2-8.2 GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. CONFORMANCE TO CODES. Any sign hereafter erected shall conform to the provisions of this ordinance and the provisions of the International Building Code and of any other applicable ordinance or regulation within this jurisdiction. B. SIGNS IN RIGHTS-OF-WAYS. No sign other than an official traffic sign or similar sign shall be erected within two (2') feet of the lines of any street, or within any public way, unless specifically authorized by other ordinances or regulations of this jurisdiction. C. PROJECTIONS OVER PUBLIC WAYS. Signs projecting over public walkways shall be permitted subject to the projection and clearance limits either defined herein or, if not so defined, at a minimum height of eight (8') feet from grade level to the bottom of the sign. Signs, architectural projections or sign structures projecting over vehicular access areas must conform to the minimum height clearance limitations imposed by the jurisdiction for such structures. D. TRAFFIC VISIBILITY. No sign or sign structure shall be erected at the intersection of any street in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision, nor at any location where by its position, shape or color may interfere with or obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal, or device. E. COMPUTATION OF FRONTAGE. If a premise contains walls facing more than one property line or encompasses property frontage bounded by more than one street or other property usages, the sign area(s) for each building wall or property frontage will be computed separately for each building wall or property line facing a different frontage. The sign area(s) thus calculated shall be permitted to then be applied to permitted signs placed on each separate wall or property line frontage. F. ANIMATION AND CHANGEABLE MESSAGES. Animated signs, except as prohibited in this chapter, are permitted in commercial and industrial zones only. Changeable signs, manually activated, are permitted for nonresidential uses in all zones. Changeable signs, electrically activated, are permitted in all nonresidential zones. G. MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND REMOVAL. Every sign permitted by this ordinance shall be kept in good condition and repair. When any sign becomes insecure, in danger of falling or is otherwise deemed unsafe by the land use authority, or if any sign shall be unlawfully installed, erected or maintained in violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance, the owner thereof or the person or firm using same shall, upon written notice by the land use authority forthwith in the case of immediate danger, and in any case within not more than ten (10) days, make such sign conform to the provisions of this ordinance, or shall remove it. If within ten (10) days the order is not complied with, the land use authority shall be permitted to remove or cause such sign to be removed at the expense of the owner and/or the user of the sign. H. OBSOLETE SIGN COPY. Any sign copy that no longer advertises or identifies a use conducted on the property on which said sign is erected must have the sign copy covered or removed within thirty (30) days after written notification from the land use authority; and upon failure to comply with such notice, the land use authority is hereby authorized to cause removal of such sign copy, and any expense incident thereto shall be paid by the owner of the building, structure or ground on which the sign is located. An exception to this regulation shall be signs of a historic nature or signs deemed historic by either the National Historic Register or the Cleveland Town Historic Preservation Committee. I. NONCONFORMING SIGNS. Any sign legally existing at the time of the passage of this ordinance that does not conform in use, location, height or size with the regulations of the zone in which such sign is located, shall be considered a legal nonconforming use or structure and shall be permitted to continue in such status until such time as it is either abandoned or removed by its owner, subject to one or both of the following limitations: 1. Structural alterations, enlargement or re-erection are permissible only where such alterations will not increase the degree of nonconformity of the signs. 2. Any legal nonconforming sign shall be removed or rebuilt without increasing the existing height or area if it is damaged, or removed if allowed to deteriorate to the extent that the cost of repair or restoration exceeds 50 percent of the replacement cost of the sign as determined by the land use authority. J. CLEARANCE FROM HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER LINES. Signs shall be located not less than ten (10') feet horizontally or fifteen (15') feet vertically from overhead electrical conductors which are energized in excess of 750 volts. The term “overhead conductors” as used in this section means an electrical conductor, either bare or insulated, installed above the ground, except when conductors are enclosed in electrical conduit or other approved material covering of equal strength. K. CLEARANCE FROM FIRE ESCAPES, EXITS OR STANDPIPES. Signs or sign structures shall not be erected in such a manner that a portion of their surface or supports will interfere with the free use of any fire escape, exit or standpipe. L. OBSTRUCTION OF OPENINGS. Signs shall not obstruct openings to the extent that light or ventilation is reduced to a point below that required by this code. Signs erected within five (5') feet of an exterior wall in which there are openings within the area of the sign shall be constructed of noncombustible material or approved plastics, as determined by the building official.