ZO 1006.00

Department of Planning
and Development
525 NE 4th Street
McMinnville, Oregon 97128
Phone: (503) 434-7516 Fax: (503) 434-7544 TTY 800-735-2900
E-Mail planning@co.yamhill.or.us

County Internet Home
Building & Planning Home

Zoning Ordinance

Section 1006.00 - Signs

1006.01 Standards and Requirements

Permits

Sign permit applications shall be accompanied by drawings indicating dimensions, location and engineering in sufficient detail to determine compliance with this ordinance and applicable Building Codes. Permits shall be required for:

Electrical or illuminated signs.

Free-standing signs greater than two square feet in surface area;

Roof-mounted or wall-mounted signs greater than two square feet in area.

Business identification signs not under State permit.

Outdoor portable or sandwich board-type signs greater than two square feet in area.

Signs Not Subject to Regulation.

The following signs are not subject to the provisions of this ordinance:

Signs not more than two (2) square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, postal box numbers, names of occupants of premises or other identification of premises, or traffic directional signs, provided such signs do not have commercial connotations.
Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion.
Legal notices or identification, informational or directional signs erected or required by governmental bodies.
Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving parts or moving lights; and sculpture and other work of fine art created for appreciation rather than advertising.
Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter.

Temporary decorations or displays clearly incidental and commonly associated with local national or religious holiday or other celebration.

Any sign not visible from public right-of-way, or from any other property not under the same ownership as the property upon which the sign is located.

Temporary window displays or signs and temporary real estate "for rent/sale" signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area.

State Permits

All business identification signs within State highway right-of-way, whether sited on-premise or off-premise are subject to permits from the Oregon State Highway Division.
Political Signs.

Temporary political signs advertising candidates or issues may be erected on private property, with consent of the property owners, during an election campaign. Such signs shall conform to the requirements of the State, and shall be removed within one week after the election.
Setbacks

All signs shall be situated so as not to adversely affect safety, corner vision or other similar conditions, and shall satisfy the following:

Sign clearances shall be in accordance with Section 225 of the National Electric Code.
Free-standing signs shall be set back from property lines one foot for each ten square feet of sign area to a maximum setback of twenty feet.
Signs shall conform to clear-vision requirements at street intersections.
Free-standing signs shall conform to rear and side-yard setback requirements.

Projecting signs including canopy and awning mounted signs shall not extend more than six feet from the face of the building to which they are attached. Projecting signs shall have a maximum area of twenty-four square feet per face, and minimum ground clearance of eight feet.

Blanketing

No sign shall be situated in a manner which results in the blanketing of an existing sign.
Mural Signs

On wall mural signs, only that portion of the sign considered advertising shall be calculated in determining maximum area allowance.
NonConforming Signs/Removal

Signs and sign structures not conforming to the requirements of this ordinance shall be subject to the following amortization provisions:

Any legally constructed/installed sign or sign structure not conforming to this ordinance shall be recognized as a nonconforming use and discontinued within 6 years from the date of a nonconformity and amortization notice given to the sign owner by the County.
Any sign not legally constructed/installed shall be recognized as a zoning ordinance violation and shall be removed immediately.
A nonconforming and amortization notice requiring removal of a nonconforming sign shall be given by the county at such time as the following findings are made:

It has been determined that the sign is non-conforming.

The nonconformity has been discussed with the owner.
The Director has determined that the sign cannot or will not become a conforming use.

All flashing or moving signs shall be made so that such flashing or movement is discontinued within thirty days of a zoning ordinance violation notice.

1006.02 On-Premise Signs in the F-40, EF-40, AF-20, AF-10, and MR Districts.

In the F-40, EF-40, AF-20, AF-10, and MR Districts on-premise signs shall be permitted as follows:

The following on-premise signs may be allowed subject to permit approval:

A single sign denoting the name of the owner or the name or address of the property, provided that such sign shall not exceed twenty-four square feet.
A single sign advertising the sale or rental of the property, provided that such sign shall not exceed twelve square feet.

Other signs associated with a permitted or conditional use, provided that such signs shall not exceed twelve square feet.
A single sign describing activities conducted by a business or by an agricultural or forestry enterprise allowed as a permitted or conditional use on the parcel or lands under the same ownership; provided such sign shall not exceed twenty-four square feet.

A single sign denoting a home occupation or small business, provided that such sign shall not exceed twelve square feet.

No sign shall be located within any road right-of-way, except as provided in Subsection 1006.06.
Signs advertising the sale of seasonal produce grown on the property, or on other lands under the same ownership, shall be permitted only during the season in which the produce is harvested and made available for sale.
Properties with double frontage shall be allowed two signs, one on each frontage, subject to the above requirements, or a single sign twice the area of the above standards.

1006.03 On-Premise Signs in the VLDR and LDR Districts.

In the VLDR and LDR Districts, on-premise signs shall be permitted as follows:

The following on-premise signs may be allowed subject to permit approval:

Those denoting the name of the owner or the name and address of the property.
Those advertising the sale or rental of the property.

Warning or safety signs associated with a permitted on conditional use.

Those advertising the sale of agricultural or forest products grown on the same parcel.

Those denoting a home occupation or small business.
Those describing activities allowed as a conditional use on the parcel.

Not more than two signs shall be permitted on any parcel, the total square footage of which shall not exceed twelve square feet, except six square feet is the maximum allowable on a parcel of less than one acre in size.
No sign shall be located within any road right-of-way except as provided in subsection 1006.06.
Signs advertising the sale of seasonal produce grown on the property shall be permitted only during the season in which the produce is harvested and made available for sale.

Properties with double frontage shall be allowed two signs, one on each frontage, subject to the above requirements, or a single sign twice the area of the above standards.

1006.04 On-Premise Signs in the RC, NC, HC, RI, LI, and HI Zoning Districts.

In addition to the signs permitted in Subsection 1006.03, on-premise signs in the RC, NC, HC, RI, LI and HI Districts shall be permitted as follows:

The total sign area on the parcel shall not exceed either 400 square feet, or the smaller of one square foot for each foot of parcel frontage or 48 square feet for each business; except that a minimum of one hundred square feet of sign area shall be permitted for any single parcel.
A single face of any one sign shall not exceed one-half of the total permitted sign area or one hundred square feet, whichever is least.

Free-standing signs on the same property shall not be closer than 100 feet from one another.
The area of flush-mounted roof or wall signs without backing shall be calculated at half of the measured area in determining maximum area allowance. Area of signs with backing shall be calculated at the full measured area of the backing.
If two or more businesses share a common business space and/or parking area, the total sign area allowed shall be proportionately allocated between or among such businesses, and shall not exceed the total sign area allowed as set out by this subsection.

On-premises signs may be erected or maintained on the property upon which the advertised use is located, or upon any adjacent property, under the same ownership, or leased and/or used for the same purposes as the advertised use, and which is utilized for storage, parking or business-related purposes.
Any free-standing sign or sign attached to or placed upon a building shall not extend more than twenty-four feet above the highway grade.
Service signs shall be exempt from the square footage requirements unless they are primarily used to attract customers to the premise. Service signs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Signs attached to or part of vending machines, public telephones or other devices furnishing public services not related to the business conducted on the premises.
Signs displayed for direction or instruction (restroom, freight entrance, parking, etc.).
Signs required by law or designed solely in the interest of public safety.
Signs located directly on and not extending beyond the component parts of display stands, as long as they do not exceed fifty square feet of sign area for all such devices on the property.

1006.05 Electrical and Illuminated Signs in All Zoning Districts.

Electrical equipment used in connection with electrical or illuminated signs shall be installed by permit and in accordance with the National Electric Code.
Signs incorporating electrical components shall be constructed of noncombustible materials, other than plastics, as approved by the National Electrical Code. The enclosed shell of electric signs shall be water-tight except that service holes fitted with tight covers shall be provided into each compartment of such signs.
Every sign containing electrical components or illumination devices shall bear an underwriter's label, or approved testing laboratory label, and the name of the sign erector and the date of installation. Such name and date shall be placed and maintained at a readily legible location on the sign structure.
No electrical or illuminated sign shall exceed fifty square feet in surface area.
Electrical service to free-standing signs shall be underground.
Artificially illuminated signs, or lights used to indirectly illuminate signs shall be placed, shielded or deflected so as not to shine into dwelling units or to create excessive glare along adjacent roads. The light intensity of an illuminated sign shall not exceed the accepted standards of the sign industry, as provided by the Oregon Electric Sign Association.

1006.06 Off-Premise/Business Identification Signs.

Off-premise business identification (OPBI) signs are allowed in any zone subject to permit approval, and shall be regulated by the State Department of Transportation along State Highways, and by the Yamhill County Department of Planning and Development along county roads and local public access roads, subject to the following:

Such signs along State highways shall be governed entirely and installed by the State Highway Division.
The County Public Works Department is authorized to construct and install such signs along county roads and local public access roads upon Planning Department permit approval.
OPBI signs along county roads and local public access roads shall be the same or of similar size and material as those provided by the State for signs along State Highways.

Costs for construction, installation and replacement of OPBI signs on county roads or local public access roads shall be determined by and paid to the Department of Public Works.

1006.07 Sign Construction and Maintenance.

Construction

All signs shall be constructed at the expense of the sign or business owner, and shall be erected in conformance with this ordinance and all county-administered Sign, Electrical and Building Code requirements. Except as specified in Subsection 1006.01, all signs shall be required to obtain sign permit approval prior to construction or installation.
Maintenance and Removal

Every sign, including those specifically exempt from permits required by this ordinance, shall be maintained in good structural condition at all times. All signs shall be kept neatly painted, including all metal parts and supports. The Director may inspect, and shall have the authority to order the painting, repair, alteration or removal of a sign which may constitute a hazard to safety, health or public welfare by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation or obsolescence.

1006.08 Temporary Signs for Nonprofit Organizations.

Temporary signs for nonprofit organizations may be allowed to advertise various nonprofit, charitable activities. Signs may be placed upon private property, upon consent of the property owner, but shall not precede the advertised event more than one week. All such signs shall be removed by the sponsoring organization not later than five days following the event. Such signs shall conform to the requirements of the underlying district.

1006.09 Abandonment and Removal

Any sign which does not contain legibly printed matter on the display surface, or which by its nature has become obsolete for a period of three (3) months, shall be deemed to have been abandoned by the owner thereof and shall be subject to removal by the County Roadmaster or his designate.

1006.10 Prohibited Signs

The following signs are prohibited in all zone districts:

Moving or flashing signs or other signs that may likely cause motorists distraction or be hazardous to public safety.

Banners, pennants, festoons, or searchlights, except that upon receipt of a temporary use permit, such may be allowed for special events, grand openings or similar celebrations. Such signs may be erected 15 days prior to the event/celebration, and shall be removed within 15 days thereafter.

Signs imitating or resembling official traffic or government signs.

Temporary posters or signs attached to trees, electrical or telephone poles, or other public property.
Signs attached to a building and exceeding the highest part of the roof.

Off-premise advertising signs and billboards except as approved by the State Highway Division.

Return to the top of the document
Zoning Table of Contents
Main Planning Page