Temporary Signs shall be allowed by permit as provided in Section IX-4.I of the Urbana Zoning Ordinance in the B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-4E, CCD, CMU, IN-1, and IN-2 Zoning Districts and for non-residential uses in residential zoning districts.
Grand Opening Signs
Each business (or other entity) shall be allowed to display one grand opening sign for each business frontage, in the form of a banner securely fastened at both ends to a building or other structure, for a period not to exceed 30 consecutive days. The display must occur within the first six months after either the opening of the business at that site, or after there has been a change in ownership of the business.
No fee shall be charged for a grand opening temporary sign.
Inflatable Signs and Balloons
Within the first 30 days of the operation of a new on-site business, in addition to the banner signs as permitted in this section, a business having at least 50 feet of frontage may display additional grand opening signage in the form of inflatable signs and balloons for a period of no more than ten days.
An inflatable sign or balloon may not itself exceed 25 feet in height and shall not obstruct visibility necessary for safe traffic maneuvering. Such signs shall be set back from any property line a minimum distance equal to the height of the balloon plus five feet, and shall maintain a minimum 25 foot clearance in all directions from all electrical wires. No more than one such inflatable device shall be allowed on any premises. Any such sign or balloon must be securely fastened as required by manufacturers’ specifications and secured to minimize wind movement. The inflatable sign, if lighted, must be installed to a grounded outlet. Such inflatable signs must be installed by a commercial sign installer. A permit for an inflatable sign may not be issued unless proof of liability insurance in a minimum amount of one million dollars is shown. Signs inflated with helium are strictly prohibited.
An inflatable sign or balloon may not itself exceed 25 feet in height and shall not obstruct visibility necessary for safe traffic maneuvering. Such signs shall be set back from any property line a minimum distance equal to the height of the balloon plus five feet and shall maintain a minimum 25-foot clearance in all directions from all electrical wires. No more than one such inflatable device shall be allowed on any premises. Any such sign or balloon must be securely fastened as required by manufacturers’ specifications and secured to minimize wind movement. The inflatable sign, if lighted, must be installed to a grounded outlet. A commercial sign installer must install such inflatable signs. A permit for an inflatable sign may not be issued unless proof of liability insurance in a minimum amount of one (1) million dollars is provided. Signs inflated with helium are prohibited.
Banners
In addition to any permitted grand opening signs, each business shall be allowed up to four one-week banner displays per business frontage per calendar year. Banner displays may be consecutive or concurrent but shall not exceed four weeks per calendar year for one banner or one week for four banners.
Banners must be securely fastened in one of the following methods:
- At both ends to a building or other structure
- Along both sides, if displayed as a banner secured to the ground
- As a blade banner mounted into the ground or on a portable structure
If more than one business is located on a particular lot, then each business on that lot shall be allowed up to four separate temporary sign displays per calendar year for each portion of the lot that abuts a public street or alley.
The area of each banner shall be restricted to 100 square feet for wall banner signs or wall-mounted banners, 50 square feet for freestanding banners, and 25 square feet for blade banners.
A temporary wall-mounted, freestanding, or blade banner shall be set back at least 10 feet from the front property line or shall be displayed so that the bottom edge of the sign is at least 10 feet above grade level at all points.
NOTE: A site plan/drawing for a temporary sign shall specify the location of the sign in relevance to the front of the business and the street. The application should also state the period of time during which said sign would be displayed.
APPLICATIONS
A Temporary Sign Permit application is available on the CitizenServe portal, which is an online program that allows applicants to submit applications and pay application fees online.
Another option is to get a digital pdf application from this website, which you can save to your computer and fill in the information requested. You can either submit the application (including the application fee) in person, mail it to our office (City of Urbana | Planning Division, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, IL 61801), or email it to Planning [at] UrbanaIL.gov (Planning[at]UrbanaIL[dot]gov).
FEES
Application
The application fee must accompany the application when submitted for processing. For the current fee, please refer to the most recent version of the City’s Schedule of Fees - Excluding Liquor License Fees.
ASSISTANCE
It is strongly recommended and sometimes required to have a phone conversation or meeting with Planning staff (depending on the type of application) prior to an application being submitted. This is an opportunity to find out what regulations and requirements are expected to be met and followed. This includes what application(s) you will be required to apply and get approval for. City staff will inform you what the process and time frame will be for getting application(s) for your intended plans reviewed and hopefully approved.
If, when you are filling out a Planning | Zoning application, you have questions or require assistance, please contact the Planning Division staff by email at Planning [at] urbanail.gov (Planning[at]UrbanaIL[dot]gov) or by calling 217.384.2440.