Article IX — SIGN AREA FORMULA CITY-WIDE

Each business and multiple business complex (MBC) has a computed sign budget. From this budget, the business owner has the flexibility to apply the budget to freestanding and/or one or more building signs.

The area of each sign face shall be calculated to determine sign area. For example, a freestanding sign, at right angles to the road with each sign face being 20 square feet, has a total area of 40 square feet.

(Ord. 1145 § 1)

The calculation is a two-step process.

• A. The first step is to establish the base reference budget (BRB) for the business or MBC.

• B. The second step is to calculate the individual sign area for each freestanding and building sign. These steps are translated into the following formulas:

For Step 1, calculate the BRB for signage identifying a business

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Where

• A = Area of business floor space (feet)

• C = 1.1 for businesses not located in a multiple business complex

  • = 0.9 for businesses in a multiple business complex where signage is (or will be) provided to identify the complex

  • = 1.0 for businesses in a multiple business complex where signage is not (and will not be) provided to identify the complex

• D = With respect to principal customer access

  • = 1.0 where the business is accessed by one street

  • = 1.41 where the business is accessed by two streets

  • = 1.73 where the business is accessed by three streets

  • = 2.0 where the business is accessed by four streets

For Step 1, calculate the BRB for signage identifying a multiple business complex

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Where

• A = Area of business floor space for the entire complex (feet)

• D = With respect to principal customer access

  • = 0.50 where the business is accessed by one street

  • = 0.70 where the business is accessed by two streets

  • = 0.85 where the business is accessed by three streets

  • = 1.0 where the business is accessed by four streets

1. The BRB used to calculate the sign area for each individual sign of a business when added together shall not exceed the total BRB for that business.

2. The BRB used to calculate the sign area for each individual sign of a multiple business complex when added together shall not exceed the total BRB for that multiple business complex.

3. Freestanding sign area shall be limited to 50 percent of the BRB.

If the project area qualifies for two freestanding signs, no single freestanding sign shall be permitted more than 35 percent of the BRB.

If the project area qualifies for three freestanding signs, no single freestanding sign shall be permitted more than 28 percent of the BRB.

If the project area qualifies for four freestanding signs, no single freestanding sign shall be permitted more than 25 percent of the BRB.

For Step 2, calculate the sign area for an individual sign.

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Where

• S = Vehicle speed limit on the street where the sign is to be viewed from (in miles per hour)

• H = Height of the sign (as measured from finish grade to the top of the sign; in feet. Maximum height is 26 feet)

• V = Horizontal viewing distance coefficient (as determined by the following chart)

• C. The following shall not be considered sign area:

  1. Pedestrian signs;

  2. Temporary signs;

  3. Temporary window signs;

  4. Sign embellishments.

• (Ord. 1145 § 1)