HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd.5914.2026-07-06 BILL NO. 26-52 ORDINANCE NO. 59H
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 25 OF THE CODE
OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF CAPE GIRARDEAU,
MISSOURI, REGARDING BILLBOARDS
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CAPE
GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI, AS FOLLOWS:
ARTICLE 1 . Section 25-109, entitled "Billboards . ", of
Article IV of Chapter 25 of the City Code, reading as follows:
Sec. 25-109. Billboards .
Billboards shall be erected only upon approval of a special use
permit, as set out in section 30-104 . In addition to the
requirements of section 30-104, the following regulations
apply to the erection of billboards :
(1) Billboards shall be allowed only in the C-2, PD, M-1 and
M-2 zoning districts .
(2) Billboards shall be allowed only on parcels of land
bordering the following streets :
a. Interstate 55.
b. William Street (Route K) , west of Kingshighway.
c. Missouri Route 74, west of Kingshighway.
d. Kingshighway from Boulder Crest Drive south to
Interstate 55 .
(3) No billboard shall be placed within 1, 400 feet of another
billboard. This section shall not apply to billboards
which are located on opposite sides of the street to which
the billboard is oriented.
(4) No billboard shall be placed within 30 feet of a street
right-of-way.
(5) No billboard shall be placed within 100 feet of a property
line of a property which is used for residential purposes .
(6) For the purposes of placing billboards, a V-shaped
billboard or a back-to-back type of billboard shall be
considered one billboard: Sign faces of less than 150
square feet may be placed between billboard faces at the
apex of the "V" or across the rear of the "V, " but no such
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sign shall be oriented toward a street upon which
billboards are not allowed. The angle of all sign faces
shall be oriented so that they are between 75 degrees and
90 degrees to the street on which the billboard is
permitted.
(7) No billboard shall be located in such a manner as to
obscure an official traffic sign, signal or device, or
obstruct a driver' s view of approaching or intersection
traffic.
(8) The maximum area of a billboard sign face shall be 300
square feet. The maximum length of a billboard sign face
shall be 30 feet. The maximum total sign face area of a
billboard shall be 600 square feet.
(9) There shall be a minimum clearance of ten feet from grade
of the street to which the billboard is oriented to the
bottom of a billboard sign face. There shall be a maximum
height of 30 feet from grade of the street to which the
billboard is oriented to the top of a billboard sign face.
(10) Audio speakers are prohibited in association with any
billboard.
(11) Electronic, video or digital billboard images or any
portion thereof shall have a minimum duration of at least
eight seconds and shall be a static display. No portion of
the image may flash, scroll, twirl, change color, or in
any manner imitate movement.
(12) Billboards may be illuminated, subject to the following
instructions :
a. No revolving or rotating beam or beacon of light shall
be permitted as part of any billboard. Flashing devices
shall not be permitted upon a billboard. However,
changeable copy signs, such as those used for time and
temperature displays, shall be permitted, but shall not
be permitted to operate in a flashing or scrolling
manner.
b. External lighting, such as flood lights, thin line and
gooseneck reflectors, are permitted, provided the light
source is directed on the face of the billboard and is
effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of
light from being directed into any portion of the
street.
c._ The illumination of any billboard within 100 feet of a
property line which is used for residential purposes
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shall be diffused or indirect in design to prevent
direct rays of light from shining into adjoining
residential districts .
d. Electronic, video or digital billboard images shall be
equipped with automatic dimming capability that adjusts
the brightness to the ambient light at all times of the
day and night. The maximum luminance produced by
electronic, video or digital billboard images shall not
exceed 0 . 3 footcandle greater than the ambient light
level.
(13) The following billboards shall not be permitted to
remain or to be erected:
a. Billboards which have been erected without a building
permit.
b. Billboards that employ any stereopticon or motion
picture projection, or any portion of which gives the
illusion of motion. This includes any electronic graphic
signs or video displays, but does not include signs that
contain changeable copy, such as time and temperature.
c. Billboards which are not clean, not in good repair, not
structurally sound, or obsolete (billboards shall not be
considered obsolete solely because they temporarily do
not carry an advertising message) .
d. Billboards which appear to attempt to regulate, warn, or
direct the movement of traffic or which interfere with,
imitate, or resemble any official traffic sign, signal
or device.
e. Billboards which are erected or maintained upon trees or
painted or drawn upon .rocks or other natural features.
f. Billboards which are nonconforming and damaged or
destroyed to an extent of more than 60 percent of the
replacement cost.
g. Billboards that prevent ingress or egress from any
doors, windows, or fire escapes.
h. Billboards that . are attached to a standpipe or fire
escape.
s here1ed nztsentretand a new Section 25-109,
entitled "Billboards . ", of Article IV of Chapter 25 of the City
Code, is hereby enacted in lieu thereof, in words and figures,
to read as follows, to-wit:
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Sec. 25-109. Billboards .
(a) The term "billboard" means an outdoor sign that advertises a
business, goods, or services not located or available on the
property upon which the sign is located, excluding any such
sign permitted in article V.
(b) Billboards shall be erected only upon approval of a special
use permit, as set out in section 30-104 . In addition to the
requirements of section 30-104, the following regulations
apply to the erection of billboards:
(1) Billboards shall be allowed only in the C-1, C-2, M-1, M-
2, and PD zoning districts .
(2) Billboards shall be allowed only on parcels of land
bordering the following streets or street sections and
only along the frontages of said streets or street
sections:
a. Interstate 55;
b. William Street (Missouri Route K) , west of
Kingshighway;
c. Shawnee Parkway (Missouri Route 74) ;
d. Kingshighway from Interstate 55 south to Cape Girardeau
County Park North; and
e. Kingshighway from Boulder Crest Drive (northern
terminus) south to Interstate 55 .
(3) No billboard shall be placed within 1, 400 feet of another
billboard. This restriction shall not apply to billboards
that are located on the opposite side of the street to
which the billboard is oriented.
(4) No billboard or any portion thereof shall be placed within
30 feet of a public right-of-way.
(5) No billboard or any portion thereof shall be placed within
100 feet of a property that is used for residential
purposes .
(6) A V-shaped billboard or a back-to-back type of billboard
shall be considered one billboard. Sign faces no greater
than 300 square feet in area per face may be placed
between billboard faces - at the apex of the "V" or across
the rear of the "V, " but no such sign faces shall be
oriented toward a street upon which billboards are not
allowed. Such sign faces shall count toward the total sign
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face area. All sign faces shall be positioned such that
they are between 75 degrees and 90 degrees to the street
to which the billboard is oriented.
(7) No billboard shall be located in such a manner as to
obscure an official traffic sign, signal or device, or
obstruct a driver' s view of approaching or intersection
traffic.
(8) The maximum area of a billboard sign face shall be 800
square feet for billboards on parcels of land bordering
Interstate 55 and 300 square feet elsewhere. The maximum
length of a billboard sign face shall be 50 feet for
billboards on parcels of land bordering Interstate 55 and
30 feet elsewhere. The maximum total sign face area of a
billboard shall be 1, 600 square feet for billboards on
parcels of land bordering Interstate 55 and 600 square
feet elsewhere.
(9) There shall be a minimum clearance of ten feet from the
grade of the street to which the billboard is oriented to
the bottom of the billboard sign face. There shall be a
maximum height of 35 feet from the grade of the street to
which the billboard is oriented to the top of the
billboard sign face, except that billboards on parcels of
land bordering Interstate 55 shall have a maximum height
of 45 feet from the grade of the street to which the
billboard is oriented to the top of the billboard sign
face.
(10) Audio speakers in association with any billboard shall
be prohibited.
(11) Electronic, video or digital billboard images or any
portion thereof shall have a minimum duration of at least
eight seconds and . shall be a static display. No portion of
the image may flash, scroll, twirl, change color, or in
any manner convey motion.
(12) Billboards may be illuminated, subject to the following
restrictions :
a. No revolving or rotating beam or beacon of light shall
be permitted as part of any billboard. Flashing devices
shall not be permitted upon a billboard.
b. External lighting, such as flood lights, thin line and
gooseneck reflectors, are .permitted, provided that the
light source is directed toward the face of the
billboard and is effectively shielded to prevent direct
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rays of light from shining onto any portion of the
street.
c. The illumination of any billboard within 100 feet of a
property that is used for residential purposes shall be
diffused or indirect in design to prevent direct rays
of light from shining onto adjoining residential
properties .
d. Electronic, video or digital billboard images shall be
equipped with automatic dimming capability that adjusts
the brightness to the ambient light at all times of the
day and night. The maximum luminance produced by
electronic, video or digital billboard images shall not
exceed 0 . 3 footcandle greater than the ambient light
level.
(13) The following billboards shall not be permitted to
remain or to be erected, except as noted herein:
a. Billboards that have been erected without a building
permit, excluding such billboards that were lawfully
erected prior to the original adoption of this section
on December 6, 2010 and are not enlarged or upgraded in
any way.
b. Billboards that employ any stereopticon or motion
picture projection, or any portion of which conveys
motion.
c. Billboards that are not clean, not in good repair, not
structurally sound, or obsolete (billboards shall not
be considered obsolete solely because they temporarily
do not carry an advertising message) .
d. Billboards that appear to regulate, warn, or direct the
movement of traffic or that interfere with, imitate, or
resemble any official traffic sign, signal or device.
e. Billboards that are erected or maintained upon trees or
painted or drawn upon rocks or other natural features .
f. Billboards that are nonconforming and damaged or
destroyed to an extent of more than 60 percent of the
replacement cost. Such billboards may only be rebuilt
upon issuance of a special use permit.
g. Billboards that prevent ingress or egress from any
doors, windows, or fire escapes .
h. Billboards that are attached to a standpipe or fire
escape.
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ARTICLE 2 . If any section, subsection, sentence, clause,
phrase or portion of this ordinance is for any reason held
invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct
and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the
validity of the remaining portions hereof.
ARTICLE 3. It is the intention of the governing body and
it is hereby ordained that the provisions of this ordinance
shall become and be made a part of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the sections of this Code
may be renumbered to accomplish such intention.
ARTICLE 4 . This ordinance shall be in full force and
effect ten days after its passage and approval.
PASSED AND APPROVED THIS tJly\ day of , 2026.
RA
Robert F. Guard, Ma r
ATT ST:
l; g'tit '
Courtney Davis, Deputy City Clerk ,
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