Sign Regulations Recommendations

Transcription

1 Sign Regulations Recommendations January 23, 2014 City of Duluth Unified Development Code Agenda Approach: Results Adjustments for Freestanding Signs Electronic Changeable Copy Signs Billboards Downtown Flags Holiday and Seasonal Decorations Temporary Event Signs Master Sign Plans 2 1

2 Approach Basically keep (or improve on) current restrictions for normal situations and address special cases for particular areas or properties. Generally Business property with 1 or 2 occupants: 1 freestanding monument sign 8 h x 50 s.f.; corner lot 1/frontage 12 h x collectively 100 s.f. sign face. Principal wall sign 1/façade, 2 s.f. per lineal foot (l.f.). Multiple tenants: 1 freestanding monument sign per frontage, 1 s.f. per 1 l.f. of frontage, up to max 20 h and 150 s.f. sign face. 1 principal wall sign/tenant, 2 s.f. per l.f. of storefront. 3 Recommended Results Freestanding Signs larger sizes and heights for special circumstances. Building Signs Greater flexibility, allowed on all walls, sign sizes related to wall length or size. Downtown Address recommendations from Morris and Fellows plan. Miscellaneous Signs Reduce front yard clutter with focus on building signs and side/rear yards. Streamline permitting with Master Sign Plans. 4 2

3 Should max sign size be related to adjacent road classification? 5 Should maximum sign size be related to distance from travel lane (e.g., back of curb)? Closer to street Farther away 6 3

4 Should sign regulations be related to specific Comprehensive Plan character areas? 7 Recommended Adjustments: Freestanding Signs All properties to meet current (basic) sign regs Adjustment if on Major Roadway Peachtree Industrial, Buford Highway, SR 120, Pleasant Hill Increase in sign face area and height based on speed limit. Adjustment if in Community Activity Center area Increase in sign face area and height 8 4

5 Maximum Freestanding Sign Sizes with Adjustments 9 Recommendations: Signs on a Building All principal building signs treated collectively (wall, canopy, projecting, etc.). Any combination allowed within the overall size limitation per wall. Principal building signs allowed on all walls. Maximum area of principal signs 2 sf per lf of wall, or 20% of wall, whichever is greater. Subtenant wall sign (1) allowed. Changeable copy on wall manual only. Illumination (with some restrictions) allowed. 10 5

6 Electronic Changeable Copy Signs (LED signs) Location, spacing, size? When in lieu of principal monument sign(s) on a property what rules to apply? What other types of LED signs should or should not be allowed? 11 Recommendations: Electronic Changeable Copy Electronic Changeable Copy Signs allowed as all or part of a sign face on: Any principal freestanding sign for a nonresidential use. As a wall sign on a downtown building (1 per building). Not allowed on a billboard. 12 6

7 Recommendations: Electronic Changeable Copy Standards for Electronic Changeable Copy Signs relate to: Static display only (no movies or video) Message held for 8 sec; instantaneous changes. Maximum light levels to ambient light established; must adjust as ambient light changes (i.e., day-night). Failsafe device: brightness drops to lowest level allowed. Permit application must include certification by installer that sign meets standards. 13 Billboards. Monument sign on a vacant property, max. 30 sf. Allow LED signs? Apply Georgia DOT standards as to spacing, and allow location only along State/US highways? Major thoroughfares? Pertinent DOT Provisions Must be located on property zoned commercial or industrial. Applies within 660 of highway. Minimum spacing 100 from another sign (500 from public park, playground, etc), UNLESS LED signs must be 5000 apart on same side of highway. LED messages must be held for min. 10 seconds. Static no video allowed. Local governments can be more restrictive. 14 7

8 Recommendations: Billboards All current requirements retained. Allowed on vacant properties zoned M-1 or M-2 only. Must be a monument sign, max. 50 sf and 12 feet h. No closer that 1000 feet of another billboard on same side of road, or 500 feet in any direction; or 500 feet from a residence, church, school, park or cemetery. Added conformance required to Georgia Outdoor Advertising Act along US and State numbered highways (Buford Highway and SR 120). Downtown. Relax standards to create a more exciting environment (neon?) and diversity? Streamline sign review and approval process? Eliminate separate overview and redundant bureaucracy? 16 8

9 Recommendations: Downtown Signs in the CBD to be handled as adjustments to basic sign requirements. Historic pole signs still allowed. Wall and projecting signs may extend above the wall or the eave of the roof max ½ of sign height. One building sign may be an electronic changeable copy sign (eg., LED) or a neon sign. Window signs may cover 75% (as now); Neon signs allowed in window. A-frame/sidewalk signs still allowed. 17 Flags. By definition: non-commercial speech (versus banners ). Exempt all (as now)? Regulate? Require that the US flag be flown in accordance with the congressional standards? 18 9

10 Recommendations: Flags Minimum clearance: 8 feet (on flagpole or projecting from a building). Residential: Max. size 15 sf, 40 feet high. Nonresidential: Max. 3 flags, 3 flagpoles. Display of the American Flag to be guided by the US Code, which prohibits use for commercial purposes. PS: Display during holidays or seasonal events would be exempt as personal speech. 19 Seasonal and holiday signs. Exempt entirely or allow as temporary event signage? Restrictions? Strings of lights? Flashing? Neon? Residential versus nonresidential properties? 20 10

11 Recommendations: Seasonal and Holiday Signs Define holiday or seasonal event : A day established as a legal holiday by federal, state or local law; a nationally recognized holiday such as Halloween or Mother s Day; a nationally recognized calendar season such as Fall or Spring; a religious day such as Easter, Yom Kippur or Christmas, or term of days such as Lent, Ramadan or Hanukah. Exempt all holiday and seasonal decorations that are personal speech placed by owner. Holiday and seasonal decorations and signs that are commercial in nature handled as a temporary business promotional event (a sale). Business promotional events allowed for any period during October-November-December; 1 30-day period during other quarters of the year. Temporary signs: Relate to temporary events. The offering of a property for sale or rent. The construction of a development project. Pre-permanent signage. A grand opening of a new business. A special business promotion. A yard sale. A public announcement of a special event. An election, political campaign, referendum or ballot proposition

12 Recommendations: Temporary Signs Type of Temporary Event Sale or Lease of a Building or Premises Building Construction or Remodeling Subdivision or Condominium Project Under Development Pre-Permanent Signage Grand Opening Special Business Promotion Yard Sale Election or Political Campaigns Public Announcement Other Temporary Events Event Starts When put on the market Issuance of building permit Preliminary plat or Site Plan approval Issuance of Certificate of Occupancy Placement of grand opening event signs (within 6 months of issuance of Certificate of Occupancy) Announcement of special sale or sale event 2 days prior to announced date of sale Duration Opening day of qualification of candidates Upon placement of the sign As determined by Planning Director Event Ends Within 7 days of closing of sale or execution of lease Within 7 days of issuance of Certificate of Occupancy Sale of 95% of lots or buildings, or 12 months of no building permits When permanent signage installed or 6 months, whichever occurs first End of sale or 30 days, whichever occurs first End of sale (see text for duration of sales) At the end of the sale Within 10 days after election complete Sign removed within 30 days of placement As determined by Planning Director Number Allowed on the Property 1 freestanding per property, 1 building sign per tenant space, 1 per subdivision entrance 1 on the construction site 1 per entrance into the subdivision or development, or 1 per 300 feet of frontage Same as number of permanent signs 5 including banners, portable signs, festoons and inflatable signs 5 including banners, portable signs, festoons and inflatable signs 1 on yard sale site No limit Recommendations: Master Sign Plans Shows design of all permanent signs proposed on a property: sizes, materials, styles, etc. Approval required by Planning Commission if modifications to regulations requested. Expedites issuance of permits for individual signs on the property (max. 5 days). Recorded and included in any sale or lease

13 Your Thoughts Send your follow-up thoughts on the sign standards to Bill Ross and Rich Atkinson at: or and by February