§ 58-9. Sign permits.

(a)

Permit and fee required. Except for those signs described in section 59-10, no person may construct, place, install, or relocate any sign without first obtaining a sign permit from the City of Cibolo. Each application for a sign permit must be accompanied by the appropriate fee as listed in appendix A (fee schedule) of the city's Code of Ordinances.

1.

Construction, reconstruction, placement, installation, or relocation of any sign shall require a permit and remittance of the appropriate fee which shall not be refundable.

2.

Subdivision temporary signs, banner temporary signs, or new business temporary signs shall require remittance of the appropriate fee which shall not be refundable.

3.

A permit is required for replacing a previously permitted sign (excluding billboards) with another sign that is of like content, size, location, and that is otherwise compliant with this chapter.

4.

A nonconforming billboard shall renew the previously approved billboard permit annually. The annual fee is due by January 1 of each calendar year. No fee will be assessed for routine changes of the sign face.

5.

No permit will be issued for a proposed sign that will cause the aggregate of all signs on the property to exceed the square footage provided for in this chapter.

(b)

Expiration of permits. Per International Building Code Section 105.5 (as amended), every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site is authorized by such permit is commenced within 180 days after its issuance, or if the work authorized on the site by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days after the time the work is commenced. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, one or more extensions of lime, for periods not more than 180 days each. The extension shall be requested in writing and express the justifiable cause for the requested extension.

(c)

Application for sign permit. A person proposing to erect or display a sign shall file an application for permit with the city building official. The application must be made on a form provided by the City of Cibolo and shall contain and have attached to it the following information:

1.

Name, address, and telephone number of the applicant;

2.

Name, address, telephone number, and firm of the person erecting sign;

3.

If applicant is not the owner of real property where sign is proposed to be erected, must provide written consent and name, address, and telephone number of the property owner and a copy of the executed lease agreement (if applicable);

4.

Location of building, structure, address, or legal lot and block to which or upon which the sign is to be attached or erected;

5.

A site plan indicating position, height, and size of the proposed sign and other existing advertising structures on the property in relation to nearby buildings or structures, north arrow, and scale of drawing, property lines, curb lines, adjacent streets, alleys, curb cuts, and setback clearance zone;

6.

Specifications for the construction and display of the sign;

7.

Copy of stress diagrams or plans, when needed, containing information as to safety and structural integrity of sign. The City of Cibolo assumes no liability for safety and structural integrity of any sign;

8.

Statement indicating whether the sign will require electricity. If so, the sign must comply with the National Electrical Code or any successor code as may be adopted and amended by the City of Cibolo;

9.

Copy of permit approved by Texas Department of Transportation in Guadalupe or Bexar County, Texas or successor agencies, if state law requires a state permit;

10.

Date on which the sign is to be erected or displayed;

11.

Any variance that will be requested (see section 58-17); and

12.

Such other information as the City of Cibolo requests to show full compliance with this and all other standards of the city.

The City of Cibolo is not required to act upon a permit application until it is deemed by the city to be administratively complete.

(d)

Approval and denial of permit. The building official shall promptly review an administratively complete application upon receipt from the applicant. The building official shall grant or deny an administratively complete permit application within 45 days after the date that was received. The building official shall examine the application, plans, and specifications and may inspect the premises upon which the proposed sign shall be erected, as needed. The building official shall issue a permit if the proposed sign complies with the requirements of this chapter and all other regulations of the City of Cibolo, such as building, electrical, or other similar codes adopted by the city. If the building official denies a permit, the official shall state the reasons for the denial in writing and shall either mail the denial certified returned receipt request, or hand deliver the denial to the applicant.

City council hereby designates the members of the planning and zoning commission to serve as the sign ordinance board of appeals. The board shall meet only as needed to consider an appeal of this chapter, and may conduct such appeals concurrently with a regular or special called meeting of the planning and zoning commission. Any applicant whose permit application is denied by the building official may appeal the denial to the board. Such an appeal must be filed, in writing, with the building official within ten days after receipt of the denial. At the first available public meeting, after receipt of the appeal, the board shall review the building official's administrative decision to deny the permit. The appeal shall be limited to the information the appellant provided to the building official in the permit application. The board shall sustain the building official's administrative decision unless the appellant establishes, by a preponderance of the evidence that the building official's administrative decision was in error.

(e)

Modifications. After a sign permit has been issued by the building codes official, it shall be unlawful to change, modify, alter or otherwise deviate from the terms and conditions of the permit without prior written approval by the building code official.

( Ord. No. 1188, § II(Exh. A), 12-13-2016 )