§ 40-477. Sign regulations.

(a)

General. The following sign regulations shall apply to all signs on property within a designated CPZ, unless provisions in the underlying zoning district or otherwise stated in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance are more restrictive, in which case and in keeping with the purpose of the CPZ, the more restrictive sign regulations shall prevail. For the purpose of this section, "development" refers to a building(s) and/or structure(s) on a site.

(b)

Permitted signs.

(1)

Attached, flat, projecting and roof signs. Each use shall be allowed one (1) attached flat sign, or projecting sign or roof sign subject to the following provisions:

a.

Permitted sign area.

1.

The allowable total attached sign area shall be computed at three (3) square feet per lineal foot of primary building frontage elevation area consisting of the wall on which the business or development has its main entrance; or twenty (20) percent of the building frontage elevation area on which the sign is to be located, provided however that no single attached sign shall exceed three hundred (300) square feet. Illuminated signs inside of windows and within five (5) feet of such windows shall be included in the computation of aggregate sign area and in addition shall be limited to ten (10) percent of the total glass area of the window in which the signs are placed.

2.

On corner properties, one (1) additional sign shall be permitted on a secondary building frontage elevation area provided the total area of the sign does not exceed fifty (50) percent of the allowable sign area as for single frontage properties.

3.

Developments meeting the following minimum setback schedule shall be allowed a larger attached sign area.

Minimum Setback	Maximum Percentage of Primary Building Elevation Area
100—199 ft.	20%
200 ft.+	25%

 

b.

Permitted dimensions. No projecting sign shall extend more than five (5) feet from the face of the building.

c.

Permitted height. No sign shall be erected above the roof ridge line of the main building.

(2)

Awning and marquee signs. Awning or marquee sign area shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet per sign except that where an awning or marquee sign is used in place of an attached flat sign or a projecting sign, the awning or marquee sign shall not exceed the lesser of the allowable attached or projecting sign, or forty (40) percent of the vertical area of the awning or marquee on which the sign is located.

(3)

Detached signs. Each development shall be allowed one (1) on-premises detached sign except as noted in paragraphs (4) and (5) below, subject to the following provisions:

a.

Permitted sign area. The allowable sign area shall not exceed one (1) square foot per lineal foot of lot frontage (being the length of the lot along the adjacent public right-of-way) or three hundred (300) square feet, whichever is less. On corner and through lots only one (1) lot frontage may be used to determine the allowable sign area.

b.

Permitted height. The height of a detached sign shall not exceed thirty (30) feet. However, the height may be increased one (1) foot for every one (1) foot of setback from the lot line, not to exceed forty (40) feet.

c.

Permitted materials. The sign shall be constructed of metal or wood, or encased in a wood frame or other such material which complement and coordinate with the architectural style of the development.

d.

Design features. Signs should be coordinated and incorporated into the required landscaped areas. For example, signs should be mounted on earth berms instead of standard support structures whenever possible.

(4)

Corner lots. On corner lots where either lot line exceeds three hundred (300) feet, a second sign shall be permitted with the same requirements for single frontage properties, provided that no such detached sign shall be located across from, adjacent to or within seventy-five (75) feet of a residential development or district.

(5)

Secondary signs on through lots. A second sign may be erected on the second front of a through lot provided the following additional provisions are met:

a.

1.

The maximum area of the second sign is seventy (70) square feet.

2.

The maximum area of the second sign is twenty (20) square feet if the through lot is located across from, adjacent to or within seventy-five (75) feet of a residential development or district.

b.

The maximum height of the second sign is twelve (12) feet.

c.

Section 33-6.25, Landscaping, buffering, and screening, shall apply.

d.

The landscaping bed shall consist of shrubs, ground cover (excluding grass) and/or other suitable plant materials, and exclude any impervious surface.

e.

The second sign must be set back from the lot line a distance at least equal to the height of the sign.

(6)

Directional signs.

a.

Directional signs shall be excluded from the sign area calculation for both permitted attached and detached signs.

b.

Each directional sign shall have a maximum area of six (6) square feet.

c.

Detached directional signs shall have a maximum height of eight (8) feet above grade.

d.

Directional signs may be illuminated but shall not flash, blink or fluctuate.

e.

A directional sign shall not be an animated sign.

(7)

Menu boards. Menu boards servicing drive-up (drive-through) restaurants shall be permitted provided that:

a.

Number. Only one (1) menu board shall be permitted per drive-through lane.

b.

Landscaping required. The menu board shall be located in association with the drive-through service lanes and section 33-6.25, Landscaping, buffering, and screening, shall apply.

c.

Visibility from street right-of-way. The menu board shall not be visible from the street right-of-way from which the primary access to the premises is obtained.

d.

Setbacks.

1.

The menu board shall not be located within the first twenty (20) feet of the front of the development site.

2.

The menu board shall be located a minimum of twenty (20) feet from any lot line abutting residential property.

e.

Sign area. The menu board shall have a maximum area of forty-eight (48) square feet.

f.

Sign height. The menu board shall have a maximum height of eight (8) feet.

g.

Sound system. The sound system associated with a menu board shall be oriented and adjusted in such a way that resulting noise does not intrude into surrounding development in compliance with the applicable provisions of section 20-102, noise, of the Code of Ordinances of Jefferson Parish.

(8)

Portable signs. Portable signs are prohibited in the CPZ.

(9)

Temporary signs shall be governed by general regulations set in Article XXXVI, General Sign Regulations.

(10)

Nonconforming signs.

a.

All signs not in conformance with the provisions of this overlay zone, including off-premises signs erected prior to the enactment of this overlay zone, shall be subject to the provisions stated in subsections 1. and 2. below. Such signs may continue in operation and be maintained after the placement or effective date of the Commercial Parkway Overlay Zone, CPZ, provided the height and area of the sign is not increased. The burden of establishing such signs as legally nonconforming rests entirely with the person claiming such status for a sign and subject to the following:

1.

Whenever a non-conforming sign is replaced it shall comply with the provisions of this section.

2.

Signs relocated on the same or different premises within the CPZ shall comply with the provisions of this section.

(11)

Electronic variable message signs. On-premises electronic variable message (EVM) signs shall meet the standards of the underlying district.

(c)

Prohibited signs. The following signs shall be prohibited:

(1)

Flashing signs and signs with animated and scintillating lights.

(2)

Animated signs.

(3)

Off-premises signs.

(Ord. No. 20783, § 3(XIII-G(7)), 9-22-99; Ord. No. 23292, § 25, 5-7-08; Ord. No. 23643, §§ 3, 4, 9-23-09; Ord. No. 23663, § 2, 10-14-09; Ord. No. 23938, § 6, 1-12-11; Ord. No. 24364, § XXXVI, 11-7-12; Ord. No. 24955 , § 9, 6-10-15; Ord. No. 25405 , § 77, 8-9-17)