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AWNING OR CANOPY SIGN
A sign fixed to or integral with the surface of an awning or canopy.
 
BALLOON
An object composed of an inflatable, nonporous bag.
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BANNER
A fabric, plastic, or other object made of nonridged material without an enclosing structural framework.
BILLBOARD
A sign that contains a message or advertises an establishment, product, service, space or activity not available on the lot where the sign is located. For purposes of UDO, a movable freestanding sign is not considered a billboard or off-premises advertising sign.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN
A sign that provides directions or instructions for the use on the lot where the sign is located, such as parking or exit and entrance signs.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Signs that provide directions to or notices of equipment and accessories reasonably necessary for the furnishing of utility service or for the public health, safety or general welfare by public utilities or municipal departments.
FEATHER FLAG
A piece of fabric, typically taller than it is wide, with a distinctive design, logo, emblem or words that is specifically designed and used to draw attention to a product, service or location.
FLAG
A piece of fabric with a distinctive design, logo, emblem or words.
FREESTANDING SIGN
A permanent sign not anchored or secured to a building or the ground and designed to be placed during business hours and moved inside when not in use.
GOVERNMENT SIGN
A temporary or permanent sign erected by the City of Holland, Allegan or Ottawa Counties, or the state or federal government; including temporary signs as necessary in conjunction with the improvement of public infrastructure.
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MARQUEE
A sign affixed flat against the surface of a marquee.
MOVABLE FREESTANDING SIGN
A freestanding sign not anchored or secured to a building or the ground.
MURALS, TYPE 1
A design or representation that does not contain promotional or commercial advertising painted or drawn on a wall.
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MURALS, TYPE 2
An original, one-of-a-kind unique design or representation that contains limited references to the establishment, product or service provided on the site, which is painted or drawn on a wall on that site.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT IDENTIFIER
A sign located at, near, or within the boundary of an established neighborhood commercial area solely identifying the name and/or logo of the neighborhood commercial area.
NONCONFORMING
A permanently installed sign that is legally existing at the original installation, which does not conform to the current height, size, area or location requirements of UDO.
PERMANENT
A sign that has a permanent location on the ground or that is attached to a structure having a permanent location that meets the structural requirements for signs as established in the Building Code.
PLACARD
A sign that provides notices of a public nature, i.e., No Trespassing.
PROJECTING
A double-faced sign attached to a building or wall.
READER BOARD
A portion of a sign changed periodically either manually or electronically.
ROOF
A sign erected above the roofline of a building.
SIGN (SIGNAGE)
A device, structure, fixture, or placard using graphics, symbols and/or written copy, designed specifically for the purpose of identifying an establishment, product, service or activity. The following are definitions of types of signs and terms related to signage
SIGN FACE
The area of a sign that displays a message, including the extreme limits of writing, emblem, logo, and similar representation.
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TEMPORARY SIGN
A sign intended for a limited period of display, typically less than 30 days.
WALL
A single-faced sign painted or attached directly to and parallel to the exterior wall of a building.
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WAYFINDING
A temporary or permanent information system, installed or erected by the City of Holland or the Downtown Development Authority, for the purpose of guiding citizens and tourists and identifying specific places and parking areas.
WINDOW
A sign placed on the glass of a window or door that is used for advertising or identification, and is intended to be viewed from the outside of the building.
General sign provisions.
A. Sign erector's license. A sign installer shall obtain an annual sign erector's license from the City Clerk prior to installing any permanent sign that has a vertical height greater than the horizontal setback from any property line.
 
B. Revocable license agreement required for signs projecting over right-of-way. A revocable license agreement from City Council is required prior to obtaining a permit. 

C. Light poles, utility poles, or another supporting member of a building or property shall not be used for the placement of any sign unless the owner of the pole or supporting member has given permission for such use and the sign conforms to all requirements of this article.

D. A sign shall not be erected in any place where it may, by reason of its position, shape, color, or other characteristic, interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic signs, signal, or device, or constitute a nuisance.

E. Adverse impact of article. Any person adversely affected by the provisions of this article, with the exception of those provisions relating to licensing and permits, may apply for a variance from the Board of Appeals as described in Section 39-12.12C.

F. Savings clause. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this article is for any reason held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining portions of this article. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this article in each section, subsection, sentence or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid.

Illumination
A. All signs may be internally or externally illuminated, except for movable freestanding signs. If externally illuminated, the source of light shall be enclosed and directed to prevent light from shining directly onto traffic or residential properties.

B. Signs shall not scroll, flash, blink, oscillate, or have any other appearance of movement.

Measurement.
A. A single-faced sign shall be measured within a single, continuous perimeter composed of either the smallest square, rectangle, or circle which encloses the extreme limits of writing, representation, emblem, logo, frame (if part of the sign), or any other figure of similar character.
039 Sign Height and Width.tif

B. Framing around a sign shall be included in the overall sign calculation if it is an integral material or color to the sign. An "integral material" shall be one that is part of the specific sign, rather than an architectural detail or a sign frame that could remain in place even if the sign was replaced by another sign.

C. The support structure of a sign shall not be included in the overall area.

D. A multifaced sign shall be calculated by measuring each sign face and adding them together.

E. If two sign faces are placed back-to-back, this shall be measured and counted as one sign. If one of the sign faces is larger, the sign area shall be calculated using the larger of the two faces.

F. If two sign faces are placed back-to-back and separated by more than a forty-five-degree angle, each face shall be calculated independently, and they shall be counted as a multi-faced sign.

G. The height of a sign shall be measured as the vertical distance from the highest point of the sign to the grade of the ground immediately beneath the sign.

H. The setback of a sign shall be measured from the leading edge of the sign to the property line.

Maintenance of signs.
A. All signs shall be maintained free of peeling paint or paper, sun fading, staining, rust, or other conditions which impair the legibility of such sign. Routine maintenance shall not require a permit. Exact replacement of faded or worn letters, and similar repairs, shall be considered routine maintenance.

B. Any signs permitted by the provisions of this article, including all supports, braces, guys, and anchors, shall be maintained in conformance with this article and in such a manner so as not to cause a hazard to the public.

Exemptions from permits requirements.
The following signs may be installed or erected without a permit:
A. Government signs.
B. Public K-12 school signs where the State Superintendent has exclusive jurisdiction.
C. Placards.
D. Historic markers placed under the authority of the local, state, or federal government.
E. Address numbers.
F. Hours of operation and other similar business information.
G. Window signs applied to the interior of the window/door glass.
H. Window signs applied to the exterior of the window/door glass where the sign does not exceed 15% of the glass area. Windows that are immediately adjacent, on the same wall face of the same building, may be averaged together.
I. Noncommercial flags.
J. Advertising flags at nonresidential properties with a maximum size of 15 square feet, with one per business per street frontage. Other types of flags, or multiple flags shall be allowed as a temporary sign with a permit.
K. Noncommercial signs in all zone districts subject to the following:
Street Frontage
Total Size
(square feet)
Height
(feet)
Number
Up to 60 linear feet
12
6
No limit on the number of signs, but the total area of all signs added together shall not exceed the total size.
61 to 200 linear feet
24
6
201 to 400 linear feet
32
6
Over 400 linear feet
64
6

L. One temporary sign per special event at nonresidentially used properties in the LDR, CNR, MDR, or TNR Zone Districts, provided that the sign is not displayed for more than two weeks per event.
M. Handicap signage with the international symbol of accessibility or van accessible recognized logo for Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance and accessibility.
N. Signs in conjunction with a construction project, subject to the size chart in the tables in Section 39-8.04. Signs shall be removed upon approval of the permit work or upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
O. Traffic direction signs at commercial properties less than six square feet in area and six feet in height.
P. Temporary signs for advancing the public interest, for a prescribed amount of time, when authorized by City Council.
Q. Downtown Development Authority (DDA) signs.
R. Writing or logos that are an integral part of a fabric umbrella, used primarily to provide shade or cover to customers.
S. Murals. There are two type of murals, referred to as Type 1 and Type 2.
1. Definitions.
a. Type 1: a design or representation that does not contain promotional or commercial advertising painted or drawn on a wall.
b. Type 2: an original, one-of-a-kind, unique design or representation that contains limited references to the establishment, product, or service provided on the site, which is painted or drawn on a wall on that site.
2. Type 1 and Type 2 murals in all zone districts shall not be considered a sign, and shall not be required to obtain permits, but shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in this subsection.
3. Prior to installation of a mural, the property owner shall request a determination from the Zoning Administrator of whether the proposed design is a sign, or a Type 1 mural, or a Type 2 mural.
4. The Design Review Board (DRB) shall review the design if the proposed location is within the CDT, NDT, EDT, WDT, and CENT Subdistricts of the F Zone District.
5. Based on the review of the design:
a. If the proposed design is determined to be a sign, the applicant shall comply with all requirements of this article.
b. If the proposed design is determined to be a Type 1 mural, no further review or action is necessary.
c. If the proposed design is determined to be a Type 2 mural, the mural shall comply with the following requirements:
1) The graphics, words, and/or symbols referencing the establishment, product, or service are limited in scope and dominance, and not readily construed as commercial advertising. References shall be subtle and integrated into the overall mural.
2) For purposes of this subsection, "limited in scope and dominance" shall mean that the graphics, words, or symbols that reference the establishment, product, or service do not exceed 20% of the mural area, and shall be integrated throughout the mural and not placed in a concentrated area or a manner where it becomes a prominent advertisement.
3) The references to an establishment, product, or service are not in the form of traditional building signage. Traditional signs on the same wall shall be reviewed separately under applicable sign requirements.
The following signs are prohibited:

A. Pennants, streamers, banners, balloons, or feather signs as permanent signs. These signs shall be permitted in some cases as temporary signs (§ 39-8.05A).

B. Signs that employ any flashing, moving, oscillating, blinking, or variable intensity light, such as rolling, fading, moving, or animated parts that are designed to give the appearance of movement.

C. Roof signs.

D. Billboards and off-premises advertising signs.
1. Multitenant signs located on a shared access drive shall not be considered off-premises signs.
2. Conforming signs that have subsequently been separated from their original parcel may continue to be used as originally intended and shall not be considered off-premises signs.
3. Joint signage. Adjacent property owners may enter into a written agreement to have joint signage. Such signage shall not be considered off-premises. No additional sign area for any individual property shall be granted due to a joint signage agreement.

E. A business that has been closed for 60 consecutive days shall ensure that all of their signs are removed from the property.

F. Any vehicle (including trailers) with the primary function of acting as a sign, unless a temporary sign permit has been issued.

G. Any sign not specifically permitted by this article, except as permitted by the DRB in the CDT, NDT, EDT, WDT, and CENT Subdistricts of the F Zone District.
A. Nonconforming signs may not be expanded, enlarged, or extended; however, they may be maintained and repaired to continue the useful life of the sign.

B. A nonconforming sign may be diminished in size, and may have the message or design changed.

C. Any nonconforming sign, sign structure, or frame substantially destroyed by neglect, deterioration, fire, accident, or other casualty loss (50% or more) shall not be restored or rebuilt unless it conforms to this article.

D. A nonconforming sign removed for maintenance or repair, with a permit, shall be reinstalled within 90 days.
1. Electronic reader board signs, otherwise known as "electronic message centers" (EMCs), shall have an instantaneous change between messages, with a minimum seven-second delay between displays.

2. Electronic reader board signs are not permitted within the CDT, NDT, EDT, WDT, and CENT Subdistricts of the F Zone District.

3. Electronic reader board signs are permitted on a wall or freestanding sign, but not on both signs at one property.

4. Glare shall be reduced and/or minimized in such a manner as to maintain an appropriate level of contrast during the day and at night.
Signs perform an important function in identifying and promoting businesses, services, neighborhoods, events, economic development, and other matters of interest to the public. The intent of this article is to regulate all signs within the City of Holland to ensure that they are appropriate for their respective uses, they keep with the neighborhood characteristics as recognized and promoted by the City of Holland's Master Plan, they prevent traffic hazards, they provide safe conditions for pedestrians, and they protect public health, safety, and general welfare by:
 
A. Setting standards and providing uniform regulations that permit reasonable use of signs;

B. Preserving the various characteristics found within the zone districts and neighborhoods throughout the City of Holland, regardless of sign content. In preserving the character of the various neighborhoods, signage shall be scaled appropriately whereby properties with frontage on wide streets with higher speed limits are permitted larger signs than narrow streets with lower speed limits;

C. Prohibiting the erection of signs that may create a hazard to pedestrians and motorists in terms of number, size, illumination, and location;

D. Avoiding excessive amounts of signs so that the existing signs provide adequate identification and direction while minimizing clutter, unsightliness, and confusion; and

E. Establishing a clear process for requiring permits for signs, allowing some signs without permits, and allowing legally nonconforming signs to continue without jeopardizing the useful life of the sign.

See Article 39-8: Signage for complete, detailed information on signs.