Fulton Definitions ordinance (§ 92-1)

As used in the chapter, the following words shall mean:

Advertising media: Banner, pennant, streamer, wind operated mechanism, flashing lights, and any other type of fluttering or flashing device, or person or animal used for attracting attention.

Awning: Any device or structure entirely supported by the structure to which it is attached and which is covered by canvas, cloth or other material, which may be retractable or rolled to the structure by which it is supported.

Canopy: Any structure other than an awning, attached to a building or structure and supported independently of that building structure. Porticos and portecocheres shall be considered canopies for the purpose of this chapter.

Church bulletin board: A sign attached to the exterior of a church or located elsewhere on the church premises and used to indicate the services and/or other activities of the church.

Director: The director of administration of the City of Fulton and any of his delegates or assistants.

Erect: To build, construct, attach, hang, rehang, place, affix, locate, relocate, paint or repaint.

Flagpole: A pole constructed of metal or similar material permanently affixed to the ground or a structure designed for the display of a flag.

Marquee: A device or structure entirely supported by the structure to which it is attached which is permanent in nature and projects over the entrance or door of a building.

Office building: A building occupied by one or more businesses or noncommercial entities.

Shopping plaza and shopping center: A tract of ground occupied by one or more businesses or commercial entities.

Sign: Any letter, word, model, design, device, representation, name, identification, description, display or illustration which is affixed to, supported by, painted or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure or a piece of land which directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization or business. However, the definition of a sign shall not include the flag of the United States of America, the State of Missouri, other foreign countries or states. The definition of a sign also shall not include any display of official court or public office notices, nor shall a sign include any letter, word, model, design, device, representation, name, identification, description, display or illustration located completely within an enclosed building, not otherwise endangering public health and safety. The definition of a "sign" includes all sign supports and structural trim as defined herein.

Sign, advertising: A sign advertising any off-premises business, product, or function, mounted above ground. Can be no higher than 35 feet above ground to the top of sign and no more than 200 square feet.

Sign, attached: A wall sign or projecting sign attached to a building wall or the generally vertical plane of a mansard type roof.

Sign, commercial neighborhood business: A ground sign allowed in a commercial neighborhood business (C-NB) zoning district, a district which is allowed only along Business Highway 54.

Sign, construction: A temporary sign used during construction of new buildings, or reconstruction of or additions to existing buildings, such as those identifying the project and denoting the owner, architect, engineer, contractor and/or financing institutions of the project.

Sign, directional/informational: A sign which indicates a direction or provides information for vehicular or pedestrian traffic or other movement information.

Sign, directory: An occupational or identification sign containing at least one name within a single sign.

Sign, flashing: An illuminated sign on which artificial light is not steady or on which colors change.

Sign, fluttering: A sign which flutters and includes pennants, banners, nongovernmental flags or other flexible material which moves with the wind or by some artificial means.

Sign, ground: Any detached sign mounted on the ground having its highest point not more than ten feet above the ground.

Sign, hanging: Any sign hanging entirely beneath a canopy, portico or marquee, or similar structure.

Sign, institutional or governmental: A sign identifying the institutional or governmental facility.

Sign, marquee, canopy and awning: A sign attached to or illustrated on a marquee, canopy, or awning respectively.

Sign, moveable: A sign which is not permanently affixed to a structure or the ground.

Sign, moving: A sign, all or any part of which, moves by any means. Such sign includes a fluttering sign.

Sign, nonconforming: A sign legally erected under any previously existing ordinances of the city which does not conform to the provisions of this chapter.

Sign, on site informational: An informational sign located on a commercial, institutional, governmental, or other similar site which gives parking, fire protection, traffic flow (other than directional signs), height clearance, pedestrian, or other similar information and which does not advertise the business or use located on the site.

Sign, political: A temporary sign advocating or opposing any political proposition or candidate for public office.

Sign, post: Any detached sign which is supported by one or more posts the bottom edge of which is the minimum of ten feet above the ground.

Sign, projecting: Any sign which projects more than 12 inches beyond the plane of the wall on which the sign is erected or attached.

Sign, reader board: Any permanent sign upon which a changeable message may be placed or which projects a moving or changing message in lights such as, but not limited to "time and temperature" readouts.

Sign, real estate: A sign pertaining only to the prospective rental, lease or sale of the property on which it is located.

Sign, roof: Any sign erected on a roof. For the purposes of this chapter, signs erected on top of a marquee, portico, canopy or similar structure shall be considered roof signs. Signs erected on the generally vertical plane of a mansard or similar style roof shall not be considered roof signs.

Sign, sandwich type board or "A" frame: A sign for display only during business hours and not to interfere with pedestrian traffic.

Sign, subdivision: An entry sign identifying a residential subdivision entry, subdivision name and/or street names within the subdivision. Such a sign may include a map of the subdivision.

Sign, temporary: Any sign intended for a limited period of display.

Sign, wall: A sign erected or attached against the wall of any building or against the generally vertical plane of a mansard type roof with the plane for the sign face parallel to the plane of the wall below the roof line.

Sign area: The total area of the space to be used for advertising purposes, including the spaces between open-type letters and figures, including the background structure, or other decoration or addition which is an integral part of the sign. Sign supports shall be excluded in determining the area of a sign. A double-faced sign shall have double the total area of a single-faced sign.

Sign facing or surface: Any surface of a sign upon, against or through which the advertising message is displayed or illustrated on the sign, including structural trim, which displays or upon which is displayed any color, message, name or symbol of any kind for the purpose advertising, announcing, directing or attracting attention from the outside of a building and which can be seen from a single location on an adjacent street provided that the ends, or thickness, of a sign shall not be counted as a separate sign face unless an advertising message is conveyed thereon.

Sign structure: The sign and all parts associated with its construction or support.

Sign supports: All structures by which a sign is held up, including, for example, poles, braces, guys and anchors. All such supports shall be considered part of the sign as defined herein.

Structural trim: The molding, battens, cappings, nailing strips, latticing and platforms which are attached to the sign structure.

Zoning ordinance: The zoning ordinance of the City of Fulton and/or chapter of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Fulton, and the current district map related thereto.