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Land Development Code

Article IV. Sign Regulations

Sec. 58-121. Purpose and intent.

The purpose of this section is to create the legal framework for a comprehensive but balanced system of signs, and thereby to facilitate easy and pleasant communication between people and their environment. With this purpose in mind, it is the intention of this section to authorize the use of signs which are compatible with their surroundings, appropriate to the type of activity to which they pertain, expressive of the identity of individual proprietors, legible in the circumstances in which they are seen, and not a traffic hazard. The building code of the city shall control the construction, maintenance, and inspection of signs found in any other regulations shall be maintained and followed in conjunction with the conditions herein set forth. In the case of a direct conflict with the provisions of any other regulation, the provision which is more restrictive shall govern.

Sec. 58-122. Guide to use of sign regulations.

In order to find the applicable sign regulation, first determine the appropriate zoning district where the sign is to be located and check the applicable requirements under sections 58-125 through 58-129 for the allowable size, height and placement of sign. Other types of regulated signs are found in sections 58-130 through 58-135. Political, real estate, and development sign regulations are found in section 58-134. Prohibited signs are listed in section 58-135.

Sec. 58-123. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, certain terms or words used herein shall be interpreted as follows:

Animated sign means any sign or part of a sign which changes physical position by movement or rotation.

Awning means a shelter that extends from a building that is normally supported entirely from the exterior wall of a building and composed of nonrigid materials (such as canvas) except for the supporting framework.

Bulletin Board sign means a sign detailing the name, address and number of a building or institution, as well as the names and occupations of the various businesses or occupants that reside on the property.

Canopy (or marquee) means a permanent, roof-like shelter extending from part or all of a building face over a sidewalk or public right-of-way, and constructed of some durable material such as wood, metal, glass or plastic.

Changing sign means a sign such as an electronically or electrically controlled public service time, temperature and date sign, message center or reader board, where different copy changes are shown on the same lamp bank.

Flashing sign means any directly or indirectly illuminated sign which exhibits intermittent or flashing natural or artificial light or color effect by any means whatsoever. Automatic changing signs such as public service time, temperature and date signs or electronically controlled message centers are classed as changing signs, not flashing signs.

Ground sign means a sign affixed to the ground and supported by poles, uprights, or braces extending from the ground or a permanently mounted object on the ground but not attached to any part of any building.

Identification sign means a sign which is limited to the name, address and number of a building or institution and to the activity carried on in the building or institution, or the name of the occupant.

Outdoor advertising sign means any offsite sign, or sign, which is not displayed as accessory to another activity on the same premises.

Portable sign means any sign that is not permanently affixed to a building, structure, or the ground.

Premises means a lot (parcel) in fee simple ownership as otherwise used in article III of this chapter.

Projecting sign means a sign other than a wall sign which projects from a wall and is supported by a wall.

Roof line means the highest continuous horizontal line of a roof. On a sloping roof, the roof line is the principle ridge line, or the highest line common to one or more principal slopes of the roof. On a flat roof, the roof line is the highest continuous line of the roof or parapet, whichever is higher.

Roof sign means a sign which projects above the roof line or is located on the roof of a building or structure.

Sign means any object or device visible from the right-of-way of a street or highway, which is used to advertise, identify, display, direct or attract attention to an object, person, institution, organization, business product, service, event or location by any means including works, letters, figures, designs, symbols, fixtures, colors, motion, illuminations, or projected images. Signs do not include the following:

1. Window displays of merchandise, pictures or models of products or services;
2. Time and temperature devices not related to a product;
3. Symbols or crests of political subdivisions and religious, fraternal, professional or civic organizations;
4. Works of art which in no way identify a product;
5. Directional signs six square feet in area or less which direct and guide traffic and parking but bear no advertising matter;
6. Coin-operated vending machines, gasoline pumps, telephone booths, and ice vending equipment.
7. Banners, used by the city or museum to support a city commission-approved event or activity a political cause or statement.
8. Up to three balloons 12 inches or less in diameter on one property or premises.
9. Murals painted on walls that bear no advertising matter.

Setback distance means the shortest horizontal distance form the property line to the nearest point of the sign or its supporting members, whichever is nearest to the property line.

Signable area means an area of the facade of a building up to the roof line which is free of windows and doors or major architectural detail.

Wall sign means a sign painted on the outside of a building or a sign attached flat to or pinned away from the wall with a face horizontally parallel to the building.

Wind sign means devices such as pennants, spinners and streamers fastened in such a manner as to move upon being subjected to pressure by wind or breeze.

Window sign means a sign which is applied or attached to, or located within, three feet of the interior of a window, on a structure or vehicle which can be seen through or from the window of the structure or vehicle.

Sec. 58-124. Signs permitted in zoning districts of the city.

(a) Residential, parks and recreation, and public and quasi-public districts.

1. For each single family home or duplex, one identification sign for each dwelling unit not exceeding an area of one and one-third square feet. Such identification sign shall not be subject to the permit requirements of this chapter.
2. For multiple family uses, rooming and boarding houses, one identification sign for each developed parcel, not exceeding 12 square feet in area.
3. For nonresidential uses, one identification sign and one bulletin board for each developed parcel not exceeding a total of 18 square feet in area for all signs.
4. All signs shall be either wall signs or ground signs. Ground signs shall not exceed a height of six feet. No height limit is specified for wall signs. All signs shall be placed on private property behind the lot line. These signs shall also comply with the applicable provisions of sections 58-125 and 58-126.

(b) Office districts.

1. One identification sign and one bulletin board for each developed parcel not to exceed a total of 36 square feet in area for all signs.
2. All signs shall be wall signs, ground signs or projecting signs. Ground signs shall not exceed a height of eight feet. No height limit is specified for wall signs. All signs shall be placed on private property behind the lot line. These signs shall also comply with the applicable provisions of sections 58-125 and 58-126.

(c) Shopping center (C-1) and regional shopping center (C-1A) districts.

1. One ground sign indicating only the name and nature of the occupancy for each developed parcel, not to exceed the height or area established by Table 1, section 58-125. One additional ground sign may be erected for each additional 300 feet of street frontage in excess of the first 300 feet of street frontage abutting the developed portion of such property. Where a developed parcel is permitted to have more than one ground sign under these regulations, the distance between such signs shall be not less than 300 feet. The minimum setback distance for ground signs in this district shall be five feet from all lot lines. All other provisions of section 58-125 shall also apply.
2. One wall sign indicating only the name and nature of the occupancy for each occupancy within the developed parcel. Such sign shall not exceed a total area of two and one-half square feet of copy for each linear foot of building occupancy frontage or the copy area permitted by section 58-126, whichever is the lesser. Wall signs shall also conform with all other provisions of section 58-126.
3. If the building includes a canopy, each occupancy will be permitted one undercanopy sign in conformity with section 58-128.

(d) Central business (C-2) district.

1. Each occupancy shall be permitted a maximum of two signs indicating the business, commodities, service or other activity sold, offered or conducted on the premises. Where one occupancy has two signs, only the following combinations of sign types shall be permitted: One ground sign and one wall or canopy sign; one projecting sign and one wall or canopy sign; one ground sign and one under-canopy sign; one canopy sign and one under-canopy sign. These signs shall also comply with the applicable provisions of sections 58-125 through 58-128.
2. Ground signs within the central business district (C-2) which give only the name of the abutting business may be located on the public right-of-way between the property line and the curb. Ground signs so located shall not exceed three square feet in area, and the lower edge shall be a minimum of seven feet high above the sidewalk, and shall be placed at least six inches behind the curb face or further to prevent interference with vehicular traffic.. The design and location of such signs shall be subject to the approval of the planning and community development department to insure that the sign does no interfere with pedestrian traffic, parking or does nor create excessive signage in one area. Signs must be spaced at least ten feet apart and may be required to be located as prescribed by the sign location plan..
3. Ground signs and projecting signs on properties or buildings within the central business district shall be limited to an area of each face of 20 square feet and shall have a minimum clearance of seven feet.
4. The maximum copy area of canopy signs shall be two square feet per linear foot of canopy front and sides. These signs should also comply with applicable provisions of section 58-128.
5. Signs attached to the underside of a canopy (under canopy signs) shall have a copy area no greater than six square feet, with a maximum letter height of nine inches, subject to a minimum clearance of seven feet from the sidewalk.
6. All signs in this district shall be subject to compliance with the central business district/Park Avenue area facade design guidelines, even if such is more restrictive than the regulations outlined above.

(e) General commercial (C-3), limited commercial (C-3A) service station (C-4) and light industrial (I-1) districts.

1. Each premises or building shall be permitted one ground sign indicating only the business, commodities, service or other activity sold, offered or conducted on the property. Where a premises has in excess of 300 feet of frontage, one additional ground sign may be erected for each additional 300 feet of street frontage in excess to the first 300 feet. Ground signs shall also comply with the applicable provisions of section 58-125. Service stations shall be permitted one additional ground sign not exceeding 32 square feet of area per face indicating only the prices of fuels sold on the premises. A ground sign must be located entirely on private property behind the lot line.
2. One projecting sign may be substituted for the permitted ground sign and shall comply with applicable provisions of sections 58-127.
3. In addition to the above signs, each occupancy may have one of the following sign types: one wall sign, one canopy sign, or one under-canopy sign. These signs shall comply with the applicable provisions of sections 58-126 and 58-128.

(Ord. No 2259, & 1, 5-12-98)

Sec. 58-125. Ground signs.

(a) Permitted. Ground signs are permitted for each premises having frontage on a public right-of-way.

(b) Height when within 20 feet of curb cut. Ground signs located within 20 feet of a curbcut, or within 20 feet of the point where the curbs or pavement edges of intersecting streets intersect, shall either have a maximum height of three feet, or shall maintain a clear height of eight feet from the adjacent curb or edge of pavement to the bottom of the sign.

(c) Setbacks. See the respective zoning district regulations, section 58-124.

(d) Height and area. The maximum permitted height and area of signs should be related to the environment in which the sign will be seen. Therefore, the limits in Table 1 are based on the traffic speed and number of lanes on streets in the city. The maximum height of any ground sign shall not exceed the limits established by Table 1. If the sign has more than one face, the total area shall not exceed twice the area permitted for one face.

TABLE 1
MAXIMUM PERMITTED HEIGHT
AND AREA OF GROUND SIGNS

Street	Area Each Face (sq. feet)	Max. Height from grade (feet)
2-lane Street	36	8
Orlando Ave./Aloma Ave./Lee Rd.	100	25
All other 4-6 lanes	50	20

(e) Residential proximity. When premises zoned for commercial or industrial use are within 100 feet of the nearest boundary of any premises zoned for residential use on the same public right-of-way, ground signs erected and maintained on the commercial or industrial premises shall not exceed 25 feet in height, or the maximum height permitted by Table 1, above, whichever is less. Furthermore, where ground signs are located in a commercial or industrial zone, but within 100 feet of premises zoned for residential use having frontage on the same public right-of-way, such signs shall be set back from the public right-of-way the same distance as is required for buildings in the residential zone.

(f) Minimum clearance. Where a ground sign projects over a vehicular traffic area such as a driveway or parking lot aisle, the minimum clearance between the bottom of the sign and the ground shall be 16 feet.

(g) Decorative embellishments. On ground signs, the sign structure may extend above the maximum allowable height of the sign for embellishment purposes. Under no circumstances, however, may such extension exceed 20 percent of the maximum allowable height for the sign. Further, such embellishment shall not include thereon any symbol, representation, logo insignia, illustration, or other form of advertising message.

(h) Projection over a canopy. A ground sign supported by a sign structure which is imbedded in the ground and independent of a canopy for structural support, any project above and over a canopy. This section shall not be deemed to allow a ground sign to be located over, in whole or part, the roof of a building. A ground sign which projects over a canopy shall comply with all other applicable regulations of this chapter.

Sec. 58-126. Wall signs.

(a) Signable area determination. The occupancy displaying a wall sign shall determine the signable area by choosing one such area on the building facade and by then calculating the number of square feet which are enclosed by an imaginary rectangle or square which is drawn around this area.

(b) Area limits. In all cases, wall sign areas refer to the area of copy rather than the area of the background.

1. Where an occupancy has no ground, roof or projecting sign on the same premises, 45 percent of the signable area may be used for copy.
2. Where an occupancy has a ground sign but no roof or projecting sign on the same premises, 30 percent of the signable area may be used for copy.
3. Where an advertiser has a projecting sign but no ground sign on the same premises, 15 percent of the signable area may be used for copy.

(c) Interruption of architectural features. A wall sign shall not interrupt major architectural features of the building, and shall not project from the wall by more than 12 inches.

(d) When unrestricted. One identification wall sign four square feet in area or less with nonilluminated letters up to but not restricted and shall be permitted in addition to regulated signage.

Sec. 58-127. Projecting signs.

(a) When permitted; height; area. Any occupancy with frontage on the public right-of-way is permitted to have one projecting sign along that public street. The projecting sign shall be instead of, but not in addition to, a ground sign, and shall be subject to the same height and area restrictions as shown in Table 1 in section 58-125. Where a premises is allowed two ground signs, the occupant may elect to substitute a projecting sign for one of the ground signs.

(b) The leading edge of any projecting sign shall not extend over a public right-of-way except as approved in the central business district (C-2).

(c) Rise from parapet. Projecting signs shall not rise more than six feet above the top of a parapet.

(d) Minimum clearance. Projecting signs shall have a minimum clearance. Projecting signs shall have a minimum clearance of nine feet between the bottom of the sign and the ground.

(e) Installation. All projecting signs shall be installed or erected in such a manner that there shall be no visible angle iron sign support structures above a roof, building face or wall.

(f) Cantilever support. A cantilever support may rise 12 inches above the parapet; however, where there is a space between the edge of the sign and the building face, such cantilever must be enclosed, except decorative yard arm type signs shall be permitted without enclosure of the space between the sign and the building.

Sec. 58-128. Canopy (or marquee) signs.

Where canopy signs are allowed, such signs shall be subject to the following conditions:

1. Height; area. Maximum sign area shall be three square feet per linear foot of canopy front and sides. Sign area or any part of sign area allowed for other facings. Subject to a minimum height limit of nine feet from the sidewalk, a canopy sign may be installed above, on the face of or below the canopy proper, provided that where such sign is installed above or below, the sign area will be computed on the total of the sign face and the canopy face proper.
2. Proximity to curb face. No portion of a canopy sign can be closer that one foot to a vertical line from the curb face.
3. Copy area in public entertainment areas. On places of public entertainment such as theaters, arenas and meeting halls, the copy area allowance will be five square feet per linear foot of canopy with a maximum total height limit of no more than five feet at any point.
4. Copy area in the central business district. In the central business district (C-2) the maximum copy area of canopy signs shall be two square feet per linear foot of canopy front and sides subject to the same conditions as in subsection (1) of this section.
5. Projection over canopy. A ground sign supported by a sign structure which is imbedded in the ground and independent of a canopy for structural support, may project above and over a canopy. This section shall not be deemed to allow a ground sign to be located over, in whole or in part, the roof of a building. A ground sign which projects over a canopy shall comply with all other applicable regulations of this chapter.
6. Under canopy sign. Signs attached to the underside of a canopy shall have a copy area no greater than six square feet, with a maximum letter height of nine inches, subject to a minimum clearance of seven feet from the sidewalk in the central business district (C-2), and eight feet from the sidewalk in all other districts, and shall be mounted as nearly as possible at right angles to the building face.

Sec. 58-129. Signs on awnings.

In addition to other permitted signs, a sign consisting of letters not exceeding an average height of 12 inches placed within an area width not exceeding 18 inches may be painted, placed or installed upon the front and sides of any awning erected and maintained in accordance with the city's building code. An identification emblem, insignia, initial or other similar feature not exceeding an area of eight square feet may be painted, placed or installed elsewhere on any awning.

Sec. 58-130. Other signs.

(a) Incidental signs. Up two incidental signs may be attached to a ground sign structure or to a building wall, but may not be attached perpendicular to the wall. Such signs are restricted to trading stamps, credit cards accepted, official notices of services required by law or trade affiliations. Area of each sign may not exceed five square feet; the total area of all signs may not exceed ten square feet.

(b) Manual or automatic changeable copy signs. Any of the types of signs permitted in this division may be permitted as manual or automatic changeable copy signs.

(c) Portable signs. Portable signs may not be used as either a permanent sign or a temporary sign, except as permitted in section 58-134.

(d) Window signs. The total area of all window signs on any side of a building shall not cover more that 25 percent of the window area.

Sec. 58-131. Special situations.

(a) Building adjacent to offstreet parking. Wall signs may be displayed on the side or rear of a building adjacent to an offstreet parking area if the parking area is 30 feet or more in width. However, the total area of all wall signs on the premises shall not exceed the signable wall area calculated for the frontage of the building.

(b) Multiple frontages. If a building has frontage on two or more streets, each frontage shall be separately considered for the purposes of determining compliance with the provisions of these regulations. However, the permitted sign area for one frontage shall not be combined with another frontage to place the combined sign area on one frontage. Neither shall this section be construed to supersede the provisions limiting and restricting the use of temporary signs for buildings with multiple frontages after September 1, 1983.

Sec. 58-132. Illumination.

Illumination of signs shall be in accordance with the following requirements:

1. White is the only color of light which is permitted in residential or office zones, or within 500 feet of such zones.
2. Flashing signs shall be prohibited.
3. Floodlight illumination is permissible, provided that the floodlight or spotlight is positioned so that none of the light shines onto an adjacent property or in the eyes of motorists or pedestrians.
4. Bare bulb illumination shall not be used in residential or professional office zones, nor within 500 feet of such zones, except neon or similar type signs are permitted in commercial zoning districts.
5. Searchlights shall not be permitted to be used to illuminate signs or properties in the advertising or promotion of a business or in the attraction of customers to a property.

Sec. 58-133. Nonconforming signs.

(a) All signs not in conformance with any provisions of these regulations, with the exception of the maximum height and area limitations, must be removed, changed, or altered to conform to the provisions of these regulations within two years after such sign becomes nonconforming.

1. Any sign not in conformance with the provisions of these regulations becomes nonconforming on July 14, 1998.
2. Any sign not in conformance with the provisions of an amendment to these regulations becomes nonconforming on the effective date of such amendment.
3. Any projecting sign which is nonconforming sue solely to its location over a public right-of-way shall also be exempt form the conformance provisions of this chapter.

(b) Whenever the occupancy of a premises with nonconforming signs changes, the new occupant shall be required to remove, change or alter such signs to conform to the provisions of these regulations. This requirement is not intended to apply to changes in ownership where the same type of business, continues to occupy the premises.

(c) All wind signs, animated signs, and nonconforming flashing signs shall be removed or converted to nonflashing, non-animated signs. All portable and temporary signs not in conformance with this section shall be removed or altered to meet requirements of this section.

Sec. 58-134. Temporary signs.

(a) In addition to other signs permitted by this section, temporary signs may be permitted in accordance with the following requirements of this article except as otherwise provided in this subsection.

(b) Subdivision development signs shall be permitted to identify subdivisions where an active building and development program is underway. Such signs shall be permitted on a temporary permit basis only for a maximum of two years or until the subdivision is completed, whichever shall occur first. Such signs shall be limited to one per street frontage and shall not exceed 32 square feet in size or eight feet in height.

(c) Onsite development signs shall be permitted on property where there is an active building program underway to identify the project, the developer, architect, contractor, Realtor and others involved in eh design, construction and financing. Such signs shall be permitted on a temporary basis and shall not be erected more than five days prior to the start of construction. Signs shall be removed upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy or when there has been no construction activity on the property for 60 days or more. Such signs shall be limited to one per street frontage and shall not exceed eight square feet in size or six feet in height for single family and duplex building projects; 12 square feet in size and eight feet in height for multifamily building projects and no larger or higher than that permitted for permanent ground signs for nonresidential building projects.

(d) One real estate sign offering real property for sale or lease shall be permitted on each frontage of properties where an owner is actively attempting to sell or lease such property, either personally or through an agent. In addition, a maximum of one "open house" sign may be used to direct interested persons to the location of an open house. Such signs shall not exceed four square feet in area in residential zones, or 16 square feet in nonresidential zones, and shall be located behind the sidewalk of ten feet behind the curb or edge of pavement, whichever is greater.

(e) Political or campaign signs on behalf of candidates for public office or measures on election ballots provided that such signs are subject to the following regulations:

1. Such signs shall be erected not earlier than 45 days prior to such election and shall be removed within three days following such election. For city elections, political signs posted prior to the date of the scheduled primary election date may remain posted until three days following the general election.
2. In any district, only one sign is permitted on any one property frontage. In any district, such signs shall not exceed two square feet in area, and if detached, shall not exceed six feet in height. For city elections, when an election is held for two city commission seat vacancies, two signs (one for each seat) are permitted on any one property frontage.
3. All signs shall be located behind the sidewalk, or ten feet behind the curb or edge of pavement, whichever is greater.
4. Any candidate, election committee or organization for an electoral measure that does not conform to these provisions shall be subject to the misdemeanor penalties provided by section 1-7 of this Code of Ordinances, or shall be subject to issuance of a citation under chapter 1, article II, of this Code of Ordinances of shall be subject to issuance of a notice to appear before the city's code enforcement board as provided under chapter 2, article III, division 4 of this Code of Ordinances.

Prior to the imposition of any of the foregoing penalties on a candidate for political office, written notice of the violation shall be delivered to the candidate's local campaign treasurer or to the candidate or his representative. If the violation is not corrected within 72 hours following delivery of such notice, the candidate shall be in violation of this subsection (e) whether or not the candidate erected the signs constituting the violation.

Prior to the imposition of any of the foregoing penalties on an election committee or organization for an electoral provision, written notice of the violation shall be delivered to the person or persons who publicly represent themselves as chairman of or in charge of such committees or organizations. If the violation is not corrected within 72 hours following delivery of such notice, the election committee or organization for an electoral provision shall be in violation of this subsection (e) whether or not the committee or organization erected the signs constituting the violation.

(f) One temporary sign, portable sign or menu board may be located outside of a commercial business exclusive of beautification elements such as plants. This sign must be located within two feet of the front wall or window of the building. The sign must not block or impede pedestrian traffic or be paced on the public sidewalk and at least six feet of clear sidewalk width must remain for pedestrian traffic. The sign must be no more than six feet in height and not more than two feet in width. The sign must be safely secured and removed under windy conditions. The sign must be removed when the business is not open. a temporary sign, portable sign or menu sign is not permitted if the business chooses to place an outdoor display of merchandise as permitted by section 58-82(aa).

Sec. 58-135. Prohibited signs.

The following types of signs are expressly prohibited in all districts, except as otherwise provided by this article:

1. Animated signs and flashing signs. Animated signs and flashing signs shall be prohibited. This is not intended to prohibit public service information signs and other electronic message centers classified as "changing signs."
2. Snipe signs. The tacking, pasting or otherwise affixing of signs of a miscellaneous character to the walls of buildings, on poles, trees, fences or other structures is prohibited.
3. Signs on public property. With the exception of governmental signs erected by or on the order of a public officer, no sign shall be permitted on public property or over, or across any street or right-of-way except as may otherwise expressly by authorized by this article.
4. Banner and wind signs. Banner and wind signs shall be prohibited. In addition no more than three flags of a national, religious, fraternal or civic organization shall be displayed and no individual flag shall exceed 32 square feet.
5. Parking of advertising vehicles. No person shall park any motor vehicle in a location visible from a public right-of-way, which has attached thereto or located thereon any sign for the basic purpose of advertising products or directing people to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property or any other premises. This section is not intended to prohibit any form of vehicular signage such as a sign attached to a bus or lettered on a motor vehicle.
6. Generally. Signs are also prohibited which:
   
   (a) Bear or contain statements, words or pictures of an obscene, pornographic or immoral character or which contain advertising matter which is untruthful.
   
   (b) By reason of their size, location, movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination, any be confused with or constructed as a traffic control sign, signal or device, or the light of an emergency or road equipment vehicle, or which hide from view any traffic or street signal or device, or which otherwise create a traffic hazard.
7. Outdoor advertising or offsite advertising signs. Outdoor advertising signs or offsite advertising signs indicating other than the business, service or other than the business, service or other activity sold, offered or conducted on the property (shall be prohibited).
8. Exposed neon or similar signs visible and within 100 feet of residentially zoned property.
9. Roof signs
10. More than three balloons over 12 inches in diameter on any one property or any one balloon over 18 inches in diameter.

Sec. 58-136. Permits.

(a) All new and existing signs shall be required to have a permit. Application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by a fee to be established by the city commission. No sign shall be constructed, structurally altered, or extended until such a permit has been issued. The following signs shall be exempt from this requirement, provided that such signs have no electrical parts or usage:

1. Window signs;
2. Political and campaign signs;
3. Real estate signs;
4. Signs which include no letters, symbols or designs, in excess of three inches in height;
5. Signs which are a permanent architectural feature of the building or structure, such as a cornerstone or identifying letters carved into or embossed on the building, providing such letters are not illuminated apart from the building, are no made of a reflective material, and do not contrast in color with the building;
6. signs of two square feet or less located entirely on private property.

(b) All new signs shall be inspected at the time of initial installation. All existing signs shall be inspected within one year after the adoption of these regulations. When a sign is found to be nonconforming an inspection report stating what changes must be made in order to make the sign conform to these regulations and the date by which the sign must be made to conform or be removed, shall be issued to the sign owner, or to the property owner if the sign owner cannot be located.

(c) Permits for temporary signs shall be valid only for the maximum time allowed in section 54-134 for the type of sign which is to be constructed or put into place. A new business, however, or a business in a new location with no permanent signs, may utilize temporary signs for a period of not more than 30 days or until installation of permanent signs, whichever shall occur first.

Sec. 58-137. Construction, maintenance, removal and disposition of signs.

(a) All signs shall comply with the city's building code, the National Electrical Code, and the Florida Outdoor Advertisers Statutes and all other laws and ordinances applicable to signs and their construction, sites and operation. All permanent sign structures shall be completed within 60 days from the beginning of construction.

(b) Any sign which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted, or a product sold, shall be taken down or the message portion removed or hidden from view by the owner, agent or person having beneficial use of the building, structure or land upon which such sign is located, within 30 days after written notification by the city.

(c) Signs shall be kept clean, neatly painted and free from all hazards, such as but not limited to, faulty wiring and loose fastenings, and must be maintained at all times in such safe condition so as not to be detrimental to the public health and safety. Signs which become condemned must either be removed or restored in conformance with applicable regulations within 30 days after written notification by the city. Signs which are not removed or restored will be demolished by the city at the property owners' expense, as provided in the building code.

(d) Banners, flags, project development signs, real estate signs, snipe signs, sandwich signs, a-frame portable signs and special event signs which are erected or used unlawfully such that they do not conform to the provisions of this article are subject To removal. The city commission finds that, in view of the inexpensive nature of these signs, and the administrative burden which would be imposed by the procedural prerequisites prior to removal, any procedure other than the summary removal of these signs when unlawfully erected and maintained would defeat the purpose of regulating such signs. Therefore, the city manager is hereby authorized to remove such signs when unlawfully erected and maintained. The city shall proceed by notifying either in person, by phone or by letter, the occupant and/or owner of the property, and if the sign identifies a party other than the occupant/owner of the property, the party is so identified. The notice shall advise that the sign is unlawful, and that the removal is required within 48 hours or the sign is subject to removal by the city. The notice shall advise that the sign, if removed by the city, may be retrieved within 30 days and that if the sign is not retrieved within that time, it will be disposed of by the city.