A. “Awning” is a temporary shelter supported entirely from the exterior wall of a building.

B. “Banner” is a flexible substrate on which copy or graphics may be displayed. For the definition of a projecting banner, see subsection FF of this section.

C. “Billboard” is a sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.

D. “Bulletin board” means a sign so designed that the message may be changed by removal or addition of specially designed letters that attach to the face of the sign.

E. “Business sales event” means a special sales event put on by a private business. Examples could include a special seasonal or holiday-oriented sales event or a once-a-year sales event. See LMC 16.75.100(C)(2) for signage associated with business sales events.

F. “Canopy” means an overhead structure attached to a building that provides weather protection for pedestrians. Awnings and marquees (defined herein) are different types of canopies.

G. “Construction sign” means any sign used to identify the architects, engineers, contractors or other individuals or firms involved with the construction of a building and announce the character of the building or the purpose for which the building is intended.

H. “Copy” means the graphic content or message of a sign.

I. “Departure” means a city approved alternative way to meet specific design standards set forth in this chapter. See LMC 16.75.040(C) for general information and procedures associated with departures.

J. “Digital sign” means a changeable copy sign that uses a matrix of illumination elements, such as light emitting diodes (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display, individual light bulbs, or other digital or analog electronic media to display or project copy which can be modified by electronic processes.

K. “Directional sign” means signs erected by the city on arterial streets directing the public to public, civic or nonprofit facilities.

L. “Dwell time” means the amount of time a particular image is on display.

M. “Fade” means a mode of message transition on a digital sign accomplished by varying the light intensity, where the first message gradually reduces intensity to the point of not being legible and the subsequent message gradually increases intensity to the point of legibility.

N. “Flashing sign” means any sign which contains an intermittent or flashing light source or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation or an externally mounted intermittent light source. Excluded from the definition are public service signs.

O. “Feather sign” means a vertical portable sign that contains a harpoon-style pole or staff driven into the ground for support or supported by means of an individual stand.

P. “Freestanding sign” means any sign which is supported by one or more uprights or braces in or upon the ground.

Q. “Garage sale signs,” i.e., yard sales, moving sales, patio sales, means temporary signs used to announce a sale of used items at a residence.

R. “Grade” means the elevation or level of the street closest to the sign to which reference is made, as measured at the street’s centerline, or the relative ground level in the immediate vicinity of the sign.

S. “Grand opening displays” means temporary signs, posters, banners, strings of lights, clusters of flags, balloons and searchlights used to announce the opening of a completely new enterprise or the opening of an enterprise under new management.

T. “Height” or “height of sign” means the vertical distance from the grade to the highest point of a sign or any vertical projection thereof, including its supporting columns.

U. “Internal wayfinding sign” means a sign used to aid customers in circulation within parking lots of commercial uses.

V. “Legal nonconforming sign” means a sign which on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter was lawfully maintained and had been lawfully erected in accordance with the provisions of any prior sign ordinance or code but which sign does not conform to the applicable limitations established by this chapter; or on or after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter was lawfully maintained and erected in accordance with the provisions of this chapter but which sign, by reason of amendment of the ordinance codified in this chapter after the effective date thereof, does not conform to the applicable limitations established by the amendment of this chapter.

W. “Marquee” is a permanent roofed structure attached and supported by the building.

X. “Mobile sign” means a sign made of any material which by its design is readily movable and is equipped with wheels, casters or rollers or which is not permanently affixed to the ground, structure or building. (Also includes signs mounted upon the tops of vehicles.)

Y. “Monument sign” is a ground-mounted sign which is higher than three feet above the average ground elevation and which is attached to the ground by means of a wide base of solid appearance.

Z. “Multiple building complex” means a group of structures housing at least one retail business, office, commercial venture or independent or separate part of a business which shares the same lot, access and/or parking facilities.

AA. “Multiple occupancy building” means a single structure housing more than one retail business, office or commercial venture.

BB. “Nit” means a photometric unit of measurement referring to luminance. One nit is equal to one cd/m².

CC. “Off-premises sign” means a permanent sign not located on the premises of the use or activity to which the sign pertains.

DD. “Political sign” means a sign advertising a candidate or candidates for public elective office, or a political party, or sign urging a particular vote on a public issue decided by ballot.

EE. “Projecting sign” means a sign attached to a building or other structure and projecting away from the structure more than twelve inches.

FF. “Projecting banner sign” means a banner as defined in subsection B of this section that is supported by poles or brackets which project away from a structure more than twelve inches.

GG. “Public service signs” means an electronically or electrically controlled public service sign or portion of a larger sign which conveys only information such as activities, events, time, date, temperature, atmospheric condition or news of interest to the general public where different alternating copy changes are shown on the same lamp bank matrix.

HH. “Real estate or property for sale, rental or lease sign” means any sign pertaining to the sale, lease or rental of land or buildings.

II. “Sandwich board sign” means a temporary sign made of metal, wood, chalkboard, or white board that is not permanently attached to the ground and generally oriented to pedestrians.

JJ. “Searchlight” means an apparatus containing an electric light and reflector on a swivel for projecting a far-reaching beam in any desired direction.

KK. “Sign” means any commercial communication device, structure or fixture that is intended to aid an establishment in identification and to advertise and/or promote a business, service, activity or interest. For the purpose of this chapter, a sign shall not be considered to be building or structural design, but shall be restricted solely to graphics, symbols or written copy that is meant to be used in the aforementioned way.

LL. “Sign area” means the entire area of a sign on which copy is to be placed, as set forth in LMC 16.75.060(B).

MM. “Special event signs” means temporary signs used to announce a public special event, such as a circus, a carnival, or festival, or a business sales event. See LMC 16.75.100(C) for applicable standards.

NN. “Temporary sign” means any sign, banner, pennant, valance, flags (not intended to include flags of any nation, state, city or other governmental agency or nonprofit organization), searchlights, balloons or other air-filled or gas-filled figures or advertising display constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, wallboard or other light materials, with or without frame, intended to be displayed for a limited period of time only. Different types of temporary signs and banners included in this category are: construction, grand opening displays, real estate, special event, political, sandwich board, and garage sale.

OO. “Wall” means any member or group of members which defines the exterior boundaries of a building and which has a slope of sixty degrees or greater with the horizontal plane. The height of a wall shall be measured as the two-dimensional height from the average finish grade of the particular architectural building elevation adjacent to the wall to the finish roof plane.

PP. “Wall sign” means any sign attached to or painted directly on the wall, or erected against the wall of a building being parallel or approximately parallel to said wall; and does not exceed a distance of twelve¹ inches from said wall.