HomeMy WebLinkAboutSign definitions 2016 revised 1-23-17 Draft #21-23-17 Draft #2
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2016 Sign Ordinance Update – Sign Definitions (an excerpt from Ch. 3 Definitions)
ALTERATION, SIGN. Any location, lighting, design, structure, size, color, or installation method change of the
materials comprising an established sign.
AWNING, PERMANENT. A permanent shelter supported entirely from the exterior wall of a building and
composed of rigid or non-rigid materials. (See definition of WALL SIGN)
BANNER. A temporary sign composed of lightweight material either enclosed or not enclosed in a rigid frame,
secured or mounted so as to allow movement of the sign caused by movement of the atmosphere.
BUILDING; MULTI-TENANT, GROUND FLOOR. A single level office or commercial Building, occupied by two
(2) or more businesses.
BUILDING; MULTI-TENANT, MULTI-LEVEL. An office or commercial Building, occupied by two (2) or more
businesses with two (2) or more occupiable floors.
BUILDING; MULTI-TENANT, MULTI-LEVEL, MIXED USE. A Building with two or more floors where the
ground floor is generally reserved for retail and service uses and the upper stories are generally intended
for residential uses.
COPY. The wording on a sign surface either in permanent or removable letter form.
COPY, CHANGEABLE. Characters, letters or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged non-electrically or
non-electronically without altering the face or surface of the sign.
COPY AREA. The area in square feet of the smallest geometric figure(s) which describes the portion of the sign
which encloses the actual Copy of the sign
ESTABLISH. In reference to signs, this term shall mean attach, alter, construct, paint, or move.
FRONTAGE, PROPERTY. The length of property line of any one premises parallel to and along one (1) public
and/or one (1) private street.
FRONTAGE, STREET. The linear length of the Façade of the Building or segment thereof facing a public street on
which a sign may be established.
LANDSCAPED GREEN AREA. An area which includes live plantings other than grass. The size of planting at the
time of installation shall be not less than a minimum of eighteen (18) inches width and height for shrubs, a
minimum of four to five (4 - 5) feet in height for evergreen conifer trees and a minimum of six to eight (6 -
8) feet in height for shade trees.
LOT, THROUGH. A Lot having frontage on two (2) parallel or approximately parallel streets.
MULTI-TENANT BUILDING COMPLEX. Two (2) or more buildings designed to function as a unit including
converted residential structures with more than one occupant space
PREMISES IDENTIFICATION. The common street address of a building displayed in numerals.
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PUBLIC ACCESS ENTRANCE. An entrance to a building that is used daily by the general public, not an employee
or private entrance
RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX. A group of two (2) or more Buildings for housing purposes combining any of the
following: Attached, Multiple Family, Single Family or Two Family Dwellings.
SIGN. Any type of sign as further defined and regulated by the Sign Ordinance for Carmel-Clay Township,
Ordinance Z- 302, as amended. Any structure, fixture, placard, announcement, declaration, device,
demonstration or insignia used for direction, information, identification or to advertise or promote any
business, product, goods, activity, services or any interests.
SIGN AREA. The area of a sign shall be calculated by multiplying its maximum vertical dimension by its maximum
horizontal dimension, excluding the structural support. The gross Sign Area of a Ground Sign or Projecting
Sign with back-to-back identical Copy mounted on the same standard(s) shall be the total area on one (1)
side of the sign.
SIGN FACE. The part of the sign area that is intended primarily for or can be utilized for communication purposes.
SIGN PERMIT. A permit signed by the Director stating that a proposed sign has met with general provisions of this
ordinance.
SIGN PLAN. A package detailing all exterior signage proposed to be located within a development.
SIGN STRUCTURE. Any structure which supports, has supported or is capable of supporting a sign, including
decorative cover and planter boxes.
SIGN, ADDRESS. Address numbers identifying a building may be placed on any Façade of the building
SIGN, AWNING. Permanent Awnings attached to the Building shall be considered a part of the Structure, and signs
established on Permanent Awnings shall be considered Wall Signs.
SIGN, BLADE. See Sign, Projecting.
SIGN, ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD. Signs which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing,
intermittent, or moving light or lights, or signs which use various types of evolving technology such as
lights, glow tubes, rotating slats, moving or static reflective discs, etc.
SIGN, GROUND. A sign supported by one or more uprights or braces placed in the ground, not attached to any
building or structure.
SIGN, HEIGHT OF GROUND. The vertical distance measured from the ground level upon which the sign is
Established to the highest point of the Sign Structure.
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SIGN, INTEGRAL.
SIGN, LEGAL NON-CONFORMING. Any given sign which was lawfully established (has received a sign permit)
and maintained prior to such time as it came within or under the terms of this Code, November 5, 1981 or
the prior Sign Code, May 23, 1973 and any amendment thereto, and which fails to conform to all
applicable regulations and restrictions of this Ordinance, or a non-conforming sign for which a variance has
been granted by the Board and for which a sign permit has been issued. (See also Section 25.07.08).
SIGN, OFF PREMISE. Signs which advertise goods, products, services, facilities, an activity, business, project or
service no longer conducted on the premises where the sign is located. Also includes signs which direct
persons to a different location (or to a telephone number at a different location) from where the sign is
installed.
SIGN, PERMANENT. A sign that is approved and intended to be erected for more than one (1) year.
SIGN, PORCH. A sign attached to a porch or overhang. This type of sign shall be permitted only on residential
structures that have been converted to businesses.
SIGN, PORTABLE. A sign not permanently anchored or secured to either a building or the ground.
SIGN, PROJECTING. A sign attached to and supported by a building and which extends out at any angle therefrom.
It may also be referred to as a Blade sign. Typically projecting signs are more horizontally oriented and
lade signs are more vertically oriented on the building.
SIGN, ROOF. A sign established and maintained upon the roof of a building which is located between the roof line
and the roof crown.
SIGN, SECONDARY PROJECTING. A sign established under an Awning or perpendicular from the wall on a
smaller scale intended for pedestrian traffic. Secondary Projecting signs shall be considered Wall Signs.
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SIGN, SUSPENDED. A Ground Sign suspended from and installed on an arm or spar attached to one (1) upright,
decorative pole.
SIGN, TEMPORARY. A sign that is not intended for permanent installation.
SIGN, TRAFFIC DIRECTIONAL. Sign directing traffic movement onto and/or within a premise. Standard traffic
directional signs, such as STOP and YIELD signs, shall comply with the “Uniform Manual for Traffic
Control Devices.”
SIGN, VEHICLE. A sign on a vehicle of any kind, provided the sign is painted or attached directly to the body of
the original vehicle and does not project or extend beyond two (2) inches from the original manufactured
body proper of the vehicle. The vehicle to which the sign is attached shall be in proper working order and
shall bear a current license plate and shall not be permanently parked on a public street or street right-of-
way.
SIGN, WALL. A sign established on the wall of a building with the face in a parallel plane to the plane of the
building wall.
SIGN, WINDOW. Any building sign, picture, symbol or combination thereof, designed to communicate information
about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale or service that is placed inside of and within two (2) feet
of a window, or upon the window panes or glass.
SPANDREL PANEL. An opaque rectangular or triangular wall panel area in a façade filling the space between
architectural elements, usually above and below windows or between building expansion joints.
VISIBLE LIGHT SOURCE. Neon, LED or any other lighting types that may be seen through a clear or translucent
glass covering that may or may not be tinted/colored. The lighting source may also be directly exposed
with no covering other than the casing around the light source.
VISION CLEARANCE ON CORNER LOTS. A triangular space at the street corner of a Corner Lot, free from any
kind of obstruction to vision between the heights of three (3) and eight (8) feet above the established street
grade. The street grade is measured at the intersection of the centerlines of the intersecting street pavement,
and the triangular space is determined by a diagonal line connecting two (2) points measured fifteen (15)
feet equidistant from the Lot corner along each property line at intersections of two (2) residential streets or
twenty-five (25) feet at the intersection of any other types of Streets
WINDOW AREA. The total area of all windows along a Building Frontage
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