Sign rules in residential districts

There are general rules that apply to all signs in residential districts. There are also rules that apply to signs used for specific purposes within residential districts.

These signs are not allowed in residential districts:

• Roof signs
• Wind signs
• General advertising signs

Your sign cannot have any moving parts (rotating, swinging) or moving lights (flashing, blinking).

When planning for size, keep in mind that your sign cannot:

• Stick out past the street property line or setback line
• Go past the roofline (if attached to a building) or higher than 12 feet (unless there are exceptions for your specific sign type)
  
   

With a few exceptions for commercial use and special cases, these are the only types of signs allowed in residential districts (and the specifications they must follow):

Nameplate

Nameplates only state the name and occupation of persons using the space.

• You may have 1 nameplate for each street frontage of your lot.
• Illumination: None or indirect only 
• Height: No more than 12 feet high
• Area:
  • In RH districts: No more than 1 square foot
  • In RM or RED districts: No more than 2 square feet

Identifying signs

Identifying signs tell only the name, address, and use of the property on which they are located.

You may have 1 identifying sign for each street frontage of your lot.

• Illumination:
  • In RH districts: None or indirect only
  • In RM, RTO or RED Districts: None, indirect, or direct
• Height: No more than 12 feet high
• Area:
  • In RH districts: No more than 12 square feet
  • In RM, RTO or RED districts
    • Signs with direct illumination: No more than 8 square feet
    • Signs with no illumination or indirect illumination: No more than 20 square feet

Temporary signs

You may have 1 sale or lease sign for each street frontage of your parcel.

• Illumination: None or indirect only
• Height:
  • Freestanding signs: No more than 24 feet high
  • Signs attached to a building: Cannot go above the roofline
• Area: No more than 6 square feet for each lot or for each 3,000 square feet of the total parcel (whichever ratio permits the larger area without exceeding 50 square feet)
  • Any sign over 18 square feet in area must be set back at least 25 feet from all street property lines 
• Removal: You must remove all signs within 7 days after the property’s sale or lease

You may display construction signs giving the contractor or firm’s names and information pertinent to the project.

• Illumination: None
• Height: No more than 12 feet high
• Area: Combined area of all such signs cannot be more than 10 square feet for each public-facing street

Some commercial businesses are allowed in residential areas. They primarily provide convenience goods and services for people in the neighborhood within walking distance of their homes.

These businesses may have the following signs:

Wall signs

You may have 1 wall sign for each street frontage. You must place a it flat against the street-facing wall on the ground floor.

• Illumination: None or indirect
• Area: No more than 1 square foot for each linear foot of street frontage occupied by the building or part thereof that is devoted to the commercial use or 50 square feet per street frontage (whichever is less). 

Window signs

You may paint or apply any number of sign directly on the surface of your window glass.  

• Illumination: None or indirect
• Area: The total area of all window signs can be no more than one-quarter the area of the window on which the signs are located

Projecting signs

You may have 1 projecting sign per business.

• Illumination: None or indirect
• Area: No more than 6 square feet
• Height: No more than 14 feet or the height of the lowest residential window sill above the commercial use (whichever is lower)
• Projection: No part of the sign can project more than 4 feet or 75% of the horizontal distance from the street property line to the curbline (whichever is less)

Awning signs

If you have an awning you may include sign copy on the awning instead of having a wall sign or projecting sign. 

• Illumination: None or indirect
• Area: No more than 20 square feet per business

Illumination

All illuminated signs must be turned off when the business is closed.

Open land uses

If there is no building with more than 50 square feet of floor area involved in the use, 1 business sign is permitted for each public-facing street. 

• Illumination: None or indirect
• Height: No more than 12 feet
• Area: No more than 1 square foot for each foot of street frontage. The total area of all signs cannot exceed 50 square feet. 

Other uses

For any commercial use not listed above, you may have 1 business sign for each street frontage. You must place it flat against the street-facing wall on the ground floor.

• Illumination: None or indirect
• Area: No more than 1 square foot for each foot of street frontage occupied by the building as long as it’s under 100 square feet