Chapter 17.46
SIGNS
Sections:
17.46.020 Permit requirements.
17.46.070 District regulations.
17.46.080 Nonconforming signs.
17.46.090 Termination of signs.
17.46.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to accommodate and promote sign placement consistent with the character and intent of individual zoning districts by providing minimum standards to safeguard life, health, and visual quality of the public. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.020 Permit requirements.
A. No sign shall be erected, structurally altered or relocated by any person, firm or corporation without a permit from the city of Rock Island.
B. No building permit shall be required for repainting, cleaning, or other normal maintenance and repair of a sign, or for sign face and copy changes that do not alter the size or structure of the sign.
C. A sign permit shall be considered as a limited review action as set forth in RIMC Title 14. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.030 Exemptions.
The following signs are considered exempt:
A. Official flags, emblems, or insignia of the United States, or other governmental unit; and flags of internationally and nationally recognized organizations.
B. Official and legal notices by any court, public body, person or officer in performance of a public duty, or in giving any legal notice.
C. Directional, warning, regulatory, or informational signs or structures required or authorized by law; or by federal, state, county, or city authority.
D. Political signs which, during a campaign, advertise a candidate for public elective office, a political party, or promote a position of a public issue, provided such signs are removed within 15 days following the election.
E. Construction and real estate signs not exceeding 32 square feet in area, provided such signs are removed within 15 days following completion of the construction project or closing of sale or lease of the real estate.
F. All temporary signs, provided such signs shall not be displayed for more than 60 days, and provided they do not exceed 32 square feet in area, except portable signs.
G. Structures intended for a separate use such as phone booths, Goodwill containers, or other similar structures.
H. Painting, repainting of an advertising structure or the changing of the advertising copy or message thereon shall not be considered erecting or altering which requires a sign permit, unless structural change is made.
I. Signs less than four square feet in area, provided there is only one sign which meets RIMC 17.46.050, Standards.
J. Product identification signs, provided they do not exceed 10 square feet in area.
K. Grand opening and special event signs which would include banners, streamers and temporary signs (except portable signs), provided they do not exceed a period of more than 35 days, and provided they do not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular travel.
L. City directory signs that are placed at the city’s discretion on city-owned property and/or right-of-way displaying the names, phone numbers and/or addresses of businesses and/or public/semi-public uses in nearby areas. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.040 Signs prohibited.
The following signs are prohibited within any zoning district:
A. Signs which purport to be, are an imitation of, or resemble an official traffic sign or signal or which obstruct the visibility of any such signal; or which could cause confusion with any official sign or signal.
B. Signs attached to utility poles, street lights, and traffic control standard poles.
C. Swinging, projecting signs.
D. Signs in a dilapidated or hazardous condition.
E. Flashing signs.
F. Portable signs.
G. Beacons.
H. Off-premises signs, except those located within 50 feet of the state highway, as regulated below. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.050 Standards.
The following standards are applicable to all signs in all districts as established under this title:
A. Single- or multiple-occupancy buildings which have street frontage on two streets with customer entrances on each street are permitted one freestanding sign per street frontage; provided, that each freestanding sign is located on a different street frontage and they are separated by more than 100 feet. No signs shall be permitted on streets abutting residential districts.
B. Signs attached to a building shall not exceed three feet above the roof line of any building or structure to which it is attached.
C. A clear view triangle, as established by this title, shall be maintained at all intersecting public or private streets, driveways, and/or curb cuts for vision safety purposes.
D. All freestanding signs shall include, as part of their design, landscaped areas at least four feet in diameter to improve the overall appearance of the installation, and shall have other approved devices around their base so as to prevent vehicles from hitting the sign.
E. Projecting and awning signs shall maintain a minimum clearance of eight feet above the finished grade.
F. Off-premises signs allowed by this chapter are strictly limited to the following standards:
1. Shall be no higher than 10 feet;
2. Shall contain no more than a total of 32 square feet of sign face/area;
3. Shall be set back at least 10 feet from the right-of-way line; and
4. Shall be constructed as a monument sign and shall include as part of its design a landscaped area with a radius around the perimeter of the sign base of at least three feet.
G. Setback. Freestanding signs may be permitted anywhere on the premises, except in a required side yard, or within 10 feet of a street right-of-way.
H. Illumination. All lighted signs shall be internally lit or provided with direct illumination so as not to project light across property lines.
I. Computations.The following principles shall control the computation of sign area and sign height:
1. Area of Individual Signs. The area of a sign face (which is also the sign area of a wall sign or other sign, with only one face) shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle, or combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem, or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed, but not including any supporting framework, bracing, or decorative fence or wall that is clearly incidental to the display itself.
2. Area of Multi-Faced Signs. The sign area shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces. When two identical sign faces are placed back-to-back, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces. No greater than two faces are permitted per freestanding sign.
3. Height. The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at the existing, natural grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, or the property is improved with curbs and gutters, sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the sign is equal to the elevation of the sidewalk. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.060 General standards.
Deleted by Ord. 07-093. (Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.070 District regulations.
This section shall apply to all districts and conditional uses designated in this title.
A. R-L Low Residential, M-R Recreation Mixed Use and PF Public Facilities Districts.
1. Nonconforming Uses and Those Permitted by Conditional Use Permit.
a. Each use is permitted one freestanding or monument sign having a maximum sign area of 32 square feet. The sign structure together with the sign shall not exceed a height of five feet. One additional freestanding or monument sign is permitted if there is more than one front property line.
b. One flush-mounted wall sign having a maximum sign area of 12 square feet. In lieu of a freestanding or monument sign, the attached sign may be increased in area to the total square footage of the freestanding or monument sign plus the square footage of the attached sign for a total of 44 square feet.
2. Home Occupations. Signs relating to home occupations as defined in Chapter 14.98 RIMC shall be an unlighted, flush-mounted wall sign and shall not exceed four square feet in area.
3. Residential Subdivisions, Residential Multifamily, and Planned Residential Developments. Decorative subdivision or area name signs of a permanent character at the street entrance or entrances to the housing development which identify said development only shall be permitted, subject to the following conditions:
a. One monument sign may be permitted per entrance from an access street to the property, provided said sign does not exceed 32 square feet and is six feet or less in height, or as approved by the reviewing authority at the time of preliminary subdivision approval.
b. The sign shall consist of decorative masonry walls or wood with name plates or letters, and shall be located in a maintained landscaped area.
B. C-G General Commercial, C-T Tourist Commercial and I-G General Industrial District.
1. Single-Occupancy Buildings.
a. One freestanding or monument sign not exceeding a maximum area of 70 square feet nor a height of 20 feet.
b. One attached sign, unlighted or with low intensity lighting, placed flat against the wall of the main building, having a surface area not greater than 32 square feet, is permitted.
c. In lieu of a freestanding or monument sign, the attached sign may be increased in area to the total square footage of the freestanding or monument sign plus the square footage of the attached sign for a total of 100 square feet.
2. Multiple (Two or More) Offices or Businesses within a Structure of a Planned Commercial/Industrial Park.
a. One freestanding sign not exceeding 120 square feet, nor exceeding a height of 20 feet.
b. Identification signs may list the names of the occupants of the multiple structure/park. (Individual occupants or buildings are not allowed a separate freestanding sign.)
c. One additional freestanding sign is permitted per center if the premises extends through a block to face on two or more arterial streets.
d. One wall identification sign shall be permitted for each principal building or occupancy which does not exceed an area of 32 square feet. Identification signs shall be attached flat against the building and shall not project above the eaves of the roof or the top of the parapet or beyond the eave lines or beyond the outer limits of the wall.
e. Individual occupancy signs within a multiple occupancy or building complex shall be consistent with the building architecture and similar in color, design, size, and graphics.
3. Community Bulletin Board Signs. One community bulletin board sign is permitted when associated with a public school, park, recreation facility, grange, fire station, church or other similar type use, provided it meets the following:
a. Only one sign is permitted and shall not exceed 50 square feet in area. Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of 15 feet and shall meet the minimum setback set forth in RIMC 17.46.050(G). (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.080 Nonconforming signs.
Any sign lawfully existing under all codes and regulations prior to the adoption of the ordinance codified in this title may be continued and maintained as a legal nonconforming sign, provided:
A. No sign shall be changed in any manner that increases its noncompliance with the provisions of this chapter.
B. If the sign is structurally altered or moved, its legal nonconforming status shall be void and the sign will be required to conform to the provisions of this chapter.
C. The sign is not hazardous or abandoned.
D. The burden of establishing the legal nonconformity of a sign under this section is the responsibility of the person or persons, firm, or corporation claiming legal status of a sign. The approval of an asserted nonconformity is a limited administrative function of the mayor.
E. The provisions of Chapter 17.58 RIMC may govern certain nonconforming signs. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.090 Termination of signs.
By destruction, damage, obsolescence or danger, the right to maintain any sign shall terminate and shall cease to exist whenever the sign is:
A. Damaged or destroyed beyond 50 percent of the cost of replacement, as determined by the mayor as a limited administrative review responsibility; and/or
B. Structurally substandard to the extent that the sign becomes a hazard or a danger to the public health, safety, and welfare as determined by the mayor as a limited administrative review responsibility. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).
17.46.100 Definitions.
The following definitions are applicable to this chapter:
A. “Abandoned sign” means any sign located on property that is vacant and unoccupied for a period of six months or more, or any sign which pertains to any occupant, business or event unrelated to the present occupant or use.
B. “Changing message center sign” means an electronically controlled sign where different automatic changing messages are shown on the lamp bank. This definition includes time and temperature displays.
C. “City directory sign” means a sign that is specifically authorized by the city on city-owned property and/or right-of-way that displays, in a uniform manner and design, the names, addresses and/or phone numbers of businesses and/or public/semi-public uses located in nearby areas. City directory signs do not include any advertising of products or services, nor do they include any business logos.
D. “Construction sign” means any sign used to identify the architects, engineers, contractors, or other individuals or firms involved with the construction of a building; and to show the design of the building or the purpose for which the building is intended.
E. “Directional/incidental sign” means signs indicating entrances, exits, service areas, loading only, and parking areas; and which do not contain advertising or promotional information.
F. “Flashing or blinking sign” means an electric sign or a portion thereof (except changing message centers) which changes light intensity in a sudden transitory burst, or which switches on and off in a constant pattern in which more than one-third of the light source is off at any one time.
G. “Freestanding sign” means any sign supported by one or more uprights, poles or braces in or upon the ground and that are independent from any building or other structure.
H. “Illuminated sign” means an electric sign or other sign employing the use of lighting sources for the purpose of decorating, outlining, accentuating or brightening the sign area.
I. “Nonconforming sign” means a sign which was legally installed under laws or ordinances in effect prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter or subsequent revisions, but which is in conflict with the current provisions of this chapter.
J. “Portable sign” means any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels, signs converted to A- or T-frames, menu and sandwich board signs, balloons used as signs, and/or umbrellas used for advertising.
K. “Monument sign” means a ground-mounted sign with a message on a maximum of two sides and which is attached to the ground by means of a wide base of solid appearance.
L. “Multiple-building complex” means a group of structures containing two or more retail, office, and/or commercial uses sharing the same lot, access and/or parking facilities, or a coordinated site plan. For the purposes of this section, each multiple-building complex shall be considered a single use.
M. “Multiple-tenant building” means a single structure housing two or more retail, office, or commercial uses. For the purposes of this section each multiple-tenant building shall be considered a single use.
N. “Off-premises sign” means a sign which advertises or promotes merchandise, service, goods, or entertainment which are sold, produced, manufactured or furnished at a place other than on the property on which the sign is located.
O. “On-premises sign” means a sign incidental to a lawful use of the premises on which it is located, advertising the business transacted, services rendered, goods sold or products produced on the premises or the name of the business, person, firm, or corporation occupying the premises.
P. “Residential sign” means any sign located in a residential district that contains no commercial message except advertising for goods or services legally offered on the pre-mises where the sign is located, if, offering such service, location conforms with all requirements of this title.
Q. “Temporary sign” means any sign, banner, pennant, valance, or advertising display constructed of cloth, paper, canvas, cardboard, and/or other light, nondurable materials. Types of displays included in this category are signs for grand openings, special sales, special events, and garage sales.
R. “Wall sign” means any sign attached to or painted directly on the wall, or erected against and parallel to the wall of a building, not extending more than 12 inches from the wall. (Ord. 07-093 § 1; Ord. 99-025 § 2).