BANI Newsletter- May 2010

A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.

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Signs are one of the many structures addressed in the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance. Regulating signs is common to most zoning ordinances because it is important both for ensuring public safety and for maintaining community character. During a recent survey of Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals members, improving the appearance and image of the community ranked as the third highest priority of the goals outlined in the Steuben County Comprehensive Plan.

Because of a large number of violations and the need for improvement in this area, the Plan Commission has started looking more closely at signs. While the current regulations are almost exactly the same as those in the original zoning ordinance from the early 1970s, the Plan Commission has failed to enforce them. In this article, we will explore some of the sign regulations that are most important to the building community.

All permanent signs, including billboards, wall signs, ground signs, etc., within the Steuben County Plan Commission’s jurisdiction require a sign permit. A plan is required, and the process is similar to receiving an improvement location permit. There is, however, an additional, specialized application form is required because signs have different criteria than other structures. These forms are available at the Plan Commission Office or by email, upon request.

Believe it or not, there are some signs that do not require permits. That’s right; there are some temporary signs that do not require a permit! Some examples include construction signs, real estate signs, and development signs.

There are still some guidelines for where these signs may be located and how big they can be. All temporary signs should be located at least 10 feet from the right-of-way and outside a safety triangle. This area is a triangle at intersections, measuring 25 feet along the right-of ways.

Construction signs may be up to 64 square feet in size and 15 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 30 days after a certificate of occupancy has been issued.

Real estate signs may be up to 8 square feet in size and 6 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 15 days of closing.

Development signs may be up to 32 square feet in size and 8 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 7 days after the units have been sold.

The Steuben County Zoning Ordinance does not allow off-premise signs (except for billboards along interstates). For example, all real estate signs need to be located on the property being sold.

More details about sign regulations can be found in Chapter 14 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance. Please contact the Steuben County Plan Commission Office if you have any questions.