§ 501.090. Billboards., Chapter 501. Sign Code, Building and Construction, Code of Ordinances, Blue Springs

Conditional Use. Billboards, including electronic billboards, shall be allowed only if reviewed and approved as a conditional use pursuant to the Blue Springs Unified Development Code and in compliance with the following standards:

The provisions of Section 405.020(V) of the Unified Development Code.

Billboards may be located only on lots contiguous to the right-of-way of Interstate Highway 70.

Billboards shall only be allowed within six hundred sixty (660) feet of the edge of the pavement of Interstate Highway 70.

Billboards shall not be located within three hundred (300) feet of any residential use or zoning district.

No billboard shall be located on the right-of-way of any road or in any drainage easement for such road.

Billboards shall not be erected within one thousand one hundred fifty (1,150) feet of other billboards on the same side of the road. Such minimum spacing distance shall be measured along the centerline of the interstate highway from a point opposite any edge of a billboard and perpendicular to the centerline of such highway. Double-faced sign structures having parallel sign surfaces and adjacent sign structures having touching sign surfaces with an angle no greater than ninety degrees (90°) between sign surfaces, provided they do not exceed the sign surface requirements, shall not be prohibited by this requirement. (See below for spacing of electronic billboards.)

The conversion of a billboard to an electronic billboard shall require compliance with this Section and shall require that a conditional use permit, a building permit and a sign permit each be obtained for the electronic billboard.

Billboards and electronic billboards shall comply with Missouri State law and Federal law to the extent that it is not inconsistent with this Code. The City will not allow a new billboard to be erected unless a permit has been issued by the State Highways and Transportation Commission.

Size. The maximum area of any billboard sign face shall not exceed eight hundred (800) square feet with a maximum sign face height of thirty (30) feet and a maximum sign face length of seventy-two (72) feet, inclusive of border and trim but excluding the base or apron, supports, and other structural members. Temporary cutout and extensions installed for the length of a specific display contract shall not be considered a substantial increase to the size of the permanent display sign face; provided the actual square footage of such temporary cutouts or extensions may not exceed thirty-three percent (33%) of the permanent sign face display area. The height of the billboard to the bottom of the sign face, measured from the natural grade where the billboard is installed or the grade level of the centerline of the highway to which the sign is oriented to the bottom of sign face of such billboard, may not exceed thirty-five (35) feet.

Location. No billboard shall be attached to the roof or wall of any building.

Face. No new billboard shall be erected having more than one (1) viewable sign face that is directed toward the same lane of traffic.

Illumination. Billboards, other than electronic billboards, may be illuminated by electrical lighting of the surface of the sign face; however, no flashing, blinking or intermittent lighting of billboard sign faces shall be allowed.

Structure. A billboard is a structure for the purposes of the Unified Development Code and all intensity, setback and other zoning district regulations shall apply to the structure. Repair of a billboard requires both a sign permit and building permit.

Nuisances. Any billboard which, because of lack of maintenance, upkeep, damage, vandalism, accumulation of litter, refuse or debris, or the deterioration of the structure, landscaping, lighting or fencing, becomes unsightly, unusable as a sign, or unsafe shall be subject to abatement by the City in the same manner as any other nuisances on private property.

Abandoned Billboards. Where a billboard structure does not include advertising information other than for the use of the billboard for a period of one hundred eighty (180) continuous calendar days, the billboard structure shall be deemed abandoned and in violation of this Section and shall be removed. Nothing contained herein shall prevent the City from taking such other lawful actions as may be necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.