CITY OF OPELIKA
SYNOPSIS OF ZONING NOTICE
ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS
(NEW SIGN REGULATIONS)
The City Council of the City of Opelika (the “City Council”) will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 204 S. 7th Street, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, to consider the adoption of an ordinance to amend Ordinance Number 124-91 (entitled “Zoning Ordinance of the City of Opelika”) adopted on September 17, 1991 in the following respects:
1. Section 7.3B of the Zoning Ordinance shall be revised so that the matrix for the list of use categories includes “Outdoor Advertising” as a use category that is not allowed in any of the zoning districts.
2. Section VIII of the Zoning Ordinance shall be amended by adding a new subsection to be numbered 8.26 to provide that the business of outdoor advertising is a prohibited use in all zoning districts with exceptions.
3. Current Section IX “Sign Regulations” of the Zoning Ordinance shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with new Section IX “Sign Regulations” consisting of subsections 9.1 through 9.15 including a Schedule “A”.
The proposed new Section IX, “Sign Regulations”, of the Zoning Ordinance will provide for a purpose, intent and scope; provide for definitions; provide for applicability; provide for prohibited signs in all zoning districts; provide general provisions for signs (such as measurement of sign size, measurement of sign height, street address signs, measurement of sign height of a freestanding sign, sign illumination for temporary and permanent signs, viewpoint neutrality, substitution of noncommercial speech for commercial speech, consent of legal owner of property, signs on public property, signs that obstruct means of egress, signs that interfere with ventilation openings, signs must maintain clearance for utilities and shall not interfere with surface and underground water or with drainage, signs shall not be attached to certain property and shall not impair roof access, signs declared a nuisance and repair, signs presenting immediate peril to public health or safety, street address signs, ingress and egress signs, flag poles and flags, flag brackets, flag stanchions and flags, noncommercial onsite parking space signs, signs at convenience stores with fuel islands, freestanding signs, wall signs, drive-through lane signs, umbrella signs, awning signs, canopy signs, changeable copy signs, projecting signs, window signs and door signs); provide temporary and permanent signs allowed in Zoning Districts; provide temporary signs in Zoning Districts; provide allowed permanent signs in Zoning Districts; provide for building permits; provide for sign permits; provide for non-conforming signs; provide for miscellaneous sign provisions; provide for violations; provide for penalties; provide for removal of unlawful and dangerous signs; provide for severability; provide for repeal of conflicting ordinances or parts thereof and provide an effective date.
Public notice of this public hearing with insertion of the proposed ordinance was first published on April 6th, 2016 in the Opelika Observer. This notice was given pursuant to §11-52-78, Code of Alabama, 1975.
The City Council reserves the right to modify or alter any of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance.
All interested persons are invited to attend the public hearing and be heard. Written comments concerning the above matter may be mailed to the City Clerk at City Hall, P.O. Box 390, Opelika, Alabama 36801 at any time prior to the public hearing and may be further submitted to the City Council at the meeting and public hearing.
Please contact Lisa McLeod, the City’s ADA Coordinator, at 334-705-5132 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to a disability.
THIS NOTICE is given under my hand this the 13th day of April, 2016. /s/ R. G. Shuman
CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA
Legal run 4/13/16