§ 16-28A.003. Findings, purpose and intent.

The City of Atlanta finds that the number, size, design characteristics, and locations of signs in the city directly affect the public health, safety, and welfare. The city finds that signs have become excessive, and that many signs are distracting and dangerous to motorists and pedestrians, are confusing to the public and do not relate to the premises on which they are located, and substantially detract from the beauty and appearance of the city. The city finds that there is a substantial need directly related to the public health, safety and welfare to comprehensively address these concerns through the adoption of the following regulations. The purpose and intent of the governing authority of the City of Atlanta in enacting this chapter are as follows:

(1)

To protect the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Atlanta, and to implement the policies and objectives of the comprehensive development plan of the City of Atlanta through the enactment of a comprehensive set of regulations governing signs in the City of Atlanta.

(2)

To regulate the erection and placement of signs within the City of Atlanta in order to provide safe operating conditions for pedestrian and vehicular traffic without unnecessary and unsafe distractions to drivers or pedestrians.

(3)

To preserve the value of property on which signs are located and from which signs may be viewed.

(4)

To maintain an aesthetically attractive city in which signs are compatible with the use patterns of established zoning districts.

(5)

To maintain for the city's residents, workers and visitors a safe and aesthetically attractive environment and to advance the aesthetic interests of the city.

(6)

To maintain and maximize tree coverage within the city.

(7)

To establish comprehensive sign regulations which effectively balance legitimate business and development needs with a safe and aesthetically attractive environment for residents, workers, and visitors to the city.

(8)

To provide fair and reasonable opportunities for the identification of businesses which are located within the City of Atlanta, and to provide for the identification of the availability of products, goods or services which are available upon site so as to promote the economic vitality of businesses which are located within the City of Atlanta.

(9)

To ensure the protection of free speech rights under the State and United States Constitutions within the City of Atlanta and in no event place restrictions that apply to any given sign dependent entirely on the communicative content of the sign.

(10)

To establish a permit system to allow specific types of signs in zoning districts consistent with the uses, intent and aesthetic characteristics of those districts.

(11)

To allow certain signs that are small, safe, unobtrusive and incidental to the principal use of the respective lots on which they are located, subject to the substantive requirements of this chapter but without a requirement for permits.

(12)

To provide for temporary signs in limited circumstances, without regard to the communicative content of the sign.

(13)

To place reasonable controls on nonconforming signs that are by definition contrary to the public health, safety and welfare while protecting the constitutional rights of the owners of said nonconforming signs.

(14)

To continue to encourage the display of public art as a vital part of the urban landscape, while imposing reasonable restrictions on such art in order to protect public safety and to avoid the abuse of a public art exemption as a means for evading the purpose and effect of these sign regulations.

(15)

To prohibit all signs not expressly authorized by this chapter, to provide for the maintenance of signs, and to provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter.

(16)

To prohibit obscenity.

( Ord. No. 2015-54(15-O-1394), § 1(Att. A), 11-11-15 )