Title
An Ordinance to Amend Sections 5:507 and 5:508 of Chapter 61 (Permitted and Prohibited Signs) of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Ordinance No. ORD-15-05)
Memo
The attached ordinance adds a category of permitted signs to Section 5:507 to allow bike share stations to include signage to assist with location and use of the bike share stations, and to allow for display of information about sponsors of stations and/or of the bike share program.
The proposed ordinance also amends the subsection with exceptions to the prohibited signs categories in Section 5:508 to clarify that the bike share station signs permitted by the new Section 5:507(19) are not prohibited.
Information and a map of bike station locations and planned bike station locations can be found at: <http://arborbike.org/map.html>. A PDF version of the page with the map is attached. Also attached is an image of a model of what the bike station are expected to look like with the signs installed.
Approval of the ordinance is recommended.
Staff
Prepared by: Christopher Frost, Assistant City Attorney
Sponsored by: Councilmember Briere and Mayor Taylor
Body
ORDINANCE NO. ORD-15-05
First Reading: March 2, 2015 Approved: March 16, 2015
Public Hearing: March 16, 2015 Published: March 20, 2015
Effective: March 30, 2015
PERMITTED AND PROHIBITED SIGNS
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTIONS 5:507 and 5:508 OF CHAPTER 61 (PERMITTED AND PROHIBITED SIGNS) OF TITLE V OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF ANN ARBOR.
The City of Ann Arbor Ordains:
Section 1. That Sections 5:507 and 5:508 of Chapter 61 of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor be amended to read as follows:
5:507. - Permitted signs.
The following signs are permitted, notwithstanding any prohibition contained in this chapter other than prohibitions contained in section 5:508, section 5:510, and section 5:510.1.
(1) Address numbers with a numeral height not greater than 12 inches for residences and 24 inches for businesses.
(2) Names of building occupants painted on or attached to the building with a letter height not greater than 2 inches.
(3) Exterior signs having a total area of not more than 3 square feet on goods displayed within 6 feet of the front of the building.
(4) Portable real estate "open house" signs with an area not greater than 6 square feet. One such sign may be located on the premises being sold. No more than 2 additional such signs are permitted and may be placed in the public right-of-way, notwithstanding the prohibition in subsection 5:508(12) provided, however, that a property owner shall have the right to remove and destroy or otherwise dispose of without notice to any person, signs which are placed without his or her permission on his or her property, including signs placed in that portion of the public right-of-way which is an easement across the property. All of the signs permitted by subsection 5:507(4) and pertaining to a single property may be displayed only for 6 hours during 1 day in any 7-day period. All such signs shall be located so as not to interfere with the free passage of vehicular and pedestrian traffic upon the public right-of-way, and so as not to constitute a hazard to public safety.
(5) Paper notice placed on bulletin boards or on kiosks that have an area of no more than 10 square feet.
(6) Authorized signs of the state or a political subdivision of state.
(7) Signs of a religious institution, school, museum, community recreational facility or library indicating the name, current displays or activities and having an area not greater than 50 square feet.
(8) Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection, when cut into any masonry surface of a building or when constructed of bronze or other incombustible material affixed to a building.
(9) Flags bearing the official design of a nation, state, municipality, educational institution or noncommercial organization, provided that the flag pole is set back from all property lines a minimum distance of 1 foot for every 1 foot of pole height.
(10) Special event signs, banners or search lights approved by the City Council or City Administrator.
(11) Permanent signs on vending machines, gas pumps or ice containers indicating only the contents of such devices provided that such devices must be located within 10 feet of the building. The sign area of each such device may not exceed 6 square feet.
(12) Signs not exceeding 6 square feet each which contain only noncommercial messages including designation of restrooms, telephone location, restrictions on smoking, door openings and private traffic control and parking signs.
(13) One sign per parking lot not exceeding 3 square feet per sign face and 6 feet in height identifying the business and providing driving and parking information.
(14) Interior signs up to 4 square feet indicating property is for sale or for rent.
(15) Plaques or signs not exceeding 2 square feet designating a building as a historical structure.
(16) Business signs not exceeding 2 square feet per sign face containing information on credit cards and business affiliations.
(17) Temporary signs as provided for in section 5:505.
(18) Political signs as defined in subsection 5:501(15) and as provided for in section 5:506.
(19) Signs affixed to a freestanding station that provides rental or sharing of bicycles to the public when the station is part of a system that has received funds or equipment from the City of Ann Arbor, including such a station that has been authorized by the City to occupy a public right-of-way. The total sign area shall be 20 square feet or less, the maximum height of any sign shall be 8 feet, and no sign face shall exceed 6 square feet. Up to 7 square feet of off-premises signs shall be permitted and the provisions of section 5:509 shall not apply.
5:508. - Prohibited signs.
Any sign that is not specifically permitted by this chapter is prohibited. The following signs are prohibited:
(1) Signs which incorporate in any manner or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent, or moving lights. This section does not prohibit barber poles which meet the other requirements of this chapter.
(2) Exterior banners, pennants, spinners and streamers, other than a banner or pennant used as a permitted sign under section 5:502, or a special event banner under subsection 5:507(10).
(3) Exterior string lights used in connection with a commercial premises, other than holiday decorations.
(4) Any sign which has any visible motion other than permitted flags or banners.
(5) Any sign which is structurally or electrically unsafe.
(6) Any sign erected on a tree or utility pole except signs of any political subdivision of this state.
(7) Any business sign or sign structure now or hereafter existing which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted or a product sold.
(8) Except as provided in subsection 5:507(4) and Chapter 47, section 4:14, any freestanding exterior sign not permanently anchored or secured to either a building or the ground.
(9) Any sign on a motor vehicle or trailer which is parked in front of a business for the purpose of advertising a business or product or service of a business located on the premises where such vehicle is parked.
(10) Any sign on a motor vehicle or trailer which projects more than 6 inches from the surface of such a vehicle when it is parked at a location visible from a public street.
(11) Any sign structure or frame no longer containing a sign.
(12) Any sign erected on the public right-of-way, except for signs of a political subdivision of this state, and except for portable "open house" signs to the extend they are as permitted by subsection 5:507(4), and except for political signs to the extend they are as permitted by section 5:506, portable business signs as permitted by Chapter 47, section 4:14, and signs affixed to a freestanding bicycle station as permitted by subsection 5:507(19). The city may remove and destroy or otherwise dispose of, without notice to any person, any sign which is erected on the public right-of-way in violation of this subsection.
(13) Billboards.
Section 2. That this ordinance shall take effect on the tenth day after legal publication.
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
I hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was adopted by the Council of the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, at its regular session of March 16, 2015.
Jacqueline Beaudry, City Clerk
Christopher Taylor, Mayor
I hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance received legal publication on the City Clerk's Webpage on March 19, 2015.
Jacqueline Beaudry, City Clerk