18.115.070 General standards.
A. Permit Required. A zoning permit shall be required for all signs except those signs specified in MCC 18.115.040, Exempt signs. The city of Maricopa shall issue a zoning permit only if the proposed sign, construction, alteration, re-erection, maintenance, and location of the sign comply with these regulations.
B. Code Compliance. All signs shall be structurally designed, constructed, erected and maintained in accordance with all applicable provisions and requirements of the city adopted codes.
C. Maintenance. All signs and sign structures, conforming and nonconforming, shall be maintained in good order, repair, and appearance at all times so as not to constitute a danger or hazard to the public safety or create visual blight as determined by the zoning administrator.
D. Visibility. Signs shall not be located in a manner that interferes with pedestrian or vehicular travel, or poses a hazard to either pedestrians or vehicles, or within the specified sight visibility triangle.
E. Signs in the Public Right-of-Way. Signs shall not be located within or projecting over any public street, right-of-way, or other public property, except for city of Maricopa approved kiosk sign structures, under canopy signs and projecting signs as permitted by this code. The city may install signs on its own property.
F. Illumination Adjacent to Residential Districts. Signs directly facing residential districts shall not be illuminated.
G. Concealed Electrical Systems. The source of the sign’s illumination, except neon illumination, shall not be visible from any street, sidewalk, or adjacent property. This shall not preclude the use of neon sign elements that shall be limited to use within the commercial zoning districts only.
H. Concealed Mechanical Systems. There shall be no visible angle iron supports, guy wires, braces or secondary supports except in the case of under canopy signs. All sign supports shall be an integral part of the sign design.
I. Conflict with Other Provisions. Where there is a conflict between these regulations and other city regulations or a comprehensive sign plan, the more restrictive shall apply.
J. Planned Area Developments. Signage within approved planned area developments (PAD) may deviate only from the requirements governing the total aggregate sign area and sign dimensional requirements of this chapter provided the PAD or MPD has an approved comprehensive sign plan, and all proposed signage within the PAD is in compliance with an approved comprehensive sign plan.
K. Signs Creating a Traffic Hazard or Affecting Pedestrian Safety. Signs and/or banners shall not be placed in such a manner that they obstruct city required informational, traffic or safety signs.
L. Height. The overall building height is inclusive of any signs projecting above the building or roofline.
M. Administrative Interpretation and Discretionary Approval.
1. Interpretations of this chapter may be made by the zoning administrator pursuant to this section. All interpretations of this chapter are to be exercised in light of the policies, purposes and intent set forth herein.
2. Whenever a sign permit or other approval is subject to discretion, such discretion shall not be exercised as to message content, but instead shall be directed to structural and location factors, including, as applicable:
a. Whether the location and placement of the sign will endanger motorists;
b. Whether the sign will cover, blanket or interfere with any prominent view of a structure or façade of historical or architectural significance;
c. Whether the sign will obstruct views of users or adjacent buildings to side yards, front yards or open space;
d. Whether the sign will negatively impact the visual quality of a public open space, such as a public recreation facility, square, plaza, park, courtyard and the like;
e. Whether the sign is compatible with building heights of the existing neighborhood;
f. Whether the sign’s lighting or illumination system will cause hazardous or unsafe driving conditions for motorists.
N. Lighting. All lighting for signage shall be in conformance with the adopted city of Maricopa codes.
O. Electrical Signs. Where permitted, all electric digital signs shall comply with the following requirements:
1. Each message displayed on an electronic sign must be static or depicted for a minimum of 30 seconds.
2. Where text is displayed on a background, the text shall be brighter than the background, i.e., dark text shall not be displayed on a bright background.
3. Electronic signs may not contain animation or any flashing of lights, moving lights, or any type of video.
4. Lighting from the sign must not exceed an intensity of 0.5 foot-candles of light at the property line.
P. Government signs displaying government speech are exempt from regulation. [Res. 22-12; Ord. 22-03 § 2; Ord. 14-12 § 1; Res. 14-36 § 409.07.]