ARTICLE 14 - SIGNS     14.00

14.1 SCOPE

These Standards are adopted to:

a.         Maintain and enhance the aesthetics of the community.

b.         Enhance pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety.

c.         Preserve public health, safety, and welfare.

d.         Minimize the adverse effects of signs on nearby public and private property.

e.         Minimize driver distraction.

f.          Encourage appropriate plants and landscaping material.

g.         Avoid excessive signage.

h.         Protect and enhance the scenic views and natural landscapes.

i.          Protect and enhance economic viability by assuring aesthetic appeal for visitors and residents.

j.          Promote the use of aesthetically pleasing sign materials and colors.

k.         Avoid obstacles, distractions, or traffic hazards, which impair a traveler’s ability to see pedestrians, traffic signs, or vehicles.

l.          Preserve the right to enjoy scenic amenities.

m.        Enhance the effectiveness of necessary directional and warning Signs.

n.         Preserve property values.

o.         Provide for the effectiveness of Permitted Signs.

p.         Avoid adverse lighting or reflection.

q.         Require structurally safe Signs.

14.2 PERMIT PROCEDURE

Prior to construction or establishment of any sign, except as otherwise specifically noted in this Ordinance, a permit shall be obtained from the Township Zoning  Enforcement Officer.  A sign permit shall become null and void if the work for which the permit was issued has not been completed within a period of 6 months after the date of the permit.

A.        APPLICATIONS.  Application for a permit to construct or locate a permanent sign shall be obtained from the Township Zoning Adminis­trator.  The application shall include the following information.

1.          Name, address, telephone number of the landowner, developer, or petitioner.

2.          A map of the property at a scale of 1"=10' showing the location and type of existing structures on the site, property boundaries, location and type of structures on adjacent properties, road rights-of-way, entrances and exits onto the subject property and exact location of the proposed sign(s) with setback from all structures and property lines.  The drawings submitted for sign permits must comply with all pertinent aspects of the approved site plan in instances where a site plan is required.

3.          An elevation drawing of the proposed sign(s) depicting its design, lettering, method of illumination and other relevant information.  The dimensions of the height and length, and width of the sign(s) and height between ground elevation and the bottom of the sign, shall be noted.

4.          In the case of a wall sign, an elevation of the wall of the building on which the sign is to be placed, including a depiction of the wall sign at scale, shall be shown.  The dimension of the building wall and the sign shall be depicted.

5.          The proposed dates of construction and completion of the sign.

6.          Structural information necessary to comply with all current building codes.

7.          In the case of a  portable sign, the length of time the proposed sign will be on the site.

8.          A fee shall be paid to Tittabawassee Township for each sign permit.  A schedule of fees shall be established and amended from time to time by the Township Board.

B.    DURATION OF PERMIT FOR PORTABLE/TEMPORARY SIGNS.   All portable signs are subject to the restrictions outlined in the following Table of Special Purpose Sign Regulations and subject to the location restrictions for permanent signs in the applicable Zoning District.  Each such sign shall require a permit if it is to be posted more than 3 days.

14.3   EXEMPTIONS

A.     ACTIONS EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING. The following operations shall not be considered as creating a sign and therefore shall not require a sign permit.

1.        REPLACING COPY.  The changing of the advertising copy of an approved painted or printed sign, where the sign structure does not change, or on a theater marquee and similar approved signs which are specifically designed for the use of replaceable copy.

2.        MAINTENANCE.  Painting, repainting, cleaning, light bulb replacement, and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or a sign structure unless a structural change is made.

B.    SIGNS EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING

The following exempt Signs are allowed in all zoning districts within the Township.  All exempt signs  shall comply with setback  provisions for the Zoning District in which they are located.

1.             CONSTRUCTION  SIGNS. These signs may  be displayed during the construction period, commencing  with  the issuance of a building  permit.   The signs shall have a maximum area of twenty (20) square  feet. The signs shall be confined to the site  of the  construction  and shall be removed no more  than four (4) days after the beginning of the intended use of the project.

2.       COMMERCIAL RENT/SALE/LEASE.  One sign advertising parcels of land or building for rent, lease or sale, when located on land or building intended to be rented leased or sold, not exceeding twenty-four (24) square feet in area, six (6) feet in height in office, commercial and industrial districts.

3.       SMALL SIGNS.  In the agricultural and AG, R-1A, R-1 and R-2 zoning districts, one (1) sign, no greater than six (6) sq. ft. or four (4’) ft. in height is permitted without a permit, provided it is located within the required yard.  In the VC, GB, RB, I-1 and I-2 districts, signs and decorations smaller than one (1) square foot and flags or banners anchored to permanently mounted poles that are less than three (3) square feet are permitted without a permit.  Flags, banners and signs larger than this shall be treated as portable/temporary signs.

4.       CROP IDENTIFICATION. Crop identification signs in the agricultural district.

5.       PRIVATE TRAFFIC DIRECTION SIGNS.  Signs located on private property, necessary to promote vehicular and pedestrian safety are exempt from permitting. These may include directional signs, parking signs, and other related signs at the discretion of the owner.

6.       FLAGS.  Two (2) flags are allowed to be exempt from these regulations. If additional flags will be displayed no more than the time  period allowed for a portable sign, the flag will be considered a portable sign and is subject to portable sign regulations.   If the flag will be displayed more than the time period allowed for portable signs, the flag becomes a permanent sign and must be calculated into the total sign area allowed for a parcel.

7.       ADDRESSES.  Address numbers, nameplates (including apartment units and office suites) identifying the occupant or address of a parcel of land.

8.       VEHICLE SIGNS. Signs attached to legally licensed vehicles that are used upon the highways for transporting persons, goods or equipment.

9.       GOVERNMENTAL SIGNS.  Traffic or other municipal signs including, but not limited to, the following, legal notices, historic site designations, municipal facility directional signs, street or traffic signs, railroad crossing signs, danger and other emergency signs as may be approved by the Township Board or any Federal, State or County agency having jurisdiction over the matter of the sign.  Such signs may be located in any zoning district.  However, all signs on governmental property on which a municipal building is located shall meet the commercial zoning district requirements state herein.

10.   COMMUNITY SPECIAL EVENT.  Community special event signs approved by the Township Board.

11.   DECORATIVE SIGNS.  Signs of a decorative nature, not used for any commercial purpose, provided that such signs shall be displayed for a period of not more than sixty (60) consecutive days, nor more than sixty (60) total days in any one year.

14.4 MEASUREMENT OF A SIGN

Measurement of a sign includes the entire area within a circle, triangle, or parallelogram enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representation, emblem, or any figure of similar character, together with any frame or other material or color forming an integral part of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the background against which it is placed. This excludes the necessary supports or uprights on which the sign is placed but includes any sign tower.  Where a sign has two or more faces, the area of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign, except that where two such faces are placed back to back and are at no point more than two feet from one another, the area of the sign shall be taken as the area of one face if the two faces are of equal area, or as the area of the larger face if the two faces are of unequal area.  In the case of a sphere, the total area of the sphere shall be divided by four (4) to determine the maximum permitted sign area. The height of a sign shall be measured from the average grade of the lot at the setback line. If a sign includes a numeric address, the portion of the sign containing the address numbers shall not be counted toward the total square footage of the sign.

14.5    TABLE OF SIGNS PERMITTED