Draft chapter 167: Sign Code

§ 167.05 Provisions Applicable To Commercial And Indusrial Zones

The 2026 draft's § 167.05 beside the current code's Zoning § 6.05: removed words are struck through, added words underlined.

Comparison with a draft: not adopted. The archive holds no public hearing, ordinance or vote adopting the recodified Code through the October 20, 2026 meeting packet. Until one is adopted, every page here compares the consolidated code with a draft that can still change: the revised draft with the October 6 changes is not in the archive.

A comparison with the August 2026 draft recodification prepared by Iowa Codification for the City. The draft has not been adopted and can still change; the current code (unofficial compilation) governs until a recodified Code is adopted. Matches between sections are made by machine from the texts and are reviewed where uncertain.

Renumbered or moved largely rewritten (60% same words)

Notable changes

  • Text removed: …a toll way may be permitted to a height of 60) feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way when approved as a Special Use. H. Advertising signs are permitted only in the zones as indicated on Table 1. If an advertising sign is allowed in any of the remodeling commercial, or industrial districts under the State of Iowa Highway Advertising Control Act, an applicant may follow the procedures for a Special Use and appropr… height of 60 feet above the grade of…
  • Text removed: …the closest public right-of-way when approved as a Special Use. Advertising ground signs that propose to exceed these heights must follow the provisions for variances under this Ordinance. J. The surface area in square feet of any 1 face of any advertising sign that may be allowed as a Special Use may not exceed the area shown in Table 1. If the State of Iowa Highway Advertising Control Act does allow a larger surface area for a sign on a specific… special use. …

What changed

In the Commercial commercial and Industrial Zones, industrial zones, signs may shall be permitted as follows:
A. 1. The total surface area of all advertising, business and identification signs on a lot may not exceed the total area determined by applying the ratio of permitted sign area in square feet to linear feet of street frontage as shown in the following Table 1. Section 167.08.
B. 2. The number of advertising and business signs for a zoning lot may not exceed the number shown in Table 1. Section 167.08.
C. 3. The surface area in square feet of any one face of any permitted advertising or business sign may not exceed the area shown in Table 1. Section 167.08.
D. 4. For non-business and non-industrial uses, signs are permitted as regulated by the Business business classifications on Table 1. Section 167.08.
E. 5. No wall sign may project above the roof or parapet line more than 48) 48 inches nor extend into any required yard more than 18 inches from the wall to which it is attached.
F. 6. No sign may be erected directly upon the roof of any building.
G. 7. Only one business ground sign is permitted within the front yard or corner side yard for each street frontage of a business or industrial use on a lot, and the bottom edge of any ground sign erected in the front yard or corner side yard may shall be at least ten 10 feet above ground level or the top edge of the sign may be less than three feet in height. The sign, including its sign structure, must be set back from all property lines adjacent to a street one foot for every ten 10 square feet of sign area for the largest single face of any sign, and in no case may the setback be less than one-fourth of any required front or corner side-yard side yard distance. No business ground sign may exceed a height of 30 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way line, except business ground signs located along a toll way an interstate may be permitted to a height of 60) feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way when approved as a Special Use.
H. Advertising signs are permitted only in the zones as indicated on Table 1. If an advertising sign is allowed in any of the remodeling commercial, or industrial districts under the State of Iowa Highway Advertising Control Act, an applicant may follow the procedures for a Special Use and appropriate proof of control under Iowa Code provisions for both the subject site and subject sign must be submitted to the City Council. The City Council may apply specific standards on a Special Use that protect the public health, safety, and welfare where specific standards under the Iowa Code have not been specifically stated.
I. All advertising signs including their sign structures and all other parts may be set back from all public rights-of-way and/or residential zones at least one (1) foot for every two square feet of sign area. No advertising ground sign may exceed a height of 30 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way, line except advertising ground signs located along interstate highways or expressways may be permitted to
height of 60 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way when approved as a Special Use. Advertising ground signs that propose to exceed these heights must follow the provisions for variances under this Ordinance.
J. The surface area in square feet of any one face of any advertising sign that may be allowed as a Special Use may not exceed the area shown in Table 1. If the State of Iowa Highway Advertising Control Act does allow a larger surface area for a sign on a specific property, then the provisions of letter H. of this Section must apply concerning a Special Use and the provisions of Section I. of this Section concerning setbacks and heights.
K. Advertising sign structures as a Permitted Use are limited to not more than one along any 1,000 feet of street frontage on the same side of a street. Advertising sign structures as a Special Use may be allowed at not more than one along any 500 feet of street frontage on the same side of a street. No structure may carry more than two signs per facing and the total area of the sign or signs for any one facing may not exceed the maximum sign size per sign face restrictions shown on Table 1.
special use.

Word-level comparison of the current text with the draft's; spacing and paragraph breaks come from the documents' text. Footnotes are left out.

Current code

Zoning § 6.05 Provisions Applicable To Commercial And Industrial Zones

In the Commercial and Industrial Zones, signs may be permitted as follows:

A. The total surface area of all advertising, business and identification signs on a lot may not exceed the total area determined by applying the ratio of permitted sign area in square feet to linear feet of street frontage as shown in the following Table 1.

B. The number of advertising and business signs for a zoning lot may not exceed the number shown in Table 1.

C. The surface area in square feet of any one face of any permitted advertising or business sign may not exceed the area shown in Table 1.

D. For non-business and non-industrial uses, signs are permitted as regulated by the Business classifications on Table 1.

E. No wall sign may project above the roof or parapet line more than 48) inches nor extend into any required yard more than 18 inches from the wall to which it is attached.

F. No sign may be erected directly upon the roof of any building.

G. Only one business ground sign is permitted within the front yard or corner side yard for each street frontage of a business or industrial use on a lot, and the bottom edge of any ground sign erected in the front yard or corner side yard may be at least ten feet above ground level or the top edge of the sign may be less than three feet in height. The sign, including its sign structure, must be set back from all property lines adjacent to a street one foot for every ten square feet of sign area for the largest single face of any sign, and in no case may the setback be less than one-fourth of any required front or corner side-yard distance. No business ground sign may exceed a height of 30 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way line, except business ground signs located along a toll way may be permitted to a height of 60) feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way when approved as a Special Use.

H. Advertising signs are permitted only in the zones as indicated on Table 1. If an advertising sign is allowed in any of the remodeling commercial, or industrial districts under the State of Iowa Highway Advertising Control Act, an applicant may follow the procedures for a Special Use and appropriate proof of control under Iowa Code provisions for both the subject site and subject sign must be submitted to the City Council. The City Council may apply specific standards on a Special Use that protect the public health, safety, and welfare where specific standards under the Iowa Code have not been specifically stated.

I. All advertising signs including their sign structures and all other parts may be set back from all public rights-of-way and/or residential zones at least one (1) foot for every two square feet of sign area. No advertising ground sign may exceed a height of 30 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way, line except advertising ground signs located along interstate highways or expressways may be permitted to height of 60 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way when approved as a Special Use. Advertising ground signs that propose to exceed these heights must follow the provisions for variances under this Ordinance.

J. The surface area in square feet of any one face of any advertising sign that may be allowed as a Special Use may not exceed the area shown in Table 1. If the State of Iowa Highway Advertising Control Act does allow a larger surface area for a sign on a specific property, then the provisions of letter H. of this Section must apply concerning a Special Use and the provisions of Section I. of this Section concerning setbacks and heights.

K. Advertising sign structures as a Permitted Use are limited to not more than one along any 1,000 feet of street frontage on the same side of a street. Advertising sign structures as a Special Use may be allowed at not more than one along any 500 feet of street frontage on the same side of a street. No structure may carry more than two signs per facing and the total area of the sign or signs for any one facing may not exceed the maximum sign size per sign face restrictions shown on Table 1.

Zoning Ordinance (2007) · source page

2026 draft

§ 167.05 Provisions Applicable To Commercial And Indusrial Zones

In the commercial and industrial zones, signs shall be permitted as follows:

1. The total surface area of all business and identification signs on a lot may not exceed the total area determined by applying the ratio of permitted sign area in square feet to linear feet of street frontage as shown in Section 167.08.

2. The number of business signs for a zoning lot may not exceed the number shown in Section 167.08.

3. The surface area in square feet of any one face of any permitted business sign may not exceed the area shown in Section 167.08.

4. For non-business and non-industrial uses, signs are permitted as regulated by the business classifications on Section 167.08.

5. No wall sign may project above the roof or parapet line more than 48 inches nor extend into any required yard more than 18 inches from the wall to which it is attached.

6. No sign may be erected directly upon the roof of any building.

7. Only one business ground sign is permitted within the front yard or corner side yard for each street frontage of a business or industrial use on a lot, and the bottom edge of any ground sign erected in the front yard or corner side yard shall be at least 10 feet above ground level or the top edge of the sign may be less than three feet in height. The sign, including its sign structure, must be set back from all property lines adjacent to a street one foot for every 10 square feet of sign area for the largest single face of any sign, and in no case may the setback be less than one-fourth of any required front or corner side yard distance. No business ground sign may exceed a height of 30 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way line, except business ground signs located along an interstate may be permitted to a height of 60 feet above the grade of the closest public right-of-way when approved as a special use.

August 2026 draft · page 637

Back to draft chapter 167 · All changes

Data last updated October 22, 2026. Built from the archive's documents; see how the data is built.