Ordinance No. 131 Consolidated Land Use Ordinance

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5. Review. The Zoning Administrator shall review applications for compliance with these regulations. A decision to approve or deny should be made within 30 days of receiving a complete application. Applicants shall be informed of the decision in writing. Decisions to deny a permit shall be accompanied by a statement of reasons for the denial. 6. Variance and Appeal. An appeal from a sign permit denial shall be taken in the manner of zoning appeals, using the procedure stated in Section 17.7 of this Ordinance. Requests for variance from these sign regulations shall be made and considered in the manner of requests for zoning variance, using the procedure stated in Section 17.4 of this Ordinance. Comprehensive Sign Plan. An applicant seeking approval for signs in connection with new building construction, remodeling, or re -development may submit a comprehensive sign plan with the other required submittals in lieu of making individual applications for sign permits. All information required in this Ordinance is required to be represented in the supporting documentation supporting the comprehensive sign request. In acting upon the comprehensive sign plan, the Planning Commission and City Council may permit consideration of unique conditions, flexibility and creativity in the design and placement of signs, to the extent such leeway promotes the purposes and goals of any design standards in the underlying zoning district. If a comprehensive sign plan is approved, the Zoning Administrator may issue sign permits for individual signs in the plan without further review, upon payment of the applicable sign permit fee. 4. Inspections and Enforcement. All signs shall be subject to inspection by the Zoning Administrator, or other official designated by the Zoning Administrator. The Administrator or designee must be allowed entry upon the property on which the sign is located to ascertain compliance with the terms of these regulations and the technical specifications provided with the permit application. Such entrance shall be made during business hours unless an emergency exists. 1. Signs in Disrepair. The Zoning Administrator or designee may order the removal of any sign that is not maintained in accordance with the requirements of these regulations. Upon failure to comply with such order within the time specified, the City Council may declare the sign a public nuisance and direct that the nuisance be abated under the procedures set forth in Gem Lake Ordinance No. 86. 2. Impoundment of Signs on Public Property. The City may at any time, and without notice, remove and impound signs which have been erected on public property or within a public right-of-way or easement. The sign's owner may retrieve the sign from the City upon payment of a $50 impoundment fee. If the same owner has a subsequent sign impounded within the same calendar year, the impoundment fee is doubled. The City shall not be held liable for any damage to an impounded sign. If a sign is not retrieved within thirty (30) days, the City may dispose of it. 3. Sign Without a Permit or in Violation of Regulations. The Zoning Administrator or designee may order the correction or removal of any sign which has been erected without a permit, or has been erected or altered such that the sign is in violation of these regulations. 1. The person responsible for the sign may apply for a sign permit "after the fact," paying double the applicable sign permit fee, if the only violation is lack of a permit. 2. If an order is not remedied or complied with in the time specified, the City Council may declare the sign a public nuisance and direct that the nuisance be abated under the procedures set forth in Gem Lake Ordinance No. 86. In addition to the above, the City Council may give written notice to the person responsible for the sign that the Council will consider civil penalties for the violation. The written notice shall contain a summary of all facts the Council intends to consider, and state the date and time at which the Council will consider a penalty. If the person receiving the notice appears at that date and time, the Council must give the person reasonable time to present matters in defense or mitigation of the alleged offense. If, in the Council's discretion, the alleged violation is supported by the evidence presented to it, it may order the payment of a civil penalty using the following as guidelines: 1st offense: $100.00 2nd offense: $600.00 3rd offense: $1,500.00 A person with outstanding unpaid civil penalties shall not be eligible to receive permits or licenses, of any kind, from the City of Gem Lake until the penalty is paid. Updated January 2025 — Gem Lake Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 98