Village commercial sign regulations.
§ 255-1540. Village commercial sign regulations.
A. Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 255-1520 through 255-1530, there shall be established village commercial sign regulations. The purposes of these regulations are to preserve the integrity of the village and rural neighborhoods that contain commercial buildings and structures. All signs erected within the zone shall conform to the regulations set forth in this section of the Ordinance.
B. The boundaries of the zone shall include all lots as delineated on the Coventry Zoning Map.
C. In addition to the prohibited signs delineated in § 255-1510B, the following signs shall be prohibited in the zone:
(1) Any interior illuminated sign or awning.
D. It is the intent that structural signs shall include incidental decorative trim and framework in addition to the message and lettering.
E. The following signs shall be permitted providing they meet the standards set forth in this section of the Ordinance.
(1) Wall-mounted or painted signs.
(a) Limited to one primary identification sign per business.
(b) The sign shall be affixed to the front facade of the building, and shall project outward from the wall to which it is attached no more than four inches.
(c) The area of the sign board shall not exceed 24 square feet.
(d) The wall sign shall not extend above the base of the second floor window sill, parapet, eave, or building facade.
(e) The height of the lettering and numbers shall not exceed 10 inches.
(f) Businesses located in corner buildings are permitted one sign for each street frontage.
(2) One wall-mounted sign, not exceeding six square feet in area, shall be permitted on any side or rear building facade. Such wall signs may only be lighted during the operating hours of the business.
(3) Wall-mounted building directory signs identifying the occupants of a commercial building, including upper story business uses.
(a) The sign shall be located next to the entrance.
(b) The sign shall project outward from the wall to which it is attached no more than four inches.
(c) The area of the sign board shall not exceed three square feet.
(4) Applied letters may substitute for wall-mounted signs, if constructed of painted wood, painted cast metal, bronze, brass or black anodized aluminum. Applied plastic letters shall not be permitted. The height of applied letters shall not exceed eight inches.
(5) Projecting signs, including graphic or icon signs, mounted perpendicular to the building wall.
(a) Limited to one sign per business.
(b) The signboard shall not exceed an area of six square feet.
(c) The distance from the ground to the lower edge of the signboard shall be 10 feet or greater.
(d) The height of the top edge of the sign board shall not exceed the height of the wall from which the sign projects, if attached to a single-story building, or the height of the sill or bottom of any second-story window, if attached to a multistory building.
(e) The width of the signboard shall not exceed three feet.
(f) The height of the lettering, numbers, shall not exceed eight inches.
(6) Painted or applied letter signs on window.
(a) Limited to one sign per business, painted or applied to the window, not to exceed 30% of the total glass area of the building front.
(b) May be in addition to only one of the following: a wall-mounted sign, a freestanding sign, a projecting sign or a valance awning sign.
(7) Awning signs.
(a) Shall be permitted for ground-floor level uses only.
(b) Limited to two such signs per business.
(c) Lettering or graphics shall not exceed 10 square feet in area, and the height of the lettering, numbers, or graphics shall not exceed eight inches.
(d) Shall not be in addition to a wall-mounted sign.
(8) Freestanding signs.
(a) Limited to one freestanding sign per building.
(b) The sign shall be set back a minimum of five feet from the street line.
(c) The area of the sign board shall not exceed 12 square feet.
(d) The height of the lettering and numbers shall not exceed six inches.
(e) The height of the top of the sign board shall not exceed six feet from the ground.
(f) The sign boards shall be architecturally compatible with the style, composition, materials, colors, and details of the building where applicable.
(g) No plastic signs shall be permitted.
(h) The sign board shall be exterior lit only.
(i) The sign shall not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular circulation.
(j) The area around the sign shall have a minimum landscaped area equal to twice the square footage of the sign.
(9) Directional signs. Limited to one directional sign, facing a rear parking lot. This sign may be either wall-mounted or freestanding on the rear facade, but shall be limited to three square feet in area.
(10) In addition to other signage, restaurants and cafes shall be permitted the following, limited to one sign per business:
(a) A wall-mounted display featuring the actual menu as used at the dining table, to be contained within a shallow wood or metal case, and clearly visible through a glass front. The display case shall be attached to the building wall, next to the main entrance, at a height of approximately five feet, shall not exceed a total area of two square feet, and may be lighted.
(b) A portable A-frame board sign, as follows:
[1] The area of the sign board shall not exceed five square feet per side.
[2] The sign board shall be constructed of wood, chalkboard, and/or finished metal.
[3] Letters can be painted or handwritten.
[4] The sign shall be located within four feet of the main entrance to the business and its location shall not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular circulation.
[5] The information displayed shall be limited to daily specials and hours of operation.
[6] The sign shall be removed at the end of the business day.
[7] The sign shall not have plastic interchangeable letters.
(11) Each business shall identify the number of its address within the sign board with a minimum of one sign facing each street or parking lot.