5. Scandia Sign Ordinance - Develoment Code
Scandia Sign Regulations – Development Code Chapter 2, Item 3.13
3.13Signs
(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 nine (9) square feet in area.
(B) Political signs.
(C) Warning signs that do not exceed nine (9) square feet in area.
If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within six (6)
months after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void.
(3) Signs by Conditional Use Permit. Where a use is permitted in a zoning district by
Conditional Use Permit, the sign for that use shall require a Conditional Use Permit
unless the sign is otherwise provided for in this Chapter.
(4) General Standards.
(A) Signs shall be reviewed for compatibility with the Scandia Architectural
Design Guidelines, as applicable.
(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 forty-six (46) days prior to the election and shall be removed ten
(10) days after the election. In a state general election year, such signs may be
posted from forty-six (46) days prior to the state primary until ten (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 twenty five (25) feet to any roadway
surface or closer than ten (10) feet to a road right of way line, notwithstanding
more 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 one hundred (100) square feet in area.
2. Only one (1) such sign shall be erected on each road frontage with a
maximum of three (3) such signs per project.
3. Such signs shall be removed when the project is eighty percent (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 thirty-two (32) square feet per
surface and no sign shall have more than two surfaces. The sign shall not
exceed eight (8) feet in height.
(J) Signs shall not be painted directly on the outside wall of a building. Signs
shall not be painted on a fence, tree, stone or other similar object in any
district.
(K) Roof signs are prohibited in all districts.
(L) 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.
(M) 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 ten (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 ten days preceding
the event and ending on the day after the event. No more than three 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 four (4) square feet
and shall be removed not later than four (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.
(N) Multi-faced signs shall not exceed two (2) times the allowed square footage of
single faced signs.
(O) Except for more restrictive parts of this Chapter, no sign that exceeds one
hundred (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 five hundred
(500) feet.
2. Which would be closer than one thousand three hundred fifty (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.
(P) Any sign for which no permit has been issued shall be taken down and
removed by the owner, agent or person having the beneficial use of the
building, or land upon which the sign may be found within thirty (30) days
after written notice from the Zoning Administrator.
(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 ten (10) days after written notification from the Zoning Administrator.
(R) If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within six
(6) months after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void.
(5) 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 9.13(4)(L) 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 two (2) surfaces.
(B) One (1) of each of the permitted type signs and one (1) political sign for each
candidate will be permitted.
(C) No sign shall exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in size.
(D) The top of the display shall not exceed ten (10) feet above grade.
(E) Any sign over two (2) square feet shall be setback at least ten (10) feet from
any property line. In no case shall any part of the sign be closer than two (2)
feet to a vertical line drawn at the property line.
(6) 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 9.13(4)(L),
development identification and real estate sales signs are permitted.
(B) Number of each type of sign allowed per lot frontage:
1. One (1) real estate sales sign;
2. One (1) political sign for each candidate; and
3. One (1) freestanding monument business sign and one (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 one (1) square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of
building front. No sign shall exceed two hundred (200) square feet in area.
Each real estate sales sign or political sign shall not exceed thirty five (35)
square feet in area.
(D) The top of a monument sign shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet above the
average grade.
(E) Any sign over six (6) square feet shall be setback at least ten (10) feet from
any property line. In no case shall any part of a sign be closer than two (2) feet
to a vertical line drawn at the property line.
(7) Shopping Center Signs.
(A) Shopping Centers or buildings containing more than one (1) tenant are
allowed one (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 6(C) above.
(B) Signs shall in no case project from a building or structure to any point within
two (2) feet of a line drawn perpendicularly upward from a curb line. No
projecting sign shall be less than nine (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.
(8) Home Occupations. Any home occupation permitted under Section 4.10 of this
Chapter shall be allowed a sign no greater than nine (9) square feet in size.