§ 8.00.04. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

A-frame sign means a double-faced sign that opens up into an inverted V and could stand on its own or be carried by a person.

Advertising means copy intended to directly or indirectly promote the sale or use of a product, service, entertainment or real or personal property.

Aggregate sign area means the total square foot area of signage.

Animated sign means any sign, or part of a sign, which changes physical position by movement or rotation.

Awning means a sheltering screen, usually of canvas fabric, supported and stiffened by a rigid frame, extending over or before any place which has windows, doors, outside walks or the like, and providing shelter or protection against the weather.

Awning sign means any information painted on, or imprinted on, awnings.

Banner sign means any sign intended to be hung either with or without frames and with or without characters, letters, illustrations or ornamentations applied to paper, plastic or fabric of any kind. National flags and flags of political subdivisions, or information painted or imprinted on awnings as defined in this article, shall not be considered banners for the purpose of this article.

Billboards means a flat surface or board, usually outdoors, on which advertisements or notices are posted.

Blade sign means a sign mounted perpendicular at 90 degrees to the facade of a building.

Building frontage means length of facade at grade of the building along the street on which it borders.

Building sign means a sign displayed upon or attached to any part of the exterior of a building, including walls, windows, doors, parapets, marquees and/or roofs.

Changeable surface sign means a sign which has copy that can be changed or rearranged electronically, mechanically or manually without altering the sign structure.

Community wide garage sale means a designated community within the town limits where residents of the entire defined community are allowed to hold a garage sale.

Construction sign means a temporary sign used to identify a site undergoing land disturbance activities, building construction or remodeling. A sign used primarily for purposes of allowing inspectors, workers and trades to identify the intended property.

Copy means the linguistic or graphic content of a sign.

Cornice means a horizontal molded projection that crowns a building.

Development means, for the purposes of this article only, an approved residential or commercial project.

Development sign means a permanent sign located at the entrance of an approved residential or commercial project.

Directional sign means a sign located on premises denoting exits, entrances, driveways or off-street parking.

Display box means a sign used to display changeable text, examples include: church sermons, announcements, restaurant menus and messages.

District means the various zoning areas established and described by the land development regulations and/or zoning maps.

Double-faced sign means a sign with two sides.

Electric sign means any sign containing electric wiring.

Erect means to construct, reconstruct, build, relocate, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw, or in any other way bring into being or establish.

Expression line means an architectural detail on the facade of a building, which delineates the transition between the ground floor and the upper floor levels. The expression line shall be no higher than 16 feet above finish grade level.

Facade means any side of a building facing public way or space.

Finished grade level means the completed or settled level of the ground, asphalt or pavement on which a sign is erected; except that if the sign is erected on an artificial mound or similar artificial rise. The term "finished grade level" means the completed or settled level of the ground, asphalt or pavement which surrounds all or the majority of the building on the parcel or site on which the sign is erected.

Flag means cloth flown as an emblem, often flown from a pole.

Ground sign means a sign not attached to a building.

Illuminated sign means a sign which contains a source of light or which are designed or arranged to reflect light from an artificial source, including indirect lighting, neon, incandescent lights, backlighting, and shall also include signs with reflectors that depend upon automobile headlights for an image.

Marquee means a structure projecting from and supported by a building which extends beyond the building line or property line and fully or partially covers a sidewalk, public entrance or other pedestrian way.

Monument sign means a freestanding sign with multiple tenants' signs incorporated into a design used for commercial properties with more than one tenant at a single address or property.

Occupancy means use or intended use of a building or part thereof for the shelter of persons, animals or property.

Occupant means persons, partnerships, trusts, organizations or corporations that are occupying or leasing property.

Off-site sign means an off-site sign, or a sign which is not related to the activity on the same premises.

Parcel means a unit of land within legally established property lines.

Parapet means a vertical wall projecting above a building roofline.

Permanent means designed, constructed and intended to exist more than 14 days.

Placement means the location which a sign occupies on a lot or building.

Portable sign means any sign that is not permanently affixed to a building, structure or the ground.

Roofline means a horizontal line intersecting the highest point or points of a roof, including parapet.

Roof sign means a sign placed above the roofline of a building or on or against a roof slope.

Sandwich sign means a double-faced sign that opens up into an inverted V and could stand on its own or be carried by a person.

Sidewalk sign means a sign that stands on a moveable base. a sidewalk sign may be single- or double-faced.

Sign means any device or display designed to advertise, inform, identify or to attract the attention of persons which is visible from outside the premises on which the device or display is located.

Sign area means the area within a line, including the outer extremities of all letters, figures, characters, and delineations, or the outer extremities of the framework or background of the sign, which ever line includes the larger area. The support for the sign whether it be columns, a pylon or building or part thereof, shall not be included in the sign area.

Sign height means the vertical distance from the finished grade level at the base of the supporting structure to the highest point of a sign.

Sign setback distance means the shortest horizontal distance from the property line to the nearest point of the sign or its supporting members, whichever is nearest to the property line.

Sign structure means any device designed to support a sign.

Snipe sign means signs erected on public property, or on private property (such as private utility poles) located on public property, other than signs erected by the public authority for public purposes.

Storefront means the glazed portion of the first floor facade.

Temporary means designed, constructed and intended to be erected for less than 15 days.

Town-based organizations means any civic, cultural, educational, fraternal, charitable, athletic, youth, senior, religious and other nonprofit organizations that are based in the town or whose operations and functions occur in a large part within the town and who play a substantial role in the civic or social life in the town.

Vehicle sign means any sign affixed to a vehicle.

Vision triangle means a triangular area of clear visibility formed by two intersecting streets or intersection of a driveway and street.

Wall sign means a sign painted on the outside of a building or a sign attached flat to or pinned away from the wall with a face horizontally parallel to the building.

Wind sign means devices such as pennants, spinners and streamers fastened in such a manner as to move upon being subjected to pressure by wind or breeze.

Window sign means a sign which is applied to, or located within six inches of the interior of a window, and is visible from outside.

(Ord. No. 2011-06, § 2(8.00.04), 11-8-2011; Ord. No. 2012-01, § 2(8.00.04), 4-10-2012; Ord. No. 2013-02, § 1(8.00.04), 6-11-2013)