Appendix A-Sign Design Guidelines

PURPOSE

These guidelines provide recommendations concerning the design, construction and placement of signs in order to ensure the use of creative, high quality signage that improves the visual impression of the community's corridors and creates a distinctive image for the City of Irving. These guidelines are to be used in conjunction with Chapter 7 Billboards and Signs, and where these guidelines may conflict with the regulations therein, the requirements of Chapter 7 take precedence.

APPLICABILITY

The standards and guidelines set forth in this manual apply to all properties within the city of Irving, with the exception of certain districts.

• The Sign Design Guidelines are applicable to all new signs and the modification or reconstruction of existing signs throughout the city. The Sign Design Guidelines will be utilized during the city's review of sign permit applications or through the review of other permit applications when signs are a part of a larger project.

• Signs and Sign Plans will be reviewed for their consistency with the Guidelines and the standards contained in the Chapter 7.

• These Guidelines are not strict sign standards from which no deviation is possible. These are guidelines and recommendations that inform sign permit applicants about the city's expectations regarding signage.

• Voluntary compliance with these guidelines is highly encouraged for businesses with existing signage.

DESIGN OBJECTIVES

• All signs should be architecturally integrated with their surroundings in terms of size, shape, color, texture and lighting so that they are complementary to the overall design of the buildings.

• Signs should enhance primary design elements or unique architectural features of buildings and should reflect the character of the building and its use.

• Signs should respect the immediate context of the building's location and the overall character of its immediate vicinity.

• Consider the layout and shape of the architectural features of the building when determining the size and location of a sign.

• Retail signs should be designed with the purpose of promoting retail and street activity while enhancing the pedestrian experience where applicable.

• The size of a sign and its letters should be located in logical areas which relate to the pattern of the façade.

• Signs are not permitted to cover or obscure architectural features of buildings.

• Design elements such as window patterns (vertical and horizontal rectangles, arches, squares, etc.) will help determine the sign shape that will suit the building.

• New signs proposed for existing buildings shall provide a compatible appearance with the existing signage of other tenants. Signs should attempt to unify the business with its nearest neighboring tenants.

QUALITATIVE SIGN GUIDELINES

1.

Measures of Compatibility

• Proportional Size and Scale. The scale of monument and wall signs should be appropriate for the building & site on which it is placed and should be proportional to the size of the location and the scale of the structure.

• Integrate Signs with the Building. Signs should be designed to relate to the architectural features of the building and site on which they are located and create a similar visual continuity with other storefronts.

• Wall Sign Placement. Wall signs should be placed in a manner which is consistent with the proportion of the building façade.

• Sign Placement. Wall signs should be placed in a manner that creates a façade rhythm, scale and proportion. Repetitious signage information on the same building frontage should be avoided, regardless of the maximum sign area allowed by the Sign Code. The architecture of the building and site layout often identify specific locations for signs.

2.

Sign Colors

• Selecting Colors Carefully. Use of color is one of the primary means of visual communication. Excessive and uncoordinated use of colors can confuse and negate the message of a sign. Complementary colors should be applied that provide a good contrast with one another.

• Contrasting Color. Contrast is an important influence on the legibility of signs. A substantial contrast should be provided between the color and material of the background and the letters or symbols to make the sign legible.

• Too Many Colors. Avoid using color combinations that interfere with the legibility of the sign copy. Too many different colors on a sign can interfere with the basic function of advertising because they compete with the content for the viewer's attention. Typically, it is best to limit colors to no more than three (3) on a single sign.

3.

Sign Design and Materials

• Compatibility of materials. Exterior materials, finishes and colors should be the same or similar to the building or structures on site. Consideration should be given to the architectural design of the building's façade and materials selected that complement the design.

• Appropriate materials. Signs should be professionally constructed using high-quality materials such as brick, stone, metal, brass/silverplated exterior materials.

• Design compatibility. Internally lit plastic letters or plastic box signs should be avoided. The design of colors and lettering style should complement the building façade and harmonize with neighboring businesses. Excessively bright colors or over-scaled letters shall not be used as a means to attract attention.

• Alignment. The design and alignment of signs on multiple-use buildings should complement each other, creating a unified appearance. Signs shall respect the zoning district's dominant characteristics. Low profile signs are more appropriate in commercial districts, whereas wall signs are more appropriately located in retail districts.

4.

Sign Legibility

• Ensure legibility. An effective sign should do more than attract attention; it should communicate its message clearly. Usually, this is a question of the readability of words and phrases. The most significant influence on legibility is lettering style and spacing. Use the following guidelines to help ensure sign legibility.

• Avoid hard to read, intricate typefaces

• Avoid spacing letters and words too closely

• Limit the number of lettering styles to increase legibility

• Avoid faddish and bizarre typefaces

• Use a brief message. The fewer the words, the more effective the sign. A sign with a brief, succinct message is simpler and faster to read, looks cleaner and is more attractive. Evaluate each word carefully, and, if it does not contribute directly to the sign's message, it should probably be eliminated.

• Use significant contrast. If there is little contrast between the brightness or hue of the message of a sign and its background, it will be difficult to read.

• Avoid signs with strange shapes. Signs that are unnecessarily narrow or oddly shaped can restrict the legibility of the message. If an unusual shape is not symbolic, it will probably be confusing.

• Use symbols and logos. Pictographic images will usually register more quickly in the viewer's mind than a written message.

5.

Sign Illumination

• Use illumination only if necessary. Like color, illumination can provide more effective visual communication, or it can confuse the sign's message. Consider if the sign needs to be lighted at all.

• Internal illumination. Individually illuminated letters, either internally illuminated or backlighted solid letters (reverse channel) are a preferred alternative to internally illuminated plastic cabinet (can) signs. Signs comprised of individual letters mounted directly on a structure can often use a distinctive element of the structure's façade as a backdrop, thereby providing a better integration of the sign with the structure.

• Use a projected light source. If the sign can be externally illuminated by a projected light (e.g., spotlight), the sign will appear to be better integrated with the building's architecture. Light fixtures supported in front of the sign cast light on the sign and generally a portion of the building's face as well. Projected lighting emphasizes the continuity of the structure's surface and signs become an integral part of the façade. This is not the case with internal illumination.

• Cabinet signs. The use of internally illuminated cabinet signs is not preferred, except as projecting signs. When such signs are proposed, the background field is required to be opaque so that only the lettering appears illuminated (e.g., routed or push-through lettering/graphics). When the background is not opaque, the entire sign face becomes bright and the sign becomes visually separated from the building. As a result, this type of sign can disrupt the continuity of the façade.

6.

Sign Integration with Site

• Integration of signage with façade or supporting structures. The sign structure should be architecturally designed and incorporate design details, materials, and colors of the associated building. Individual tenant sign panels should be uniform in size. For facades containing raised or recessed horizontal architectural features, lettering should harmoniously relate to these features. For single-tenant buildings, multiple signs on the same façade should be avoided.

• Freestanding sign supporting structures. Monument signs are preferred over post-mounted signs to avoid a temporary, fragile or rickety appearance. Freestanding signs should emphasize horizontal rather than vertical massing. The surface of monument signs should contain visible indentations of appropriate dimensions to avoid overt massing.

• Integration of freestanding signs with landscaping. Landscaping should be planted around the base of freestanding signs, preferably at a surface area ratio of 1:1 or greater. Freestanding signage designed on base elevation above the site's average grade (berms) should emphasize horizontal massing/length.

SIGN TYPES

Sec. 7-3 (1) Awning Signs: Signs whose message is directly applied to an awning of a building. A sign attached to or painted upon an awning and visible to the exterior shall be considered a wall sign.

• Must be permanently attached to a building.

• Limited to single story buildings or to the first level of multistory buildings.

• May not extend above the roofline.

• Minimum height shall be eight (8) feet from the lowest point of the sidewalk.

• Open-ended awnings are preferred.

• Shall project over individual window or door openings and shall not project as a single continuous feature extending over masonry piers or arches.

• Materials must conform to building code.

• Solid colored awnings are preferred.

Sec. 7-3 (2) Banner Signs: Signs designed to be hung with or without a frame, and which have characters, letters, illustrations, or ornamentation applied to cloth or flexible material of any kind.

• Allowed only for grand openings

• Must be securely attached to a building.

• May not project beyond the edge of the building.

• May not be sagging, tattered, torn, dirty or faded.

• May not exceed seventy (70) square feet in area.

• Solid colored banners are preferred.

Sec. 7-3 (3) Canopy Signs (attached): Sign mounted or attached to a canopy which are, in turn, permanently attached to a building.

• The sign area shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the length of the wall on which the canopy is placed, and not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the height of the canopy itself.

• The sign shall not project beyond the area of the canopy.

• The canopy shall have a bottom edge not less than nine (9) feed above the ground or pavement below.

• Included in aggregate wall sign area.

Sec. 7-3 (4) Canopy Signs (detached): Signs mounted to a canopy which is freestanding and not attached to a building.

• The sign area shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the length of the wall on which the canopy is placed, and not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the height of the canopy itself.

• The sign shall not project beyond the area of the canopy.

• The canopy shall have a bottom edge not less than nine (9) feed above the ground or pavement below.

• Included in aggregate wall sign area.

Sec. 7-3 (5) Menu Board Signs: Outside signs utilized by the public patronizing a drive-through business as to a bill of fare or other products or services.

• Shall not have a sign envelope greater than thirty-two (32) square feet in area.

• May constructed as cabinet signs with an opaque background.

• If a cabinet sign is used, it shall be "framed" with brick, stone, wood or masonry.

Sec. 7-3 (6) Message Center: Signs which provide information through electronically controlled intermittent light impulses.

• May not have lamps bright enough to interfere with the vision of a driver on any adjacent roadway.

Sec. 7-3 (7) Monument Signs: Signs resting on the ground immediately below them or with the bottom of the sign within eighteen (18) inches of the ground immediately below them.

• Dimensions shall conform to guidelines set forth in Chapter 7. Maximum height of seven (7) feet and maximum sign envelope of seventy (70) square feet is standard for most locations.

• Architectural materials, features and design shall compliment both the building structure and its use.

• External lighting shall be used for illumination.

Sec. 7-3 (8) Multi-tenant Directory Signs: Signs which are an accessory use of land and which direct attention to more than one (1) business, commercial use or corporate location in the same development in which the sign is placed.

• Must conform to dimensional requirements of monument signs.

• Sign may include: building or project name, project loco, address, and tenant names.

• Letter size of the building name, project name, or logo should not exceed 30% of the sign envelope. The remaining space should be used for tenant identification.

Sec. 7-3 (9) Pole Signs: Signs which are supported by one (1) or more columns, poles, uprights, or braces in or upon the ground and which are not part of a building. The phrase includes billboards and pole signs supported by and placed on a single pole or standard.

• Shall be allowed only on lots abutting Interstate Highway 635, State Highway Loop 12, State Highway 114, and State Highway 183 in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 7.

• Shall not exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet or an area of one hundred fifty (150) square feet.

• Shall provide a minimum clearance of nine (9) feet between the bottom edge of the structure and the grade below when installed over a parking or walking surface.

• May be mounted on one (1) or more poles or braces.

• Use of masonry or brick braces which complement adjacent buildings is preferred over the use of poles

Sec. 7-3 (11) Projecting Signs: Signs which are attached or affixed perpendicularly or more perpendicularly than parallel to a building wall or structure other than a pole and which extend or project from it more than twelve (12) inches.

• Shall not have an outer edge that extends further than nine (9) feet six (6) inches from the building face.

• Shall not have an inner edge that extends more than twenty-four (24) inches from the face of the building.

• Shall not have the sign frame nearer than twelve (12) inches to the face of the building unless the space between the building and the sign ins completely enclosed.

• The sign shall have a maximum height of twelve (12) feet and may not extend more than three (3) feet above the roof line. Size is included in allowed wall sign aggregate area.

• Shall not have a bottom edge closer than nine (9) feet above the ground or pavement below.

• Shall not be mounted above the second floor window-sill in multi-storied buildings.

• Design should consider visually interesting elements such as square or rectangular shapes with painted or applied letters, two (2) or three (3) dimensional symbols or icons, irregular outlines, and/or internal cut-outs.

Sec. 7-3 (12) Flags and flagpoles: Flags are any cloth or flexible fabric with or without displaying an emblem, symbol, design or insignia. Flagpoles are professionally designed and installed poles solely for the purpose of displaying a flag.

• Shall have a maximum height of thirty-five (35) feet and a maximum area of one hundred fifty (150) square feet, except for U.S. flags.

• Where the flag of the United States is displayed, it shall not be smaller in area or flown lower than other flags on the site.

• May not be sagging, tattered, torn or faded.

• No more than three (3) flagpoles may be placed on a lot.

• Roof mounted flags shall not be permitted.

Sec. 7-3 (13) Real Estate Signs: Signs which advertise a parcel of land or a structure for rent, lease, or sale. This includes subdivision and model home signs.

• Residential subdivision signs shall have a maximum envelope of seventy (70) square feet in area.

• Model home signs shall have a maximum envelope of thirty-two (32) square feet in area.

• Shall be made of durable materials and shall not incorporate fluorescent or intensely bright colors.

• Shall be firmly anchored or framed between wooden posts or similar materials designed to withstand the elements during the time period in which the sign is to be displayed.

Sec. 7-3 (14) Wall Signs (including window, awning and canopy signs): Signs attached to a wall, window, awning, canopy, parapet, mansard or marquee of a building with the sign facing parallel to and not more than twelve (12) inches from the wall surface.

• Should not extend more than twelve (12) inches from the wall, canopy, mansard or marquee upon which they are placed.

• All wall signs in aggregate shall not take up more than twenty-five (25) percent of the height or length of the front of the building or lease space.

• Shall not extend beyond the side of the building or above the roof line.

• Should be located on the upper portion of the storefront, within or just above the frame of the storefront opening.

• Should be placed within an architecturally continuous wall surface uninterrupted by doors or windows.

• Should not obscure windows, grille work, piers, pilasters or ornamental features.

• Shall be designed to be compatible with the storefront in scale, proportions, and color.

• Should be designed to create a clearly defined edge, provide shadow relief, and a substantial appearance.

• Signs shall not be painted directly onto the wall.

Sec. 7-3 (16) Directional Signs: Pole signs, located on private property, which direct vehicular traffic. These signs may display arrows, words, or other symbols to indicate the direction of the facilities. No goods or services for sale may be listed.

• Shall not exceed five (5) square feet in area.

• Shall not exceed a height of two and one-half (2½) feet from the ground or top of the curb to the top of the sign.

• Where multiple directional signs are located on a site, they shall be similar in nature to one another.

• Shall be compatible with the building in terms of materials and design.

• Shall not be obscured by vegetation.

• Shall be properly illuminated.

Sec. 7-3 (18) Subdivision identification signs: Signs which permanently identify a residential subdivision and which will be maintained through the provision of deeds and covenants associated with a homeowner's association.

• Shall have an envelope of seventy (70) square feet or less.

• Shall conform to all guidelines regarding monument signs.

• Shall use materials and architectural features common to the subdivision which they identify.

• Shall be framed, but not obscured by vegetation.

• Shall be properly illuminated.

(Ord. No. 2009-9034, § 2, 1-8-09)