§ 102-161. Signs permitted in commercial and industrial districts.

(a)

Any signs permitted in a residential and planned unit development districts are permitted in commercial and industrial districts.

(b)

The City Manager of the City of Winter Garden or his/her designee may grant administrative variance of up to 20 percent of copy area, sign height, and/or setback distance in the case of unusual on-site or off-site conditions, visibility limitations, and/or abnormal sign shape or dimension. In the case of any administrative variance, signage shall be aesthetically complimentary to the building and surrounding environment.

(c)

Signs in commercial and industrial districts as regulated by reference to types noted below.

(1)

[Freestanding signs.] Freestanding signs are permitted in commercial and industrial districts subject to the following provisions:

i.

Types of signs: Freestanding signs located on a single-tenant parcel may be monument signs or pole signs; Freestanding signs shall be limited to monument signs for multi-tenant parcels. Pole signs are prohibited on all parcels whose right-of-way frontage is a street or streets of less than 45 mile per hour (mph) speed limits.

ii.

Maximum number of signs: The number of freestanding signs shall be limited as follows:

a.

Basic allowance: One freestanding sign shall be permitted per property held in single and separate ownership

b.

Additional allowance: Property that has frontage on more than one public right-of-way shall be permitted one sign for each separate right-of-way frontage. If a property has frontage that exceeds 500 lineal feet on any given public right-of-way, one additional such sign on such frontage shall be permitted; and for each multiple of 500 lineal feet of frontage thereafter, one additional such sign shall be permitted for each separate right-of-way frontage. Unless otherwise regulated by specific reference herein, the copy area and height above grade of any freestanding sign shall not exceed the amounts specified in Table 2 below.

iii.

Location of signs: Sign(s) shall be located no closer than ten feet from right-of-way, side or rear property lines. However, in cases of right-of-way acquisition that caused a sign(s) to be relocated, removed and/or rebuilt, the minimum setback may be reduced to five feet from the right-of-way and/or side property lines.

iv.

Additional standards:

a.

Signs must contain the street address number (the address will not count towards the copy area) of the property:

1.

Be displayed in a contrasting color on any business identification sign; and

2.

The minimum height of the address must be six inches and the maximum height of the address must be 12 inches.

b.

The maximum size of the background structure of a sign shall not exceed 110 percent of the total square footage of copy area. For example, 50-square-foot of copy area can have 55 square feet of background structure area.

c.

Pole signs are required to be wrapped with cladding. At a minimum, cladding shall be applied which covers the pole(s) and/or actual structural support(s) of the pole sign.

d.

On corner lots, signs located within the triangular area formed by the street right-of-way lines shall not obstruct the vision of traffic.

e.

One electronic message center is permitted for each freestanding sign located within a commercial or industrial district. Electronic message centers may not account for more than 30 percent of the sign copy area amounts specified in Table 2 below.

1.

All electronic message centers shall be equipped with technology that automatically dims the electronic message center according to the ambient light conditions.

2.

All electronic message centers shall be limited to a maximum illuminance of 0.3 foot candles at a distance of 25 feet from the face of the sign.

3.

All transitions from one frame to another frame on an electronic message center shall be achieved by one of the following modes of message transition: Fade or dissolve.

4.

Each frame on an electronic message center shall be displayed for not less than ten seconds before beginning transition to another frame.

TABLE 2: FREESTANDING SIGNS IN COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS VALUES INDICATED ARE MAXIMUM LIMITS ON SIGN SIZE AND HEIGHT A = SIGN COPY AREA IN SQUARE FEET HP = POLE SIGN HEIGHT IN LINEAL FEET/HM = MONUMENT SIGN HEIGHT IN LINEAL FEET
ZONING DISTRICT ⇒	COMMERCIAL			INDUSTRIAL
SPEED LIMIT ⇓	A	HP	HM	A	HP	HM
UP TO 20 MPH	18	n/a	12	18	n/a	12
25 MPH	18	n/a	12	18	n/a	12
30 MPH	36	n/a	12	36	n/a	12
35 MPH	36	n/a	15	36	n/a	15
40 MPH	64	n/a	15	64	n/a	15
45 MPH	72	23	18	72	23	18
OVER 45 MPH	72	23	18	72	23	18
*Sign height shall be determined as measured from the crown of the road of the adjacent right-of-way.

 

(2)

Building signs:

i.

Building signs include wall, roof, awning and projecting signs and signs otherwise permanently applied to walls or other building surfaces.

ii.

Electronic message centers are prohibited on all types of building signs.

iii.

The total area of all building signs applied to any given façade shall not exceed the area computed as a percentage of the building facade in elevation view to which they are affixed or applied in accordance with Table 3 below for building signs in commercial and industrial districts.

(3)

Roof signs: Permitted by special exception in commercial and industrial districts.

i.

Roof signs are permitted only by special exception in the commercial and industrial districts and are in lieu of a building. For permitted roof sign area, see Table 3 above for building signs in commercial and industrial districts.

a.

For structures that have a flat roof, the height of any roof sign above the highest architectural point of the building to which it is mounted shall not exceed 25 percent of the vertical dimension of the building facade parallel to the sign. Measurements shall be computed from the highest building point to the top of the sign.

b.

For structures that have a pitched roof, the height of any roof sign may not extend above the roofline of the building to which it is mounted.

c.

Electronic message centers are prohibited on roof signs.

ii.

The area calculation for any roof sign whose orientation on a roof may be other than parallel to an individual building facade shall be computed with reference to the building facade that most closely parallels the orientation of such sign.

(4)

Awning signs:

i.

Graphics affixed or applied to the face or side surfaces of an awning are permitted provided that the copy area of any such sign or graphic does not exceed an area in accordance with Table 3 for building signs to which the awning is attached.

ii.

Graphic treatment and/or embellishments in the form of striping and patterns shall be permitted on the face or side surfaces of any awning without restriction, and the area of any such graphic treatment and/or embellishment shall not be calculated as a component of permitted copy area.

iii.

Electronic message centers are prohibited on awning signs.

(5)

Projecting signs: Permitted in commercial districts only.

i.

Projecting signs shall be limited to structures located within commercial districts that have a minimum of 20 feet of occupied building frontage provided that:

a.

All projecting signs shall not exceed 14 feet in height and shall have a minimum clearance of eight feet from the ground to the bottom of the sign. A projecting sign may be a minimum of six feet from the ground when it is located above a landscaped area or other area that does not permit pedestrian traffic beneath said sign

b.

The projecting sign shall be placed on the building so that said signs are intended to be viewed by the pedestrians on the abutting street or pedestrian way

c.

The projecting sign shall not extend more than four feet from the wall of the building on which it is erected and shall not extend above the roofline or the parapet of the wall of the building on which it is erected

d.

Copy area of projecting sign(s) shall not exceed an area in accordance with Table 3 for building signs to which the projecting sign is attached, however the maximum allowable copy area for each projecting sign shall not exceed four square feet.

e.

Projecting signs shall not contain electronic message centers.

TABLE 3: BUILDING SIGNS
Distance of sign from public right-of-way	Percentage of building elevation façade permitted for sign area
0—100 Feet	Five (5%)
101—300 Feet	Eight (8%)
Over 301 Feet	Ten (10%)

 

(6)

Marquee signs: Permitted by special exception in commercial districts only.

i.

Marquee signs are permitted only by special exception in the commercial district and are in lieu of a building or wall sign.

ii.

The maximum copy area of signs affixed or applied in an essentially flat plane to the face of a marquee or similar architectural projection shall not exceed an area equal to 40 percent of the product of the height and length of the face area of the marquee or similar architectural projection to which such sign is affixed or applied, or 15 percent of the building façade to which it is attached, whichever is greater.

iii.

Graphic treatment in the form of striping or patterns shall be permitted on the face of the marquee or similar architectural projection without restriction and the area of such graphic treatment shall not be calculated as a component of the permitted copy area.

(7)

Temporary signs:

i.

A-frame sign: Permitted in commercial districts only.

a.

One A-frame sign not to exceed four feet in height and ten square feet of copy area shall be permitted for each occupied building frontage located within a commercial district.

b.

A-frame signs shall be located entirely outside of the street, roadway and/or right-of-way.

c.

A-frame signs shall not be located so as to obstruct a continuous pedestrian through zone of at least six feet in width, and shall not obstruct pedestrian and handicapped access from the sidewalk to any of the following: transit stop areas, designated handicapped parking spaces, designated handicapped access ramps, building entry/exit points, emergency/fire lanes and/or escapes.

d.

A-frame signs shall be displayed only during the operating hours of the occupant of the building frontage for which they are permitted which may not exceed a time period in excess of 12 hours within any one 24-hour period.

e.

On corner lots, signs located within the triangular area formed by the street right-of-way lines shall not obstruct the vision of traffic.

f.

Electronic message centers are prohibited on A-frame signs.

g.

A-frame sign design shall compliment the design of the building frontage for which they are permitted and the surrounding environment. All A-frame signs shall be administratively reviewed by the planning director prior to use at any location.

ii.

Banner signs:

a.

No banner sign shall be permitted in a location which creates a traffic and/or pedestrian hazard or which creates a threat to the public health, safety and welfare.

b.

Banner signs may be permitted for display for a period of up to 30 days no more than three times per calendar year; and no more than one permit for display of a banner sign will be allowed within any three-month period.

c.

No more than one banner sign may be permitted on any right-of-way frontage of an occupied building frontage. The banner may be mounted on a building or other support structure. If not mounted on a building, the banner shall be set back at least 15 feet from all property lines.

d.

Banner signs shall not exceed a height of 20 feet above the ground.

e.

The maximum banner sign area shall be 40 square feet.

f.

No streamers, pennants, flags, ribbons, spinners, or other prohibited devices shall be included or incorporated with the display of a banner sign.

g.

On corner lots, signs located within the triangular area formed by the street right-of-way lines shall not obstruct the vision of traffic.

(8)

Window signs:

a.

Window signs may not exceed 20 percent of the window area of any side of occupied building frontage.

b.

One electronic message center sign, neon sign, luminous tube light, light-emitting tube and/or neon type sign shall be permitted to be displayed within one window of each occupied building frontage, however such sigh shall not exceed three square feet in size and shall not flash, scroll, travel, rotate and/or involve any movement visually or physically.

(Ord. No. 13-19, § 1, 5-23-13)