Code of Ordinances
Chapter 13. Signs
Sign permits, temporary signs including inflatable tube devices, permanent sign standards by zoning district, pole signs in the Highway Commercial district, and sign variances.
History: Ord. No. 1988-045; recodified Ord. No. 2004-041; amended Ord. Nos. 2013-052, 2014-019, 2020-028
Sec. 13-1. Purpose.
This chapter regulates the size, height, location, and maintenance of signs to protect traffic safety and the appearance of the City, while allowing businesses and residents reasonable means to identify themselves and communicate.
Sec. 13-2. Definitions.
In this chapter:
(1) Building Official means the Building Official of the City or designee.
(2) Inflatable tube device means a sign consisting of one or more fabric tubes, with or without arms, that is held upright or set in motion by forced air. Each tube with its own source of air is a separate inflatable tube device.
(3) Monument sign means a freestanding sign whose base is in contact with the ground for at least 75 percent of the width of the sign face.
(4) Pole sign means a freestanding sign supported by one or more poles or columns, with open space between the bottom of the sign face and the ground.
(5) Sign means a device, structure, fixture, or object that is visible from a public street and is designed or used to attract attention to a business, product, service, event, or message. An object may be a sign whether or not it bears words.
(6) Sign height means the vertical distance from the average finished grade at the base of the sign to the highest point of the sign or its structure. The height of an inflatable tube device is measured at its greatest extension.
(7) Temporary sign means a sign intended to be displayed for a limited period, including a banner, feather flag, A-frame sign, or inflatable tube device.
Sec. 13-3. Permit required; exemptions.
(a) No person shall erect, place, alter, or relocate a sign without a sign permit issued by the Building Official, except as provided in subsection (b). Fees for permanent sign permits are set in the master fee schedule.
(b) The following signs do not require a permit but shall comply with all other provisions of this chapter:
(1) address numbers, and nameplates of not more than two square feet;
(2) official signs of a governmental entity;
(3) flags;
(4) political signs on private property, as provided by Texas Election Code §259.002;
(5) one temporary sign of not more than six square feet on a lot in a residential district; and
(6) window signs covering not more than 25 percent of the window area.
Sec. 13-4. Temporary signs.
(a) A temporary sign requires a temporary sign permit. The fee is $25. A permit is valid for 30 consecutive days.
(b) Not more than four temporary sign permits may be issued for the same premises in a calendar year, and not more than two temporary signs may be displayed on the premises at one time.
(c) Inflatable tube devices.
(1) An inflatable tube device is a temporary sign and requires a temporary sign permit, whether or not it displays words and whether or not it is inflated.
(2) Inflatable tube devices are permitted only in the C-2 and HC districts.
(3) An inflatable tube device shall not exceed 20 feet in height, shall be set back at least 15 feet from the curb or edge of pavement, and shall not extend over a sidewalk or right-of-way at any point in its motion.
(4) An inflatable tube device shall be turned off and secured when sustained winds exceed 25 miles per hour, as reported by the National Weather Service.
(d) No temporary sign shall be placed in a public right-of-way, attached to a utility pole, tree, or traffic sign, or placed so as to obstruct the view of drivers at an intersection.
(e) A temporary sign shall be removed on or before the date its permit expires.
Sec. 13-5. Permanent signs by zoning district.
(a) Permanent freestanding signs are permitted as follows:
| District | Freestanding sign types | Max. height | Max. area per face |
|---|---|---|---|
| AG, R-1, R-2, MH, PD | Monument (subdivision entrance or nonresidential use only) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft |
| MF | Monument | 6 ft | 40 sq ft |
| CBD | None (wall, projecting and window signs only) | — | — |
| C-1 | Monument | 8 ft | 60 sq ft |
| C-2 | Monument or pole | 30 ft | 150 sq ft |
| HC | Monument or pole | 65 ft (see Sec. 13-6) | 400 sq ft |
| I-1, I-2 | Monument or pole | 30 ft | 150 sq ft |
| P, PK | Per approved site plan | Per site plan | Per site plan |
(b) Not more than one freestanding sign is permitted per street frontage, and not more than two per premises.
(c) Wall signs may not exceed two square feet per linear foot of building frontage, or one and one-half square feet per linear foot in the CBD.
(d) In the CBD, a projecting sign may extend over a sidewalk not more than four feet and shall have at least eight feet of clearance above the sidewalk.
Sec. 13-6. Pole signs in the Highway Commercial district.
(a) In the HC district, a pole sign on premises within 1,000 feet of the right-of-way of Interstate 69 may be erected to a height not exceeding 65 feet, with a sign face area not exceeding 400 square feet. Elsewhere in the HC district, pole signs are limited to 30 feet.
(b) Not more than one pole sign is permitted per premises.
(c) The maximum height in subsection (a) is a limit and not a requirement.
(d) A pole sign taller than 40 feet shall be designed by a licensed professional engineer to resist the wind loads required by the building code.
Sec. 13-7. Prohibited signs.
The following signs are prohibited:
(1) signs that flash, blink, or rotate, except time-and-temperature displays and electronic message displays that change no more often than once every eight seconds;
(2) roof signs;
(3) new off-premise signs and billboards;
(4) signs in a public right-of-way, other than official signs;
(5) signs that imitate traffic control devices;
(6) signs attached to trees or utility poles;
(7) vehicles or trailers parked primarily to display a sign; and
(8) any sign, lettering, or image on the Dongvile Water Tower, except as authorized under Chapter 19.
Sec. 13-8. Nonconforming signs.
A sign lawfully erected before it became nonconforming may remain, and its copy may be changed. A nonconforming sign shall not be enlarged or raised. If it is removed or damaged to more than 50 percent of its replacement cost, it may be replaced only by a sign that complies with this chapter.
Sec. 13-9. Variances.
(a) The Zoning Board of Adjustment may grant a variance from the height, area, number, or setback requirements of this chapter under the standards and procedures of Section 14-9.
(b) The Board shall not grant a variance to allow a sign type prohibited by Section 13-7.
(c) A variance applies only to the sign and premises described in it.
Editor’s note: Variance V-2014-02 authorized a pole sign 85 feet in height at 3100 E Hot Pocket Way. The Board found that a sign of 65 feet at that location would be obscured from Interstate 69 by the adjacent signs of 65 feet.
Sec. 13-10. Maintenance; abandoned signs.
(a) Every sign shall be kept in good repair, with no missing panels, exposed wiring, or peeling faces.
(b) A sign that advertises a business that has not operated for 90 days is abandoned. Within 30 days after notice from the Building Official, the owner shall remove the sign or replace its face with a blank panel.
Sec. 13-11. Penalty.
(a) A person who violates this chapter commits a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500, as provided in Section 1-8. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense.
(b) The Building Official may remove, without notice, any sign placed in a public right-of-way in violation of this chapter.