For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and phrases are
defined in this section, unless it is apparent from the context that
a different meaning is intended:
"Approved newsrack base"
means a newsrack base which conforms to specifications approved
by the Director, as defined below. All pedestals shall be at least
three inches in height.
"Blinder rack"
means a newsrack that is constructed or modified so that
no less than the bottom two thirds of the printed material is obscured
from view.
"Block"
means one side of a street between two consecutive intersecting
streets.
"Business day"
shall mean Monday through Friday, inclusive, of every week
excepting holidays for which the city is closed to official business.
"Director"
means the city manager or the city manager's designee. The
director is designated as the administrative enforcement official
for this chapter and may issue a compliance order.
"High density newsrack area"
means a block in which it is likely that there will be more
applications for newsracks than there will be permits issued for newsracks
under the standards set forth in this chapter.
"Newsrack"
means any approved self service or coin operated box, container,
storage unit, or other dispenser or publication vending device of
any kind installed, used, or maintained for the display and distribution
of newspapers or other periodicals.
"Newsrack space"
means the surface area in the public right of way sufficient
to accommodate a newsrack.
"Parkway"
means that area between the concrete sidewalk and the curb
of any street surfaced with interlocking concrete pavers. Where no
interlocking concrete pavers "parkway" exist, the parkway is that
area between the property line/right of way line and the curb.
"Palm Springs Uptown and Downtown area"
means that portion of the city within the boundaries of both
sides of Vista Chino on the north, Ramon Road on the south, Belardo
Road/Museum Drive on the west and both sides of Indian Canyon Drive
on the east. This area includes both sides of Palm Canyon Drive, Stevens
Road, Camino Monte Vista, Tachevah Drive, El Alameda, Tamarisk Road,
Granvia Valmonte, Alejo Road, Amado Road, Andreas Road, Tahquitz Canyon
Way, Arenas Road and Baristo Road within such boundaries.
"Permit"
means a permit issued pursuant to this chapter which allows
for the placement of a newsrack within a specifically designated portion
of a public sidewalk or parkway.
"Person"
means any individual, firm, company, corporation or other
organization.
"Public sidewalk"
means any surface dedicated to the use of pedestrians by
license, easement, and operation of law or by grant to the city.
"Public street"
means all of that area dedicated to public use for public
street and sidewalk purposes and includes, but is not limited to,
roadways, parkways, alleys, service drives and sidewalks.
"Roadway"
means that portion of a public street improved, designed
or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.
"Shared permit"
means a permit issued to a person as a primary applicant
providing for the sharing of a newsrack among specified publications
as long as all of the standards of this chapter are otherwise met.
The primary applicant shall be considered the permittee for all purposes
under this chapter except as explicitly set forth in this chapter.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006; Ord. 1997 § 2, 2019)
Any newsrack which, in whole or in part, rests upon, in or over
any public sidewalk, parkway or similar public right of way shall
substantially comply with the following:
(a) Newsracks shall not project onto, into, or over any part of the roadway
of any public street and any newsrack located near a curb shall be
placed not less than eighteen inches nor more than twenty four inches
from the edge of the curb. Newsracks placed adjacent to the rear of
the sidewalk shall be placed parallel to the wall and at least six
inches from the wall.
(b) Newsracks shall not be chained, bolted, or otherwise attached to
any private property without the consent of the property owner and
newsracks shall not be chained, bolted, or otherwise attached to any
public property without the express approval of the director.
(c) Newsracks may be placed immediately adjacent to one another, provided
that no more than three newsracks shall be placed next to each other.
Each group of attached newsracks shall be separated by eighteen inches
or more. The city engineer shall determine, consistent with the purposes
of this chapter, and the standards herein, the number of newsracks
that can be bolted, attached or grouped in a particular location on
a location by location basis.
(d) Newsracks shall not be placed, installed, used, or maintained in
a manner that endangers the safety of persons or property, or in a
manner that unreasonably impedes or interferes with the flow of pedestrian
or vehicular traffic, the ingress into or egress from any residence,
place of business, or any legally parked or stopped vehicle. In furtherance
of these requirements, a newsrack which in whole or in part rests
upon, in, or over any sidewalk or parkway or other public property
shall not be placed, installed, used, or maintained:
(1) Within ten feet of any marked crosswalk;
(2) Within fifteen feet of the curb return of any unmarked crosswalk;
(3) Within ten feet of any fire hydrant, fire call box, traffic signal
controller, police call box or other emergency facility;
(4) Within ten feet of any driveway or alley approach;
(5) Within five feet ahead and thirty-five feet to the rear of any sign
marking a designated bus stop;
(6) Within six feet of any bus bench;
(7) Within three feet of any utility meter, manhole, service box, parking
meter, street light pole or other utility;
(8) At any location whereby the clear space for the passageway of pedestrians
would be reduced to less than six feet in the Palm Springs downtown
area and less that four feet for the all areas of the city outside
of the Palm Springs downtown area;
(9) Within three feet of any permitted sidewalk dining area or area improved
with lawn, flowers, shrubs, or trees or within three feet of any display
window of any building abutting the sidewalk or parkway or in such
manner as to impede or interfere with the reasonable use of such window
for display purposes unless an engineering study in a high density
newsrack area concludes that a minor variance is consistent with the
purposes of this chapter;
(10) Within the boundary of a valet parking zone or loading/unloading
zone;
(11) At any location where street furniture may not generally be installed
because of potential harm to subterranean structures;
(12) Within two hundred fifty feet of another newsrack containing the
same newspaper or periodical except where separated by a street or
comer or where: (A) a newspaper demonstrates that there is insufficient
room in one machine for the newspapers which may be sold in one day,
or (B) a newspaper demonstrates that it publishes more than one edition
of the newspaper for sale at the same time; and
(13) Facing another newsrack, divided only by the width of a public sidewalk
or public pedestrian wall.
(e) The name, address, and telephone number of a responsible person who
may be contacted at any time concerning the newsrack shall be displayed
on the hood of a newsrack in such manner as to be readily visible
to and readable by a prospective customer.
(f) Newsracks shall not carry any advertising and shall not be used for
advertising signs or publicity purposes, except:
(1) The name of the newspaper or periodical being dispensed on the face
of the newsrack or the side of the newsrack; and
(2) Rack cards contained in card pans, limited solely to the display,
sale, or purchase of the newspaper or periodical being dispensed,
which are attached to and located on the front or back of the newsrack
and do not exceed fifteen inches in height and twenty two inches in
length.
(g) Newsracks shall be kept clean and maintained in good working order
at all times, freshly painted and with unbroken hoods. Newsracks shall
be regularly serviced so that the each publication is reasonably available
consistent with the publication dates and practices of the respective
publisher.
(h) Frames and racks for newsracks shall be: (1) at least forty-eight
inches in height and shall not exceed fifty-two inches in height,
including the base or pedestal and any coin mechanism; (2) at least
twenty inches and no more than thirty inches in width; and at least
twelve inches and no more than twenty inches in thickness. The top
of the coin mechanism shall not be more than six inches above the
top of the newsrack. Each newsrack shall be installed on a base or
pedestal which shall be at least three inches in height. Mounts shall
be bolted in place in accordance with specifications provided by the
director and shall be painted flat black.
(i) The design of a newsrack shall not create a danger to the persons
using the newsrack in a reasonably foreseeable manner. All newsracks
shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and
regulations including, without limitation, the Americans with Disabilities
Act and other laws and regulations relating to barrier-free design.
(j) Newsracks shall conform to such other specifications as may be required
or specified by the director.
(Ord. 1680 §4, 2006)
(a) Notwithstanding any contrary provisions in this chapter, the following
special standards shall apply to newsracks and the placement of publications
in newsracks within the Palm Springs uptown and downtown area:
(1) Only City owned and maintained newsracks shall be allowed in the
Palm Springs Uptown and Downtown area. Vendors of publications wishing
to utilize newsracks in the Palm Springs downtown area shall be required
to utilize such newsracks.
(2) Newsracks shall be permitted at only the locations as indicated or
otherwise specified by the Director on a map of Palm Springs Uptown
and Downtown area on file in the office of the City Clerk. The Director
may increase or decrease the number of locations, depending upon seasonal,
event, or demand requirements.
(3) Notwithstanding any provision in this Chapter to the contrary, including section
14.26.030, newsracks within the Palm Springs Uptown and Downtown area shall conform to the requirements set forth by the Director.
(b) The Director or his or her designee shall have the authority to provide
procedures, which may include, but not be limited to, a fee structure,
a selection system, or any combination thereof, in order to administer
the availability of City owned and operated newsracks.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006; Ord. 1997 § 3, 2019)
If a permittee is in compliance with this chapter, a permit
will be automatically renewed for each successive calendar year by
timely payment of the renewal fee established by resolution of city
council and filing of a complete city renewal application at least
sixty days prior to the expiration of the current permit.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
Upon determination by the director that a newsrack for which a person has been issued a permit has been installed, used, or maintained in violation of the provisions of this chapter, including, but without limitation, failure to observe any term or condition of the permit or not meeting conditions related to priority for the location of any permit, an order to comply may be issued to the person who holds the permit. A permit holder may appeal an order of the director pursuant to the provisions of Section
14.26.170. If a permit holder fails to comply with an order of the director, the director may commence the revocation process provided in Section
14.26.110. The director shall not enforce an order to comply while an appeal is pending.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
Whenever any permit holder fails to correct three or more orders
to comply, the director, after giving the permit holder ten days'
notice in writing specifying the time and place of hearing and requiring
the permit holder to show cause why the permit should not be revoked,
may suspend or revoke any one or more of the permits held by the permit
holder. The director shall give the permit holder written notice of
the suspension or revocation of such permit or permits.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
When the director determines that it is necessary to remove
a newsrack for the construction or installation of public improvements,
an order to comply may be issued for the purpose of suspending or
terminating the newsrack permit. The person who holds the permit for
the newsrack shall be entitled, on permittee's election, to either
a pro rata refund of fees or to a new permit, without additional fee,
in the original location or as close to the original location as the
standards set forth in this chapter allow. All other costs of relocating
the newsrack shall be borne by the owner.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
A nonconforming existing newsrack which does not conform to
the installation, location, or color standards contained in this chapter
shall be permitted to continue for a period of one hundred and twenty
days after the effective date of this chapter, provided that the newsrack
is used in a manner which is consistent with this chapter and the
owner of the newsrack applied for and maintains a valid permit and
business license. Any newsrack that does not conform to the installation,
location, or color standards within one hundred and twenty days after
the effective date of this chapter shall be converted or removed before
the one hundred and twenty-first day after the effective date of this
chapter, unless the owner: (a) demonstrates to the satisfaction of
the director that the owner has made a substantial, good faith effort
to bring all of the owner's newsracks into conformance with the provisions
of this chapter and (b) complies with a schedule of compliance approved
by the director. A nonconforming existing newsrack which does not
conform to the maintenance standards contained in this chapter shall
not be permitted to continue on or after the effective date of this
chapter. The director shall give written notice of nonconformance
to all of the owners of non conforming newsracks, to the extent that
the director has information identifying the owners of such newsracks.
Any nonconforming newsrack which remains after the dates specified
in this section shall be deemed a public nuisance and shall be abated
accordingly to the procedures provided in this code.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
A permit issued under this chapter shall not substitute for any business license otherwise required under Palm Springs Municipal Code Section
3.48.010.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
The director is authorized to adopt, implement, and enforce
reasonable standards and regulations consistent with the provisions
of this chapter and predicated upon street and pedestrian traffic
requirements, access to parking places and facilities, and to preserve
the public safety, health and welfare. This authority includes the
ability to promulgate additional standards for uniformity of design
and appearance of machines for which permits will be issued, in an
effort to minimize adverse aspects and other detriments to the public
interest.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)
Any person or entity aggrieved by a finding, determination, notice, action or failure to act taken under the provisions of this chapter with respect to issuing, revoking or enforcement action under a permit under this chapter, only, may appeal such finding, determination, notice, action or failure pursuant to the appeal process specified in Chapter
11.72 of this code.
(Ord. 1680 § 4, 2006)