§ 158-9. Signs and other advertising devices.

A. 

No person, firm or corporation shall attach or shall cause or allow any of his or their or its subordinates or employees to attach to any lamppost, telegraph or telephone pole, hydrant or box covering the same, or any erection or building, wherever situated in or upon any of the public streets, avenues, lanes, alleys or public places of the City, or upon any erection or building upon any of the streets, avenues, lanes, alleys or public places, any bills, notices, letters, pictures or characters of any kind whatever for the purpose of advertising any show, performance, business or entertainment; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the right to post bills, notices, letters, pictures or characters by licensed billposters upon private property in such secure manner as not to be detached and scattered upon the street.

B. 

No person, firm or corporation shall erect or maintain over any sidewalk or over the exterior line of any street, avenue, lane, alley or public place in the City of Lockport, signs for displaying the name or trademark of any person, firm or corporation for advertising purposes or otherwise giving notice of any business or occupation, without first having obtained a license therefor from the City Clerk; provided, however, that signs projecting not more than eight inches over such exterior line may be erected and maintained without license, subject to the control of the Building Code Administrator (Building Inspection). No sign in the City of Lockport shall extend over the exterior street line beyond the curb, and in no event shall any sign extend more than 10 feet beyond the exterior street line. No sign shall be so projected, erected or supported on any erection or building or the ground within eight feet of any part or portion of the sidewalk. Before any license for any sign shall be granted, the person, firm or corporation desiring to erect or maintain the sign or signs shall file with the Building Code Administrator (Building Inspection) a written application therefor, signed by the applicant and stating in detail the kind and character of the sign proposed to be erected and maintained and the actual area in square feet of the exterior surface of such sign, and such application shall also state, in such detail as the Building Code Administrator (Building Inspection) shall require, the place where and the manner in which it is proposed to erect such sign or signs. Upon the approval of the Building Code Administrator (Building Inspection) of such application and of the place and manner of erecting the sign therein mentioned, the City Clerk shall issue to the applicant a license for the sign for which application was made. All licenses issued hereunder shall be numbered consecutively, and each such license shall describe briefly the kind and character of sign authorized to be erected or maintained, the place or building where to be erected or suspended, the name of the applicant and the dates of issue and expiration of the license.

C. 

No license shall be issued pursuant to the provisions of this section for the erection or maintenance of such signs or other advertising devices, other than "for sale" or "for rent" signs, upon any erection, building or property in a residential section within the limits of the City of Lockport, as defined in Section 2 of the Building Code of the said City.

D. 

Duplicates of all licenses issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be kept on file in the office of the City Clerk.

E. 

All licenses issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall expire 60 days after the issuance thereof.

F. 

Illuminated signs.

(1) 

No illuminated sign having an area of more than 75 square feet shall be erected or maintained without special permission granted by resolution of the Common Council.

(2) 

No illuminated sign projecting more than eight inches beyond the exterior street line shall hereafter be erected or maintained in the City of Lockport, the area of which shall exceed 100 square feet according to the computation herein provided for.

G. 

No sign, other than an illuminated sign or cloth or canvas sign, shall be hereafter erected or maintained within the City of Lockport projecting more than eight inches over the exterior street line and having an area of more than 40 square feet, except for temporary purposes and then only on resolution of the Common Council.

H. 

For the purpose of this section, an "illuminated sign" shall be a sign in connection with which artificial light is used; the "area" of a sign, for the purpose of this section, shall be construed as being 1/2 the total exterior surface of the sign, computed in square feet.

I. 

The application for such license must further be accompanied by public liability and property damage insurance protecting the City of Lockport against any claim or claims, actions, suits or proceedings arising out of damage suffered or claimed to be suffered by reason of the work being performed in the erection or maintenance of such sign or other advertising device and the failing, dropping or knocking down of the same, to the extent of $1,000,000 for personal injury and $500,000 for property damage.

J. 

No owner or occupant of any store or other building or any other person shall construct, place or maintain, or cause or permit to be constructed, placed or maintained, on the sidewalk on Main Street or any part of said street, any stand, bench, seat or other construction used in connection with the business, trade or occupation of shining shoes.

K. 

Any license issued hereunder may be revoked by the Common Council for cause, after reasonable notice to the licensee and a hearing before said Common Council at a time and place to be specified in such notice.

Amended 7-2-1997