ORDINANCE NO. 960582

 

Amending Chapter 80, Code of Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, commonly known as the Zoning Ordinance, by repealing Section 80-220, Sign regulations in C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts, and enacting in lieu thereof a new section of like number and subject matter.

 

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

 

Section A. That Chapter 80, Code of Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, commonly known as the Zoning Ordinance, is hereby amended by repealing Section 80-220, Sign regulations in C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts, and enacting in lieu thereof a new section of like number and subject matter, to read as follows:

 

Sec. 80-220. Sign regulations in C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts.

 

(a) Intent. The intent of this section is to provide an orderly, effective and reasonable control of off-premises and on-premises signs, thereby halting indiscriminate sign proliferation and enhancing the visual environment of the city.

 

(b) General conditions.

 

(1) Regulations upon signs are subject also to the provisions of article VII of chapter 18.

 

(2) The following need not be included or calculated in the provisions governing signs in this section:

 

a. Numbers, letters and symbols or other configurations which are etched as

metal or masonry cornerstone plates or imbedded into the facade of any

building or other structure.

 

b. Signs which are permanently placed upon doorways and windows.

 

c. Signs which are not visible from any adjoining property or right-of-way.

 

d. Signs which are located within a building.

 

(3) Any outdoor lighting arrangement for the illumination of a sign which would be visible from any property in an adjoining RA, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-4-O, R-5, R-5-O

or R-6 district shall be so designed that no flashing or direct glare from any light

source is focused, beamed or directed toward such property.

 

(4) Except as provided in this section, no sign shall project over the public right-of-way.

 

(c) General regulations for business advertising, incidental and temporary signs.

 

(1) Districts C-2, C-3 and C-4. In zoning districts C-2, C-3 and C-4, business advertising, incidental and temporary signs shall be subject to the following regulations:

 

a. Freestanding pylon business advertising and freestanding temporary signs may

be installed with the sign and structure not to exceed an overall height of 45

feet; provided, however, on any lot zoned C-2 or C-3 and fronting on or lying

within 200 feet of any interchange to an interstate highway or limited access

trafficway, there shall be allowed one freestanding pylon sign with a height of

not more than 25 feet above the interstate highway or limited access

trafficway surface closest to such lot or a height of 45 feet, whichever is

higher. The minimum elevation of the bottom of a freestanding pylon sign

above the mean grade at the base of the supporting structure for such sign

shall be 12 feet or 30 percent of the combined total height of sign and

structure, whichever is the greater; provided that such minimum elevation

requirements shall not apply if the maximum height of the freestanding sign

does not exceed eight feet and if the freestanding sign is set back 20 feet from

the property line. The maximum gross area of a freestanding pylon sign upon

any premises shall not exceed 20 percent of the height of such sign and

structure squared or two square feet for each lineal foot of public street

frontage, whichever is the lesser; provided, however, that if such frontage is

less than 50 feet then such maximum allowable gross area shall be 50 square

feet and only one face of such freestanding pylon sign shall be computed and

added to determine such gross area. The maximum gross areas of all

freestanding pylon signage on any premises shall not exceed two square feet

of sign area for each lineal foot of street frontage; provided, however, that if

such frontage is less than 50 feet such maximum allowable gross area shall be

50 square feet and only one face of such signage shall be computed and added

to determine such gross area.

 

b. In lieu of any freestanding pylon signage, a freestanding monument sign may

be installed, with sign and structure not to exceed a total height of six feet,

measured from mean grade of the sign to the highest point on such sign. The

maximum gross area of a freestanding monument sign shall not exceed 50

square feet in area, provided, however, that only one face of such freestanding

monument sign shall be computed and added to determine such gross area.

Such sign shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from the property line, shall

not impair vision of traffic, and shall be located according to the approved

final plan (if located in a limited district).

 

c. Flat wall or fascia signs will be permitted on building walls with a total square

foot area of advertising copy not to exceed ten percent of the total square foot

area of such wall. In multiple-story buildings, the total height of the wall shall

not exceed 20 feet for computation purposes. As to flat wall or fascia signs,

the gross area shall mean only the area of advertising copy. No more than

three flat wall or fascia signs may be utilized to consume the total square

footage of fascia signage allowed in this subsection.

 

d. On-premises incidental signs shall be permitted.

 

e. Digital equipment displays, including, without limitation, time and temperature

displays, message center displays, Dow Jones displays and date liner displays,

and revolving signs, shall be permitted.

 

f. Changeable copy panels shall be permitted, provided that advertising copy

thereon shall be related to the business activity, services or products provided

by the occupant or to public service messages.

 

g. An under-marquee sign, sometimes called an under-canopy sign, shall be

permitted, provided:

 

1. The sign does not hang more than 24 inches below the lowest level of

the marquee or canopy to which it is affixed;

 

2. The lowest portion of such sign is at least ten feet above the grade of

the sidewalk or way beneath; and

 

3. Such sign may not be longer than one-half of the maximum distance

which the marquee or canopy projects from the building wall, or eight

feet, whichever is less.

 

h. Animated signs shall be permitted providing they are located 150 feet from

any district RA, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-4-O, R-5, R-5-O or R-6, or any public

park, boulevard, parkway, playground, school, library, auditorium, stadium

or other publicly owned buildings or future locations designated as such by

the city council.

 

i. Either freestanding signs or projecting signs, but not both, may hereafter be

installed and maintained upon the premises.

 

j. No sign or any portion thereof hereafter erected may project into any

adjoining public right-of-way, except flat wall or fascia signs; provided that

any such flat wall or fascia sign must be at least ten feet above the grade of

any sidewalk above which it projects or 14 feet above the grade of any alley

above which it projects.

 

k. Temporary signs shall be permitted, provided they shall be removed within a

period of not more than seven days after the condition to which such sign

relates has no application.

 

l. Business advertising signs shall not be located upon any premises with a

building designed or occupied as a residential, institutional or other

noncommercial use; provided, however, in buildings with mixed occupancy

such signs may be permitted at or below any level of the building which is

occupied by commercial use.

 

m. Roof signs are permitted in as provided in subsection (d) of this section.

 

n. In addition to the limitations set out in subsections (c)(1)a through l of this

section and except as otherwise provided in this section, the maximum gross

area of all such signs upon any premises shall not exceed three square feet of

sign area for each lineal foot of street frontage adjoining the premises;

provided, however, that, if such street frontage is less than 50 feet, the

premises shall be allowed either 100 square feet of maximum gross area of

signage or the three square feet of such signage per foot of street frontage,

whichever is greater.

 

(2) Districts M-1, M-2 and M-3. In zoning districts M-1, M-2 and M-3, business advertising, incidental and temporary signs shall be permitted, subject to the following

regulations:

 

a. Freestanding pylon signs may be installed with the sign and structure not to

exceed an overall height of 75 feet.

 

b. Roof signs shall be permitted, provided such signs comply with the regulations

set forth in subsection (d) of this section.

 

c. Except as provided in subsections (c)(2)a. and b. of this section, all of the sign

regulations pertaining to business advertising, incidental and temporary signs

established in subsection (c)(1) of this section for zoning districts C-2 through

C-4 shall be applicable in zoning districts M-1, M-2 and M-3.

 

(d) Special regulations for business advertising signs on roofs. In zoning districts C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3, roof signs shall be permitted subject to the following restrictions:

 

(1) A roof sign shall be required to have a background for the advertising copy.

 

(2) The supporting structure for roof signs shall be so designed in strict accordance with engineering principles required by code that such supporting structures shall have a

minimal number of supporting members without embellishments that are enclosed and

shielded from sight to the maximum extent permissible and consistent with other city

ordinances.

 

(3) Roof signs shall not be permitted on buildings unless the top of the highest parapet or roof is 50 feet high or taller or unless the building is located in district M-2 or M-3

and the building is located at least 500 feet from any building occupied as a residence.

 

(4) The maximum height of a roof sign and its supporting structure shall be either 20 feet from the top of the sign to the elevation of the top of the highest parapet or 26 feet

from the top of the sign to the elevation of the top of the roof, whichever is greater.

 

(5) The maximum horizontal dimension of a roof sign shall not exceed 50 percent of the wall it parallels.

 

(e) Outdoor advertising signs. Outdoor advertising signs as defined in this chapter are permitted only in the C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts, subject to the following conditions:

 

(1) Sign location.

 

a. Outdoor advertising signs shall not be located within 50 feet of any

improvements which are wholly occupied as a residential, institutional or

other noncommercial or nonindustrial uses.

 

b. Outdoor advertising signs shall not be located within 150 feet of any

boulevard or parkway under the jurisdiction and control of the board of parks

and recreation commissioners.

 

c. Outdoor advertising signs shall not be located within 150 feet of a public park,

playground, school, library, auditorium, stadium or other publicly owned

buildings used by the general public, unless such signs, including the

supporting structures, are not visible from such property.

 

d. Outdoor advertising signs shall not be located within 150 feet of property with

frontage upon the same street and which is zoned by district RA or R-1,

unless such signs, including their supporting structures, are not visible from

such adjoining or adjacent property.

 

e. Outdoor advertising signs shall not be attached to the wall of any building.

Outdoor advertising signs shall not be attached to the roof of any building

unless the building is located in district M-2 or M-3 and the building is located

at least 500 feet from any building occupied as a residence.

 

(2) Size, height and other dimensions.

 

a. Height generally. Outdoor advertising signs, including their supporting

structures, shall not exceed the height otherwise provided in this chapter for

buildings and structures; provided, however, that in districts C-3a2 and C-4

the maximum height shall not exceed 75 feet.

 

b. Sign face height. The maximum height or vertical dimension of any one

outdoor advertising sign face shall be no more than 15 feet, plus an additional

four feet when separate outlined letters, numbers, symbols or free-form copy

extensions without other sign background are used as an embellishment, or

plus an additional four feet when a sign embellishment has a solid face or

background; provided, however, that such solid face or background shall not

extend for a horizontal distance in excess of one-half of the sign face width.

 

c. Sign face width. The maximum width or horizontal dimension of any one

outdoor advertising sign shall be no more than 50 feet, plus not to exceed an

additional five feet for embellishments whenever embellishments are used.

 

d. Gross area of signs. The maximum gross area of any outdoor advertising sign

shall not exceed a total of 950 square feet. For purposes of this subsection,

each face of outdoor advertising signs, whether back-to-back, V-shaped signs

or tri-vision signs, shall be considered a separate sign.

 

(3) Minimum spacing requirements.

 

a. No outdoor advertising sign structure hereafter erected shall be less than 200

feet from any other existing outdoor advertising sign structure on the same

side of the street; provided, however, as to limited-access trafficways and

interstate highways, the minimum distance between outdoor advertising sign

structures on the same side of the street shall not be less than 800 feet.

 

b. Such minimum spacing distance shall be measured along the centerline of the

frontage street, trafficway or interstate highway from a point opposite any

edge of an outdoor advertising sign structure and perpendicular to the

centerline of such street, trafficway or interstate highway. Double-faced

outdoor advertising sign structures having back-to-back sign surfaces, V-shaped outdoor advertising sign structures, and outdoor signs on opposite

faces of a building are not prohibited by this spacing requirement.

 

c. No new outdoor advertising signs or sign structures shall hereafter be erected

having more than one viewable sign face directed toward the same lane of

traffic; provided this prohibition shall not be deemed to apply to tri-vision

signs, and provided further this prohibition shall not be deemed to apply to

side-by-side or double-deck signs where the aggregate gross area of such two

sign surfaces does not exceed 175 square feet.

 

Section B. That the Council finds and declares that before taking any action on the proposed amendment hereinabove, all public notices and hearings required by the Zoning Ordinance have been given and had.

 

_____________________________________________

 

I hereby certify that as required by Chapter 80, Code of Ordinances, the foregoing ordinance was duly advertised and public hearings were held.

 

 

 

___________________________________

Secretary, City Plan Commission

 

 

Approved as to form and legality:

 

 

 

___________________________________

Assistant City Attorney