HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 811 ORDINANCE NOm8ll.
AN CMDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 31 to 40, OF
ORDINANCE NO. 56; DECrEUER 24, 1907; ORDINANCE
BOOK Fr- PAGE 476-77 AND PART OF PAGE 478; RE-
VISED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH,TEXAS,
AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE CONSTRUCTION AND
ERECTION OF ELECTRIC SIGNS OVER PUBLIC THOROUGH-
FARES WITHIN THE CITY OF FORT WORTH AND PROVIDING
AN APPROPRIATE PENALTY FOR THE VIOLATION THEEEOF.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY
OF FORT WORTH:
SACTION 31,
That Sections 31-32-33-334-35-36-37-38-and 39, Chapter 5, Article VII
of the revised code or ordinance of the City of Fort Worth of 1907, be and
the same is hereby amended, so that hereafter they shall read, respectively
as follows, to-wit:
SECTION 32,
Electrical Signs. Permits for:- Before any electric sign illuminated
or lighted by electricity, used for advertisement purposes of any nature what-
soever, upon or along any Street in the City of Fort North or attached to or
connected to any building.. wall, post, awning or any combustible material, or
display any signs for advertising purposes whatsoever, shall first, obtain,
take out and procure from the City Building Inspector a permit to do such work
and same shall be done in a neat, workmanlike manner and. shall be passed on,
when completed, by the City Building; Inspector and City Electrician and for the
aforesaid permit there shall be no charge.
SECTION 33.
Advertising signs shall conform to classes specified in this ordinance:-
All advertising signs hereafter erected, used ro maintained in the City of Fort
North shall conform to one of the classes or kinds hereinafter specified, and it
shall be the duty of the Building Inspector to require each of such signs to be
constructed, erected, used and maintained in accordance with the conditions pre-
scribed for the particular class to which it belongs, and to report to the City
Attorney and cause prosecution of all persons violating any section of this
ordnance.
SECTION 34,
Advertising Sighs Classified:- Said signs shall be classified as follows..
Elwctrical illuminated signs in the fire limits shall be so constructed as to be
fire proof, and shall be hung with steel messenger wire of size sufficient to be
safe and meet the requirements of the Building Inspector and shall be constructed
to meet the requirements of Class "A" as hereinafter described.
Class "A" Construction: Signs in fire limits must be constructed of
galvanized steel, channels or other shapes not less than No.twenty guage U.S.
Standard. Corner shall be held together with suitable angles securely rivited
or bolted to the frame and suitable stiffeners shall be bolted to frame and body.
Not less than six or eight feet on centers, sides of body shall be mace of No.
24 or 26 guage U.S.Standard galvanized sheet steel and shall be securely bolted
)r rivited to frame. Such signs shall be constructed ra as to have ample space to
Nntain receptacles wireing without undue crowding, but no more and shall enclose
a, terminals and other wiring except the supply leads and shall be water proof.
Hogs one-half inch in diameter and two feet on centers shall be drilled in the
bot�m for drainage. Signs of Class "Atl may be hung over side walk and shall not
prof°t beyond the curb line. Signs hung on mast arm construction may be hund by
Permision of Building Inspector. Signs shell be fastened to the wall with suit-
able irn brakcets not more than eight feet apart but no sign shall have less than
two such brackets. Each bracket shall be bolted to sign with two 5/8" bolts and
Page 2- Ordinance No,811.
and through wall with at least on 5'/S"" bolt with nut and suitable washer on
inside. ,All signs shall be guyed with none other than steel messenger wire and
in all cases meet all the requirements of this ordinance and shall also be
properly reinforced where connection= are made to hanger brackets and cables.
Signs of Class "A" with only one side illuminated may be hung flat against the
wall of buildings and shall be fastened with suitable iron straps or bolts
through the wall with nuts and washers on the inside or standard wall hooks.
Such signs may be hung in any part of the City.
Cla-s- "B" signs,*- Known as transparencies, with interior electrical illumination
may be erected. Such signs shall be not less than two feet above the side walk
at its lowest point, if projecting over side walk and shall not project more than
six feet from wall line of said building and shall be build and erected substantially
as prescribed for signs of class "A", except that the sides shall have wire glass
panels, none of which shall be wider than twenty inches of glass surface and if
projecting over side walk the entire surface of either side shall not be greater
than twelve square feet.
Signs of Class "A" and Class "B" may be hung in any part of the City.
Class "C" Signs, Signs of metal or signs of wood covered entirely with metal, glass
signs in metal frame. Signs of metal in metal frame shall not exceed four square feet
and shall not project from building more than eighteen inches and shall not be
less than seven feet and six inches from side walk at lowest point. Signs of
good covered ith metal may be erected as specified in Class "A" and Class "B" of
electrical signs, and shall not exceed Electrical Signs in size and shall be erected
under the same specifications as called for in Class "A"" and Class "B" of the
foregoing paragraph of this ordinance.
SECTION 35.
Bill Board Signs may be erected as prescribed by zones A.B. and C.
Zone "A" being north of the Trinity River and inside the city limits. Zone
"B" to be south of the Trinity River and north of the Texas and Pacific Railway
tracks, west line to the west line of Taylor Street, east line to be Chicago,
Rock Island & Gulf Railroad tracks. Zone "C" to be south of Texas and Pacific
Railroad to city limits and Zones A,B and C defined as follows:
Zone "A" and "C" signs or bill borads made of metal with wood or metal
frames may be erected in these zones. Such signs shall be two feet above the
ground and upper edge shall not be more than fourteen feet above the ground and
no part ofthesign or bill board shall be nearer than fifteen feet to property
line. Such signs shall be built with uprights not smaller than four by six inches
eight feet on centers, with two by six two f6et long nailed across bottom end for
an anchor and sunk in the ground to a depth of three feet. Each upright shall be
braced with one two by six firmly nailed to the upright and to a four b,-)r six post
sunk three feet in the ground and anchored by an anchor known as "dead man" on
lower end, as provided for the uprights, also braced from b,�ttom of upright to
angled brace.
No bill borads or signs of this character shall be permitted to be erected
in Zone "B" unless same are of fire proof construction and meet with the fire
limits specifications of building code, and do not interfere with thw work of
the fire department.
No person, shall paste, post, paint, print, nail or otherwise fasten any
handbill, sign, poster, advertisement or notice of any kind whatsoever, or cause
the same to be done , on any curbstone, flagstone or any other portion or part of
any sidewalk or street, or upoh any tree, lamp post, hitching post, telegraph
post, hydrant, bridge, pier. or upon any structure within the limits of any street
In the City of Fort Worth except such as may be required by the Ordinances of
the City of Fort 'forth without the express consent of the Building Inspector and
no person shall paste, post, .paint, print, nail or otherwise fasten any handbill,
sign, poster, advertisement, or notice of any kind, or cause the same to be done,
upon any private wall, window, door, fence, gate, advertising board or sign, or
other private building or structure, and when any hand bill, sign poster, adverb
tidement or notice of any kind shall be found pasted, painted, printed, nailed
or otherwise fastened on any curbstone, flagstone, or any other portion or part
Page #3- Ordinance No®911
of any sidewalk, or upon any tree, lamp post, hitching post, telegraph pole
telephone pole, hydrant, bridge, pier, or upon any priv.-;.te wall, window, door,
gates, fence, advertising board or sign, or any other private building or
structure, in any way advertising any person, firm br corporation, the finding
of sucib handbill, sign, poster, advertisement or notice shall be prima facie
evidence that it was pasted, posted, painted, printed, nailed or otherwise
fastened contrary to the provisions of this section, by the person, firm or
corporation hereby advertised.
SECTION 36.
No signs other than cloth signs may be suspended across the street and
such signs not less than twenty feet above the street at lowest point and not
less than eight feet above any trolly wire and shall be supported by ropes.
No metal to be used :Lin the construction of signs or in apparatus supporting
the same.
Signs of this class shall not be allowed to hang more than ten days
and may be used only for the purpose of advertising celebrations, expositions,
carnivals, fairs, excursions or societies, pulbie entertainments or other
matters of a public character and shall not be used to advertise a private
business or other matters of a private character® An application for a permit
to erect a sign of this character must be approved by the Myor before a permit
therefor is issued.
SECTION 37,
Signs made of wire netting or other opus metal work and supported and
securely fastened to a frame made of structural steel capable of resisting
a wind pressure of 40 pounds per square foot and not higher than 30 feet above
roofs maybe be erected above and upon the roof of any building of sufficient
strength if placed two feet above the roof and placed not closer than eight
feet to any existing parpet wall. Signs over thirty feet maby be erected by
special permit and comply with Section 37.
The applicant for a sign of this class shall file with the Building
Inspector till and complete plans of frame and stress diagram „d details
and specifications for the erection and construction of such signs and also
such plat: of building on which the sign is to be erected and other information
concerdlgg its construction.
If the plans and specifications are in ccmpltance with this ordinance
he may issue a. permit therefor,. After being approved, the plans an4 specifi.^ations
shall not be altered in any respect without, the approval of the Building Inspector
and the work shall be done in accordance with and under his supervision.
SECTION 38,
Permit for erection necessary Application to Building Inspector
Inspector by City Electrician.
No sign skull be erected or maintained in the City of Fort Worth unless
the person,firm,corporation or agent owning, using or maintaining the same,
or desiring to erect the same, shall obtain a permit for the City Building
Inspector, It shall be the duty of any person, firm, corporation or agent
desiring to erect a sign in this city for which a permit is required, to make
application to the City Building Inspector, accompained by plans and specifications
showing in detail the proposed manner of construction,erection, support and
maintenance of such signs, It such plans and specifications or which signs
shall be in compliance with this ordinance, he shall issue a permit therefor,
and all signs erected under such permits shall be erected under supervisions
of the Building Inspector, and all electrical, connection in illuminated signs
shall be inspected and approved by the City Electrician before he shall be
lawful to operate said sign. 611 said wiring to be done according; to the
rules and regulations of the National Board of Fire Underwrtters, and in
conformity with the Charter and Ordinance of the City of Fort Worth, provided,
that the sight herein given for the erection, use and maintenance of advertising
signs shall not be a permanent or vested right, and 'said permits shall be obtained
and signs erected subject to the right of the City of Fort Worth to further
reCalate, restrain or abolish the use of same, if upon inspection, the Building
Page # 4- Ordinance No. 511.
Inspector should find that any signs hereafter erected has not been con-
structed or erected in a secure and workmanlike manner, he shall so notify
the person or person who constructed or erected stagh signs, either in
writing or parole, and it shall be the duty of such person or persons to
immediately to comply with such notice. Any sign erected., used or maintained
ins violation of this article shall constitute a nuis;snce, and if the owner fails
to comply with the same after having been notified, he shall be subject to the
penalties hereinafter provided,
SECTION 39,
Signs to be keep in good repairs:- It shall be the duty of every person,
firm, corporation or agent, owning, using or maintaining any sign hereafter
erected or now being used, operated or maintained, to keep the same at all times
in safe condition, and if any of such signs shall become defective or shall
become unsafe or dangerous to the public. the same shall be repaired or made
safe by the owner or lessee thereof immediately after notice by the Building
Inspector so to dos and should said owner or lessee fail to comply with said
notice within five days thereafter he shall be subject to the penalties here-®
infifter prnvided.
SECTION 40.
City to be saved harmless, Etc. Permit to contain agreement to that
effect:- All persons, firms corporations or agents erecting, using and main-
taining any of the signs herein provided for, whether as owner, agent, tenant or
lessee shall save the City of Fort Worth harmless from all damages arising from
the erection, use and maintenance of said signs. and no sign permit shall be
issued unless it contains an agreement on the part of the person' firm,
corporation or agent seeking such permit that such person, firm corporation or agent,
whether agent, owner, tenant or lessee, will assume all liability for damages
caused by defective constructions disrepair or damages from any source caused by such
si�pss and shall hold and save the City harmlese from all damages arising from the
erection, use and maintenance of said signs.
SECTION 41 (PENALTIES)
Any person, firms corporation or agent, or any member of any firm, and the
officers and directors of any corporation violatin,F. any section of this
ordinance shall be deemed &-ilty of a. misdemeanor, and upon: conviction thereof
In the corporation court shall be fined in any sum not less than five ($5.00)
Dollars and not more than fifty (%50.00) provided, that it shall also be an
offense for any person, firm, corporation or agent and any member of any firm,
and the officers and directors of any corporation who shall be notified by
the Building Inspector to repair or remove or alter any sign in the of Fort North
to fail to do so within five days after receiving such notice. subject to the
penalty above provided, and provided also, that each day's failure to obey
such notice after the expiration of five days from the receipt thereof shall
constitute a separate offense.
SECTION 42,
Should any section or part of a section of this ordinance be declared
invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect
the other and remaining sections or parts of sections of this ordinance, w1hi ch
parts and sections shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 43.
All ordinances ands_ parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance
are hereby repealed.
Page No. S — Ordinance 811
Section 44®
This ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after
the date of its passage.
I hereby cdrtifv that the above and foregoing Ordinance was duly
presented and unanimously passed and adopted by the Board of Commissioners
of the City of Fort North, Texas, at a regular session of said Board held
December 13th, A.D., 1921®
C. S. Snow, City Secretary.
Page 89
Ordinance Book H.