Sign Regulations in Fort Gratiot Township, Michigan

Sign Plan & Submission Notes for Fort Gratiot Township

• General sign permitting: A sign permit is required before erecting, replacing, applying, structurally altering, or adding to any sign unless the sign is explicitly exempted in the ordinance (Sec. 38-626(c)(1)). The zoning administrator (or designee) administers these provisions and issues permits; applicants are responsible for any necessary electrical or other permits and associated documentation and fees.
• Zoning compliance permit: For sign maintenance and changes to sign message or graphics that do not involve structural alterations or additions to display area, a full sign permit is not required; these activities fall under zoning compliance for maintenance (Sec. 38-626(c)(2)). However, if a sign is refaced with a covering (e.g., banner or fabric), it is treated as a temporary sign and allowed only for 60 days before a permanent face is required.
• Temporary sign affidavit requirement: Except for specified exempt contexts (e.g., single‑family, two‑family, and multi‑family residential temporary signs and some temporary events), a temporary sign may not be placed on any lot, parcel, or premises unless an affidavit authorizing the temporary sign is issued by the zoning administrator or designee (Sec. 38-626(i)(1)). This affidavit functions as the approval mechanism for most non-residential temporary signs and may involve a fee and/or refundable deposit.
• Temporary sign affidavit limits and process: Affidavits authorizing temporary signs may allow display for no more than 90 days in any calendar year, must be submitted at least ten business days before the display period begins, and may require a refundable deposit to guarantee removal and compliance (Sec. 38-626(i)(1)a–e). If the sign is not removed on time or must be impounded, the deposit is forfeited.
• Temporary sign impoundment: Temporary signs placed or displayed in violation of the ordinance, not properly maintained, detached, or hazardous, may be removed and impounded by the township. After notice, if not claimed within five business days, the township may dispose of the sign (Sec. 38-626(i)(2)c).
• Special temporary sign extensions: Where temporary signs are otherwise permitted and an affidavit is in place, an additional 30 days per calendar year may be granted for each qualifying special circumstance: owner and/or name change, hiring or job fairs, grand opening, permanent location closing, or temporary closing for renovation/repair/new construction (Sec. 38-626(i)(4)).
• Temporary pole banners in outdoor display areas: For outdoor or open-air display areas with a special land use permit (or for retail nurseries and lawn and garden supply stores), up to 12 pole banners (max 15 square feet each) may be continuously displayed if an annual temporary sign permit is obtained (Sec. 38-626(i)(3)a). This functions as an ongoing temporary sign authorization and is tied to prior site plan and planning commission approval for outdoor display areas.
• Condition on temporary sign permits for outdoor display areas: No temporary sign permit for such premises will be issued or remain valid unless all merchandise is confined to approved outdoor display areas per the site plan reviewed and approved by the planning commission, and does not encroach on required landscaping (Sec. 38-626(i)(3)b).
• Nonconforming signs and development approvals: When a property with a nonconforming sign is undergoing development or redevelopment that requires planning commission approval, all nonconforming signs on the premises must be brought into conformity with the ordinance unless otherwise permitted by the planning commission at the time of that development/redevelopment approval (Sec. 38-626(e)(6)). This effectively ties sign compliance to site plan or development review processes.
• Variances and appeals: The zoning board of appeals may grant variances from sign regulations upon a showing of unnecessary hardship or practical difficulty, but cannot add new types of signs (e.g., allowing a pole sign where only ground/monument signs are permitted) (Sec. 38-626(l)). A person aggrieved by a refusal to issue a sign permit may appeal to the zoning board of appeals. This is the primary mechanism for relief where a proposed sign cannot meet ordinance standards.
• Electronic changeable message signs – emergency use condition: As a condition of permit approval for an electronic changeable message sign, the owner must agree to allow the township to use the sign for emergency public service information and to maintain current emergency contact information with the township (Sec. 38-626(j)(4)). Compliance with this condition is part of the sign approval/permit process.
• Electronic changeable message signs – nuisance enforcement: If an electronic changeable message sign receives three notices of violation within a 90-day period, or four within a 12-month period, it is deemed a public nuisance per se and may be ordered removed by a court, and the owner may be penalized (Sec. 38-626(j)(5)). Owners should factor this enforcement risk into sign design and operational plans.
• Limitation on variances where nonconforming sign present: If a nonconforming sign exists on a premises, the zoning board of appeals may not authorize any variance to erect a new sign on that premises (Sec. 38-626(e)(5)). Applicants may need to bring existing signs into compliance before seeking approvals for additional signage.
• District schedules – implicit plan coordination: While the ordinance does not explicitly use the term “master sign plan” or “sign plan,” the various district schedules (Schedules A–D) operate as comprehensive sign standards for each zoning district. Any new development, business center, business complex, or industrial park must design all proposed signage to comply with the applicable schedule (types, number, size, height, and location), and these are typically reviewed in conjunction with site plan or development approvals.
• Site plan tie-in for outdoor display and signage: For properties with outdoor and/or open-air display areas requiring a special land use permit, sign approvals (especially temporary pole banners) are conditioned on the previously approved site plan by the planning commission. This means sign layout and usage should be coordinated and shown clearly on site plans submitted for planning commission review.
• Maintenance obligations: All signs, including those exempt from permit requirements, must be maintained in good condition and in compliance with the ordinance’s maintenance standards (Sec. 38-626(k)). Failure to meet these standards can result in enforcement action, including removal, and should be considered in any long-term sign planning.