Source: https://www.ecode360.com/28068764
Timestamp: 2020-02-23 10:16:06
Document Index: 481462474

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294', '§ 1294']

City of Coldwater, MI Signs
§ 1294.01 Definitions.
§ 1294.02 General provisions.
§ 1294.03 Permits for erection of signs; fees.
§ 1294.04 Sign regulations for residential property.
§ 1294.05 Signs in the C-1, C-3, C-4, D-1, and D-2 Districts.
§ 1294.06 Signs in the C-2 and OS Districts.
§ 1294.07 Regulations of billboards adjacent to I-69.
§ 1294.08 Existing signs.
§ 1294.09 General construction requirements.
§ 1294.10 Licenses for sign erectors; bond or insurance required.
§ 1294.11 Issuance of civil infraction citations and notices.
Chapter 1294 Signs
All definitions pertaining to signs are located in Section 1260.07.
[Ord. No. 738, passed 2-22-2010; Ord. No. 759, passed 8-27-2012]
No person shall erect, place or maintain a sign in the City, except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
The following types of signs are prohibited in all zoning districts:
Air-filled or gas-filled balloon signs.
Animated signs and/or flashing signs (except traffic control devices).
Street furniture signs, except at bus stops.
Signs carried, waved or otherwise displayed by persons either on public rights-of-way or in a manner visible from public rights-of-way. This provision is directed toward such displays intended to draw attention for a commercial purpose, and is not intended to limit the display of placards, banners, flags, or other signage by persons participating in demonstrations, political rallies and similar events.
Signage on publicly-owned land or inside street rights-of-way except those signs erected by the City, County, State or Federal Government.
Temporary or portable signs, unless otherwise specified in the Zoning Code.
Any sign not specifically permitted in each zoning district and/or designated use category, as described in Sections 1294.04 through 1294.07.
No person shall erect, display or maintain any sign which emulates or imitates, in size, color, lettering or design, any traffic sign or signal or any sign which by design or location may in any manner interfere with, mislead or confuse the public with respect to any traffic sign or signal or obstruct the public view thereof.
Exterior signs shall be located or erected in such a manner so as to not interfere with traffic visibility. In determining whether a sign may interfere with traffic visibility, the Zoning Administrator shall consider the following:
Height, area, supporting structure and the distance from ground level of the sign;
Lighting of the sign;
Location of the sign in relation to roads, drives, points of ingress and egress, parking areas, sidewalks and other vehicular or pedestrian access ways;
Location of the sign in relation to nearby buildings and structures; and
Section 1299.05, Traffic Visibility Across Corner Lots.
No sign shall be located closer than two feet to a public street right-of-way, except in the C-2 District described in (f) below.
No portion of any sign shall overhang a public street right-of-way, except in the C-2 District. No person shall erect any sign projecting over public property which at any point is less than 12 feet above the sidewalk grade, excepting wall signs or marquee signs, which shall be at least nine feet above the sidewalk grade.
No exterior freestanding sign, signboard or billboard sign shall exceed 15 feet in height.
The provisions of this section are not intended to conflict with provisions controlling signs regulated under the authority of M.C.L.A. 252.301 et seq., the Highway Advertising Act, as amended.
Unless otherwise specified by this chapter, all signs may be illuminated. Low-pressure sodium lighting is the preferred light source to minimize light emission. All lighting fixtures shall be of the downwardly-directed type that shield the luminaire from sight. No sign regulated by this chapter shall utilize:
An exposed incandescent lamp with an external reflector and without a sunscreen or comparable diffusion device. (NOTE: For the purpose of this chapter, quartz lamps shall not be considered an incandescent light source.)
Any exposed incandescent lamp in excess of 160 watts, unless a screen or shield is installed so that no light rays are emitted by the installed fixture at angles above the sign's highest horizontal plane. (NOTE: For the purpose of this chapter, quartz lamps shall not be considered an incandescent light source.)
Any revolving beacon light.
Metal halide lighting, fluorescent lighting and quartz lighting may be used for outdoor advertising signs, but shall be installed in enclosed luminaries.
Glass tubes filled with neon, argon or krypton may be used, provided that they do not flash intermittently or create a visual effect of movement.
Lighting fixtures used to illuminate an outdoor advertising sign shall be mounted on the top of the sign structure whenever practical or mounted so that no light rays are emitted by the installed fixture to traffic areas or residential areas.
No sign shall be illuminated by flashing, oscillating or intermittent lighting.
Burned-out luminaires must be replaced within 10 business days.
No sign for which a permit is required by this chapter shall be erected or altered unless a permit shall have first been obtained from the Zoning Administrator for such erection or alteration.
Applications for sign permits shall be made upon forms provided for this purpose, and shall contain or be accompanied by such plans, drawings and specifications as are necessary to fully advise the Zoning Administrator and Building Inspector of the type, size, shape, location, construction and materials of such proposed sign and the building or structure upon which it is to be placed. Drawings are to be fully dimensioned, giving the weight of the sign, the size of the frame members, the anchorage, and the arrangement of guys.
A scale drawing of the outside dimensions of the sign, or the total area encompassed by a line around all lettering or symbols, shall be presented to the Zoning Administrator so that he or she may insure that the provisions of this section are met. Evidence shall also be presented to the effect that the sign will be securely attached to the building or supporting structure and will not present a hazard. For freestanding signs, a site development plan of the intended location of the sign and a scale drawing of the total sign structure shall also be presented to the Zoning Administrator.
The City shall not be responsible for the design of any portion of any sign, for the meeting of specifications for loads or strength of materials, or for any computations in the design of any portion of the sign. All this shall be the full responsibility of the sign owner. The City may check any sign for design strength at any time and, if any member does not meet the specifications, the sign owner will make the necessary corrections within 15 days after being notified in writing by the City Building Inspector.
Permits for the erection of signs shall be issued only to persons, firms or corporations licensed and qualified to carry on such work under the provision of this chapter; excepting, however, that individual property owners may, without bond or insurance, erect signs on their own premises, provided such signs do not hang over public property, and provided the permit therefore is first obtained and that work is done under the control of the City Building Inspector. Prior to the issuance of a sign permit all fees shall be paid.
Permit fees for the erection or construction of signs for which permits are required by this chapter shall be determined by City Council. The following do not require a permit unless otherwise specified herein, but must comply with the regulations concerning height, area, and location for the particular zoning district. No permit is required for the maintenance of a sign, replacement of a panel on an existing box sign, or for a change of copy on painted, printed or changeable copy signs.
Signs erected by the City, County, State or Federal Government for street direction or traffic control.
Governmental use signs, including integral signs, erected by governmental agencies to designate hours of activity or conditions, or use for parks, parking lots, recreational areas or other public spaces, or for governmental buildings.
Public organizations under the order and permission of Council.
Posting of legal notices as are required by law.
Signs designating sites recognized by the State Historical Commission as centennial farms or historic landmarks.
Real estate signs under six square feet advertising premises for sale, rent, or lease.
Political signs, not to exceed a total of six square feet, are permitted in any zoned district, provided that all of said signs are located on private property and shall be removed within 10 days after the date of said election. See Citation/Title 1983-1984 Mich. Op. Atty. Gen 411, 2244, 1983-1984 Mich. OAG No. 6258, November 26, 1984.
Placards posted to control and/or prohibit hunting within the City.
Essential service signs denoting utility lines, railroad lines, hazards and precautions, including portable flashing signs.
Integral signs which are either cut into the face of a masonry surface or constructed of bronze or other incombustible material when located flat on the face of a building.
Special decorative displays, signs, pennants, flags or banners used for holidays, public demonstrations for the promotion of civic welfare or charitable purposes wherein the same shall be used for not more than 14 days.
Temporary signs except for as provided for in each zoning district.
[Ord. No. 738, passed 2-22-2010; Ord. No. 759, passed 8-27-2012; Ord. No. 763, passed 12-26-2012; Ord. No. 764, passed 1-14-2013]
In the R-3 and A (AA, A-1, A-2, A-3) Districts, including property zoned or used for residential purposes, only the following exterior signs shall be permitted:
Directional/regulatory. In parking areas, no signs other than directional or regulatory signs shall be permitted. If such signs are shown in connection with a site plan, the Planning Commission shall determine whether or not they are the correct size and if they are necessary for the public welfare. In all other cases, the Zoning Administrator shall make such determinations.
Nonresidential use. One monument sign is permitted and shall not exceed 32 square feet in area with a maximum height of six feet. The supporting base of the sign shall be a minimum twelve-inch vertical height. Manual changeable copy shall cover no more than 75% of the sign face.
Customary farm and crop. Customary farm and crop signs on active farms.
Subdivision entranceway sign. A permanent development entry sign which identifies subdivision by name, not to exceed 32 square feet, design of which must be consistent with the design theme of the development and constructed of natural or approved man made materials, with the exception that plywood, chipboard and similar materials are not permitted.
Nameplate. One nameplate which is not illuminated and does not exceed a total area of two square feet is permitted for each dwelling unit. House numbers are not considered a part of this square footage.
Lease or sale of premises. One temporary sign pertaining to the lease or sale of the premises upon which it is placed, not exceeding six square feet in total area and four feet in height. Corner lots are permitted one sign per street frontage. Up to three off-site directional signs for open houses are permitted, and shall be placed the day of an open house event and must be removed no more than two hours after an open house is held.
Garage sale. One temporary garage sale sign not to exceed six square feet in area shall be placed within the property line of the premises on which said sale is conducted and shall be removed immediately after the completion of the garage sale. Any other sign pertaining to the garage sale is prohibited.
Temporary construction sign. One temporary construction sign not to exceed 24 square feet which identifies the name of a residential development, the developer, the type of residential structures included in the development and/or a graphic layout of the lots, and which is harmonious in appearance with that of the vicinity. Said sign may be erected after the City Council has granted final approval and shall be removed when 75% of the dwellings have been occupied.
Place of worship. One electronic message sign that meets all other size, height, location, and brightness requirements for electronic message signs, with no scrolling, flashing, animation, or blinking. Said sign shall be turned off by 9:00 p.m. and shall not be turned on before 6:00 a.m. The electronic messaging shall not exceed 24 square feet of said signage area, and the total sign area shall not exceed 32 square feet in size.
[Amended 7-31-2015 by Ord. No. 786]
For nonresidential properties in the C-1, C-3, C-4, D-1, and D-2 Districts, exterior signs as described in Section 1294.04 are permitted, together with those permitted as described below. Exterior signs in these districts for residential property are permitted only as described in Section 1294.04.
Area, signs in general. The area of all exterior attached wall and freestanding signs permitted for each lot shall be determined as two square feet of sign area for each one linear foot of lot width which faces one public street. For calculation purposes, corner lots shall use the side of the lot that fronts the addressed road. The maximum area for all exterior signs for each developed lot shall be 200 square feet, unless otherwise specified herein.
Each occupied parcel shall be permitted wall signage not to exceed 15% of the wall area to be served and as otherwise permitted in division (a) hereof for total sign area. A business without ground floor frontage shall be allowed an exterior wall sign not to exceed 24 square feet in area.
Each occupied parcel shall be permitted a maximum of 75 square feet of sign for all exterior freestanding signs.
Number. Each occupied parcel shall be permitted one exterior on-site free-standing sign and one wall sign per exterior facade of the building, providing the total area of all exterior signs does not exceed the total sign area permitted in Section 1294.05(a).
Height. No free-standing or monument sign shall exceed a height of 15 feet.
Business center signs. In a business center the following types and sizes of signs are permitted:
One freestanding sign not to exceed 100 square feet in size. A corner location may have one sign on each street with a maximum area of 32 square feet each.
Individual establishments within the center are permitted one wall or marquee sign per exterior facade of the building, not to exceed 15% of the wall area to be served. The wall or marquee sign permitted for an individual establishment shall be located on the portion of the business center that it occupies.
Incidental, directional signs, menu boards. Incidental signs, directional signs, and menu boards for fast food restaurants shall not be included in computing the total sign area. Menu boards must be located in the rear yard, and are limited to two per establishment not to exceed 36 square feet each.
Temporary commercial message signs/pennant. A temporary sign is permitted, up to 24 square feet in area, for no more than seven days per month or for no more than 14 days for one-time grand opening events.
Real estate sign. One temporary sign pertaining to the lease or sale of the premises upon which it is placed, not exceeding 20 square feet in total area and a maximum height of eight feet.
Temporary construction sign. One temporary construction sign, not to exceed 24 square feet, identifying the architects, engineers, contractors or other parties responsible for a project or identifying the intended purposes or uses of the building, providing sign is removed upon issuance of certificate of occupancy or 75% of parcels are developed.
Window signs. Window signs shall be permitted and shall not be included in total sign area computation.
Electronic message signs. Electronic message signs are allowed subject to the following conditions and limitations:
[Amended 10-24-2016 by Ord. No. 792]
The difference between the off and solid-message measurements shall not exceed 0.3 foot candles.
The 0.3 foot candles shall be measured at a distance as set forth in the table below:
Sign Area versus Measurement Distance
Measurement from Sign
15 (and smaller)
The illumination of a sign or other site illumination shall not exceed one-foot candle at the property line.
The automated changeable copy message portion of the sign area shall not exceed 75% of the total permitted sign are up to a maximum of 32 square feet [24 square feet in C-1; 18 square feet in C-2, as further described in § 1294.06(c)].
Each electronic message sign shall be equipped with a sensor or other device that automatically determines the ambient illumination and automatically dims according to ambient light conditions to comply with the 0.3 foot candle measurements.
All electronic message signs permitted before the effective date of this section that can be altered to comply with it shall be so altered. Any such sign that cannot be altered may be permitted upon application.
For nonresidential properties in the C-2 and OS Districts, exterior signs as described in Section 1294.04 are permitted, together with those permitted as described below. Exterior signs in theses for residential property are permitted only as described in Section 1294.04.
Wall signs. Each building may have one wall sign displayed on the exterior wall of that building. In the downtown area, wall signage is only permitted between the top of the windows on the first story, as defined in Section 1260.07 and the bottom of the lowest window on the second story. No single wall sign shall exceed the following square footage regulations. Total signage area may be calculated in either of the following methods:
Thirty-two square feet for a single tenant, 50 square feet total for two tenants and an additional 15 square feet for each additional tenant; or
One-square-foot of sign area for each linear foot of building frontage with a maximum height of three feet.
In addition to the signs permitted in division (a) of this section, the following are also permitted:
Tenant sign. A tenant sign with additional means of access or exterior wall facing directly onto a public alley, parking lot or street, shall be permitted as a twelve-square-foot wall sign on that exterior wall.
Projecting sign.
Sign area shall not exceed 12 square feet in area or four feet in width.
A projecting sign shall not have more than two sign faces.
Each sign shall identify only one business.
The bottom of the projecting such sign shall be at least 12 feet above the surrounding grade and shall not extend above the height of the wall.
Supporting brackets are to provide support and shall be designed to meet current building codes.
Window signs. Window signs shall be permitted and shall not be included in total sign area computation if said signs do not occupy more than 25% of the total window area of the floor level on which displayed or exceed a total of 50 square feet for any one building. Window signs must be decorative vinyl lettering directly attached to window surface, neon, or some other professionally prepared sign material. Window signs made of temporary material such as cardboard, paper or handmade signs are not permitted.
Monument sign. For occupied parcels with lawn or parking areas sufficient to meet required setback requirements, one monument sign not to exceed 32 square feet in sign area and six feet in height is permitted. The supporting base of a monument sign shall be a minimum twelve-inch vertical height. A monument sign may be an electronic message sign upon issuance of a permit, with the conditions and limitations as set forth in § 1294.05(h), except that the total automated changeable copy message potion of the sign area shall not exceed a maximum of 18 square feet in area.
Sandwich or A-frame sign. A sandwich or A-frame sign shall not be larger than 30 inches wide by 36 inches tall (7.5 square feet). In addition the following regulations apply:
Do not extend power cords and/or attach electric lights to the signs.
Locate signs in front of the sponsoring business.
Allow for eight feet of clear passage on the sidewalk for pedestrians; and do not interfere with or attach signs to benches, trash receptacles, flowerpots, or loading zones.
Signs must be distinguishable by the cane of a visually impaired person.
Place only one sign per address. If more than one business shares an entrance, then signs can represent more than one business.
Signs are permitted to be displayed only during business hours.
[Ord. No. 738, passed 2-22-2010; Ord. No. 757, passed 4-9-2012]
Billboards may be established in a zoning district adjacent to I-69, provided that they meet the following conditions:
Not more than three billboards may be located per linear mile of highway within the City. The linear mile measurement shall include both sides of I-69 for determining a new sign within the City. Double-faced billboard structures (i.e. structures having back-to-back billboard faces) and V-type billboard structures having only one face visible to traffic proceeding from any given direction on a street or highway shall be considered as one billboard. Additionally, billboard structures having tandem billboard faces (i.e. two parallel billboard faces facing the same direction and side-by-side to one another) or stacked billboard faces (i.e. two parallel billboard faces facing the same direction with one face being directly above the other) shall be considered as one billboard. Otherwise, billboard structures having more than one billboard face shall be considered as two billboards and shall be prohibited in accordance with the minimum spacing requirement set forth in division (b) of this section.
No billboard shall be located within 1,000 feet of another billboard abutting either side of the highway.
No billboard shall be located within 200 feet of a residential zone and/or existing residence. If the billboard is illuminated, the required distance shall instead be 300 feet.
No billboard shall be located closer than 100 feet from the right-of-way line of I-69, nor less than 10 feet from any interior boundary line of the premises on which the billboard is located.
The surface display area of any side of a billboard shall not exceed 300 square feet.
The height of a billboard shall not exceed 30 feet above the grade of the ground on which the billboard sits or the grade of the abutting roadway, whichever is higher.
A billboard may be illuminated, provided that such illumination is concentrated on the surface of the sign and is located so as to avoid glare or reflection onto any portion of an adjacent street or highway, the path of oncoming vehicles or any adjacent premises. In no event shall any billboard have flashing or intermittent lights, nor shall the lights be permitted to rotate or oscillate.
A billboard shall be constructed in such a fashion that it will withstand all wind and vibration forces, which can normally be expected to occur in the vicinity. A billboard shall be maintained so as to assure proper alignment of its structure, continued structural soundness and continued readability of the message.
A billboard established within a business, commercial or industrial area, as defined in M.C.L.A. 252.301 et seq. (the Highway Advertising Act), bordering interstate highways, freeways or primary highways, as defined in said Act, shall, in addition to complying with the above conditions, also comply with all applicable provisions of said Act and the regulations promulgated hereunder, as such may from time to time be amended.
Conforming signs, existing signage in conformance with this zoning code, are allowed to continue and shall not be changed to another type of sign that is not in compliance with this Zoning Code. After the activity, business or usage to which it relates has been discontinued for a period of 30 days or longer, the message portion of the sign structure must be removed, obscured, or modified in such a way that also maintains the structural integrity of the existing supports and framing structure of the sign. When the message portion of a sign is removed, leaving only the supports, framing structure, and/or box of the conforming sign, the owner of the property where the sign is located, or other person having control over such sign shall, within 30 days of the removal of the message portion of the sign, replace the message portion of the sign with a panel, or similar replacement unit, that meets the construction and safety requirements of Section 1294.09. This requirement shall not be construed to alter the effect of Section 1294.08(b), which prohibits the replacement of a nonconforming sign. Nor shall this requirement be construed to prevent the changing of the message of a sign.
Nonconforming signage, an existing sign that is existing on the effective date of this chapter, or any amendment thereof, which does not, at that time, comply with all of the provisions of this chapter, including any amendment shall not be re-established and signage and related supports must be removed after the activity, business or usage to which it relates has been discontinued for a period of 30 days or longer. Nonconforming signs may not be repaired after damage or destruction if the Zoning Board of Appeals determines that the estimated cost of reconstruction exceeds 50% of the estimated replacement costs of the damaged portions in need of repair. All nonconforming signs shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 1298.
After the effective date of this chapter, an off-premises sign advertising a business, activity, or use that is not located on the premises for which that sign was initially intended to advertise shall be considered a nonconforming sign.
All signs shall be kept in good repair as required by this chapter and applicable City ordinances.
All signs shall be professionally constructed and erected in a stable manner, and shall be thoroughly and securely anchored to the building or other support by means of chains, or bolts or screws of sufficient strength and size to support and hold in place at least four times the weight of the sign. All chains, cables, bolts or screws shall be galvanized cadmium-coated. Home made or hand drawn signs are not permitted.
No sign shall be held in place by means of wedges drawn in between bricks or stones in masonry, but, in the case of masonry, bolts with expansion sleeves shall be used. Expansion bolts for the securing of projecting signs shall not be smaller in size than 1/2 inch by four inches for 12 by six-foot signs; 1/2 by three inches for 10 by five-foot signs; and 3/8 inch by two inches for signs smaller than eight feet by four feet. Where brickwork is of poor quality or inadequately bonded, through bolts shall be used. Cross arms, clamps and connections on pole signs shall be made of sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand a wind load of 30 pounds per square foot on the face of the sign.
All signs erected on or over public property shall be of metal or other noncombustible material approved by the American Insurance Association. All signs erected in the fire district, regardless of their location with respect to public property, shall be of metal or other noncombustible material, approved by the American Insurance Association. However, any sign in the fire district may contain wood panel, wood trim or wood letters, or any combination thereof, if said sign has no electrical connections. No signs shall be constructed in which the different parts of the metal are held in place by the use of solder only, and, where the splicing of two pieces of metal is necessary in the construction of a sign, such metals shall be fastened together by means of rivets, bolts or screws.
No person shall erect, display or maintain any sign which obstructs any fire escape, building entrance, public passage, or the use of any fire hydrant, nor shall any sign be attached in form, shape or manner to any fire escape.
All the several classes of signs may be inspected by the City Building Inspector at any time and, if found to be unsafe, insecure, corroded or subject to corrosion so that the sign may become unsafe or unsecure before the expiration of the ensuing year and unable to withstand a horizontal wind pressure of 30 pounds per square foot besides its own weight, then the owner shall be required to make the sign safe and secure by causing such necessary repairs, additions, painting, etc., within one week from the time of notification in writing to that effect from the City Building Inspector. If said notice is not complied with within the time specified, the City Building Inspector shall cause the sign in question to be removed and the expense to be assessed in the same manner as taxes against such owner of the sign or real estate owner. It shall also be the duty of the City Building Inspector and Electrical Inspector to order the removal of an unsafe sign for which a permit and license are not herein required, and the maintenance of such sign in an unsafe condition after receipt of notice to remove or repair the same shall be a violation of this chapter.
Every person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of erecting or installing signs for which permits are required by this chapter shall be licensed to conduct such operations.
The license to engage in the business of erecting signs shall be known as a sign erectors license, and the same shall be issued only to those persons, firms or corporations who or which show sufficient knowledge and experience to satisfy the City Building Inspector as to their ability to erect signs in a safe and substantial manner in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The sign erectors license fee shall be determined by the City Council.
Prior to the issuance of a sign erectors license, the permit, firm or corporation desiring such license shall file with the City Building Inspector a good and sufficient bond, running to the City in the penal sum of $5,000, to indemnify, save and keep harmless the City from any and all costs, damages or expenses of any kind whatsoever which may accrue against it by reason of the City's granting permission to erect a sign, or by reason of any acts or things done under or by authority or permission granted by an employee of the City to erect a sign in the City, or by reason of the negligence, failure or refusal of any person, firm or corporation to comply with all the provisions of this chapter applicable to signs. In lieu of said bond, said applicant may file with the Building Inspector a certificate of insurance showing public liability and property damage insurance in force and showing the expiration date thereof, in an amount of not less than $10,000 to $50,000 public liability insurance, and not less than $5,000 property damage insurance. Said sign erector and his or her insurer shall notify the City in the event of cancellation or change in terms of said policy.
At any time the bond or insurance policy of a sign erector is permitted to lapse, his or her license shall automatically be revoked.
The Zoning Administrator, or his or her designee, is hereby designated as the authorized City official to issue Municipal civil infraction citations (directing alleged violators to appear in court) or Municipal civil infraction violation notices (directing alleged violators to appear at the Municipal Ordinance Violations Bureau) as provided in these codified ordinances.