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