Section 522.200  Standards for Signs in Business Areas

In addition to the standards set forth in Section 522.150, the following standards are applicable to signs in business areas:

a)         No such sign may be erected which exceeds 30 feet in height, 60 feet in length, and 1200 square feet in display area on each side including border and trim but excluding ornamental base or apron, supports and other structural members, measured by the smallest square, rectangle, triangle, circle, or combination thereof which will encompass the entire display area.  (Section 6.01 of the Act)  No temporary extensions, cut-outs or ornamentation is allowed which enlarges a sign beyond 1200 square feet as measured herein.  Except with respect to repair, rebuilding, or replacement of any sign lawfully erected before July 1, 1993, no such sign may be erected in any county with a population under 2,000,000 that exceeds 800 square feet in surface area per side excluding extensions and cut-outs.  The extensions and cut-outs may account for no more than an additional 20% in sign surface area per side.  (Section 6.01 of the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971 [225 ILCS 440/6.01])

b)         No more than two such signs may be erected in a facing with such facing not to exceed the size limitation stated in subsection (a) above.

c)         Such signs may be double faced or placed back to back or constructed in a V-type as long as the angle created is less than ninety degrees. (Section 6.01 of the Act)

d)         No such sign may be erected along the same side of an interstate highway or expressway within five hundred feet of another such sign structure or location where another such sign has been permitted but not yet erected.

e)         Except with respect to repair, rebuilding, or replacement of any sign lawfully erected before July 1, 1993 (Section 6.03 of the Act)  when located outside of any incorporated municipality, no such sign may be erected along the same side of a primary highway within 500 feet of another such sign structure or a location where another such sign has been permitted but not yet erected.

f)         Except with respect to repair, rebuilding, or replacement of any sign lawfully erected before July 1, 1993 (Section 6.03 of the Act), when located inside of any incorporated municipality, no such sign may be erected along the same side of a primary highway within 300 feet of another such sign structure or a location where another such sign has been permitted but not yet erected.

g)         The spacing requirements described in subsections (d), (e) and (f) above shall not apply to signs where the sign structures are completely separated or screened by buildings, natural surroundings or other obstructions in such manner that only one such sign facing located within such distance is visible at any one time. (Section 6.03(b) of the Act)  A sign structure cannot be construed as an obstruction of a sign.

h)         The spacing requirements described in subsections (d), (e) and (f) above shall be measured along the edge of the pavement of the highway between the points of each sign structure which lie closest to the highway pavement but in no event shall the distance between signs be less than the required spacing. (See Section 522.Illustrations D-G.) Signs visible from two or more highways must be considered in spacing measurements along all such highways.  Any sign which has received a permit or a registration shall be included in spacing measurements whether or not the permit or registration has been revoked as long as the sign is visible from any place on the main traveled way of the highway.  When measuring spacing between signs involving back-to-back or V-type sign structures and all points equidistant between the sign faces are on a line perpendicular to the edge of pavement, the measurement between such sign structures will be taken along the edge of pavement as shown in Section 522.Illustrations K and L.  If the measurements cannot conform to those shown in Section 522.Illustrations K and L, the measurements for signs involving back-to-back or V-type sign structures shall be made between the points of each sign structure which lie closest to the highway pavement.

i)          Outside of an incorporated municipality, no sign structure may be erected along an interstate highway or expressway adjacent to or within 500 feet of an interchange, rest area or weigh station, such 500 feet to be measured along the main traveled way from the beginning or ending of pavement widening at the exit from or entrance to the main traveled way. (Section 6.03(c) of the Act) (See Section 522.Illustration C.)

j)          The requirements of this Section shall not be construed to apply to or to impose additional limitations on directional signs, official signs, official notices, public utility signs, signs advertising the sale or lease of property on which they are located, or on premise signs nor shall such signs be counted nor shall measurements be made from them for purposes of determining compliance with (Section 6.04 of the Act) subsections (d), (e) and (f) above.

(Source:  Amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 7262, effective April 9, 1998)