HomeMy WebLinkAbout06052014 BSC Agenda Item 2 •
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STAFF REPORT
Business of the Building and Standards Commission
City of West University Place, Texas
AGENDA OF: June 5, 2014
DEPARTMENT OF ORIGIN: Development
DATE SUBMITTED: June 3, 2014 Services
PREPARED BY: Clay Chew PRESENTER: Clay Chew
Chief Building Official Chief Building Official
SUBJECT: Electronic signage STAFF PRESENTER:
Clay Chew
Chief Building Official
ATTACHMENTS:
STAFF SUMMARY
Background:
City Council has asked the Building and Standards Commission to review
electronic signage. Attached are various cities requirements for electronic signs and the
City of Abilene which thoroughly addresses them.
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Building and Standards Commission
June 5, 2014
Synopsis of various cities rules and regulations pertaining to electronic signage placement and
specifications in commercial and residential areas.
Bunker Hill — Institutional signs may be illuminated if by means which do not include neon,
strobe, blinking, moving, or other similar attention-arresting lighting devices.
Hunters Creek Village—Only on-site Signs permitted in District B. (Business) •
Piney Point— Not allowed
Alamo Heights— Not allowed
Spring Valley— No Ordinance
Highland Park—Only allowed in Commercial Service, General Retail and Planned Development
Districts
Terrell — Moving flashing intermittently lighted, changing color, beacon-like, revolving or
similarly constructed signs shall not be allowed. Changeable message signs showing time,
temperature and similar data are not defined unless they have other components or
characteristics that would make them qualify as such.
Anna City— Prohibited other than signs indicating time, temperature or other informational but
non-commercial messages.
Abilene—Addresses size, lighting, minimum display time, and transition from one message to
another. There is also a limitation on brightness during low-light conditions and night. Sign
orientation away from residentially zoned properties.
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CITY OF ABILENE
SIGN REGULATIONS
As adopted by the
City Council
MARCH 10, 1988
Revised 11-06-2008
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(D) Appeal Procedures
Appeals of the provisions of this section shall be in accordance with
the procedures set forth in Section 23-184.
(E) Applicability
The provisions of this ordinance shall be applicable to all portable
signs in the City of Abilene and non-conforming status or rights will
not be granted to existing portable signs.
r
23-172 Special Regulations for Electronic Message Signs
In addition to any other requirements of this Chapter, Electronic Message
Signs shall adhere to the following requirements:
(A) Operational limitations for on-premise signs over 75 square feet in
area or any off-premise sign.
1. Such signs shall contain static messages only and shall not
have movement, or the appearance or optical illusion of
movement, of any part of the sign or sign structure, including
the movement or appearance of movement of any
illumination or the flashing, scintillating, or varying of light
intensity.
2. Minimum display time. Each message on the sign must be
displayed for a minimum of eight seconds.
3. Transition. The transition from one sign message to another
must occur within two seconds and may not include flashing
or appearance of motion, with the exception of a fade out or
in, dissolve, or scroll that must be accomplished within the
transition period.
(B) Operational Limitations for all signs.
1. Limitations. All such signs shall have no flashing or full
motion video.
2. Unless permitted as an off-premise sign, such signs shall not
include off-premise advertising messages.
(C) Sign face limitations.
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1. Each sign structure is limited to not more than two sides with
one sign face per side.
2. The entire sign face must comply with the operation
limitations defined above and a sign face may not be
apportioned into separate areas each acting as a separate
sign face under these restrictions.
(D) Brightness.
1. All such signs shall be equipped with light sensing devices or
a scheduled dimming timer that will automatically dim the
intensity of the light emitted by the sign during ambient low-
light conditions and at night so that the sign does not exceed
the maximum brightness levels allowed in this section.
2. Maximum brightness shall not exceed 7,000 nits when
measured from the sign's face at its maximum brightness
during daylight hours and shall not exceed 1,000 nits when
measured from the sign's face at its maximum brightness at
night.
3. If such sign is located within 100 feet of a property with
residential zoning, the sign must be oriented such that no
portion of the electronic sign face is visible from a
residentially-zoned property or the brightness is reduced to
no more than 250 nits at night.
4. Prior to the issuance of a permit for such sign, the applicant
shall provide written certification from the sign manufacturer
that the light intensity has been factory pre-set not to exceed
the levels specified above.
(E) The City may order a sign's brightness reduced, its minimum
display time increased, or other operational characteristics altered if
the Director of Public Works, or designee, finds that it interferes
with or poses a traffic safety hazard to the operation of vehicles.
(F) All such signs shall be turned off or display a blank screen when
malfunctioning.
23-173
Through RESERVED
23-180