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10. Sign Ordinance3.13 Signs (1) Applicability. The regulations contained herein do not apply to signs painted, attached by adhesive or otherwise attached directly to or visible through windows and glass portions of doors. (2) Permit Required. Except as otherwise provided in this Development Code, no sign shall be erected, constructed, altered, rebuilt or relocated until an Administrative Permit or Conditional use permit as may be required for the sign has been issued. Application for a permit shall be accompanied by the established fee. No permit will be required under this Development Code for the following signs: (A) Real estate sale signs under 9 square feet in area. (B) Political signs. (C) Warning signs that do not exceed 9 square feet in area. If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within 6 months after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void. (3) General Standards. (A) All signs shall be reviewed for conformance with the Scandia Architectural Design Guidelines, as applicable. The following types of signs are generally prohibited by the guidelines: backlit signs, neon signs, internally lit signs, LED digital signs and individually lit sign letters. (B) No sign may be erected that, by reason of position, shape, movement, color or any other characteristic, interferes with the proper functioning of a traffic sign or signal or otherwise constitutes a traffic hazard; nor shall signs be permitted which would otherwise interfere with traffic control. (C) All signs, other than public utility warning signs, are prohibited within a public right of way. (D) Political signs of any size and number are allowed in any district, on private property, with the consent of the owner of the property. Such signs may be posted from 46 days prior to the election and shall be removed 10 days after the election. In a state general election year, such signs may be posted from 46 days prior to the state primary until 10 days following the state general election. (E) Illuminated signs shall be diffused or indirect so as not to direct rays of lighting onto any public right-of-way. No illuminated signs or their support structures shall be located closer than 25 feet to any roadway surface or closer than 10 feet to a road right of way line, notwithstanding less restrictive portions of this section. (F) Flashing signs shall be prohibited. Signs giving off intermittent, rotating, or direct light, which may be confused with traffic, aviation, or emergency signaling, are also prohibited. (G) Real estate sales signs may be placed in any yard providing such signs are not closer than 10 feet to any property line. (H) Real estate development project sales signs may be erected for the purpose of selling or promoting a single family or multiple family residential project. The plat of the development shall be recorded with the Washington County Recorder prior to the erection of a sign. Signs are subject to the following standards. 1. Such signs shall not exceed 100 square feet in area. 2. Only 1 such sign shall be erected on each road frontage with a maximum of 3 such signs per project. 3. Such signs shall be removed when the project is 80% completed, sold or leased. 4. Such sign shall be located on the property which is for sale. Off-site development project signs are prohibited. (I) One development identification sign shall be allowed for each street entrance to a development. The sign shall not exceed 32 square feet per surface and no sign shall have more than two surfaces. The sign shall not exceed 8 feet in height. (J) Signs shall not be painted directly on the outside wall of a building unless unless they reflect historic design and are approved by the City Council after review for compatibility with the Architectural Design Guidelines. (K) Signs shall not be painted on a fence, tree, stone or other similar object in any district. (L) Roof signs are prohibited in all districts. (M) All signs and displays using electric power shall have a cutoff switch on the outside of the sign and on the outside of the building or structure to which the sign is attached. No electrically illuminated signs shall be permitted in the Agriculture District- Core (AG-C), Agriculture Preserves (AP), General Rural (GR) and Village Neighborhood (VN) districts. (N) Advertising signs are prohibited in all districts except for the following signs: 1. Signs advertising the sale of agricultural produce grown on the advertiser’s property shall be permitted after issuance of an Administrative Permit. No more than three signs advertising the same location are permitted. No more than 135 sign days (each day that one sign is utilized) shall be allowed in one year. All signs shall be installed on posts placed in the ground. No portable signs shall be permitted. No sign shall exceed 10 square feet in area. 2. Signs advertising a community event shall be permitted after issuance of an Administrative Permit for a period of no more than 10 days preceding the event and ending on the day after the event. No more than 3 signs advertising the same event are permitted. 3. Signs advertising a garage, lawn or similar sale occurring on a property in agricultural or residential use shall be permitted after issuance of an Administrative Permit. Such signs shall not exceed 4 square feet and shall be removed not later than 4 days after it is erected. 4. A temporary off-site real estate open house directional sign advertising the sale of residential real property is allowed with the consent of the property owner on whose property the sign is placed. Such sign shall be promptly removed at the completion of the open house and no later than 6:00 p.m. on the same day. 5. Temporary off-site real estate directional signs are allowed, but shall be limited to two square feet and shall include the name and telephone number of the person or company responsible for the signs. Such signs shall be promptly removed upon the sale of the property. Temporary “Parade of Homes” signs shall be allowed only during those periods in each year when the “Parade of Homes” event is being conducted. Such signs shall be erected not earlier than the first day of such event and shall be removed on the final day of such event. (O) Multi-faced signs shall not exceed 2 times the allowed square footage of single faced signs. (P) Except for more restrictive parts of this Chapter, no sign that exceeds 100 square feet in area shall be erected or maintained: 1. Which would prevent any traveler on any road from obtaining a clear view of approaching vehicles on the same road for a distance of 500 feet. 2. Which would be closer than 1,350 feet to a national, state or local park, or historic site. 3. Which would partly or totally obstruct the view of a lake, river, rocks, wooded, area, stream or other point of natural and scenic beauty. (Q) Any sign which becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of a building or premises or endangers the public safety, shall be taken down and removed or structurally improved by the owner, agent or person having the beneficial use of the building, structure or land upon which the sign is located within 10 days after written notification from the Zoning Administrator. (R) If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within 6 months after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void. (4) Signs in Agriculture – Core (AG-C), Agriculture Preserves (AP), General Rural (GR) and Village Neighborhood (VN) Districts. Identification, real estate sales, development identification, advertising signs as permitted in Section 3.13(4)(N) and political signs are the only signs permitted in agricultural and residential districts. (A) No sign shall be so constructed as to have more than 2 surfaces. (B) 1 of each of the permitted type signs and 1 political sign for each candidate will be permitted. (C) No sign shall exceed 32 square feet in size. (D) The top of the display shall not exceed 10 feet above grade. (E) Any sign over 2 square feet shall be setback at least 10 feet from any property line. In no case shall any part of the sign be closer than 2 feet to a vertical line drawn at the property line. (5) Signs in Village Mixed Use - A (VMU-A), Village Mixed Use – B (VMU-B), Rural Commercial (R- COMM) and Industrial Park (IP) districts. (A) Business, political, advertising signs as permitted in Section 3.13(4)(N), development identification and real estate sales signs are permitted. (B) Number of each type of sign allowed per lot frontage: 1. 1 real estate sales sign; 2. 1 freestanding monument business sign and 1 business sign attached to the building. (C) Except as provided herein, the total square footage of sign area for each lot shall not exceed 1 square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of building front. No sign shall exceed 200 square feet in area. Each real estate sales sign or political sign shall not exceed 35 square feet in area. (D) The top of a monument sign shall not exceed 15 feet above the average grade. (E) Any sign over 6 square feet shall be setback at least 10 feet from any property line. In no case shall any part of a sign be closer than 2 feet to a vertical line drawn at the property line. (6) Shopping Center Signs. (A) Shopping Centers or buildings containing more than 1 tenant are allowed 1 monument sign which may contain the names of all businesses in the project. Individual businesses may be identified by way of signs attached to the building. The total square footage of sign area may not exceed the limits set forth in Section 5(C) above. (B) Signs shall in no case project from a building or structure to any point within 2 feet to a vertical line drawn at the property line. No projecting sign shall be less than 9 feet above the sidewalk or the ground level. All projecting signs for which a permit is required shall be constructed entirely of fire resistant material. (7) Home Occupations. Any home occupation permitted under Section 4.9 of this Chapter shall be allowed a sign no greater than 9 square feet in size.