370.020 General Provisions.
A. No person shall erect, construct, alter, place, change, relocate, suspend or attach any sign without first obtaining from the City a written permit to do so, paying the fees prescribed therefore, and otherwise complying with all of the applicable provisions of this Code. Signs will be maintained in good condition, both structurally, and in their appearance.
B. Permit Application: Application for a sign permit shall be made on a form prescribed by the City and shall include at a minimum,
(a) A sketch drawn to scale indicating the proposed sign and identifying existing signs on the premises,
(b) Sign location, colors, graphic design, structural and mechanical design and engineering data which ensures its structural stability unless otherwise excepted herein;
(c) Names and addresses of the owner(s) of the subject property, the person authorizing erection of the sign and the party erecting the same as well as the party who shall maintain the same.
C. Application Approval and Permit Issuance: Unless otherwise provided by this Code, no permit shall be issued for any new sign or substantial modification thereof within the City until the same be reviewed and approved under the direction of the City Manager.
D. Signs Exempt from Permits: The following signs do not require permits as herein required:
(1) Traffic or other governmental street signs, such as railroad crossing signs and notices as may be authorized or required by State or Federal Law or the Wood Village City Council.
(2) Signs of public utility companies indicating danger or which serve as an aid to public safety or which show the location of underground facilities or of public telephones.
(3) Signs not visible from public right-of-way
E. Signs Exempt from Permits but Requiring Conformance to Set Standards and Regulations:
(1) Construction Project Sign: a sign erected in conjunction with a construction project and used to inform the public of the architects, engineers and construction organizations participating in the project and indicating "future home of" information.
(a) One (1) such sign may be erected after appropriate building permits have been obtained.
(b) No such sign shall exceed sixty-four (64) square feet total or thirty-two (32) square feet per face.
(c) No free-standing sign shall exceed (8) feet in height.
(d) The sign shall be removed at the time final occupancy is approved by the City or in the event a building permit or license for such construction expires.
(2) Garage Sale Sign: a sign advertising garage sales or similar events in residential zones.
(a) No limit
(b) Such sign shall not exceed four (4) square feet per face.
(c) Shall not exceed four (4) feet in height.
(d) Such sign may be erected up to one (1) week prior to the event and shall be removed no later than the day after the event. Such sign shall not be placed in the public right-of-way or vision clearance areas and shall not be maintained for more than ten (10) days in any one six (6) month period of time.
(3) Gasoline Station Price Sign: Unless otherwise herein provided,
(a) One (1) sign shall be allowed for the purpose of advertising gasoline prices.
(b) Shall be a one (1) or two (2) faced sign with a maximum of nine (9) square feet in area per face.
(c) Maximum height not to exceed eight (8) feet.
(d) No time or other restrictions.
(4) Name Plate: a sign when otherwise permitted in an area identifying the name, street address, occupation and/or profession of the occupant of the premises. Graphic information and all name plates shall be limited to the identification of the business name as registered with the State of Oregon.
(a) One (1) name plate allowed.
(b) Such signs shall not exceed one (1) square foot for each occupant and shall be affixed to the building wall.
(5) Non-Commercial Sign: a notice or pictorial sign, except those used for purposes of making things known about goods, services or activities offered by "for profit" entities shall be allowed in any zone when otherwise permitted, subject to the same regulations as signs in the particular zone and counted in the quantity limitations of signs for that zone for each property.
(6) Public Safety and Convenience: Signs used to serve the public safety or convenience such as "entrance", "parking", or "no-smoking", "turn off motor" signs.
(a) Unlimited number of signs allowed.
(b) Such signs shall not exceed three (3) square feet per face
(c) Not to exceed eight (8) feet in height.
(d) Shall meet all other pertinent requirements and City standards.
(7) Window Sign: Window signs will not need a permit nor will they be included in allowable area calculations.
(8) Non-Commercial Flags: Flags displayed from permanently located free-standing or wall-mounted flagpoles which are designed to allow raising and lowering of flags.
(a) Shall be limited in number to one per hundred feet of linear frontage, with a maximum of six per premises. Such displays shall be kept neat, clean and in good repair.
(9) Political Signs: Signs relating to the nomination or election of any individual for public office or advocacy of any measure to be voted upon at any special or general election:
(a) If placed in a residential zone shall not exceed an area of two (2) square feet and in a non-residential area not more than ten (10) square feet;
(b) Shall be permitted from a date not more than forty-five (45) days prior thereto to a date ten (10) days following such election. Such sign shall be considered temporary in nature and shall be placed upon the concerned property only by the property owner, resident or with the consent of the owner, occupant or lessee thereof.
(10) Tourist Attraction Directional Sign: A uniformly designed sign used by a public agency to identify a local or regional tourist attraction.
F. Signs or Advertising Devices Expressly Prohibited:
(1) Signs Structurally Unsafe: no sign shall be constructed, erected or maintained unless the sign and sign structure is so constructed, erected and maintained as to be able to withstand wind, seismic and other loads as specified in the Uniform Building Code of the City.
(2) Intersection Signs: notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, no sign except authorized traffic signs shall be erected at the intersection of any street in such a manner as to create a traffic hazard by obstructing vision or at any location where it may interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic sign.
(3) Regulatory Sign Confusion: signs resembling traffic signs or signals shall not be constructed, erected or maintained or signs which bear the words "stop", "go slow", "caution", "danger" and "warning" or similar words except as officially authorized and installed by the City or other authorized governmental agencies.
(4) Portable Signs: signs not permanently affixed to a building structure or the ground and designed to move from place to place except garage sale signs, special event signs, political signs, real estate signs or as otherwise provided in this Code including Section 370.030 (C)(3) regulating free-standing signs in commercial and industrial zones.
(5) Roof Signs: signs erected, maintained, displayed, and physically attached to the roof.
(6) Flashing Signs: signs, any part of which flash intermittently, except time and temperature signs. (Ord. 15-2010)
(7) Temporary: Temporary signs that revolve or rotate.
G. Other Prohibitions: the following sign or sign "characteristics" are prohibited unless specifically provided for herein:
(1) Signs Attached to Any Tree or Public Utility Pole other than warning signs issued by public utilities.
(2) Signs Using Bare-Bulb Illumination or Lighted so that the immediate source of illumination is visible. This is not intended to prohibit the use of neon as a source of illumination.
(3) Signs Using Flame as a source of light.
(4) Signs Designed or Used for the Purpose of Emitting Sound or Dispersing Smells.
(5) Signs with Described Illumination (Direction): No artificial light of whatever type or nature, used for the purpose of lighting any sign shall be so erected or constructed or placed, nor shall any substance or material capable of reflecting light be so placed as to result in directing the same into any private residence. Hotels and motels are not considered private residences. No exposed reflective type bulb, strobe light or incandescent light shall be used in such a way so as to expose the face of the bulb, light or lamp to any public street; provided however, a reflective type lamp bulb of whatever wattage may be used for illumination of the displayed surface of a sign, if not directed towards the view from any public street.