Division 26. Sign Ordinance.

Section 26.2. Definitions.

All words used in this division shall carry their customary dictionary meanings, except that the following words, terms and phrases, when used in this division, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Abandoned or discontinued sign or sign structure means a sign or sign structure is considered abandoned or discontinued when its owner fails to operate or maintain a sign for a period of six months or longer. The following conditions shall be considered as the failure to operate or maintain a sign: (i) a sign displaying advertising for a product or service which is no longer available or displaying advertising for a business which is no longer licensed, or (2) a sign which is blank.

Advertising means sign copy intended to aid, directly or indirectly, in the sale, use or promotion of a product, commodity, service, activity, entertainment, or real or personal property.

Animated sign means a sign which includes action, motion, or color changes, or the optical illusion of action, motion, or color changes, including signs set in motion by movement of the atmosphere, or made up of a series of sections that turn.

Area of ground supports means the total area of a freestanding sign’s structural elements.

Artwork means a two- or three-dimensional representation of a creative idea that is expressed in a form and manner as to provide aesthetic enjoyment for the viewer rather than to specifically convey the name of the business or a commercial message about the products or services offered on the property upon which the artwork is displayed.

Attached sign means a wall sign, an integral roof sign, a window sign, marquee sign or a canopy sign.

Banner means any sign or string of one or more signs, usually made of cloth or other lightweight material, which is used to attract attention, whether or not imprinted with words or characters, including but not limited to balloons and pennants. Flags shall not be considered banners.

Beacon means a stationary or revolving light which flashes or projects illumination, single color or multicolored, in any manner which has the effect of attracting or diverting attention, except, however, this term does not include any kind of lighting device which is required or necessary under the safety regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration or other similar agency. This definition does not apply to any similar type of lighting device contained entirely within a structure and which does not project light to the exterior of the structure.

Billboard means a sign structure and/or sign utilized for advertising an establishment, an activity, a product, service or entertainment, which is sold, produced, manufactured, available or furnished at a place other than on the property on which said sign structure and/or sign is located.

Building frontage means the length of the single face of a building or that portion of a building occupied by a single office, business or enterprise, commonly referred to as “store-front,” which is abutting a street, parking area, or other means of customer access such as an arcade, a mall or a walkway.

Bus stop informational sign means a freestanding or attached noncommercial sign located at a bus stop and providing information as to the route, hours or times of service.

Canopy sign means any sign that is a part of or attached to an awning, canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area. A marquee is not a canopy.

Commercial message means any sign wording, logo, or other representation or image that directly or indirectly names, advertises, or calls attention to a product, service, sale or sales event or other commercial activity.

Construction sign means a temporary on-premise sign identifying the ongoing construction activity during the time that a building permit is active and prior to completion of the work for which the permit was issued, containing sign copy is limited to the ongoing construction activity and identifying the contractor and/or any subcontractor engaged to perform construction activity on the site.

Copy means the linguistic or graphic content of a sign.

Double-faced sign means a single sign with items of information relating to the same business on both sides of the sign and mounted as a single structure.

Drive-through menu sign means a sign placed so as to be viewed from a drive-through lane and which contains only a listing of the products, with prices, offered for sale by the business on which the sign is located and which may provide a mechanism for ordering the products while viewing the sign.

Eave mean the lowest horizontal line of a sloping roof.

Election sign means a temporary sign erected or displayed for the purpose of expressing support for or opposition to a candidate or stating a position regarding an issue upon which the voters of the City shall vote.

Erect means to build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend or affix and includes the painting of wall signs.

Façade means the entire building front.

Flag means any fabric, or bunting containing distinct colors, patterns or symbols, used as an ornamental flag or as a symbol of government, political subdivision, corporation or business or other entity. (See also Ornamental flag.)

Flagpole means a pole on which to raise a flag.

Flashing sign means a sign which permits light to be turned on or off intermittently more frequently than once per minute.

Foot-candle means a unit of measure of luminosity of a surface that is everywhere one foot from a uniform point source of light of one candle and equal to one lumen per square foot.

Footlambert means the centimeter gram second unit of brightness equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffused surface that radiates or reflects one lumen per square centimeter.

Free expression sign means a sign, not in excess of 3 square feet in size (area) and the top of the sign is not more than six feet off the ground, communicating information or views on matters of public policy concern or containing any other noncommercial message, that is otherwise lawful.

Freestanding sign means a sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on or anchored in the ground or at ground level and which are independent of any building or other structure.

Freestanding monument sign means a freestanding sign whose ratio of width of sign to width of support is less than 3 to 1.

Freestanding pole sign means a freestanding sign whose ratio of width of sign to width of support is equal to or greater than 3 to 1.

Frontage means the length of the property line of a parcel of land which runs parallel with and along a road right-of-way or street, exclusive of alleyways.

Garage or yard sale or garage-yard sign means any onsite temporary sign pertaining to the sale of personal property in, at or upon any residentially-zoned property located in the City. Garage or yard sales shall include but not be limited to all such sales, and shall include the advertising of the holding of any such sale, or the offering to make any sale, whether made under any name such as garage sale, lawn sale, yard sale, front yard sale, back yard sale, home sale, attic sale, rummage sale, patio sale, flea market sale, or any similar designation.

Ground level means the finished grade of a parcel of land exclusive of any filling, berming or mounding. Ground level on marina docks or floating structures shall be the finished grade of the landward portion of the adjoining parcel.

Grand opening sign means an on-premise temporary sign announcing the opening of a newly licensed business, that does not exceed sixteen (16) square feet in sign area and that is not displayed for longer than thirty (30) days after the issuance date of the occupational license for the new business.

Height means vertical distance measured from ground level nearest the base of the sign to the highest point on the sign.

Holiday and seasonal decorations mean decorations that pertain to legal or other recognized holidays or to a season of the year.

Illuminated sign means any sign or portion thereof which is illuminated by artificial light, either from an interior or exterior source, including outline, reflective or phosphorescent light, whether or not the source of light is directly affixed as part of the sign.

Integral roof sign means any sign erected or constructed as an integral part of a normal roof structure of any design, such that no part of the sign extends vertically above the highest portion of the roof and such that no part of the sign is separated from the rest of the roof by a space of more than six inches. No integral portion of the roof shall extend more than five feet above the structural roof.

Lot. See definition of Parcel.

Maintenance means the replacing, repairing or repainting of a portion of sign structure, periodically changing changeable copy or renewing copy which has been made unusable by ordinary wear.

Marquee means any permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a building or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of the building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather.

Marquee sign means any sign attached to a marquee.

Menu display sign means a fully enclosed or otherwise protected from the elements sign structure, including but not limited to a box, shadow box or cabinet, attached to a wall or freestanding, which is used solely for the purpose of displaying restaurant menus. A menu display may be used for a restaurant without drive-through service and for transient lodging facilities which have restaurant facilities open to the general public in addition to the registered guests. Menu display sign structures shall be limited to one per establishment, having a maximum surface area of not more than 12 square feet, and the zoning districts in which they are permitted.

Multi-tenant development means a development where more than one business may be located, including businesses located above the first floor or otherwise without frontage on a public right-of-way.

Nameplate sign or occupant identification sign means a sign indicating the name and/or profession or address of a person or persons residing on the premises or legally occupying the premises.

Non-commercial message means any message, which is not a commercial message.

Noncommercial on-site directional sign means an on-site sign providing direction or information to pedestrian or vehicular traffic that is related or reasonably necessary to the movement of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on the premises, and not displaying a commercial message, e.g., “entrance,” “exit,” “caution,” “no parking,” “one way only,” “no trespassing,” and the like.

Non-conforming sign means a sign which does not conform with the regulations provided in this division.

Off-premise sign or off-site sign means any sign relating in its subject matter to commodities, accommodations, services or activities on a premises other than the premises on which the sign is located. See also Billboard.

On-premise sign or on-site sign means any sign relating in its subject matter to the commodities, accommodations, service or activities on the premises on which it is located.

Ornamental flag means any fabric or similar material containing patterns, drawings or symbols used for decorative purposes and designed to be flown as a flag.

Parcel means land which has been or which is proposed to be used, developed, or built upon as a unit under single ownership.

Parapet means a false front or wall extension above the roof of a building.

Pennant means any series of small flag-like or streamer-like pieces of cloth, plastic, paper or similar material attached in a row to any staff, cord, building, or at only one or two edges, the remainder hanging loosely.

Permanent sign means any sign which, when installed, is intended for permanent use. For the purposes of this division any sign with an intended use in excess of twelve (12) months from the date of installation shall be deemed a permanent sign.

Portable sign means any sign, banner, or poster that is not permanently attached to the ground or structure. For purposes of this division, a cold air inflatable sign shall be considered to be a portable sign.

Premises means any property owned, leased or controlled by the person actively engaged in business at that location.

Projecting sign means any sign affixed perpendicularly to a building or wall in such a manner that its leading edge extends more than six inches beyond the surface of such building or wall.

Real estate sign means a sign advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises or part of the premises on which the sign is displayed temporarily.

Revolving sign or rotating sign means any sign that revolves or rotates.

Roof sign means any sign erected and constructed wholly on or over the roof of a building, which is supported by the roof structure, or any sign that extends in whole or in part above the roofline of a building.

Roofline means the highest continuous horizontal line of a roof. On a sloping roof, the roofline is the principal ridgeline or the highest line common to one or more principal slopes of roof. On a flat roof, the roofline is the highest continuous line of a roof or parapet, whichever is higher.

Safety sign. See Warning sign.

Sandwich board sign means a portable double-faced, freestanding sign not exceeding 12 square feet in area that is designed such that it can be displayed during business hours and easily removed at the close of business.

Shopping center means a group of three or more independent commercial establishments owned and operated as a planned unit, with off-street parking provided on the property. A shopping center may include a building or structure owned in fee simple, condominium, cooperative, leasehold or other ownership.

Sight visibility triangle means a triangular shaped portion of land established at street intersections or street and driveway intersections in which nothing is erected, or allowed to grow in such a manner as to limit or obstruct the sight distance of motorists entering or leaving the intersection. For street intersections, this triangle is measured 20 feet in length from the intersection along the abutting curb lines to form a triangle; and for driveway intersections, this triangle is measured ten feet from the intersection along the curb line and along the driveway line to form a triangle. [See illustration in Section 6.21.]

Sign means any device, fixture, placard or structure which uses color, form, graphics, illumination, architectural style or design with text, or writing to advertise, attract attention, announce the purpose of, or identify the purpose of any person or entity or to communicate information of any kind to the public. The term “sign” includes sign structure.

Sign area means the total square foot area of sign surface, including all parts thereof devoted to the background, computed by bounding the exterior of the sign structure or surface with a series of straight or curved lines tangent thereto (see illustrative examples in Section 26.3). The area of a sign painted directly on a wall or awning and signs with letters attached directly to walls or awnings shall be calculated by constructing an imaginary series of straight lines or lines formed, bounded or characterized by curves around the outside of all elements of the sign. For a freestanding sign, the sign area shall include the area of ground support.

Sign face means the part of the sign that is or can be used to identify, display, advertise, communicate information, or for the visual representation which attracts or intends to attract the attention of the public for any purpose.

Sign structure mean any structure which is designed specifically for the purpose of supporting a sign, which has supports or which is capable of supporting a sign. The definition shall include any decorative covers, braces, wires, supports, or other components attached to or placed around the sign structure.

Snipe sign means any sign tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued or otherwise attached to telephone poles, utility poles, or fences, with the message appearing thereon not applicable to the present use of the premises upon which the sign is located.

Statutory sign means a sign required by any statute of the State of Florida or the United States.

Street address sign means any sign denoting the street address of the premises on which it is attached or located.

Subdivision monument identification sign means a monument sign which contains only the name of a platted subdivision or other residential development.

Temporary sign means a sign intended for a use not permanent in nature. For the purposes of this division, a sign with an intended use of one year or less shall be deemed a temporary sign.

Time and temperature sign means a sign which displays the current time and temperature at intervals no more frequently than once per minute and which contains no other messages. Time and temperature signs are regulated within the zoning districts in which they are allowed.

Traffic control device sign means any sign located within the right-of-way that is used as a traffic control device and that is described and identified in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and approved by the Federal Highway Administrator as the National Standard. A traffic control device sign includes those signs that are classified and defined by their function as regulatory signs (that give notice of traffic laws or regulations), warning signs (that give notice of a situation that might not readily be apparent), and guide signs (that show route designations, directions, distances, services, points of interest, and other geographical, recreational, or cultural information).

Vehicle sign means any sign or signs where the total sign area covers more than ten square feet of the vehicle.

Visibility triangle. See Sight visibility triangle.

Wall sign means a sign which is painted on, fastened to, or erected against the wall of a building with its face in a parallel plane with the plane of the building facade or wall, which is used for advertising.

Warning sign or safety sign means a sign which provides warning of a dangerous condition or situation that might not be readily apparent or that poses a threat of serious injury (e.g., gas line, high voltage, condemned building, etc.) or that provides warning of a violation of law (e.g., no trespassing, no hunting allowed, etc.).

Waterside identification sign means a sign identifying a residential complex, single business property or shopping center and which can be only be viewed from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Boca Ciega Bay, the intracoastal waterway or any other navigable waterway.

Window sign means any sign mounted in any fashion on the interior or exterior of the surface of a window.

Wind sign means a sign, which uses objects or material fastened in such a manner as to move upon being subjected to pressure by wind, and shall include banners, pennants, ribbons, spinners, streamers or captive balloons; however, the term wind sign shall not include flags.