§ 21-2. Definitions.


Latest version.
  • For the purposes of this chapter, certain terms and words are hereby defined. Words used in the present tense shall include the future, the singular number shall include the plural, and the plural the singular, the word "shall" is mandatory and not directory, the word "person" includes a firm, organization, partnership, trust and corporation, and the word "county" shall mean DeKalb County, Georgia.

    As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following words and terms shall have the meaning ascribed to them:

    Aggregate sign area shall mean the sum total of the sign area of any and all signs for a given lot. Subdivision signs, flags and banners are excluded from any determination of aggregate sign area in residentially zoned districts. Street numbers assigned by the United States Postal Service shall not be considered in calculating the aggregate sign area.

    Animated sign shall mean a sign that all or any part thereof visibly moves or uses movement or a change of lighting to depict action or to create a special effect or scene. This includes signs that rotate or revolve to display a message in more than one (1) direction.

    Area of a sign/sign area shall mean the total area upon which a message is displayed on any sign consisting of the smallest square, rectangle, triangle, circle, or combination thereof, which encompasses the entire sign, inclusive of any border and trim, but excluding the base, apron, supports, and other structural members. For double-faced signs, the side of the sign with the largest sign area shall be used in computing the sign area.

    Banner shall mean a piece of fabric or similar material which is permanently attached to a pole, enclosed in a frame, or mounted to allow movement caused by the atmosphere.

    Business day shall mean any day during which county government offices are open for public business. For purposes of this chapter, a "business day" shall not any include any day during which county government offices are closed after a partial business day due to a holiday, emergency, inclement weather, or the like.

    Candela means a unit of luminous intensity equal to one-sixtieth ( 1/60 th) of the luminous intensity per square centimeter of a blackbody radiating at the temperature of solidification of platinum (2.046K).

    Canopy sign shall mean a sign affixed to, superimposed upon, or painted on any roof or roof-like structure which is extended over a sidewalk, walkway, or vehicle access area.

    Commercial message means sign copy which identifies, advertises, or directs attention to a business, or is intended to induce the purchase of goods, property, or service, including without limitation, any sign copy naming a brand of goods or service or otherwise proposing a commercial transaction.

    County shall mean DeKalb County, Georgia.

    Directional sign shall mean any sign placed within five (5) feet of an authorized curb cut.

    Director shall mean the director of the development department, or his/her designee.

    Double-faced sign shall mean a sign which has two (2) display areas placed back to back against each other and the interior angle formed by the display areas is less than fifty-nine (59) degrees, where one (1) sign face is designed to be seen from one direction and the other face from another direction.

    Electronic sign shall mean a sign whose message may be changed at intervals by electronic process or by remote control, including the device known as a commercial electronic variable message sign.

    Entrance sign shall mean any ground sign placed at the intersection of a public street and a private entrance into an apartment, office, condominium, church or industrial complex or some other building with multiple residential or commercial units.

    Facade shall mean the exterior wall of a building which facing any street which provides direct ingress and egress to the lot.

    Flag shall mean a piece of fabric or other flexible material attached to or designed to be flown from a flagpole.

    Flagpole shall mean a freestanding structure or a structure attached to a building or to the roof of a building on a parcel of record and used for the sole purpose of displaying flags.

    Ground sign shall mean any sign supported by uprights or braces or resting upon a foundation in the ground that is not supported or suspended from any building, or any sign securely affixed to a substantial support structure which is permanently attached to the ground and wholly independent of any building for support.

    Historic sign means a sign deemed worthy of preservation by reason of its value to DeKalb County for one (1) or more of the following reasons:

    (a)

    It is an outstanding example of a sign representative of its era;

    (b)

    It is one of the few remaining examples of past sign design or style;

    (c)

    It is a sign associated with an event or person of historic or cultural significance to DeKalb County; or

    (d)

    It is a sign of esthetic interest that is continuing to contribute to the cultural or historical development and heritage of DeKalb County.

    Illegal sign shall mean any sign that was erected in violation of the laws, as they existed at the time the sign permit was issued or signs that were not built in conformance with the issued permit.

    Illuminated sign shall mean a sign that has light cast upon the sign from a source either internal to the sign or from an external light source directed primarily toward such sign.

    Lot shall mean a designed parcel, tract, or area of land legally established by plat, subdivision, or as otherwise permitted by law, to be separately owned, used, developed, or built upon.

    Lot, substandard shall mean a designated parcel, tract, or area of land created after the time of enactment of this chapter or amendment of this chapter which does not meet the lot area; lot width, or public street frontage and access requirements of this chapter. Such a lot is illegal except where created by governmental action in which case such lot shall have the status of a nonconforming lot of record as defined in the county zoning ordinance.

    Luminance means a measure of the brightness of a luminous surface, measured in candelas per unit area.

    Nits means a unit of measurement of luminance, or the intensity of visible light, where one nit is equal to one candela per square meter.

    Nonconforming sign shall mean any sign which does not conform to the provisions of this chapter.

    Planned commercial center means any commercial, office, industrial or mixed-use development that contains any combination of offices, residences, retail or industrial uses with a common entry from a public street and are managed as a whole and in accordance with all applicable requirements of the zoning ordinance.

    Portable sign shall mean any sign which is manifestly designed to be transported, including by trailer or on its own wheels, even though the wheels of such sign may be removed and the remaining chassis or support constructed without wheels is converted to an "A" or "T" frame sign or attached temporarily or permanently to the ground.

    Primary facade shall be the facade of the building which is most nearly parallel to widest street to which the building faces.

    Projecting sign shall mean any sign which is attached perpendicular to a building or other structure and extends more than twelve (12) inches horizontally from the plane of the building wall.

    Pump-island sign shall mean a sign located under a canopy over pump islands of a service station or convenience store with gas pumps.

    Road, accessible shall mean any road or street that provides a means of ingress and egress to the lot.

    Street frontage shall mean the lot line that is coincident with any road or street that provides a means of direct ingress and egress to the lot.

    Roof sign shall mean a sign attached to or supported by the roof of a building that extends above the immediately adjacent roof line of the building or a sign that is wholly or partially above the roof line of a building.

    Rotating sign. See animated sign).

    Secondary facade shall mean any facade that is not the primary facade.

    Sign shall mean a device, structure or representation for visual communication which is used for the purpose of bringing the subject thereof to the attention of others. For purposes of this chapter, the term "sign" shall include the structure upon which a sign face is located. Flags and banners shall be included within this definition only as provided elsewhere herein. Seasonal holiday decorations shall not be included within the definition of "sign" and regulated as such.

    Store front shall mean the exterior wall of a single, undivided unit located within a planned commercial center or business park.

    Subdivision sign shall mean any ground sign placed at the intersection of two (2) roads, at least one (1) of which is a public road, with the other road being the main thoroughfare into and out of a commercial or residential subdivision.

    Suspended sign shall mean a sign securely suspended above a pedestrian passageway from beneath a canopy or awning and oriented perpendicular to the adjacent building facade.

    Tri-faced sign shall mean a sign structure with more than two (2) sign faces situated so that each sign face is facing a different direction.

    Wall sign shall mean a sign fastened, placed or painted upon or parallel to the exterior wall of the structure itself, whether front, rear or side of the structure.

    Window sign shall mean any sign displayed to an outside observer on or through a window or covering a window.

(Ord. No. 13-03, Pt. I, 6-10-03; Ord. No. 09-08, Pt. I, 4-28-09; Ord. No. 10-07, Pt. I, 4-13-10)