14.55.010 Permits.
(a) All signs existing and in place as of the date of adoption of this title shall be issued permits for five years, whether or not they conform to the dimensions and location requirements of this title. The town manager shall notify each sign owner whether or not any of their signs violate this title in any particulars by November 1, 1987. The town manager shall do the same in writing and mail or deliver a copy thereof to each applicant. Each applicant shall have 30 days to appeal any such designation to the planning commission. Should any permitted nonconforming sign be 50 percent destroyed or should the owner thereof be convicted of any violation of the provisions of this title, then the permit therefor shall be automatically revoked and such sign shall require a new permit in full compliance with this title.
(b) No nonconforming sign shall be issued a permit subsequent to the 30-day period specified in subsection (a) of this section; provided, however, that if a completed application has been filed within said period then the town manager may issue a permit after said 30 days.
(c) Any person, firm, corporation or business entity desiring to construct, erect, remodel or otherwise change or affect any sign within the town, except those signs specified in GMC 14.55.020 and all signs listed as exempt, is required to make application for a permit on appropriate forms supplied by the town clerk. No work shall be commenced on any sign until such permit is issued by the town upon the applicant’s compliance with this title; provided, however, that no permit is required to keep any sign in good repair or otherwise maintain a sign in conformance with the provisions of this title.
(d) Unless otherwise provided by this title, all new signs shall require permits and payment of fees. If the business advertised by the sign changes, then any replacement signs to be used by the new business must conform to all the requirements of this title.
(e) Application for permits shall be made to the town manager on forms provided. Scale drawings and engineering specifications as required by this title and as necessary to properly describe the sign structure for which a permit is sought shall be submitted along with applications.
(f) One complete scale drawing (showing size, shape, design, materials, plot plan of site, including any required landscaping, specific sign location, elevation of sign on building, content, mounting method and lighting) shall be submitted to the town manager or designee. A nonrefundable fee shall accompany each application.
(g) The town manager shall review the application and supporting documents to determine whether the sign as designed can be constructed in conformance with the provisions of this and other applicable ordinances of the town. If the town manager determines that the design is not in conformance with these requirements, he shall recommend changes necessary to bring the design into such conformance. If the applicant does not effect such changes and prefers to submit the design as originally submitted, the town manager shall submit the application to the consideration of the planning commission, with a recommendation as to the action to be taken. The permit application for any sign which is to be submitted to the planning commission must be delivered to the town manager at least 10 days before the meeting of the planning commission at which the application is to be considered.
(1) In its review of an application, the planning commission shall determine whether the proposed sign complies with this title.
(2) The planning commission shall attempt to work with the applicant to arrive at a design which is compatible with these requirements and with the spirit of this title. It may request that the applicant make revisions in his design and resubmit it for further consideration. If such request is rejected by the applicant, the planning commission may, upon a determination of design nonconformance, reject the application outright.
The planning commission shall either approve, reject or request revisions of the application within 10 days following the meeting at which the application is first considered.
(h) One copy of an approved application shall be furnished to the applicant within five working days upon approval by the town manager or the planning commission, which approved application shall authorize the town clerk to issue a sign permit upon payment of the required sign permit fee.
(i) Permit fees shall be as set forth in a list of such fees, approved by the board of trustees and available in the office of the town clerk, and shall relate to reasonable administrative costs relative to processing a sign permit including on-site inspection. If engineering data is not sufficient to determine the safety of the structure and the town engineer is used for evaluation, then these costs shall be charged to the owner of the sign and shall be payable in full before a permit is issued.
(j) If an application is rejected, the town manager or the planning commission shall be obligated to state the rationale of the rejection in writing.
(k) Upon application for a sign(s) for the same site or business which was previously rejected, another application fee will be required.
(l) The town manager may suspend or revoke an issued permit for any false statement or misrepresentation of fact in the application.
(m) If any sign is installed prior to obtaining a permit and is later approved, the permit fee will be doubled.
(n) Renewal.
(1) A permit required by and issued pursuant to this title shall be valid for a period of three years from the date of such permit. Thirty days prior to the expiration of this three-year period, the town shall notify the owner of such signs that a renewal is necessary. The owner of the sign shall then apply to the town for a renewal. The town manager shall inspect the sign and immediate premises to determine whether the sign is in good repair and in accordance with the original permit. If he so determines, then he shall issue a renewal of such permit, which shall again be valid for a three-year period.
(2) If the town manager finds that the sign is not in good repair or not in accordance with the original permit or if a modification of such sign is sought, the owner of the sign must make application for a permit in accordance with the provisions of this title as will then be in effect.
(o) Fees for application, reapplication and renewal shall be in accordance with the town’s then current fee schedule.
(p) The installer of a new sign must give 24 hours’ notice to the town of intent to install so the town can have an inspector on site to assure compliance with the sign plan and this title. Such notice and installation shall be during regular business hours. [Amended during 2011 recodification. Code 1999 § 19-12-1].
14.55.020 Exemptions from permit requirements – Intent.
(a) The following shall not require permits, but may not exceed the specified height and size as found in Chapters 14.25, 14.30, 14.35, and 14.40 GMC:
(1) Flags of any state, nation, or government if the latter is flown in conjunction with any of the preceding flags. Flags may not exceed 50 square feet in size and no flagpole may be higher than the maximum height allowed for freestanding signs in the district in which the flag is located.
(2) Barber poles. Barber poles may not exceed six feet in height or one foot in diameter.
(3) Gravestones.
(4) Height limitations of this title shall not apply to church spires, belfries, cupolas, antennas, domes, electronic towers, water tanks or other similar structures not capable of providing human occupancy.
(5) Commemorative plaques.
(6) Official government signs or traffic signs of the town of Granby, county of Grand, or state of Colorado.
(7) Signs not visible from a public right-of-way.
(8) Scoreboards at athletic fields, including any advertising thereon, and athletic fields. Scoreboards shall not exceed 20 feet in height and 150 square feet in size.
(9) The display of street numbers. Street numbers must be affixed to the structure they are meant to identify.
(10) Public notices or signs relating to an emergency.
(11) Political signs.
(b) The primary intent of this title shall be to regulate signs of a commercial nature intended to be viewed from any vehicular right-of-way. [Code 1999 § 19-2-1].