§ 110-31. Removal of prohibited or abandoned signs.

(a)

Prohibited signs on public property or rights-of-way shall be removed immediately, and may be removed by the city or its agent without notice.

(b)

Temporary signs and parasite signs shall be removed within 48 hours after receipt of written notification by the building official.

(c)

The owner, agent or person in charge of the premises shall remove all nonconforming-abandoned signs and sign structures within 30 days after receipt of written notification by the building official. If the sign is not timely removed, the building official shall refer the violation to the municipal code enforcement board or special magistrate.

(d)

A conforming sign or sign structure shall be considered a conforming abandoned sign or sign structure 90 days after a business ceases operation at that location. The owner, agent or person in charge of the premises shall replace the sign face with a blank panel on all conforming abandoned signs and sign structures within 30 days after receipt of written notification by the building official. If the sign face is not replaced with a blank panel in a timely manner, the building official shall refer the violation to the municipal code enforcement board or special magistrate.

(1)

All conforming abandoned signs and sign structures shall remain with the blank panels for no more than three years after a business ceases operation at that location. The owner, agent or person in charge of the premises shall remove all signs and sign structures within 30 days after receipt of written notification by the building official. If the sign and sign structure are not timely removed, the building official shall refer the violation to the municipal code enforcement board or special magistrate.

(e)

When all buildings on a site are being demolished, all signs and sign structures must be removed from a site at the same time. The owner, agent or person in charge of the premises shall be required to include all signs being removed on the demolition permit. However, if the site is under consideration for a site plan and has a conforming sign and sign structure, the building official may allow the owner, agent or person in charge of the premises to maintain the sign and/or the sign structure while under site plan consideration for a maximum of one year.

(f)

The owner, agent or person in charge of a vacant property (no buildings) that has a sign or sign structure shall be required to remove all signs and sign structures within 30 days after notice by the building official. If the signs and sign structures are not timely removed, the building official shall refer the violation to the municipal code enforcement board or special magistrate.

(g)

The foundation of all removed sign structures may remain upon approval of the building official. The building official shall use the following criteria to allow or remove a foundation: location of the foundation, size, type/design, safety issues and site conditions.

(Code 1961, § 16B-17(a); Code 1985, § 7-431; Ord. No. 5745, § 5, 11-6-07; Ord. No. 2010-13, § 26, 12-1-09)