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A. Sign Area

1. The area of a sign shall include all lettering, wording, designs and symbols, together with the background, whether open or enclosed, on which they are displayed. The supporting structure or bracing of a sign shall be omitted in measuring the area of the sign unless such structure or bracing is made part of the message or face of the sign. Any backlit area shall be considered part of the face of the sign.

Commentary: The “golden arches” at McDonald’s, if used as support for a sign, are clearly integral to the sign message and would be included in the computation of the area of the sign face.

2. Where a sign consists of individual letters, words or symbols attached to a surface, building, canopy, awning, wall or window and all such elements are located in the same plane, the sign area shall be the area of the smallest rectangle which completely encompasses all such letters, words or symbols and any accompanying background of a color different than the natural color of the wall. Where such sign includes multiple words, each word located in the same plane shall be computed separately.

Commentary: Channel letter signs, mounted logos, and similar devices are treated differently than signs in cabinets – the wall area between multiple elements does not count as sign area.

3. The area for a sign with more than one face shall be computed by adding together the area of all sign faces. On all signs other than wall signs, which shall only be allowed one face, signs with identical sign faces placed in such a manner to ensure that the angle at which the two sign faces are placed does not exceed 60 degrees, shall be considered as a single face.

Commentary: It is presumed that where sign faces are placed less than 60 degrees apart, both faces are not readable from any one point.

4. The entire surface area of a multi-tenant sign that depicts the names of the individual tenants shall count toward the total aggregate area of the sign.

5. All monument signs shall incorporate a street address number or address range. Street address numbers shall be a minimum of six inches high in residential districts, and 12 inches high in all other districts. The area of the address number shall not be computed as part of the sign face unless it exceeds twice the minimum number height requirement. All such street address numbers shall be displayed in accordance with City or County standards, as applicable.

B. Aggregate Sign Area

1. The maximum allowable aggregate sign area of all signs in a project that may be allocated among all sign types allowed or permitted on the site shall be as follows:

a. Buildings within the DD District and Compact Neighborhood Tiers shall be permitted a sign area equal to 25% of the wall area below 26 feet in height plus 10% of the wall area above 26 feet in height, except where this Ordinance allows signs in the DD District with no maximum size. (County Only) This standard shall also apply to the SRP-C District.

b. Buildings within nonresidential zoning districts except those listed in paragraphs c or d below shall be permitted two square feet of sign area for each linear foot of lot frontage.

c. Buildings in the OI District and the -TO Overlay shall be permitted one square foot of sign area for each linear foot of lot frontage.

d. Buildings in the SRP, IL, and I districts shall be permitted two and one quarter square feet of sign area for each linear foot of lot frontage.

e. In order to accommodate projects with very small frontages at least 32 square feet of sign area shall be permitted as a minimum in all nonresidential districts.

2. Application of the aggregate sign area allowable shall not permit the area of any single sign or sign type to exceed the standard established elsewhere in this Article.

C. Sign Height

The height of a sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at a computed grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign (including the sign face, sign structure, or any other appurtenance). The computed grade shall be the elevation of the nearest point to the proposed sign location of the crown of the nearest public street providing access; or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the lot, whichever is higher.