HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 19227-07-2010ORDINANCE NO 19227-07 2010
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, BEING
ORDINANCE NO 13896, AS AMENDED, CODIFIED AS
APPENDIX "A" OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT
WORTH, TO AMEND ARTICLE 4 "SIGNS" OF CHAPTER 6,
"DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS" AMENDING SECTION 6.403
"SIGNS NOT REQUIRING A PERMIT" TO REVISE WHERE
TEMPORARY SIGNS ARE ALLOWED AND REGULATION OF
WINDOW SIGNS, AMENDING SECTION 6.406
"MEASUREMENT OF SIGNS" TO INCLUDE THE
MEASUREMENT OF WINDOW AREA, AND TO REVISE
CHAPTER 9, "DEFINITIONS" TO REVISE THE DEFINITIONS
OF "SIGN", "ATTACHED SIGN", "TEMPORARY SIGN", AND
"WINDOW SIGN", PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE
SHALL BE CUMULATIVE OF ALL ORDINANCES, PROVIDING
A SAVINGS CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE,
PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE, PROVIDING FOR
PUBLICATION, AND NAMING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, on November 6 2007 the Fort Worth City Council approved
Ordinance No 17872 which substantially revised Chapter 6, Article 4 `Signs" of the
Zoning Ordinance to provide regulations for the installation of signage for the marketing
and identification of properties, electronic changeable copy signs and monument signs,
and
WHEREAS, since the adoption of the 2007 revisions, businesses have become
increasingly interested m advertising their product or location by way of temporary
signage and window signage, and
WHEREAS, rt is necessary to amend Article 4 `Signs" of the Zoning Ordinance
to provide clear and more effective standards for regulating temporary and window signs
to allow for reasonable advertising for businesses but prevent the effect of cluttering or
unattractive storefronts, and
WHEREAS, rt is recommended that Article 4 `Signs" of the Zoning Ordinance
be amended to add regulations for portable temporary signs, clarify the regulations for
window signs and amend Chapter 9 `Definitions" to revise the definitions for attached
signs" `temporary signs" sign and `window sign
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS
SECTION 1
Section 6 403 `Signs Not Requiring a Permit" of Chapter 6 `Development
Standard" Article 4 `Signs" of the Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended to revise
subsection 2 to add paragraph c to allow for the display of temporary signs, to read as
follows
6.403 Signs Not Requiring a Permit
The following signs are exempted from the requirements of this Article and may be
erected or constructed without a permit:
2 Temporary signs, as follows
c One temporary sign is permitted per business during its business hours
subject to the following conditions
i. the sign shall be displayed on private property within ten (10) feet
of the front door of the business or tenant space,
u. the sign shall not exceed $ square feet;
ui the sign shall not exceed forty-two (42) inches m height;
iv the shall be constructed of rigid weather resistant materials, and be
kept m good condition,
v the sign shall not be illuminated,
vi. the sign shall not contain any moving elements,
vii. the sign may not be located in the Public Open Space Easement
(POSE)
viii. The sign shall not impede, obstruct or interfere with the flow of
pedestrian traffic on a sidewalk or access to entrance of a business.
Provided however a temporary sign may be displayed m the public right
of way without the necessity of obtaining City Council approval under the
following conditions
i, there is not adequate space on the private property to place the
sign, and
ii. the front door of the business is less than ten (10) feet from the
sidewalk edge or the curb, whichever is the closest to the business,
and
ui. the sign meets all of the criteria fisted m ii through vui above
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SECTION 2.
Section 6 403 `Signs Not Requiring a Permit" of Chapter 6 `Development
Standard" Article 4 `Signs" of the Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended to revise
subsection 6 to read as follows
6.403 Signs Not Requiring a Permit
The following signs are exempted from the requirements of this Article and maybe
erected or constructed without a permit.
6 Signs m windows subject to the followmg•
a. Window signs may occupy a maximum of 25% of the window area
on each building facade However signs exceeding 10% of the
window area shall be included m the calculation of the maximum
square footage of on-premise signage allowed as described in
Section 6 4081~
b Window signs shall be limited to the first floor of a multi-story
building.
c Window area shall be calculated as described m Section 6 406C
SECTION 3.
Section 6 405 `Prohibited Signs" of Chapter 6 `Development Standard" Article 4
`Signs" of the Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended to revise paragraph 5 to read as
follows
5 Portable signs, except those allowed under Sections 6 403 and 6 404
SECTION 4.
Section 6 406 `Measurement of Signs" of Chapter 6 `Development Standard
Article 4 `Signs" of the Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended to add subsection C to
read as follows.
6.406 Measurement of Signs
C Measurement of Window Area for Window Signs
The window area for window signs shall be calculated by•
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1 multiplying the window width times the height of the window with a maximum
calculated height of 15 feet; and
2. Determining the area of all glazed openings within a building s exterior wall
mcludmg the mullions but excluding building cladding. Curved or angled facades
may be split or combined with the adjacent facade.
15 ft. maximum
height
for calculation
Mullions Cladding Glass doors
(e.g. siding, count as
masonry, etc.) glazing
SECTION 5.
Chapter 9 `Definitions" of the Zoning Ordinance ;<s hereby amended to read as
follows
sign, attached. A sign attached to applied on, or supported by any part of a building
(such as a wall, window canopy awning, arcade, or marquee)
sign, temporary Any sign, other than a window sign, intended to be displayed for a
limited period of time only mcludmg by way of example but not of 1>,mrtat>,on, any sign,
banner pennant, valance, inflatable or balloon or advertising display constructed of cloth,
canvas, light fabric, wallboard or other light materials, with or without frames or wheels.
Sign, window Any commercial copy located on the internal and/or external surface of a
window or a glass door or is located less than ten (10) feet from the window or a glass
door of any establishment for the purpose of being visible to and read from the outside of
the building.
Sign. Any surface, fabric, display or visual medium, mcludmg the component parts,
which bears letters, or sculptured matter including logos, used or intended to be used to
convey information or to attract attention to the subject matter of such sign. Graphics
which carry no advertising shall not be construed to be a sign, except where such
graphics pictorially display products or business that convey an advertising intent. The
term `sign includes the sign structure.
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SECTION 6.
This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the
Code of the Crty of Fort Worth, Texas (1986), as amended, except where the provisions
of this ordinance are m direct conflict with the provision of such ordinances and such
Code, m which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby
repealed.
SECTION 7
It is hereby declared to be the intention of the city Council that sections,
paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any
phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared
unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction,
such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences,
paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the
Crty Council without the incorporation of this ordinance of any such unconstitutional
phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section.
SECTION 8.
Any person, firm, or corporation who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or
refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this
ordinance shall be fined not more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2000 00) for each
offense Each day that a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense
SECTION 9
All rights and remedies of the Crty of Fort Worth, Texas, are expressly saved as to
any and all violations of the provisions of Ordinance No 13896 which have accrued at
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the time of the effective date of this ordinance and, as to such accrued violations and all
pending litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending m court or not, under such
ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance buy may be prosecuted until
final disposition by the courts.
SECTION 10.
The City Secretary of the Crty of Fort Worth, Texas, is hereby directed to publish
the caption, penalty clause and effective date of this ordinance for two (2) days m the
official newspaper of the Crty of Fort Worth, Texas, as authorized by Section 52 013
Texas Local Government Code.
SECTION 11
This ordinance shall take effect upon adoption and publication as required by law
APPROVED AST ORM AND LEGALITY
Assistant Crty Attorney
ADOPTED Jul 13 2010
EFFECTIVE ,Q ~
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