A. 
The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations for the use of billboards within the City. The City desires to establish a process that will allow some use of billboards within certain areas of the City while at the same time working to remove billboards in areas of the City where the use of such signs is no longer appropriate or desired.
(Ord. 2742, 10/17/2024)
A. 
All areas of the City that are not designated as receiving areas in TMC Section 19.38.020 are hereby designated as billboard sending areas, from which billboards must be removed before construction of the billboard in the receiving area can commence.
(Ord. 2742, 10/17/2024)
A. 
No new billboards, neither digital nor standard, will be permitted within the City unless the applicant reduces the total number of existing billboards within the City sending areas.
1. 
Installing new billboards within designated receiving areas requires securing the removal of existing billboards within designated sending areas.
2. 
Table 1 shows the ratio that will be used to determine the number of billboards that must be removed (cut to or below grade, including removal of the pole structure) within a designated sending area in order to install a billboard within designated receiving areas. Removal of all billboards included in an application for a new billboard must be completed before construction can commence on the proposed billboard in the application.
Table 1
Type of Sign Proposed in Designated Receiving Area
Number of Billboards That Must Be Removed Within Designated Sending Areas
One Static Billboard Face
Five billboard faces
One Digital Billboard Face
Seven billboard faces
3. 
The following requirements shall apply to new billboards within designated receiving areas:
a. 
No more than two faces are permitted for each billboard structure.
b. 
Area of an individual face shall not exceed 500 square feet.
c. 
Billboards shall be spaced at least 500 feet away from any existing or proposed billboard.
d. 
Billboards shall not exceed a height of 35 feet.
e. 
No portion of the billboard shall be within 10 feet of any adjacent right of way.
f. 
No portion of the billboard’s foundation shall be within 15 feet of the adjacent right of way. The billboard shall meet any required side or rear setback in the zone in which it is located.
g. 
Lighting of Billboards:
(1) 
The billboard may be illuminated; non-digital billboards shall utilize lights that shine directly on the sign structure. Digital billboards shall not operate at a brightness level of more than 3-foot candles above ambient light as measured using a foot candle meter at a pre-set distance as outlined in Table 2.
Table 2
Billboard Style
Dimensions
Measurement Distance
Posters
12 x 24 feet
150 feet
Bulletins
14 x 48 feet
250 feet
(2) 
Each display must have a light sensing device that will adjust the brightness as ambient light conditions change.
(3) 
The technology currently being deployed for digital billboards is LED (light emitting diode), but there may be alternate, preferred and superior technology available in the future. Any other technology that operates under the maximum brightness stated in Table 3 above shall be permitted.
(4) 
If a digital display is proposed, the rate of change for the sign shall not exceed a frequency of more than once every 8 seconds.
(5) 
One sign, 8.5 square feet in size shall be permitted to be attached to the billboard. The sign can only be used to identify the operator of the billboard. Address or billboard identification numbers are permitted and shall not exceed an area of three square feet.
4. 
Billboard Placement, Street Tree Pruning:
Upon application to place a billboard within a designated receiving area, the City and the applicant shall work to determine a billboard location that will not be visually obscured either now or in the future by surrounding street trees. If placement of the billboard cannot be accomplished in such a way that will avoid conflicts between the billboard and current or future street trees, pruning of the street trees is permitted, provided:
a. 
The applicant obtains a street use permit from the City’s Public Works Department. The purpose of the permit is to regulate the manner by which the trees will be pruned, such as lane closures, sidewalk closures, etc.
b. 
All pruning is done by the applicant and all cost is borne entirely by the applicant.
c. 
All pruning activities are supervised by a certified arborist and all pruning complies with ANSI A300 as currently written or as may be amended.
d. 
Only those street trees on or adjacent to the property where the billboard is located are eligible for pruning.
e. 
In the event of death of the tree(s) as a result of the pruning activities, the applicant shall be responsible for paying the landscape value of the tree(s) as determined by a certified arborist or landscape architect.
(Ord. 2742, 10/17/2024)
A. 
Existing billboards within designated sending areas may be refurbished and upgraded, subject to the following standards:
1. 
The refurbished billboard must remain on the same premise.
2. 
The applicant shall demonstrate that the billboard that is being refurbished was legally installed.
3. 
The number of faces for the billboard remains the same or is reduced from the existing billboard.
4. 
The height of the billboard may not be increased.
5. 
Setbacks for the billboard remain unchanged. If the setbacks do not comply with setbacks for the underlying zoning, the billboards can be relocated provided they come closer to complying with the required setbacks. In no case shall the billboard be moved closer to a property within a residential zone.
6. 
Non-digital billboards cannot be refurbished or upgraded to either tri-vision or digital displays.
7. 
Improvement of lighting is permitted. Foot candles produced by the billboard may not extend offsite.
8. 
Additional signage may be attached to sign provided it complies with TMC Section 19.38.040.H.
9. 
Area of an individual face shall not exceed 500 square feet. The area of a face can be increased to up to 672 square feet if the billboard operator agrees to make the billboard available for public service announcements and emergency alerts. Public service announcements shall include, but not be limited to, advertising for civic events. Emergency alerts shall include those messages necessitating the immediate release of information pertaining to the protection and preservation of public safety. Emergency alerts include, but are not limited, Amber Alerts and emergency evacuation orders. The Director of Community Development, working with the Director of Public Works, Director of Parks and Recreation, Police Chief, and Fire Chief, shall develop administrative rules that shall be used for public service and emergency alerts. The rules shall specify required message duration and length of display for both public service announcements and emergency alerts.
(Ord. 2742, 10/17/2024)