§ 7.2. Applicability.

A. 

General. This chapter applies to the erection, alteration, and maintenance of all signs in the City, unless specifically exempted pursuant to § 7.2B: Exemptions.

B. 

Signs Not Requiring a Permit. The erection, alteration, and maintenance of those signs listed in Subsection 2 of § 7.3A: Residential Zone Districts and Subsection 5 of § 7.3B: Nonresidential Zone Districts shall not require the issuance of a sign permit.

C. 

Permits Required. Prior to the erection or alteration of any sign subject to the requirements of this chapter and not listed in Subsection 2 of § 7.3A: Residential Zone Districts or Subsection 5 of § 7.3B: Nonresidential Zone Districts, a sign permit shall be approved or disapproved pursuant to § 8.3I: Sign Permit. Replacing the sign face on any nonchangeable copy sign, or any other alteration of an existing sign structure requires a sign permit.

D. 

Changeable Copy Signs. Up to 25% of the sign face area of any permitted permanent freestanding sign or wall sign, and up to 75% of the sign face area of a marquee sign, may be made up of changeable copy area. Revising the message on a changeable copy sign shall not require a sign permit.

E. 

Temporary/Portable Signs. Temporary/portable signs may be erected on private property in Commercial, Manufacturing, or Special Purpose Zone Districts, and on any site in a residential zone district that contains a multifamily or nonresidential use, for a maximum of four weeks during any calendar year. Unless more specific standards are stated in Subsection 2 of § 7.3A: Residential Zone Districts or Subsection 5 of § 7.3B: Nonresidential Zone Districts, temporary/portable signs shall be subject to the same restrictions on size, height, and distance from the right-of-way applicable to permanent signs on the site. Trailers with message boards and trailers used as signs shall be treated as temporary/portable signs, and may not be installed as permanent signage.

F. 

Signs on Public Property. No permanent or temporary/portable sign of any type may be erected or moved onto public property without written approval from the City, except that sandwich board signs with a sign face area of no more than eight square feet per side may be used on public property in the CCBD zone district. Prior to the use of a sandwich board sign on public property in the CCBD zone district, an encroachment permit must be obtained from the City of Kalamazoo and must be consistent with the Kalamazoo Downtown Design Guidelines.

G. 

Prohibited Signs. Roof signs are prohibited in all zone districts. Projecting signs are prohibited in all districts except the CCBD, CBTR, M-1, and M-2 zone districts.

H. 

Compliance With Applicable Codes Required. In addition to complying with the provisions of this chapter 7, all signs requiring the issuance of a sign permit shall be required to comply with all applicable codes. Violations of those provisions of state law shall be a violation of this Ordinance, and shall be subject to enforcement pursuant to Chapter 10: Violations, Penalties and Enforcement.