1991_00001ORDINANCE NO.1991
ANORDINANCEAMENDINGCHAPTER 18.56 OF THE MOSES LAKEMUNICIPALCODEENTITLED"SIGNS AND BILLBOARDS"
THE CITYCOUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOSESLAKE,WASHINGTON DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.Chapter*of theMoses Lake Municipal Code entitled "*"is amended as follows:
18.56.015 Definitions:The following definitions shall applyforthepurpose ofthiscode:
O A."Abandoned sign"means a sign thatno longer correctlyidentifies,exhorts,or advertises anyperson,business,lessor,owner,product,or activityconductedoravailableonthepremiseswheresuchsignislocated.
B."AwningSign"means a sign painted or printed on an awning.
C."Billboard"means an outdoor advertising sign or poster panel which advertises products,businesses,and/orservices notconnectedwiththesiteon which the signislocated,andwhichsignisasubstantialpermanentstructurewithdisplayservicesofatypewhicharecustomarilyleasedforcommercialpurposes.
D."Building"means a roofed and walled structure built for permanent use.
E."Change"means therelocation ofa sign or thereplacementoffiftypercent(50%)or more ofthestructuralmaterialinthesignarea.Normalmaintenance and a change of name are notchangeswhichrequireapermit
F."Changeable Copy Sign"means a sign on which the copy changes automaticallyon alampbank,throughmechanical means,oron which copyis changed manually inthefield withchangeableletters.
G."Development Site"means an undivided parcel of land or twoor more contiguous parcels oflandundercommonownershiporcontrol.For purposes ofthischapter,the term"contiguous"means parcels of land thathave substantial common boundaries without intervening publicright-of-way.
H."Districts"sign overlay (seemapon file in theCommunity Development Department):
1)Area 1
2)Area 2
3)Area 3
I."Double-faced sign"means a sign that has advertising copy on opposite sides of a singledisplaysurfaceorsignstructure.
J."Electrical sign"means a sign or sign structure in which electrical wiring,connections and/orfixturesareusedaspartofthesign.
K."Facade"means the entire building front or street wallface of a buildingextending from thegradeofthebuildingtotheparapetoreavesandtheentirewidthofthebuildingelevation
L."Flashing Sign"means a signor signstructureorportionthereofwhich changes light intensityorswitchesonandoffinaconstantpattern.Changing message centers shall not beconsideredflashingsigns.
M."Free Standing Sign"means a sign attached tothe ground by a sign structureand supportedbyuprightsplacedonorintheground.
N."Freeway Interchange Area"means thefreeway interchange area ofInterstate 90 (1-90)
O."Ground Sign"means a sign of limited height constructedand affixed on a foundation uponorintheground.
O P."Incidental Sign"means a small non-electric information sign sixteen (16)square feet or lessinarea,including bothsides of sign,which pertains togoods,products,services,or facilitieswhichareavailableonthepropertywherethesignoccursandisintendedprimarilyfortheconvenienceofthepublicwhileonthepremises.The sign shall not exceed four feet (4')inheightandtwofeet(2')in width at the base.
Q."Institutional Sign"means a sign toidentify educational,civic,and religious institutions.
R."Landscaping"means theplanned use of trees,shrubs,and otherplant materialsinconjunc-tionwith a sign and other decorative features.
S."Marquee"means a permanent structure attached to,supported by and projectingfrom abuildingandprovidingprotectionfromtheweatherelements,but does not include a projectingroof.For thepurposeofthisordinance,a free standing permanent roof-likestructure providingprotectionfromtheelementswillalsobeconsideredamarquee.This also includes canopies.
T."Neighborhood Identification Sign"means a signforthe identification ofa particularresidential
area ordevelopment
U."Neon Sign"means a symbol,logo,or message comprisedofilluminated neon tubingused toattractattentionforadvertisingpurposes.Neon signs shall not flash,oscillate,or revolve.
V."Off-Premise Directional Sign"means a permanentlyinstalled signwhich providesdirectional
information to a business service located in the Moses Lake area and is not located on the
same propertyas thebusiness,
W."Off-Premise Sign"means a sign or signstructuresadvertising an establishment,merchandise,
service,or entertainmentwhich is not sold,produced,manufactured,or furnishedat thepropertyonwhichthesignislocated.
X."On-Premise Directional Sign"means a permanent sign thatdirects the public toa specific
place such as an entrance,exit,or parking or service area.
Y."On-Premise Sign"means a signidentifyinga business orproductssoldon a lot,parcel,tract,
or plot ofland together withthe buildings and structures located thereon
Z."Portable Sign"means a signmadeofanymaterial,whichbyitsdesign is readily movable and
is not permanentlyaffixedtotheground,structures,or buildings.
AA."Projecting Sign"means a sign which is attached toand projectsmorethan one foot (1')from
a structure,building face,or marquee.
BB,"Readerboard"means a sign face consisting of tracks holding readily changeable letters
allowing frequent changes.
CC."Revolving Sign"means a sign which rotates or turnsina circularpattern.
DD."Roof Sign"means a sign supported by and erected on and above a roofor parapet of abuildingorstructure.
EE."ShoppingCenter"means a development site containing fourormorecommercialbusinesses
in one building totallinga minimum of 50,000 square feet of gross floor area.A shopping
center is characterized by a planned,unified site and marketingdesign underone manage-
ment control.
FF."Shopping Center Identification/Directory Sign"means a free-standing sign that is located
within a shopping center,intended tobe seen from public right-of-way,includes the name of
the shopping center and may include an integrated directory ofone or moreofthebusinesses
that are located withintheshopping center.
GG."Sign"means anyvisual communication device,structure,orfixture which is visible from anyright-of-wayand is intended to aid the establishment in question in promotingthe sale of
products,goods,services,events or to identifya building,using graphics,letters,figures,
symbols,ortrademarks.Painted wall designs or patterns which do not represent a product,service or registered trademark,or which do not identify theuser,shall not be considered
signs.Ifa design or pattern is combined with a sign,only thatpart ofthe design or pattern
which cannot be distinguished from the sign willbe considered as part ofthesign.
HH."Temporary sign"means any sign or advertisingdisplay constructed of cloth,canvas,light
fabric,paper,cardboard,or other light materials,with or without frames,intended to be
displayed for a limited timeonly and not permanently attached toa building or site.
II."Wallsign"means a signattached orerected parallel toand extending not morethanone foot
(1)from thefacade or face ofanybuilding towhich itis attached andsupportedthroughoutits
entire length,with theexposed face of thesign parallelto the plane ofsaid wallor facade.
18.56.020 Building Permit:OA.Unless othenWise provided inthischapter,allsigns shallrequire a building permitand payment
of fees as stipulated by thecurrentUniform BuildingCode.Applications for a building permit
for a sign shall be made to the Building Officialon forms prescribed by the Community
Development Department.
B.Building Permit requirements:
1.Two (2)siteplans showing thelocation of theaffectedlot,building(s)and sign(s).
2.Two (2)copies of a scale drawing ofthe proposed sign or sign revision,including size,height,copy,structural,footing details,method of attachment,and illumination.
3.The Building Official may waive the submission of plans and specifications when thestructuralaspectisofminorimportance.
18.56.060 Reader Board and Portable Signs:Reader boards and portable signs may be used for grandopenings,specialsales orpromotions,and specialevents.Such signs maybe erected thirty(30)days prior toan event and shallbe removed withinfive (6)days followingthe special event,grandopening,or sale.
Reader board and/or portable signs utilizedin connection with a licensed business,licensedtemporaryoritinerantbusiness,excludinglicensed,tax-exemptnon-profit companies,shallobtainasignpermitfromtheCommunityDevelopmentDepartment.The following schedule shall beutilizedtodeterminethesignpermitfeeasrequiredbythissection:
A.A sign permit for signs in thissection shall be issued for up to sixty (60)days for the fee oftwenty-fivedollars ($25).A sign permit shall not be issued after the sixty (60)day period tothesameapplicantforuseatthesameaddressuntilaperiodofthirty(30)days has passed.After thethirty(30)days has passed another permit for the use ofa sign in thissection maybeissuedforasixty(60)day periodupon payment ofanother twenty-fivedollar ($25)permitfee.
B.Signs under thissection shall have no blinking or flashing lights.
18.56.080 On-Premises Signs:On-premises signsshallbe permitted inthecommercial and industrial zonesofthecityincompliancewiththeprovisionsofthischapter.
A.A special sign overlaydistrict is adopted and portrayed on a map on file in the CommunityDevelopmentDepartment.The standards of thischapter shall be appliedas defined in thespecificoverlayareas.
B.Sign Size:Businesses with frontages of less thanthirty-twofeet (32')may construct a signwithanareanottoexceedthirty-two(32)square feet.Onlyone (1)face ofa double face signwillbeconsideredincomputingitssignfacesize.The totalarea ofsignsshall notexceed thefollowingratios:
1.Area 1:One square foot (1')ofarea foreach lineal foot ofdeveloped business frontageOalongthestreetorsidetowhichthesignisdirected,with a totalarea nottoexceed onehundredfiftysquarefeet(150').
2.Area 2:One and a halfsquare feet (1.5')ofarea foreach lineal foot ofdeveloped businessfrontagealongthestreetorsidetowhichthesignisdirected,with a totalarea not toexceedonehundredfiftysquarefeet(150').
3.Area 3:Two square feet (2')ofarea foreach lineal foot ofdeveloped business frontagealongthestreetorsidetowhichthesignisdirected,with a totalarea nottoexceed fivehundredsquarefeet(500').
C.Sign Height Roof mountedsigns projectingupwardand not beyond thewallofthe structureshallnotprojectmorethantenfeet(10')above thebuildingcontainingthebusiness which thesignidentifiesandshallnotexceedtheheightstandardsofthezoneinwhichthebuildingislocated.Free standing signs shallnotexceed an overall height oftwenty-fivefeet (25')exceptasmaybepermittedbythischapter.Signsprojecting outwardbeyond the wall of a buildingshallnotexceedtheheightofthesurfacetowhichthesignismountedoranoverallheightoftwenty-fivefeet (25'),whichever is less.
D.Signs Exceeding Permitted Size and Height On-premises signs maybe permittedtoexceedtheheightand/or signface size standards ofthischapter subjecttothereviewand approvalofthePlanningCommissionafterithasbeenshownthatthesignwouldnotadverselyaffectadjacentusesandtheextraheightorsignfacesizeisessentialforthesigntobevisible.
E.Signs Projecting Over City Right-of-Way:Signs projectingoutward beyond the wallof abuildingtowhichtheyaremountedshallnotprojectoutovercityright-of-wayexcept intheC-1Zone,CentralBusiness District,and on existingbuildingsinthe C-2 Zone,General Commer-cial and Business,thathave no front yard set back from cityright-ofway.Signs projectingoutwardbeyondthewallofthebuildingtowhichtheyareattachedmayprojectoutoverthepublicsidewalknotmorethaneightypercent(80%)ofthedistance between theproperty lineandthecurbline.AII signs projecting over city right-of-way shall be a minimum of eight andonehalffeet(81/2')from finished grade level except for signs attached to the undersideofacanopyorotherarchitecturalprojectionwhichmaybeaminimumofsevenandonehalffeet(71/2')from finished grade level.
F.Freeway/FreewayInterchangeSigns:Freeway/freeway interchange signsshallbe defined asasigndesignedandplacedtoattracttheattentionoffreewaytraffictravelingonI-90 or of
trafficentering or exiting I-90 at a freeway interchange.On-premises freeway/freewayinterchangesignsareallowedinthecommercialandindustrialzoneswithinonethousandfeet
(1,000')of a freeway interchange or within twohundredfiftyfeet (250')ofa freeway right-of-
way.On-premises freewaylfreeway interchange signs shallnotexceed forty-fivefeet (45')in
heightora signfacesize,one face,offivehundred(500)square feet,except thatthePlanning
Commissionmay permit freewaylfreewayinterchange signsexceedingforty-five feet (45')in
height and/or a signface size,one face,exceeding five hundred (500)square feet upon afindingthattheextraheightandsignfaceareaisessentialtothesignbeingseenbyfreeway
or freeway interchange trafficand thatthe signwould not adversely affect adjacent or nearuses.On-premises freewaylfreewayinterchangesignsshall be in compliancewithall local,
federal,and state regulationsfor such signs.A copyofthe Washington State Department of
Transportation Sign Permit or certificationfrom the WSDOT confirmingthatany proposed
freewaylfreeway interchangesignis in compliancewith all state regulations shall be requiredtoaccompanyanapplicationforacitysignpermitand/or an application for a conditionalusepermitforafreeway/freeway interchange sign.(Ord.1627,1994;Ord.1373,1989)
G.Shopping Center Identification/Directory Sign:Each shopping center is limited toone free-
standingsignwhichshallbe a shoppingcenteridentification/directorysign thatshall be located
in a landscaped area.The totalsign area for a shopping center identification/directory sign
shall notexceed a totalofone hundred fifty(150)square feet.
18.56.140 Interpretations and Rulings:Recognizing thattheremay be ambiguitiesinany chapter and that
it may be necessary to obtain an interpretation or ruling regarding intent,interpretation,ordefinition,theCommunity Development Director mayforward a requestto thePlanning Commis-
sion foran interpretation or rulingregarding theapplicationoftheprovisionsofthischapter toanyexistingorproposedsign.
Section 2.The City Councildeclares that an emergency exists and this ordinance shall take effect
immediately as provided by law upon one reading if2/3 ofthe entire City Council present vote in favor of
passage.
Adopted by the City Council and signedby its Mayoron October24,2
ayor
ATTEST:
Fikánce trector
APPAtto eD
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