Sign permits

A. Permit Required. No sign shall be erected or existing sign structure expanded without first securing a permit from the City, except when changing only the face of the sign without altering the area, height or location of the sign: 1\. The content of the message or speech displayed on the sign shall not be reviewed or considered in determining whether to approve or deny a sign permit. 2\. Application for a sign permit shall be filed by the property owner or designated agent with the Zoning Administrator on forms to be provided by the City. 3\. The Zoning Administrator shall process and review the application and related materials and shall determine whether the proposal is in compliance with all applicable evaluation criteria, codes, ordinances, and applicable performance standards set forth in this Section within sixty (60) days of submission of a complete application. 4\. Permit Not Required: The following signs shall not require a permit and are allowed in addition to those signs allowed by Section 11-7-5 and 11-7- 6 of this Section. a. The changing of the display surface on a painted or printed sign only. This exemption, however, shall apply only to poster replacement and/or on site changes involving sign painting elsewhere than directly on a building. b. Signs two (2) square feet or less in size. C. One sign per single family residential property not to exceed twelve (12) square feet. d. All noncommercial signs of any size posted in any number from forty six (46) days before the state primary in a state general election year until ten (10) days following the general election, and thirteen (13) weeks prior to any special election until ten (10) days following the special election. e. Official signs placed by the City of Nowthen, State of Minnesota or Federal agency. f. One sign shall be allowed per street frontage when a building is offered for sale or lease, provided that: (1) No sign shall exceed twelve (12) square feet in area and six feet (6') in height for single-family dwellings. (2) For all other uses and in those cases where a parcel of land exceeds ten (10) acres, regardless of its use, no sign shall exceed sixty four (64) square feet in area or ten (10) feet in height. (Ordinance #38, October 11, 2011)