Signs
The City of Warsaw's sign ordinances serve several important purposes:
- Provide a community standard
- Improve pedestrian and traffic safety
- Maintain and enhance the aesthetic environment of the City to attract economic development
- Minimize possible adverse effects of signs on nearby and public property
- Create fair and consistent enforcement of these sign standards
Temporary Sign Requirements
- Advertising material must comply with all provisions in the City of Warsaw Zoning Code.
- The total display area of all temporary signs may not exceed one-half the display area of the corresponding permitted permanent sign.
- Temporary signs must have a separation distance equal to one-fourth the length of the frontage to which they are oriented.
- A temporary sign may not exceed the height restriction of a permitted permanent sign.
- Use of temporary signs may not exceed a total of 180 days of use per business in a calendar year.
- The person for whose advertising benefit the sign is placed will be responsible for the payment of all permit fees and for the proper placement of the sign.
- A $15.00 fee must be paid for each sign permit per calendar year.
- No permit fee is required if the sign usage is for a period of three days or less, or if the sign usage is by a not-for-profit organization, or if the signs are placed in a window.
- No temporary sign may be placed in any portion of the public right-of-way, nor may they be placed in such a way as to obstruct the view of vehicular or pedestrian traffic at intersections or points of ingress and egress onto a public right-of-way.
- No sign originally manufactured, constructed or intended for use as a temporary sign may be used as a permanent sign nor may any temporary sign be converted to use as a permanent sign. No sign permit will be issued for such installation.
- For businesses whose primary business is conducted outside, these special provisions apply to temporary signs:
- Moving signs may be used with a required setback of five feet from public right-of-way. This includes banners, flags, and streamers. A permit will not be required for this material.
- Balloons may be used provided they are not inflated with helium. No other inflatable signs may be used.
Prohibited Signs
- Signs which are structurally unsafe, as determined by the Uniform Building Code.
- Signs obstructing free ingress or egress from a required exit, or which prevent light or ventilation as required in local codes and ordinances.
- Signs which by reason of size, location, content, coloring or illumination violate municipal and state highway standards.
- Signs bearing words, phrases, symbols, colors or characteristics which may mislead, interfere with, or confuse traffic.
- Signs erected on or attached to any sidewalk, street, tree lawn, tree, curb, curbstone, hydrant, lamppost, barricade, temporary walkway, utility pole, public fence, or on a fixture of the fire alarm or police system, except public service signs.
- Inflatable signs, except as provided for by code.
- Moving signs, except as provided for by code.
- Off-premise signs. (Real estate signs and development signs are exempt from this provision.)
- Flashing signs.