Dimensional standards
Servicing
- Applies near
- Downtown business area
- Geographic extent
- Downtown business area defined as properties abutting on Lewis Street from West Beverley Street to Middlebrook Avenue, along Middlebrook Avenue to South New Street Extended, along South New Street Extended to Greenville Avenue, along Greenville Avenue to North Coalter Street to East Frederick Street, along East Frederick Street to North New Street, along North New Street to Churchville Avenue, along Churchville Avenue to Lewis Street, back to Beverley Street, and all properties within the delineated area.
Extracted standards
49 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Signage
- Awnings must not be illuminated
Awnings must not be illuminated.
- Certificate of appropriateness required
No person, firm or corporation shall erect, alter, repair or relocate any sign within the area without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the city's historic preservation commission (HPC) or the zoning administrator
- Only external illumination permitted
Only external illumination of signs is permitted
- Maximum area of canopy sign3 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Maximum sign area: three square feet.
- Maximum area of construction sign32 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
The maximum area of such signs shall be 32 square feet
- Maximum area of decorative flag15 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Wall-mounted decorative flags, each shall not exceed 15 square feet in area.
- Maximum area of directory sign7.5 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Maximum sign area: seven and one-half square feet.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of freestanding directory sign7.5 ft
Maximum height for freestanding signs: seven and one-half feet.
- Maximum area of event sign32 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
The maximum sign area shall be 32 square feet.
- Maximum wattage of exposed incandescent lamp on sign15 watts
No exposed reflective bulb, strobe light, or incandescent lamp that exceeds 15 watts shall be used on the exterior surface of any sign
- Maximum flag area for flagpole heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. >35 ft65 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
and shall not exceed 65 feet when attached to a flagpole with a height greater than 35 feet.
- Maximum flag area for flagpole heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. <=35 ft45 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
The maximum size of a flag shall not exceed 45 square feet when attached to a flagpole with a height of 35 feet or less
- Maximum flagpole heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. in residential districts25 ft
The height of a flagpole shall not exceed 25 feet in the residential districts
- Maximum freestanding sign area for lot frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street. >100 ft30 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
greater than 100 equal 30 square feet
- Maximum freestanding sign area for lot frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street. 50-100 ft9 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Lots between 50 and 100 lineal feet equal nine square feet
- Maximum freestanding sign area for lot frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street. <50 ft6 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
smaller than 50 lineal feet equal no more than six square feet
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of freestanding sign base3 ft
Freestanding signs shall be mounted on bases a maximum of three feet high.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of freestanding sign from grade12 ft
No freestanding sign shall exceed 12 feet in height from grade.
- Maximum area of fuel price sign per pump1 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
One fuel price or promotional information sign mounted/incorporated into each fuel pump not to exceed one square foot
- Maximum area of self-serve/full-serve sign per pump island2.5 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Two 'self serve' or 'full serve' signs per pump island not to exceed two and one-half square feet each
- Maximum area of grand opening sign30 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Building-mounted grand opening signs not exceeding 30 square feet shall be permitted
- Maximum area of institutional sign (exempt)24 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Signs setting forth the name or any simple announcement for any public, charitable, educational, or religious institution ... up to an area of 24 square feet.
- Maximum area of menu board4 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Maximum sign area: four square feet.
- Maximum distance of menu board from restaurant entrance4 ft
Maximum distance of menu board from restaurant or outdoor dining area entrance: four feet.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of menu board4 ft
Maximum height: four feet.
- Maximum area of menu sign (exempt)4 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Menus affixed directly to the inside of a door or window ... not exceeding four square feet in area
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of portable or sandwich board sign4 ft
Such sign shall be no larger overall than four feet in height and two feet in width
- Maximum width of portable or sandwich board sign2 ft
Such sign shall be no larger overall than four feet in height and two feet in width
- Maximum area of private traffic movement sign3 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Signs directing movement onto a premises or within a premises, not exceeding three square feet in area for each sign.
- Maximum area per side for projecting or freestanding sign (building face >=30 ft)15 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
and a maximum of 15 square feet per sign face for building faces with 30 or more lineal feet of frontage
- Maximum area per side for projecting or freestanding sign (building face <30 ft)9 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Projecting or freestanding signs shall have no more than two sides and shall have a maximum size per side of nine square feet for building faces with fewer than 30 lineal feet of frontage
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of projecting sign above sidewalk20 ft
Neither the bracket nor any portion of a projecting sign may be placed more than 20 feet above the front sidewalk
- Maximum area of real estate sign in nonresidential districts30 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
and 30 square feet in nonresidential districts.
- Maximum area of real estate sign in residential districts8 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
The maximum sign area shall be eight square feet in residential districts
- Maximum area of rental or sales sign4 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Signs on a premises announcing rooms for rent, table board, apartment or house for rent, and not exceeding four square feet in area.
- Maximum area of seasonal banner10 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
seasonal banners not exceeding 10 square feet in area shall be allowed
- Maximum area of shopping center sign20 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Sign area shall not exceed 20 square feet.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of shopping center sign12 ft
Sign height shall not exceed 12 feet
- Maximum sign area per side in absence of building9 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
In the absence of a building, the total sign area shall not exceed nine square feet per side.
- Maximum sign area per building face30 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
no sign on, or attached to, a particular building face shall exceed 30 square feet in area
- Maximum sign area ratio per building face
The total sign area for a business shall be computed on a ratio of one square foot of sign for each lineal foot of building face occupied by the business, except that no sign on, or attached to, a particular building face shall exceed 30 square feet in area.
- Maximum number of signs per building face2 count
Two signs shall be allowed per building face, with not more than one projecting, freestanding, or marquee sign allowed per face.
- Maximum area of special exhibition banner for setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. >=100 ft200 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
and 200 square feet for a building with a setback of 100 feet or more.
- Maximum area of special exhibition banner for setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. <100 ft15 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Fifteen square feet for a building with a setback of less than 100 feet
- Maximum area of state inspection center sign6 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
The maximum sign area shall be six square feet.
- Maximum window sign area as percentage of window area20 pct
The total area of window signs, including those advertising sales, in any one window shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the window.
- Minimum separation between freestanding signs50 ft
No freestanding sign shall be located within 50 feet of another freestanding sign
- Minimum clearance of projecting sign above sidewalk8 ft
a minimum clearance of eight feet above a public sidewalk
- Blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
No sign shall have blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights or any other illumination device that has a changing light intensity, brightness, or color.
From the ordinance
Special Regulations for the Downtown Business Area. ... The total sign area for a business shall be computed on a ratio of one square foot of sign for each lineal foot of building face occupied by the business, except that no sign on, or attached to, a particular building face shall exceed 30 square feet in area. ... No freestanding sign shall exceed 12 feet in height from grade. ... Only external illumination of signs is permitted.