§ 18.5. Regulation of billboards

5.1. Billboards may be established in the following zoning districts:

a. C-3 Fringe CBD and Thoroughfare Frontage Business District.

b. M-1 Manufacturing District.

c. M-2 Manufacturing District.

5.2. No billboard sign shall be erected, expanded, or developed until the planning commission has reviewed and approved its location in accordance with section 5.10 and 5.11 of this appendix, in addition to the standards of this section.

5.3. Not more than three billboards may be located within one linear mile of one another, regardless of the fact that such billboards may be located on different sides of the subject street or highway. The linear mile measurement shall not be limited to the municipal corporate boundaries of the city where the particular street or highway extends beyond such boundaries (see Illustration E).

5.4. Double-faced billboard structures (i.e., structures having back-to-back billboard faces) and V-type billboard structures having only one face visible to traffic proceeding from any given direction on a street or highway shall be considered as one billboard. Additionally, billboard structures having tandem billboard faces (i.e., two parallel billboard faces facing the same direction with one face being directly above the other) shall be considered as one billboard. Otherwise, billboard structures having more than one billboards and shall be prohibited in accordance with the minimum spacing requirement set forth in subsection 5.5 below.

5.5. No billboard shall be located within 1,000 feet of another billboard abutting either side of the same street or highway (see Illustration E).

5.6. No billboard shall be located within 200 feet of a residential zone and/or existing residence. If the billboard is illuminated, this required distance shall instead be 300 feet.

5.7. No billboard shall be located closer than 30 feet from a property line adjoining a public right-of-way or ten feet from any interior boundary lines of the premises on which the billboard is located.

5.8. The surface display area of any side of a billboard may not exceed 300 square feet. In the case of billboard structures with tandem or stacked billboard faces, the combined surface display area of both faces may not exceed 600 square feet.

5.9. The height of a billboard shall not exceed 40 feet above the grade of the ground on which the billboard sits, or the grade of the abutting roadway, whichever is higher.

5.10. No billboard shall be on top of, cantilevered or otherwise suspended above the roof of any building.

5.11. A billboard may be illuminated, provided such illumination is concentrated on the surface of the sign and is so located as to avoid glare or reflection onto any portion of an adjacent street or highway, the path of oncoming vehicles, or any adjacent premises. In no event shall any billboard have flashing or intermittent lights, nor shall the lights be permitted to rotate or oscillate.

5.12. A billboard must be constructed in such a fashion that it will withstand all wind and vibration forces which can normally be expected to occur in the vicinity. A billboard must be maintained so as to assure proper alignment of structure, continued structural soundness, and continued readability of message.

5.13. A billboard established within a business, commercial, or industrial area, as defined in the Highway Advertising Act of 1972 (1972 PA106, as amended) bordering interstate highways, freeways, or primary highways as defined in such Act shall, in addition to complying with the above conditions, as permitted by the state act shall also comply with all applicable provisions of such act and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as such may from time to time be amended.

(Ord. No. 2169, § 1, 2-11-04)