Title 17C Land Use Standards

Chapter 17C.240 Signs

These regulations balance the need to protect the public safety and welfare; the need for a well-maintained and attractive community; and the need for adequate identification, communication, and advertising. The regulations for signs have the following specific objectives:

1. To ensure that signs and awnings are designed, constructed, installed, and maintained according to minimum standards to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare.
    
2. To allow and promote positive conditions for sign communication while at the same time avoiding nuisances to nearby properties.
    
3. To reflect and support the desired character and development patterns of the various zones, overlay zones, and promote an attractive environment.
    
4. To allow for adequate and effective signs in residential, commercial, and industrial zones while preventing signs from dominating the appearance of the area.
    
5. To ensure that the constitutionally guaranteed right of free speech is protected; and
    
6. To avoid the visual clutter that is potentially harmful to traffic and pedestrian safety, property values, business opportunities, and the community’s appearance.

The regulations allow for a variety of sign types and sizes for a site. The provisions do not ensure or provide for every property or business owner’s desired level of visibility for the signs. The sign standards are intended to allow signs to have adequate visibility from streets and rights-of-way that abut a site, but not necessarily to streets and rights-of-way farther away.

Date Passed: Monday, June 22, 2009

Effective Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2009

ORD C34390 Section 1