§ 16.40.120.19. Definitions.

As used herein, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context in which a term is used clearly indicates a different meaning:

Advertising means any form of public announcement intended to aid, directly or indirectly, in the sale, use, or promotion of a product, commodity, service, activity, or entertainment.

A-frame sign means a non-illuminated incidental freestanding portable sign which is ordinarily in the shape of an "A" or some variation thereof. For purposes of this sign code, such signs shall also include, but not be limited to, pedestal signs and sandwich board signs.

Animated sign means any sign which includes action, motion, the optical illusion of action or motion or color changes of all or any part of the sign face, requiring electrical energy or set in motion by movement of the atmosphere or a sign made up of a series of sections that turn and stop to show two or more pictures or messages in the copy area. The term "animated sign" does not include signs which display time of day, temperature, or both, and does not include electronic message center signs or tri-vision signs.

Artwork means drawings, pictures, symbols, paintings (including the painting of patterns or designs) or sculpture, which does not in any way include a company or corporate logo or text identifying any product, service or business sold or available on the premises.

Awning 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.

Banner means any sign of fabric or similar material that is mounted to a pole, a wire, a fence, a structure or a building at one or more edges. 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 is intended to attract or divert attention. However, the term "beacon" does not include any kind of lighting device which is required or necessary under the safety regulations prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration or similar agencies.

Bench sign/bus shelter sign means a bench or bus shelter upon which a sign is drawn, painted, printed, or otherwise affixed thereto.

Building frontage , for purposes of this sign code, means the single facade of a building abutting a street or containing the primary building entrance. For multi-tenant buildings where each tenant has its own entrance, the term "building frontage" means the single facade of each tenant.

Business establishment means any individual person, nonprofit organization, partnership, corporation, other organization or legal entity which has paid, or is required to pay, the business tax and which occupies distinct and separate physical space.

Changeable copy (or changeable message) sign means a portion of a sign upon which the message copy may be changed manually through the utilization of attachable letters, numbers, symbols, and other similar characteristics.

Construction or construction/contractor sign means any sign giving the name and other identifying information of principal contractors, architects, or lending institutions responsible for construction on the site where the sign is placed, together with other information included thereon.

Damaged sign means a sign missing more than 25 percent of the sign structure, or missing more than 25 percent of the area of a sign face, or having suffered damage to one or more structural support elements such that the sign is at risk of imminent collapse.

Digital or electronic off-premises sign means an off-premise sign utilizing digital message technology, capable of changing the static message or copy on the sign electronically.

Directional sign, or directory sign any sign which exclusively contains information providing direction or location to any object, place, or area. The term includes, but is not limited to, a sign indicating an avenue of ingress or egress and a sign listing the occupants of a property and their office or suite numbers. Double-faced sign means a sign which has two display surfaces backed against the same background, one face of which is designed to be seen from one direction and the other from the opposite direction, every point on each face being either in contact with the other face or in contact with the same background.

Electronic message center sign means a sign by which the message copy may be electronically changed and controlled. The term includes, but is not limited to, time and temperature signs.

Employment sign means a sign that advertises job openings, company hiring, or specific employment opportunities or positions.

Erect means to build, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend or affix.

Flag means any fabric, banner or bunting containing distinct colors, patterns or symbols, which is used or may be used as a symbol of a government, political subdivision, corporation, business, or other entity. A flag may also be used to express symbolic speech or for decorative purposes. For the purpose of these regulations, the message expressed by a flag shall not be relevant to the display of the flag.

Free speech sign means a sign used to exercise the First Amendment right to free speech by expressing any lawful non-commercial message.

Freestanding sign means any sign supported by a structure or support that is placed on or anchored in the ground and that is structurally independent of any building or other structure.

Frontage means the length of the street boundary line for a parcel which runs coterminus with the boundary of an adjoining parcel. The measurement includes utility and drainage easements but does not include alleys or public ingress-egress easements.

Ground level means the finish grade of a parcel of land exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding or excavating solely for the purpose of locating a sign. Ground level on marina docks or floating structures shall be the finish grade of the landward portion of the adjoining parcel.

Height means the vertical distance to the highest point of a sign, measured from ground level nearest the base of the sign or from another point such as the crown of a road if a measurement from such starting point is required by this sign code.

Human sign means a sign held or worn by a human being for the purposes of advertising or otherwise drawing attention to an individual, business, commodity, service, activity, or product.

Identification sign means any sign which indicates no more than the name, address, company logo and occupation or function of an establishment or premises.

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. Any integral portion of the roof shall not extend more than five feet above the structural roof.

Large facility sign means a sign erected on a site consisting of 20 acres or more and which contains an arena, theater, or other place of public assembly with 20,000 seats or more fixed seats.

Linear front foot means a measurement of the horizontal length of the wall upon which a wall sign is attached.

Maintenance means the replacing, repairing or repainting of a sign structure or any portion of a sign structure, including but not limited to changing or renewing copy which has been made unusable by ordinary wear or weather or accident. The term "maintenance" does not include changing the message on a changeable copy sign.

Menu sign for drive-through establishments means a product sign placed so as to be viewed from a drive-through lane, containing only a listing of products, with prices, offered for sale by the business. A menu sign provides a mechanism for ordering products while viewing the sign.

Monument sign means a sign that is erected on an opaque base having a width equal to or greater than 75 percent of the width of the sign for the entire vertical dimension of the base. If the width of the base is less than 75 percent of the width of the sign, the sign is a pole sign.

Multifamily use means any building having a residential use comprised of more than one family dwelling unit.

Nonconforming sign means any sign that does not conform to the requirements of this section. Prohibited signs are not nonconforming signs.

Off-premises sign means any sign identifying or advertising a product, business, person, activity, condition, or service not located or available on the same parcel of property where the sign is installed and maintained.

On-premises sign means any sign which identifies a use, business or advertises a product for sale or service to be rendered on the parcel of property where the sign is located.

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

POD see chapter 1.

Pole sign means a sign attached to a pole or mast that is not attached to a building.

Political sign means any sign which constitutes a political advertisement which the primary purpose is related to the candidacy of any person for public office or any issue which has been submitted for referendum approval.

Portable sign means any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including, but not limited to, any sign designed to be transported by means of wheels. The term "portable sign" includes, but is not limited to, an A-frame sign, a menu sign, a sandwich board sign, and a balloon or other inflatable device used for communicating a message.

 

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.

Property means, unless a different meaning is indicated by the context in which the term is used, real property, or the total land area represented by the outside boundaries of a parcel of land.

Public/semi-public sign means:

(1)

Any sign erected on-site for a public use or a nonprofit or quasi-public use such as a library, school, church, hospital, or government owned building.

(2)

Public/semipublic is a future land use plan classification which includes the following plan categories: preservation, recreation/open space, institutional, and transportation/utility.

The characteristics of these categories shall be used in determining whether or not a use is public/semi-public.

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

Roof sign means any sign erected and constructed wholly on and over the roof of a building, supported by the roof structure.

Section means this sign code and any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph or other provision herein, regardless of the organization and numbering of these provisions.

Shopping or business center means a group of three or more business establishments with a single architectural plan, with common ownership of property, or cooperative or condominium ownership.

Sign means any device, fixture, placard, structure or representation that uses any color, form, graphic, illumination, or writing to advertise, attract attention, announce the existence of, or identify the purpose of a person, entity, product or service or to communicate information of any kind to the public.

Sign area means the total area of a sign face. Sign area shall include the background and frame of a sign structure and any borders or extensions, but not the structural supporting elements outside of its frame or extensions. Where a sign is composed of skeletal letters, characters, or symbols applied to a wall or other background that is not a part of the sign, the area of the sign shall be the area of the smallest rectangle, square, triangle, circle, or other geometric figure that will enclose the whole group of letters, characters and symbols. Where a sign is built with two faces back-to-back, the area of the sign shall be the larger of the areas of the two faces computed as herein before specified. In the case of a three-sided sign forming a triangle with sign faces on each side, sign area shall be calculated as 1½ times the largest face. In the case of a four-faced sign forming a square with sign faces on each side, sign area shall be calculated as two times the largest face.

Sign face means any plane, surface, curve or other area upon which appears the letters, characters and symbols composing the sign message, and the background of the letters, characters and symbols.

The total surface of a sign, including the background, frame, border, and any extensions, but not the structural supporting elements outside of the frame or extensions. Where a sign is composed of skeletal letters, characters, or symbols applied to a wall or other background that is not a part of the sign, the face of the sign shall be the area of the smallest rectangle, square, triangle, circle, or other geometric figure that will enclose the whole group of letters, characters and symbols. Background colors that are part of a corporate logo shall be considered a part of the sign face. Where a freestanding sign contains two or more tenant panels on the same side of the sign, the sign face shall include all of the tenant panels including framing.

Sign structure means any structure which is designed specifically for the purpose of supporting a sign, whether or not the structure is presently supporting a sign. The term "sign structure" does not include any decorative covers, braces, wires, supports, or components attached to or placed around the sign structure when designed to meet the design requirements of this sign code.

Snipe sign means a sign which is tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued, or otherwise attached to a tree, pole, fence, public bench, street light pole, or other object, or on any public property or within the right-of-way.

Street means a public right-of-way used for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The term "street" includes, but is not limited to, an alley.

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

Temporary approved sign means a sign approved by the POD for up to 45 days when an applicant demonstrates a hardship while applying for a variance from this sign code.

Tenant panel means one of two or more sign panels on the same side of a freestanding sign, each of which typically (but not necessarily) represents one business or other use on the site, all of which collectively form the sign face.

Tri-vision sign means a sign which contains a number of triangular tubes, called prisms, standing upright and kept in place by a frame. Advertising copy is painted or affixed to the prisms and the sign thereby can separately display three different messages. The prisms that stand closely together are turned simultaneously by a smooth movement at determined intervals. The advertising message on a tri-vision sign is stationary for determined intervals.

Umbrella sign means a sign printed on an umbrella used by a legal outdoor eating and drinking establishment, pushcart, or sidewalk vendor which is made of lightweight fabric or similar material.

Vehicle sign means a sign attached to or placed upon a vehicle or a boat, camper, or trailer, permanently or temporarily, or which is constructed as an integral component of a vehicle, boat, camper, or trailer. A vehicle sign will be a prohibited sign or exempt from this sign code depending upon the location and usage of the vehicle sign, as set forth more particularly in this sign code. Provided, however, that the term "vehicle sign" does not include any sign which is required by any unit of government, nor does the term "vehicle sign" include a single sign that is placed upon a single vehicle, camper, or trailer at the residence of the owner or a boat where lawfully docked to advertise that such is for sale.

Wall sign means any sign attached to, on, or supported by any part of a building (e.g., walls, integral roof, awning, windows, or canopy) which encloses or covers usable space.

Warning sign means a sign that warns of a dangerous condition on a parcel of property or that posts the property parking, trespassing, hunting, fishing, swimming, or other activity, or that gives notice to the public of information required by law regarding the towing of motor vehicles, provided that such sign does not carry any commercial message or identification except the name, address, and telephone number of the property owner.

Waterside identification sign means a sign intended to identify a residential complex, single business property or shopping center, and intended to be viewed only from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway or any other bays, rivers, lakes and waterways.

Wind feather sign means a type of temporary lightweight sign comprised of a frame pole and/or base which may be made of metal, plastic or any other substance, to which a vinyl, nylon, canvas, polyester, or other type of fabric, sign is attached.

Window sign means a sign located on a window or within a building or other enclosed structure and which is visible from the exterior through the window or any other opening.

 

(Code 1992, § 16.40.120.19; Ord. No. 876-G, § 21, 2-21-2008; Ord. No. 893-G, § 6(16.40.120.19), 9-4-2008; Ord. No. 965-G, § 1, 12-17-2009; Ord. No. 35-H, §§ 1, 5, 8-16-2012; Ord. No. 52-H, § 9, 11-1-2012; Ord. No. 123-H, § 4, 8-28-2014; Ord. No. 166-H, § 10, 5-21-2015)