors such as number of tenants on the premises or total amount of street frontage. Further, any flag allowed pursuant to this subsection shall not be illuminated by any means, with the exception of lighting associated with an American flag being flown on the same flag pole. (4) In CO and CRO Districts changing message devices and illuminated and indirect lighting signs are also prohibited. (5) In RO Districts, signage not exceeding five square feet, collectively, is allowed. Illumination of the signage in any form is prohibited. (d) Industrial zoning districts: The allowable signs and the sign restrictions and requirements shall be the same as in CCG, CCBD and CR zoning districts. (e) Agriculture (AGR) zoning district: (1) One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of 16 square feet in area is permitted. (2) One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of 32 square feet in area may be allowed, provided it is specifically authorized in the grant of an exception. (f) Public Building and Facilities (PBF) Zoning Districts: (1) PBF-1 and PBF-3 District— (i) One street frontage sign per lot not exceeding one square foot for each linear foot of street frontage, per street, to a maximum size of 300 square feet in area for every 300 linear feet of street frontage or portion thereof, is permitted, provided they are located no closer than 200 feet apart. (ii) Wall signs are permitted. (2) PBF-2 District— (i) One on-site sign not exceeding one square foot for each five linear feet of street frontage, per street, to a maximum of 48 square feet in area, provided the signs are located no closer than 200 feet apart. (ii) Wall signs are permitted. (g) Conservation (CSV) zoning district: One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area is permitted. (h) Recreation and open space (ROS) zoning district: One nonilluminated sign not exceeding a maximum of 24 square feet in area is permitted. (i) General criteria: (1) Height of signs—Signs shall not exceed 50 feet in maximum height above the level of the adjacent ground, except as otherwise provided in this Chapter; provided, however that signs located in commercial and industrial zoning districts may exceed that height; provided that, the sign is located not more than 660 feet from the centerline of an interstate highway exit and not more than 660 feet from the centerline of an interstate highway; provided further the sign does not exceed 65 feet in height. (2) Location of signs—Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Ordinance Code to the contrary, no sign shall be located within 25 feet of any intersection of two or more right-of-way lines, nor shall any sign be located closer than ten feet from any street right-of-way; provided, however, that any flag permitted by subsection (b)(3), above, located in the CCBD zoning district shall not be subject to this ten foot set back requirement. (3) Changing message devices are permitted as part of any allowable sign unless otherwise prohibited. (4) The restrictions contained in this Part apply only to signs which can be seen unaided from any location on the ground which is not on the lot or parcel where the sign is located. (j) Special criteria: (1) Whenever a provision of subsection (h) of this Section conflicts with a specific provision for a zoning district as set forth in subsections (a)—(d) of this Section, the specific provision for that zoning district shall prevail. (2) Two, but no more than two, signs or sign structures may be erected as a single unit if such signs are in the same vertical plane, are contiguous, and are built at one time by a single owner. (3) Wall signs shall not exceed ten percent of the square footage of the occupancy frontage or respective side of the building abutting a public right-of-way or approved private street. (k) Special exemptions: (1) Signs erected and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function, or as required by law, are permitted in all districts. (2) Signs recognizing sponsors providing contributions of money, goods or services may be erected and maintained on athletic fields at schools and amateur athletic association fields (whether located on public or private property). Signs shall be erected so as to face and be oriented towards the interior of the field and attached to the perimeter fencing of the field's boundaries, but shall not extend above the top of the fencing. Signs shall be painted black, green, white or other appropriate color to coordinate with the fence on the back portion of the sign. These signs shall not exceed 25 (25) square feet for each sign and the number of signs will be limited by the length of the boundary fence around the field. No sign erected pursuant to this exemption shall advertise or promote alcohol or tobacco products. (3) Signs on transit shelters located on public rights-of way, publicly owned property, or privately owned property, subject to the following criteria and superseding any other provisions in Chapter 656 , except as provided in Section 656.361.20. (i) Transit shelters with advertising and internal sign illumination are not permitted on or adjacent to AGR, CSV, ROS, or RR-Acre zoning districts, and are not permitted within PUD zoning districts in AGR, CSV, ROS, or RR land use categories. (ii) Transit shelters with advertising and internal sign illumination are permitted by sign waiver on or adjacent to all RLD zoning districts, RMD-A, RMD-B, and RO zoning districts, PUD zoning districts in an LDR land use category, and adjacent to schools and parks in a PBF land use category. (iii) Transit shelters with advertising and internal sign illumination are permitted by right on or adjacent to RMD-C, RMD-D, CO, and CRO zoning districts if the transit shelter location is on an identified corridor according to the JTA Corridor Route Map, and the transit shelter is at least 200 feet from a single family use. All others on or adjacent to RMD-C, RMD-D, CO, and CRO zoning districts are permitted by sign waiver. (iv) Transit shelters with advertising and internal sign illumination are permitted by right on or adjacent to RMD-MH, RHD-A, RHD-B, CN, CCG-1, CCG-2, IBP, IL, IH, IW, PBF-1 (except schools and parks), PBF-2 (except schools and parks), PUD (unless otherwise limited herein), and PUD-SC (unless otherwise limited herein) zoning districts, and within the CBD land use category. (v) Transit shelters with advertising and/or internal sign illumination are not permitted in the San Marco Overlay Zone, Riverside Avondale Zoning Overlay, the Riverside Avondale Historic District, the Springfield Zoning Overlay, the Springfield Historic District, or any other locally or nationally designated historic districts. (vi) Signs shall not exceed 24 square feet in size per transit shelter with a dimension no higher or wider than the size dimensions of the shelter side that the sign is to be placed or attached to, below the bottom of the roofline and the sidewalk, or other surface, the shelter is attached to. (vii) Signs shall not exceed a maximum of two signs on a transit shelter structure. (viii) Transit shelters with advertising and internal illumination shall not be deemed non-conforming uses if its zoning district or the adjacent zoning district changes after installation of the transit shelter. (ix) JTA shall report each year to the City Council to provide an assessment of transit shelters with advertising. The report shall document the transit shelter construction locations, and provide a correlation based on ridership demand and special needs. (x) In the event that any portion of this Section, including any exception contained herein, is declared invalid, unenforceable, unconstitutional or void, or is permanently enjoined, or if the existence of any provision of this Section would result in any other portion of this Chapter or Chapter 326 or Article 23 of the Charter being held to be invalid, unenforceable, unconstitutional or void, and the court does not sever such invalid portion of this Section, then the invalid portion of this Section is repealed and invalid and thereafter no signs of the type included within the exemption shall be erected without compliance with the remainder of this Chapter and this Ordinance Code. It is the specific intent that the invalidity of any portion of this Section shall not affect any other section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, phrase, clause or word of this Chapter, Chapter 326 , Article 23 of the Charter, or this Ordinance Code. (l) Prohibited signs in all districts: (1) Mobile billboards. (2) Signs which are unlawful under Section 326.104 or Sections 614.142 or 656.1320 are prohibited in all districts. (3) No permit shall be issued for any sign that would lie within 200 feet of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places (other than a sign which identifies or describes the historic structure), unless the sign to be permitted is a wall sign, freestanding sign or ground sign which is located immediately adjacent to the wall of a building, is parallel to, or virtually parallel to the wall and does not extend beyond the vertical or horizontal limits of the wall. Distance measurements shall be calculated from the property line of the land on which the historic structure is located and shall be measured along any street which provides street frontage for the historic structure. (4) In addition to the signs prohibited above, no signs shall be permitted in any locations which are expressly prohibited by the provisions of F.S. Ch. 479, as required by F.S. § 479.15(1). (5) Animated, flashing and revolving signs are prohibited in all districts. (6) Remote controlled blimps containing commercial advertising. (m) Signage allowed to be exempt in all zoning districts for locally designated historic landmarks or historic landmark sites: Signage on historic landmarks or historic landmark sites which have been designated by the Council, pursuant to Section 307.104 , shall be exempt from the requirements of this Part and any other conflicting provisions of the Ordinance Code, provided that the Council designates the landmark or landmark site as a historic landmark or historic landmark site and finds that the signage must remain (or remain after modification) in order to preserve the integrity of the historic landmark or historic landmark site. (n) Landmark signs. Signs not associated with a locally designated landmark or landmark site but which are determined to have historical, architectural, cultural, or unique community significance and which are designated as landmark signs by the City Council shall be exempt from the requirements of this Part in all zoning districts. Upon the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission finding that a sign meets four of the following eight criteria: (1) It is at least 30 years old; (2) The sign is an integral part of an existing principal structure which is being adaptively re-used; (3) It is suitable for preservation and restoration; (4) It poses no threat to traffic safety or public safety; (5) It has value as a significant reminder of the cultural, historical or architectural heritage of the City, State, or nation; (6) It has historical, cultural, architectural, or unique community significance; (7) It is recognized for the quality of its architecture, design or specific design feature(s) and it retains sufficient elements showing its architectural or design significance; or (8) It has distinguishing characteristics of a certain era or period the City Council may designate a sign as a landmark sign. In the process of designating a landmark sign, the Historic Preservation Commission may recommend, and the Council may include in the legislation designating the sign, any condition(s) it deems necessary or appropriate to maintain the landmark nature of the sign, such as a limitation concerning any modification to the face of the sign. (o) Any sign structure in violation of this Section is hereby declared to be contraband and subject to civil forfeiture to the City. A violation has been proved if the owner, or person in control of the structure, has been convicted of using a sign structure in violation of this Section. A conviction shall include a plea of nolo contendere or a withhold of adjudication. In addition, a violation may be proved in a separate civil action. The City shall seek forfeiture of the sign through any appropriate civil action, which may include declaratory judgment or a mandatory injunction. (Ord. 91-59-148, § 1; Ord. 91-462-235, § 1; Ord. 91-761-410, § 1; Ord. 92-955-674, § 9; Ord. 92-416-940, § 1; Ord. 92-1768-1444, § 2; Ord. 93-174-1054, § 7; Ord. 94-300-250, § 1; Ord. 95-956-599, § 1; Ord. 98-1017-E, § 1; Ord. 1999-833-E, § 1; Ord. 1999-1237-E, §§ 1, 2; Ord. 1999-1306-E, § 1; Ord. 2003-1050-E, §§ 2, 3; Ord. 2004-428-E, § 3; Ord. 2009-401-E, § 3; Ord. 2010-253-E, § 3; Ord. 2015-338-E , § 1; Ord. 2020-731-E , § 1)