23.010 Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this Chapter is to balance the need for wayfinding and advertising with the objective of maintaining a well-kept community, and to protect the safety and welfare of residents, the business community, and the traveling public in Lehi City. This Chapter regulates the physical characteristics of signs, including their use, maintenance, and alteration, all in a permissible content-neutral manner that does not favor any type of speech over another and which is able to survive a strict scrutiny analysis of the City’s compelling governmental interest to regulate. To achieve this purpose, the provisions of this Chapter have the following specific objectives: 23-1 A. Nothing in this Chapter is intended or interpreted to favor any one type of sign or content. Where necessary, this Chapter shall be interpreted to be content neutral. B. The requirements of this Chapter shall not be construed to prohibit or limit other applicable provisions of the Lehi City Development Code, Lehi City Municipal Code, Utah Code Annotated, or applicable federal regulations. C. All sign structures shall be developed with the overall context of the building and development. Signs shall be constructed to be an integral part of the overall design of the site and architecturally compatible with the building. D. Signs shall be designed to be easily cleaned and maintained. They shall be constructed with durable materials. E. All sign illumination and lighting shall be directed downward or away from the sky to the greatest extent possible. External lights shall be shielded so that all of the direct light falls entirely on the sign and that the lights are mounted above the sign and aimed down. F. All signs shall be constructed, mounted, and attached in a safe and secure manner in accordance with the International Building Code. G. No sign shall be placed or modified in the City without a sign permit except as outlined in Section 23.030 Exemptions. H. No signs other than public or quasipublic signs shall be placed within or extend into public rights-of-way, or be placed on semaphore poles, utility poles, or over public property. This includes placing them on trees in the public right-ofway or on City owned property. I. Signs shall not be located in a public utility easement. J. Every sign proposed to be erected shall be classified by the Zoning Administrator in accordance with the descriptions contained in this Chapter. Any sign that does not clearly fall into one of the classifications shall be placed in the classification which, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator, is the most closely related. K. Signs shall be allowed on private property only with the property owner’s permission, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this Chapter.