§ 603. Sign Permits.

603.1.   Activities Requiring a Sign Permit.

A.

No person shall erect, demolish, alter, rebuild, enlarge, extend, relocate, attach to, suspend from, or support from a building or structure a permanent or temporary sign unless a permit for such sign has been issued by the Department Director or unless such signs are specifically exempted from permit requirements.

B.

Painting, repainting, cleaning or other ordinary repairs and maintenance of any legal sign or sign structure shall not require a sign permit. Replacement of any structural elements of a sign shall require a sign permit.

C.

No permit shall be required to change the advertising copy or message on signs which are specifically designed for the use of replaceable copy, or panels.

D.

It shall be unlawful to change, modify, alter, or otherwise deviate from the terms or conditions of a sign permit without the prior written approval of the Department Director. The written record of such approval shall be entered upon the original permit application and maintained in the files of the County.

E.

No sign permit for any on-site sign shall be issued until a building permit has been issued for the establishment to which it relates.

F.

All sign permits for permanent on-site and off-site signs shall be valid for the life of the sign. All temporary sign permits shall be valid for the period specified on the permit.

G.

No sign permits for on-site signs will be issued for premises when existing signage of the same type exceeds the limits of this Code. Existing signs will either have to be modified or removed to allow additional signage. This requirement shall apply separately to wall signs and freestanding signs.

H.

Non-commercial messages permitted in substitution: Wherever these regulations permit erection of signs for commercial purposes or for the identification of the property on which the sign is located, the permittee may substitute any non-commercial message in lieu of the messages otherwise permitted. The right to substitute the non-commercial message does not waive any other requirement imposed by the ordinances of the County as to number, size, construction, location, lighting, obscenity, safety or any other regulated attribute. The right created by this subsection is one of substitution and not one of addition.

603.2.   Signs Allowed Without a Sign Permit.

The following types of signs may be erected without the issuance of a sign permit. All such signs shall be placed, maintained and removed in conformance with all other requirements of this Code except government signs:

A.

Construction sign

B.

Farm sign

C.

Flags

D.

Garage sale sign

E.

Government sign

F.

Mural sign

G.

On-site directional sign

H.

Political sign

I.

Real estate sign

J.

Sandwich board sign

K.

Signs incorporated on machinery or equipment

L.

Signs related to fund-raising for schools, parks and churches

M.

Tag sign

N.

Temporary institutional sign types

O.

Temporary off-site sign

P.

Temporary sign

Q.

Warning sign

R.

Window sign

603.3.   Sign Permit Application Procedures.

The Department Director shall establish Administrative Procedures for sign permit applications which shall include, but need not be limited to, sufficiency review of sign permit applications, various issues specific to each Department of the County, and application contents.

A.

Sign Permit Review. The Department Director shall approve or deny the sign permit or building permit as applicable within forty-five (45) days after receipt of a complete application. If the Department Director fails to act within forty-five (45) days, the permit shall be deemed denied. If a sign permit is denied, the Department Director shall prepare a written notice of his or her decision, describing the applicant's appeal rights, and send it by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the applicant.

B.

Sign Permit Appeals. The applicant may file a written notice of appeal to the Hearing Officer containing the specific grounds for appeal within fifteen (15) days after the date of receipt of the Department Director's written notice. The Hearing Officer shall hear the appeal and render a decision within thirty (30) days after the date of receiving the written notice of appeal. If the Hearing Officer does not grant the appeal, then the applicant may seek relief in the Circuit Court for Manatee County, as provided by law. The public hearing notice requirements in Chapter 3 do not apply to the appeal provided for in this section.