OUTDOOR SIGNS AND DISPLAYS

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland pt. THREE, pt. IIIE, tit. XIII, ch. 3113

in effect

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.01 Scope

§ 3113.01 Scope The provisions of OAC Chapter 4101:2-29 and this chapter shall govern outdoor signs and display structures with respect to safety, construction, erection, attachment, support, anchorage and maintenance. Sign wind pressure requirements shall be as provided in Section 3129.07. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.02 Zoning Code Controlling

§ 3113.02 Zoning Code Controlling No provision of this chapter shall be interpreted to authorize or permit the erection or maintenance of any sign or display structure in violation of any provision of the Zoning Code (Chapters 325 to 359).

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.03 Permits; Conditions and Exemptions

§ 3113.03 Permits; Conditions and Exemptions (a) Excepting only outdoor signs and display structures specifically exempted by division (c) of this section, no outdoor sign or display structure shall hereafter be erected and no outdoor sign or display structure shall be affixed, attached to, suspended from or supported on a building or other structure until a permit has been issued by the Commissioner. (b) Permits shall be obtained for all electrical wiring and electrical installations in connection with signs or outdoor display structures. All such electrical wiring and electrical installations shall be done in conformity with the provisions of Chapter 3137. (c) Exemptions. No permit shall be required for the affixation or erection of the following signs. Such exemption shall, however, apply to the requirement for a permit only and shall not be construed as relieving the owner of such sign from responsibility for its erection and maintenance in a safe condition, or from conformity with applicable provisions of this chapter governing material, construction and erection. (1) Signs erected in compliance with Zoning Code division (a) of Section 350.04, Section 350.11, division (c) of Section 350.13 and division (d) of Section 350.13; (2) Noncombustible tablets built into the wall of a building or other structure and used for inscriptions or as memorial tablets or for similar purposes; (3) Posting of bills, signs or posters on billboards or display structures legally erected and maintained for such purpose; (4) Municipal street, traffic or emergency signs, and railroad sign; (5) Legal notices and house numbers; (6) Temporary signs on buildings under construction. (d) Issuance of required permits shall be by the Commissioner. No permit for a sign over public property shall be issued until the application for the permit has been approved by the Director of Capital Projects. (e) The application for a permit shall be submitted in such form as the Commissioner may prescribe and, when deemed necessary by him or her, shall be accompanied by such drawings and descriptive data as are required to verify compliance with the provisions of this Building Code and OBBC. Whenever the conditions of installation are such as to require unusual structural provisions, and for all roof signs, the Commissioner may require that the structural design drawings be prepared by and bear the seal of a registered architect or registered professional engineer competent to design such structure, and that the work be supervised and inspected either by the person who prepared the approved structural design, or by other competent persons acceptable to the Commissioner. (f) No permit to erect, alter, enlarge or maintain a sign or sign structure beyond a street or alley line shall constitute a permanent easement. Every such permit shall be revocable at any time by action of Council, and the City shall not be liable for any damages to the owner by reason of such revocation. (g) Any permit issued for an outdoor sign or display structure shall be valid only while such sign or display structure is maintained in a safe, sound and non-hazardous condition. The Commissioner shall revoke any permit when unsafe conditions are not promptly corrected by the owner of the sign, display structure or premises. (Ord. No. 1233-15. Passed 11-9-15, eff. 11-11-15)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.04 Action on Illegal Signs

§ 3113.04 Action on Illegal Signs (a) Whenever any outdoor sign or display structure is erected or put in place in violation of this Building Code and OBBC or without a required permit, or with a permit but not in accordance with this Building Code and OBBC, the Commissioner shall act in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3103.07 and 3103.11. (b) Whenever any outdoor sign or display structure is deemed to be in an unsafe condition the Commissioner shall act in accordance with Section 3103.09. (c) Whenever the removal of any outdoor sign or display structure has been ordered by the Commissioner and the person, firm or corporation for, or by whom, or on whose premises, such outdoor sign or display structure has been erected, affixed, attached, or maintained fails to remove such outdoor sign or display structure within forty-eight (48) hours after receiving notice to do so from the Commissioner, the Commissioner may remove or cause to be removed such outdoor sign or display structure at the expense of the person, firm, or corporation for whom, or on whose premises, it was erected, affixed, attached, or maintained, and each such person, firm or corporation shall be individually and separately liable for the expense incurred in the removal of such outdoor sign or display structure.

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.05 Bill Posting Restricted

§ 3113.05 Bill Posting Restricted (a) No bills, signs or posters shall be posted in violation of Section 623.12 of the Codified Ordinances. (b) No bills, signs, or posters shall be posted, nor shall any signs be affixed, of such size or in such location as to be in violation of any provision of this Building Code and OBBC.

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.06 Reserved

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.07 Obstructing Signs Prohibited

§ 3113.07 Obstructing Signs Prohibited (a) No outdoor sign or display structure shall be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct any means of egress, or any opening necessary for required light or ventilation or fire fighting or for escape from the premises, or so as to prevent free passage from one (1) part of a roof to any other part thereof. (b) No outdoor sign or display structure shall be attached to any exterior stairway, firescape, fire tower balcony, or balcony serving as a horizontal exit. (c) No outdoor sign or display structure shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to interfere with the free operation of a counterbalanced section of a fire escape, and no projecting sign shall be erected or constructed within three (3) feet from any such counterbalanced section. (d) No outdoor sign or display structure shall be erected, constructed or maintained so as to create a traffic hazard by obstructing the view of traffic at an intersection, curve, or bend, or by obstructing or confusing the view of traffic lights, railroad crossing lights or warning signs. (e) No outdoor sign or display structure shall be of such character or with such inscription or marking that it might be mistaken for a highway sign or mark. (f) At railroad crossings where crossing gates or crossing signals are not provided and operated, no outdoor sign or display structure shall be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct an adequate view of the railroad right-of-way. The critical area within which an outdoor sign or display structure may be prohibited shall be the area required to view three hundred (300) feet of the railroad right-of-way on each side of the crossing from any point on the public right- of-way within two hundred (200) feet of the railroad right-of-way.

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.08 Wind Loads and Allowable Stresses

§ 3113.08 Wind Loads and Allowable Stresses (a) All outdoor signs and display structures shall be designed and constructed to withstand the wind pressures specified in this Building Code and OBBC. (b) The exposed area assumed to be subject to wind pressure shall be the total area of all parts of the sign, including the structural framing, projected on a plane perpendicular to the direction of the wind. In determining the stress in any member, the wind shall be assumed to blow from that horizontal direction and from that inclination from the vertical (but not to exceed twenty (20) degrees above or below the horizontal) which produces the maximum stress in that member. No shielding effect of one (1) element by another shall be considered where the distance between them exceeds four (4) times the smaller projected dimension of the windward element. (c) All materials used in structural elements of outdoor signs or display structures, and the allowable stresses for such materials, shall be in conformity with the applicable provisions of OBBC and this Building Code. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.09 Connections, General Construction Requirements and Marking

§ 3113.09 Connections, General Construction Requirements and Marking (a) All connections between wirerope guys and eyebolts or shackles shall be made by the guy bent around a standard thimble of proper size. Guys shall not be bent over the sharp edge of structural shapes or masonry. (b) All structural supports for outdoor signs or display structures shall be built, designed, and arranged so that the stresses within individual members can be determined by established principles of mechanics and by generally accepted formulas. (c) All ferrous chains and wire ropes, and their attachments, shall be protected against corrosion by zinc or other corrosion-resistant metal coating. All other ferrous parts subject to corrosion shall be protected against corrosion by zinc or other corrosion- resistant metal coating, or by not less than three (3) coats of corrosion-inhibitive paint, or by other equivalent protection approved by the Commissioner. (d) Fastenings to masonry construction shall be by bolting, anchors, expansion bolts, or by other approved method which will insure stability and safety. (e) When signs are fastened to masonry the allowable stresses prescribed by OBBC for such masonry shall not be exceeded. (f) When signs are fastened to unbraced parapet walls the ability of such walls to resist the resulting stresses shall be thoroughly investigated and no connection shall be made which might produce excessive shear, tension, or other stress in the masonry as it exists or is constructed. (g) All signs erected by a registered sign erector shall bear his or her registration number, and all billboards and signs not pertaining to a business conducted on the premises on which such billboard or sign is maintained shall bear the name of the person owning same or who is in charge, possession or control thereof. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.10 Ground Signs

§ 3113.10 Ground Signs (a) Restrictions on Material. (1) No combustible ground sign exceeding one hundred (100) square feet in area shall be erected in the fire limits except that combustible material shall be permitted in noncombustible signs to the extent specified in OAC Chapter 4101:2-29, and except that temporary signs may be combustible material as specified in Section 3113.16. (2) In the Urban District, no combustible ground sign shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height above ground level or fifty (50) feet in length. (3) No combustible ground sign shall be erected so as to extend within two (2) feet of a common property line and there shall be not less than four (4) feet between adjoining combustible signs. (b) Maintaining Ground Surface Free from Debris. Any person or persons, firm or corporation occupying any vacant lot or premises by means of a ground sign shall be subject to the same duties and responsibilities as the owner of the lot or premises with respect to keeping the same clean, sanitary, inoffensive and free and clear of debris, obnoxious substances and unsightly conditions. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.11 Roof Signs

§ 3113.11 Roof Signs (a) No roof sign shall exceed in height above grade level the height permitted by the Zoning Code (Chapters 325 to 359) for a building or part thereof erected in the location of the sign. (b) Anchorage and Support. (1) Roof signs shall be thoroughly secured and anchored to buildings over which they are constructed or erected. The dead and wind loads of the signs shall be distributed to the structural elements of the building in such manner that no element shall be overstressed. (2) Roof signs shall not be attached or anchored to roof planks or roof sheathing, nor shall large signs on concrete roofs be anchored to the concrete slabs alone. Unless otherwise specifically approved by the Commissioner, all roof signs shall be attached and anchored to the structural elements of the building on which they are constructed or erected. (3) Uplift due to overturning shall be adequately resisted by proper anchorage to the building. When necessary, proper anchorage to the building walls or other structure shall include such alterations to the building or other structure as are needed to integrate and adequately interconnect sufficient dead load to equal not less than ten percent (10%) in excess of the computed uplift applied to the building or other structure by the sign. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.12 Wall Signs

§ 3113.12 Wall Signs (a) No combustible wall sign shall exceed one hundred (100) square feet in area except that temporary wall signs may be of combustible material as specified in Section 3113.16. (b) Noncombustible wall signs may include combustible parts to the extent specified in OBBC. (c) Parts of wall signs which are less than seven (7) feet six (6) inches above a sidewalk, alley, walk or other public thoroughfare, shall project not more than six (6) inches beyond the street or alley line or setback or specific building line; above that level, a wall sign shall project not more than twelve (12) inches over public property or over a required front yard or side street yard. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.13 Projecting Signs

§ 3113.13 Projecting Signs (a) Material. (1) All projecting signs and their supports shall be of noncombustible material except that combustible material shall be permitted to the extent specified in OBBC and except that temporary signs may be of combustible material as specified in Section 3113.16. (2) When any part of a pole sign projects beyond a street or alley line such sign shall be deemed to be a projecting sign and shall conform to the provisions of this section. (b) Glass. Glass in projecting signs shall be used only to such extent and in such manner that no hazard will be created thereby, and then only if specifically approved by the Commissioner. (c) Drawings Required. Every application for a permit to erect a projecting sign shall be accompanied with such drawings and data as the Commissioner may require to verify the safety of the proposed construction and compliance with OBBC and this Building Code. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.14 Marquee Signs

§ 3113.14 Marquee Signs (a) Material. Signs attached to or hung from a marquee shall be noncombustible, except that temporary signs may be of combustible material as specified in Section 3113.16. On noncombustible signs, combustible material shall be permitted to the extent specified in OBBC. (b) Minimum Clearance. The minimum clearance from any sidewalk or walk level to the underside of a marquee sign shall be eight (8) feet. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.15 Fixed Awning Signs

§ 3113.15 Fixed Awning Signs (a) Loads. No sign shall be attached to a fixed awning unless the structure of such awning is capable of resisting all stresses resulting from dead and wind loads. (b) Material. Signs attached to fixed awnings shall be noncombustible, except that combustible material shall be permitted to the extent specified in OBBC and except that temporary signs may be of combustible material as specified in Section 3113.16. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.16 Temporary Signs

§ 3113.16 Temporary Signs (a) Temporary signs shall conform to the provisions of this chapter, except that cloth and banner signs or other signs of similarly impermanent combustible construction may be erected and maintained under special permits issued by the Commissioner and valid for periods not exceeding six (6) months each, to announce special events unless otherwise specified in the Codified Ordinances, sales or other related business activities, provided such signs conform to the following requirements: (1) No such temporary signs shall be erected as a roof sign. (2) No more than four (4) permits for such temporary signs on the same premises shall be issued during any calendar year. (3) The structure of each temporary sign shall be constructed and erected to resist safely all stresses to which it may be subjected. Each such temporary sign shall be repaired or removed whenever it is torn or damaged. (4) No such temporary sign shall be erected or maintained in place without a valid permit therefor. (5) No such temporary sign shall be erected or maintained in violation of any provision of the Zoning Code (Chapters 325 to 359). (b) The Commissioner may refuse to issue a permit for a temporary sign of impermanent combustible construction when in his or her opinion such sign would constitute a fire or other hazard to public safety. (Ord. No. 2933-90. Passed 2-4-91, eff. 2-11-91)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 3113.17 Reserved

Source: City of Cleveland, Ohio, Codified Ordinances and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cleveland/latest/cleveland_oh/0-0-0-20138Fetched: 11/1/2026