Within the City, no person shall place, construct, erect, re-erect,
alter, enlarge, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, or equip any
sign or sign structure, or paint any new wall sign, or cause or permit
any of the foregoing to be done contrary to or in violation of any
of the provisions of this title. Any sign not expressly permitted
by this title shall be prohibited.
Any sign which is being displayed or is being poorly maintained
in violation of the provisions of this title, shall be taken down,
removed, or altered so as to comply with this title. It shall be the
responsibility of the owner, agent, or person having the beneficial
use of the building or structure or land upon which such sign may
be found to take down, remove, or alter the sign so as to comply with
this title.
(08-05)
A.
Permits
Required
No sign shall be erected or placed within the City without the
prior issuance of a sign permit unless such sign is specifically exempted
in this title. Building and electrical permits may also be required.
Sign permits shall be required for structural alterations to existing
signs or changes in copy, color, or logos on existing signs. Sign
permits are not required for minor maintenance or minor repairs to
existing legally erected signs. Signs erected without a permit and
not exempted in this title, shall be deemed illegal.
B.
Permit
Applications
Applications for sign permits or for approval of planned sign
programs shall be made on forms provided by the Director of Community
Development and shall be accompanied by plans and exhibits as required
by the Director.
C.
Application
Screening
Within 30 days of receipt of a sign application, the Community
Development Department shall inform the applicant as to the completeness
of the submittal and of additional materials required, if any. Department
staff shall also determine:
1.
If the proposed sign(s) is to be reviewed by staff or by the Architectural
Commission in accordance with the sign review responsibilities specified
in this chapter.
2.
Whether modifications to the sign, a sign adjustment, or a sign variance
would be required for sign approval under the provisions of this title.
D.
Review
and Decision
Within 180 days of receipt of a complete sign application, the
reviewing person or body shall determine if the proposed sign or planned
sign program conforms to the provisions of this title and shall accordingly
approve, approve subject to modifications and/or conditions, or deny
the sign application.
E.
Sign
Removal
As a condition of issuance of any sign permit, the City may
require written authorization for City personnel or the City's designated
agents to enter the property to remove the sign upon City determination
that the sign, after erection or alteration, does not conform to approved
plans, to other permit conditions, or to the provisions of this title.
F.
Signs
Allowed In Lieu of Commercial Message
In each instance and under the same conditions to which this
title permits any sign, a sign containing any ideological, political,
or other non-commercial message shall be permitted in lieu of a commercial
message, to the same physical dimensions and character as the permitted
sign.
(08-05; 14-04)
Sign permit and related fees shall be established by resolution
of the City Council.
(08-05)
A.
General
The Architectural Commission and staff have authority under
this title to approve signs. All signs require review and approval
except those signs listed in this title as exempt from sign permit
review. Signs not exempt from review shall be reviewed as provided
in this section, except if otherwise specified or required as a condition
of approval by the Architectural Commission or Planning Commission.
B.
Staff
Review Responsibilities
Staff shall generally review and approve all compliant building-mounted
signs, freestanding directional signs, temporary signs, and all signs
conforming to a sign program previously approved by the Architectural
Commission. Staff shall also review and approve all compliant changes/replacements
of sign faces that do not involve modifications to existing sign cabinets
and/or supporting sign structures. The Director of Community Development
may choose to refer any sign that would normally be subject to staff
review and approval to the Architectural Commission for review and
approval.
C.
Architectural
Commission Review Responsibilities
The Architectural Commission shall review and approve all compliant
freestanding identification signs, proposed new sign programs, neighborhood
identification signs, other signs not generally reviewed by staff,
and any sign the Director has referred to the Architectural Commission
for review and approval. The Architectural Commission shall also review
and approve or deny requests for sign variances and sign adjustments
pursuant to this title. All sign programs approved by the Architectural
Commission shall be maintained in the City's Department of Community
Development and made available to the public.
(12-01; 14-04)
In all sign applications, where a matter of interpretation arises,
the more specific definition or more rigorous standard shall prevail.
Whenever the Director determines that the application of any provision
of this title is uncertain, the issue shall be referred to the Architectural
Commission for determination.
(08-05)
A.
General
If it is determined that a proposed sign does not conform to
the provisions of this title, the applicant shall be notified of the
options of appealing the determination, or of applying for a sign
adjustment or a sign variance. Upon receiving an application for an
appeal, sign adjustment or sign variance, staff shall inform the applicant
as to the completeness of the submittal and of additional materials
required, if any.
As an alternative to the standard sign regulations contained in this title, the applicant may submit a planned sign program pursuant to Section 18.025.120. Signs within a planned sign program may be permitted although not conforming to all of the requirements of this title. The use of planned sign programs may allow some flexibility in number and size and in the placement of signs. However, the total aggregate area of the signs permitted by the sign program shall not be greater than the total aggregate area of all signs otherwise permitted by this title.
B.
Appeals
and Call-Up Review
Any decision regarding signs made by City staff or the Architectural Commission may be appealed or called-up for review pursuant to Chapter 16.321 of Title 16, entitled Appeals and Council Review. When an appeal is filed or called-up for review, it shall suspend the effective date of the decision until action has been taken on the appeal or review.
C.
Sign
Adjustments
1.
Intent
Sign adjustments may be approved by the Architectural Commission
in those cases where the Commission determines that physical circumstances
are such that, without such sign adjustment, adequate sign identification
could not be effected or results would be created contrary to the
intent of this title.
2.
Scope
Sign adjustments may allow up to a 20 percent increase in the
maximum size or height of signs permitted in this title.
3.
Required Findings
The Architectural Commission may approve a sign adjustment only
if it makes all of the following findings:
a.
That there are special circumstances applicable to the property,
including size, shape, topography, location, or surroundings which
cause the strict application of these sign regulations to deprive
such property owner of privileges enjoyed by other properties in the
vicinity and under identical zoning classification.
b.
That the adjustment authorized shall not constitute a grant of special
privileges inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties
in the vicinity and zone in which such property is located.
c.
That the adjustment does not authorize signing which is expressly
prohibited in this title.
d.
That the adjustment will not create a negative impact on other nearby
properties.
D.
Variances
Any proposed sign which does not conform to this title and is not eligible for consideration of a sign adjustment as provided hereinabove may be submitted to the Architectural Commission for consideration of a variance. Sign variances shall be reviewed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 16.309 of Title 16. In the case of sign variances, the Planning Commission's variance review responsibilities shall be delegated to the Architectural Commission.
(08-05; 11-04)
Signs which have been erected pursuant to a permit lawfully
issued by the City prior to June 22, 1990, shall be treated as conforming
signs. All such signs may be continued, maintained, and repaired so
long as the sign is not expanded or structurally altered. A permit
may be issued for any such sign destroyed by earthquake, fire or other
misadventure if any application for a permit to re-erect the sign
is made within 180 days of its destruction.
(08-05)
A.
The
following signs shall be considered illegal:
1.
Unsafe Signs
An unsafe sign shall be a sign determined by the Director to
be a danger to the public or which could create a potential hazard.
2.
Abandoned Signs
An abandoned sign shall be a sign remaining in place or not
maintained for a period of 90 days which no longer advertises or identifies
an ongoing business, product, or service available on the premises
where the sign is located.
3.
Illegally Erected Signs
An illegal sign shall be a sign not permitted by this title
or a sign otherwise permitted by this title but erected without first
obtaining all approvals required by this title.
All illegal signs are hereby deemed to be nuisances.
B.
No
business on the same property where there is signing determined by
the Director to be illegal shall be granted a permit for additional
signing until illegal signing is removed, excepting when both the
following apply:
1.
The signing determined to be illegal is located at a different business
location from that for which the permit for additional signing is
sought even though they may be located in the same commercial complex.
2.
The signing determined to be illegal is not owned or controlled by
the permit applicant and the permit applicant is not the agent of
the person who owns or controls the illegal sign(s).
C.
Inventory
of Illegal and Abandoned Signs
As often as may be desirable, but no less frequently than required
by State law, the Director of Community Development shall authorize
an identification and inventory of all illegal and abandoned signs
within the City in accordance with the requirements of State law.
The City may commence abatement of the identified illegal and abandoned
signs within six months of performing all actions required by State
law.
(08-05; 14-04)
A.
Responsibility
It shall be the duty and authority of the Director of Community
Development, the Director's designees, and the code enforcement officers
of the Community Development Department to enforce the provisions
of this title.
(08-05)
