1- Ordinance Re Freestanding Interstate Highway Signs On
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CITY OF WARRENVILLE DU PAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS ORDINANCE NO. ______3028 ORDINANCE RE FREESTANDING INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SIGNS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY WHEREAS, by virtue of a referendum, the City of Warrenville, DuPage County, Illinois, is a home rule unit and may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs, including, but not limited to, the power to tax and to incur debt; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council believe, and hereby declare, that it is in the best interests of the City to regulate Interstate highway signs on public property separately from other signs in the City based upon their unique location, characteristics, and potential impacts; and WHEREAS, a public information and input meeting regarding a proposed Interstate Highway Sign on proposed public property was held on October 22, 2015; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WARRENVILLE, DU PAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, IN THE EXERCISE OF ITS HOME RULE POWERS, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION ONE: The foregoing recitals are hereby incorporated in this Section One as if said recitals were fully set forth herein. SECTION TWO: Section 8-6-3 of Title 8 Chapter 6 of the Warrenville City Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows: 8-6-3: APPLICABILITY: Except for Freestanding Interstate Highway Signs on public property (which are regulated under 1- Chapter 6 of Title 7), from and after the effective date of this Chapter, the use of all signs and portions of signs erected, altered, with respect to height, area, and additions to sign face, and relocated in the City shall be in conformity with the provisions of this Chapter. Any existing sign not in conformance with the regulations herein prescribed shall be regarded as nonconforming. The regulations of this Chapter related to the location of signs, by function and type, within the zoning districts and shall be in addition to provisions of the city building and electrical codes applicable to the construction and maintenance of signs. SECTION THREE: A new Title 7 Chapter 6 is hereby added to the Warrenville City Code, which Chapter shall be and read as follows: Chapter 6 INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SIGNS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY 7-6-1: SCOPE AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this Chapter is to establish sign regulations which are specific to Freestanding Interstate Highway Signs located on public property along Interstate Route 88 within the City of Warrenville and shall supersede any conflicting regulations set forth in the City Code with respect to such signage. All other signage on public property shall be subject to the provisions of Title 8 Chapter 6 of the City Code, as now existing or hereafter amended. 7-6-2: DEFINITIONS: For the purpose of Chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings hereinafter ascribed to them: A) “ Interstate 88 Corridor” shall mean that portion of Interstate Route 88 Right-of-way which is located within or immediately adjacent to the corporate boundaries of the City of Warrenville. B) “ Interstate Highway Sign Site” shall mean any public property (1) which is owned or controlled by a governmental agency pursuant to an easement or other interest in land and (2) which is located within 660 feet of Interstate Route 88. C) “ Freestanding Interstate Highway Sign” shall mean a sign supported on the ground or by a support structure on the ground and not attached to any building and so configured to convey a message or messages to motorists traveling on the Interstate 88 Corridor. 2- D) “ Sign Face” shall mean the area of the sign on which copy is placed. E) “ Total Freestanding Sign Area” shall mean: 1) The area around and enclosing the perimeter of each cabinet or module shall be summed and then totaled to determine total sign area. The perimeter of measurable area shall not include pole covers or support structure, provided that there is no sign copy on such embellishments. For example, if there are two cabinets or modules, each having 500 square feet of sign area, the Total Freestanding Sign Area shall be calculated as 1,000 square feet. 2) If the sign is comprised of more than two sign cabinets or modules, the area enclosing the entire perimeter of all cabinets and/or modules within a single, continuous, rectangular geometric figure shall be the area of the sign. Pole covers or support structure shall not be included in the area of measurement if they do not bear sign copy. 7-6-3: PERMITTED FREESTANDING INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SIGNAGE: Freestanding Interstate Highway Signs shall be allowed to be installed on Interstate Highway Sign Sites subject to compliance with the following regulations: A) Maximum Total Freestanding Sign Area: 1,400 square feet; B) Maximum Sign Height ( measured per Section 8-6-5.B of Title 8, Chapter 6 of the Warrenville City Code): 65 feet; C) Maximum Sign Face Area: 700 square feet; D) Maximum Number of Sign Faces per Sign: Two; E) Minimum Setback from Interstate Highway Sign Site property lines: 10 feet; F) Minimum Setback from residentially zoned property lines: 400 feet G) Minimum Setback from residentially occupied structures on residentially zoned properties: 450 feet H) Illumination Standards: a. At no time shall the sign display exceed a brightness level of three tenths (0.3) footcandles above ambient light, as measured using a footcandle meter and measured at a distance of 250 feet from the sign. b. In no case shall the sign display increase lighting levels at adjacent off-site residentially zoned and occupied properties by more than 0.1 footcandles above ambient light levels, as measured using a footcandle meter and measured at the off-site residential property line. 3- c. In no case shall the luminosity of the digital sign display during full sun daylight hours exceed 7000 nits, as measured using a Nit gun located at an elevated height perpendicular to the digital display or setback 350 to 500 feet back on the centerline of the sign face provided that at all times Nit gun measurement circle shall not fall outside the lighted digital sign face. d. In no case shall the maximum luminosity of the sign during nighttime hours, in a full white/full brightness field, exceed 200 nits as measured using a Nit gun located at an elevated height perpendicular to the digital display or setback 350 to 500 feet back on the centerline of the sign face provided that at all times Nit gun measurement circle shall not fall outside the lighted digital sign face. e. Digital sign displays shall be equipped and operated with an ambient light sensor/ photocell and dimming software that automatically adjusts the brightness and luminosity of the sign relative to ambient light so that at no time will the sign exceed the preceding maximum footcandle and luminosity levels. I) Changeable Copy: The frequency of messages changes on the sign shall not be less than once every 10 seconds. Message changes shall be completed in one second or less; J) Spacing: A 600 foot minimum spacing shall be required between individual Freestanding Interstate Highway Signs. K) Sign Agreement: A Sign Agreement which includes the foregoing regulatory standards and which is approved by the City Council, shall be required prior to the issuance of a sign permit to a governmental agency for a new Freestanding Interstate Highway Sign. L) Public Information and Input Meeting: From and after the effective date of this ordinance, a mandatory public information and input meeting shall be conducted on any proposed new Freestanding Interstate Highway Sign prior to City Council approval of a Sign Agreement and Community Development Department approval of a sign permit for said sign. The public information and input meeting shall be conducted in general conformance with the provisions contained in Section 2.B.4 of the Zoning Ordinance. At the conclusion of the public information and input meeting, the Plan Commission may make an advisory recommendation to the City Council regarding any such proposal. 7-6-4: FILING REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES: A. General: No new Freestanding Interstate Highway Sign shall hereafter be erected, altered, or relocated until the sign conforms with the provisions of this Chapter and a sign permit has been obtained from the Community Development Department. Routine maintenance or replacement of parts designed to be changed which do not require any permit shall not be considered an alteration; provided such change does not 4- increase the surface area, height, or cause any other structural change. B. Application Requirements: Applications for sign permits shall be filed with the Community Development Department upon forms provided by the City and shall contain the following information: a) Name, address and telephone number of the applicant and of the governmental agency having an interest in the Interstate Highway Sign Site. b) A plat of survey showing the location of the building, structure or lot to which or upon which the sign is to be attached or erected, the location of the sign in relation to buildings or structures on the lot and on adjacent lots and rights or way. c) Two (2) drawings of the sign showing method of construction, illumination, if any, attachment to the building or ground support, and showing the proposed sign face with the design and lettering to be placed thereon accurately representing scale as to size, area, proportion and color. d) The name of the person, firm, corporation or association owning and erecting the sign. e) Such other information as the Zoning Administrator shall require to show full compliance with this Chapter and other applicable laws and ordinances of the City, including formal approval of the application by the governmental agency.