§ 62-3301. Definitions.

For the purpose of this article, certain terms and words pertain and are defined as follows:

Abandoned sign means any sign shall be considered abandoned if the business identified on the sign has not been conducting business at the site on which the sign is located or at the location noted on the sign for a period greater than 180 days. An abandoned sign includes the advertising structure.

Advertising structure means any structure, with or without advertising display thereon, erected or intended to inform, attract attention or advertise, and which is readily visible from any public place off the premises upon which the structure is located. Advertising structures shall include any fixture fastened to or painted on motorized and nonmotorized vehicles.

Animated or activated sign means a sign with physical action or motion, or giving the appearance thereof, through the use of illumination, wind or other mechanical means. Animated signs shall include flashing (cycles at intervals of less than six seconds) or oscillating signs and swinging signs, and shall exclude electronic message centers, electronic adjustable alternation displays, and time or temperature units.

Banner means any sign made of paper, cloth or fabric of any kind, having only such material for a backing. Banners may or may not have characters, letters, logos, illustrations or ornamentations applied thereto. Banners shall include any animated, rotating or fluttering devices designed to attract attention. Balloons shall be considered to be banners. Banners and balloons shall be permitted as temporary special event signs. Flags shall not be considered to be banners.

Bench sign means a sign which is attached or printed onto a bench which is placed along a public right-of-way and is an off-premises advertising sign.

Billboard means an off-premises sign larger than 32 square feet in size. See Off-premises sign .

Building frontage means the length of the face of the building or elevation measured along a road right-of-way, or a parking lot which provides access to the building, or the length of the face of the building or elevation measured along a major water body. If a building fronts on a road right-of-way, a parking lot or major water body, the definition set out under "building double frontage" shall apply. In no case shall the total sign surface calculations take into account more than two frontages.

Building double frontage means a building that has frontage on either: two streets; or two parking lots; or a street and a parking lot, or a street and a major body of water, or a parking lot, or a major body of water.

Business means a commercial or industrial activity or establishment providing goods or services.

Canopy sign means a sign which is suspended from, attached to, printed on or installed on an ornamental roof-like structure composed of rigid or nonrigid materials. Canopy signs shall include awnings and marquees.

Changeable copy sign means a sign or portion of a sign which has letters and characters that are not permanently attached to the sign which allows the message of the sign to change without repainting or removing any permanent part of the sign.

Changeable panel means a section of a sign face that is replaceable with a section having or forming a different message.

Development sign means any sign which is designed to identify a subdivision, neighborhood, mobile home park, multiple-family project or commercial or industrial development.

Digital billboard means an off-premise sign that utilizes digital message technology, capable of changing the static message or copy on the sign electronically. A "digital billboard" may be internally or externally illuminated.

Directional sign means any permanent or temporary sign which is used solely for the purpose of indicating the direction or location of any place, object or area. Directional signs shall include signs indicating ingress and egress from a site, guiding pedestrians or vehicles to any public or institutional building, place of worship, hospital, transportation facility or other similar public location.

Directory sign means a sign which lists the names of individuals or businesses occupying a building or complex of buildings on one site.

Double-faced sign means any sign with two parallel or nearly parallel faces of equal size which are placed back to back and whose faces are located not more than 48 inches from each other at the widest point of separation on the same structure. Where the separation exceeds 36 inches, an end panel is required to fully cover the separation space that faces the road, providing for the appearance of one solid sign. Double-faced signs shall be considered as one sign.

Electronic sign means any electronic message center, electronic adjustable alternation display, and time or temperature units that cycles at intervals of six seconds or greater.

Embellishment means a panel or component of any sign which extends beyond the border of the sign surface for the purpose of creative design.

Facade sign. See Wall sign .

Flag means a piece of fabric designed to be hung on one side from a flag pole.

Flashing sign. See Animated sign .

Freestanding sign means a sign which is supported by one or more columns, posts, uprights or braces which are anchored into the ground independently of any building or other structure. Freestanding signs shall include ground and pole signs.

Height means the vertical distance measured from finished grade to the highest point of the sign, unless otherwise defined in this article.

Identification sign means a sign which conveys the name or address of the establishment on the parcel where the sign is located.

Illegal sign means a sign which was erected without the required permit, or a sign which was erected with a building permit but not in accordance with the building permit.

Illuminated sign means a sign which emits artificial light from a source within the sign or reflects light from a source intentionally directed upon it.

Instructional sign means any sign that provides instruction, information or directives and is entirely located on the property to which it pertains and does not in any way advertise a business or contain a business logo or graphics (such as signs identifying restrooms, public telephones, and walkways and those similar in nature).

Memorial sign means a sign indicating a dedication or the name of the building which is cut into a masonry surface or constructed of metal as part of the building.

Nonconforming sign means any sign which was lawfully erected and was in active use on or before the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived but does not comply with the regulations of this article or any subsequent amendments.

Off-premise sign means any permanently affixed structure that is erected and maintained for the purpose of advertising the name of a business, services, accommodations, products or activities which are not available on the premises where the sign is located.

On-premise sign means any permanently affixed structure or mural that is erected and maintained for the purpose of advertising the name of a business, services, accommodations, products or activities which are available on the premises where the sign is located.

Permittee means a person who holds a permit issued for a sign or billboard.

Political campaign sign means a temporary sign erected by a political candidate or authorized representative thereof, for the purpose of advertising a candidate or stating a position regarding an issue which will appear on any primary, general or special election ballot in the unincorporated area of the county.

Portable sign means any sign which is not permanently affixed to a building, structure or the ground, or which is attached to its own trailer, wheels, or otherwise is designed or intended to be transported from one place or another. It is characteristic of a portable sign that the space provided for advertising messages may be changed at will by the replacement of lettering or symbols.

Professional sports stadiums mean a recreational complex that is owned/leased/or operated in connection with a nationally franchised professional sports organization.

Project sign means a temporary sign erected on the premises on which construction is taking place which identifies the project, the principal contractor, architect, engineer, lending institution or other entity involved in the construction of the project. Project signs shall include active subdivision and development signs advertising the sale or rental of available space or sale of lots in a subdivision under construction upon the site.

Projecting sign means a sign other than a wall sign which is attached to and extends from the outside wall or facade of a building.

Real estate sign means a temporary sign installed by the owner or his agent which advertises that a particular lot or a building or structure thereon is for sale, rent or lease. Real estate signs shall include real estate directional, open house and model home signs.

Roof sign means any sign attached to or erected over or on the roof of a building. Signs attached to or painted on a parapet wall shall not be considered roof signs.

Sign means any permanent or temporary device, including but not limited to writing, pictorial representations, emblems, symbols, logos and flags, which is used to inform, attract attention or advertise, and which is readily visible off the premises upon which the structure is located. Religious emblems or symbols and bulletin boards used to display official court or public office notices are not included in this definition. See also Advertising structure .

Sign surface area means the entire area within the periphery of a regular geometric form, or combination of regular geometric forms, comprising all of the display area of the sign. Surface area shall not include structural elements of the sign which contain no advertising matter. The surface area of the sign shall be measured from the outside edges of the sign or the sign frame, whichever is greater. The sign area shall include the total of a single side of sign surface upon which copy could be placed.

Snipe sign means any sign attached to a utility pole, tree, fence post or other object, or any sign installed without permission of the owner of the property where the sign is placed or on county right-of-way without proper permitting. Any sign designed to provide warning to the public shall not be considered to be a snipe sign.

Special event sign. See Temporary sign.

Subdivision sign. See Development sign .

Temporary sign means any sign not constructed or intended for permanent use.

Trailer sign. See Portable sign .

Vehicular sign means a sign affixed to or painted on a vehicle for the purpose of business advertising. Signs affixed to vehicles identifying the make and model of the vehicle shall be excluded from this definition.

Wall mural means a painting or an artistic work composed of photographs or arrangements of color that may display a noncommercial image which is painted onto and not attached or fastened to the external wall of a building. Commercial messages or logos are not wall murals and shall be counted towards the wall sign allocation.

Wall sign means an on-premises sign which is painted on, attached to or erected flush against the exterior wall of a building, and is supported by the building. A wall sign shall have only one advertising surface and shall not be construed to be a projecting sign. Signs attached to that portion of a mansard roof located below the deck line and facade signs shall be considered wall signs.

Window sign means any sign painted on, attached to or hung in any window or glass door of any building. Window signs do not include displays of merchandise.

(Code 1979, § 14-40(B); Ord. No. 95-05, § 1, 1-26-95; Ord. No. 98-30, § 1, 5-12-98; Ord. No. 03-07, § 1, 2-18-03; Ord. No. 03-47, § 1, 10-2-03; Ord. No. 2010-24, § 1, 11-23-10; Ord. No. 2011-03, § 1, 2-22-11; Ord. No. 2011-34, § 1, 12-13-11)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.