Chapter 5.16
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

Sections:

5.16.010    License required—Fee.

5.16.020    Permit—Required.

5.16.030    Permit—Fees.

5.16.040    Permit—Applications.

5.16.050    Permit—Display.

5.16.060    Permit—Limitation.

5.16.070    Exceptions.

5.16.080    Prohibited signs.

5.16.090    Authority.

5.16.100    Violation—Penalty.

5.16.010 License required—Fee.

No person, firm or corporation shall, thirty days after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, engage or continue in the business of outdoor advertising, or erect, maintain or display any outdoor advertising signs or devices upon the property not their own or not occupied by them as a place for carrying on business other than outdoor advertising in the county, outside the corporate limits of any city or town until such person, firm or corporation shall have secured from the board of county commissioners, hereinafter called board, a license to engage in the business of outdoor advertising. The fee for such license shall be in the sum of twenty-five dollars. (Ord. dated 4/4/60 § 1; Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 1)

5.16.020 Permit—Required.

No person, firm or corporation shall, thirty days after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, erect or maintain upon any real property in the county outside the corporate limits of any city or town, any outdoor advertising structure, device or display until a permit for the erection or maintenance of such structure, device or display shall have been obtained from the board. (Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 2)

5.16.030 Permit—Fees.

The fees for such permits shall be one dollar for each panel, bulletin or sign, payable annually in advance. A fee shall be paid for each panel, bulletin or sign used for advertising and each panel, bulletin or sign of a series shall require a permit and the payment of a separate permit fee. Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 3)

5.16.040 Permit—Applications.

A.    Applications for licenses and permits shall be made to the board and shall be accompanied by the fees applicable thereto as hereinbefore provided. They shall be in writing upon forms furnished by the board and shall contain the full name and post office address of the applicant and such other information as the board may require, and shall be signed by the applicant, or by his duly authorized agent. Application for permits shall state also the location of the structure, device or display for which the permit is asked, and shall be accompanied by construction plans thereof; provided, however, that in case the applicant has theretofore filed with the board copies of standard specifications used by the applicant in the construction and erection of advertising structures, then such application may refer to such standard specifications in lieu of being accompanied by such construction plans.

B.    Applications shall also offer evidence that the owner or other person in control or possession of the property upon which such location is situated has consented to the placing and/or maintenance of such advertising structure or sign. The board shall examine the applications and if they comply with the provisions of this chapter, shall grant the license and permits asked for, which shall be in effect unless revoked until the end of the calendar year in which issued.

C.    Thereafter, permits shall be renewed for a twelve-month period on the first day of January of each year, upon proper application and payment of fee of one dollar for each sign. (Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 4)

5.16.050 Permit—Display.

Permits issued under this chapter shall bear distinguishing numbers and any structures, device or display erected, constructed or maintained shall have upon its face in readily legible form the permit number and the expiration date thereof, together with post office address of the holder of the permit. Permits, to be attached to the structures, devices or displays shall be furnished by the board. (Ord. 1/7/47 § 5)

5.16.060 Permit—Limitation.

No permit shall be granted for the erection, construction or maintenance of any outdoor advertising structure, device or display within the following territories:

A.    Within areas zoned for residential and recreational uses;

B.    Within a distance of three hundred feet of the intersection or junction of a main travelled highway with another main travelled highway or with a railway, at a point where it would obstruct or interfere with the view of a vehicle, train or other moving object on the intersecting or joining highway or railway;

C.    If placed in such a manner as to prevent any traveler on any highway from obtaining a clear view of approaching vehicles for a distance of five hundred feet along the highway;

D.    Within three hundred feet of any public park, reservation, public forest or public playground and in public view therefrom;

E.    Any point of particularly scenic natural beauty, the public view of which wold be materially obstructed by erection or maintenance of advertising structures, signs or devices;

F.    Any point which, in the judgment of the board, is or would be injurious to the property in the vicinity thereof, or injuriously affect any public interest or endanger the safety of persons using any highway. (Ord. dated 4/4/60 § 2; Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 6)

5.16.070 Exceptions.

A.    Provisions of this title shall not apply to outdoor advertising structures, devices or displays upon or within fifty feet of the building wherein the goods advertised are manufactured, produced or sold, or the business or profession advertised is carried on or practiced, or which advertise the real property upon which the same may be for sale or rent, providing such structures, devices or displays shall not exceed two in number and that neither shall be of an area greater than six square feet or shall endanger the safety of persons using the highways.

B.    The provisions of this chapter further shall not apply to (1) such notices issued by any court, public body or officer in the performance of a public duty, or (2) direction warning or other information signs required or authorized by law. (Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 7)

5.16.080 Prohibited signs.

The following advertising signs, or their erection or maintenance are prohibited:

A.    Any sign within the right-of-way of any highway;

B.    Any sign on private property, the written consent from the owner of which has not been obtained;

C.    The placing, tacking, mailing, pasting of card, paper, cloth, wood or metal signs upon any tree, stump, rock, fence post or fencing, or buildings, unless product advertised is sold within building on which signs are placed, tacked, nailed or pasted;

D.    Any advertising sign if visible from any highway which simulates any direction, warning, danger or information such as permitted under the provisions of this chapter, or if likely to be mistaken for any such permitted sign, or if intended or likely to be construed as giving warning to traffic, such as by the use of the words “Stop” or “Slow Down.” (Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 8)

5.16.090 Authority.

The board is authorized to make and enforce orders and regulations for the enforcement of this chapter, to prosecute and maintain in the name of the county actions for the violations thereof and recover penalties therefor, to revoke any license or permit hereunder for any violation hereof, to prescribe and from time to time make changes in the form of applications for licenses and permits; to order and cause the removal of any outdoor advertising structure, device or display erected or maintained in violation hereof, or which in its judgment endangers the safety of persons using the highways and for such purpose to enter upon private property. (Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 9)

5.16.100 Violation—Penalty.

Any violation of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor, and punishable as such; and any structure erected or maintained contrary to the provisions of this chapter and all fees collected under the provisions thereof shall be paid into the county current expense fund, to be disbursed as other county funds are disbursed. (Ord. dated 1/7/47 § 10)