(1) 
General. No temporary sign may be illuminated. No sign located in a residential zone may be illuminated, except that on parcels two acres in size or greater or a subdivision entrance sign, signs may be halo illuminated or illuminated as necessary for allowable digital signs. Permanent signs allowed by this chapter may be nonilluminated, or illuminated by internal light fixtures, halo illuminated, or have external indirect illumination, unless otherwise specified. All illuminated signs shall comply with the time limitations of subsection (4) of this section.
(2) 
Externally Illuminated Signs.
(a) 
Except as provided in this subsection, externally illuminated signs shall be illuminated only with steady, stationary, fully shielded light sources directed solely onto the sign without causing glare. Light shielding shall ensure that the lamp or light source is not visible beyond the premises and shall further ensure that the light is contained within the sign face.
(b) 
A light fixture mounted above the sign face may be installed with its bottom opening tilted toward the sign face, provided:
(i) 
The bottom opening of the light fixture is flat (i.e., it could be covered by a flat board allowing no light to escape); and
(ii) 
The uppermost portion of the fixture's opening is located no higher than the top of the sign face, as shown in Figure 1 below. Light fixtures aimed and installed in this fashion shall be considered fully shielded.
Figure 1
External Sign Lighting Configurations
Permitted and Prohibited External Sign Lighting Configurations
(3) 
Internally Illuminated Signs.
(a) 
Internally illuminated signs shall be constructed with an opaque sign face background with translucent text and symbols and/or logo shields. If the sign owner desires to have the entire sign face visible at night, an external light source may be used to illuminate the sign, subject to the illumination standards in this chapter.
(b) 
In no case may an internally illuminated sign, a digital sign or an electronic message center sign exceed a light output of 50 nits in a residential zone or 100 nits in a nonresidential zone during nighttime hours.
(c) 
Neon sign lighting is allowed in nonresidential zones only and shall not exceed 100 nits per sign face. An example of a neon sign is shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2
Neon Sign
(4) 
Time Limitations. All signs over three square feet in area shall be turned off by 11:00 p.m., or when the business closes, whichever is later. Signs subject to time limitations are required to have functioning and properly adjusted automatic shut-off timers.
(Ord. 024-17 § 2 (Exh. 1); Ord. 052-22 § 3)
(1) 
Temporary Signs. The construction of temporary signs is described in the definition of "temporary sign" in POMC § 20.132.290, Definitions. However, temporary signs may be made of any material; provided, that the temporary sign otherwise conforms to the requirements of this chapter, including, but not limited to, POMC § 20.132.270, Temporary signs.
(2) 
Permanent Signs. Permanent signs must be manufactured of durable materials that withstand the effects of water and wind. The following additional requirements apply to any permanent signs larger than 30 square feet, except for window signs located inside glass:
(a) 
Paper-faced sign, including vinyl-coated paper and those applied with adhesives, are not allowed. Canvas or vinyl signs must be made of minimum 20-ounce materials with polymeric plasticizers for durability.
(b) 
Sign faces made of canvas, fabric, vinyl or similar pliable materials that are attached to permanent sign structures must be mounted behind a perimeter frame or trim cap so that the edges of the sign face are not exposed, except that flags made of 100 percent spun polyester are exempt from this requirement.
(Ord. 024-17 § 2 (Exh. 1))
(1) 
City Right-of-Way. No sign may be placed within the roadway portion of the city's right-of-way, except as otherwise permitted in this chapter. If a sign is allowed within a city right-of-way, a street use permit or special event permit may be required.
(2) 
Attached to Vehicles on Private Premises. No sign may be mounted, attached or painted on a trailer, boat or motor vehicle, which is parked, stored or displayed conspicuously on private premises in a manner intended to attract the attention of the public. (This excludes signs that are permanently painted or wrapped on the surface of the vehicle, or adhesive vinyl film affixed to the interior or exterior surface of a vehicle window, or signs magnetically attached to motor vehicles or rolling stock that are actively used in the daily conduct of business. However, such vehicles shall be operable and parked in a lawful or authorized manner.)
(3) 
Attached to Other Fixtures. No sign may be painted, attached or mounted on fuel tanks, storage containers and/or solid waste receptacles or their enclosures, except for information required by law.
(4) 
Freeway-Oriented Signs. Freeway-oriented signs are prohibited, except in the following instances:
(a) 
Building-mounted wall signs (POMC § 20.132.170), window signs (POMC § 20.132.280) and temporary signs (POMC § 20.132.270) as otherwise allowed by this chapter may face the freeway if:
(i) 
They are installed by a business that has its primary customer entrance facing the freeway; and
(ii) 
The wall, window or temporary sign also faces an intervening parking lot or frontage road that serves the business.
(b) 
Freestanding signs as otherwise allowed by this chapter are allowed for businesses located on and facing frontage roads along freeways, even if such signs are incidentally visible from the freeway.
(Ord. 024-17 § 2 (Exh. 1))
Sign area for all sign types is measured as follows:
(1) 
Background Panel or Surface. Sign copy mounted, affixed or painted on a background panel or surface distinctively painted, textured or constructed as a background for the sign copy, is measured as that area contained within the smallest rectangle, parallelogram, triangle, or circle that will enclose the sign copy and the background.
(2) 
Individual Letters or Graphics. Sign copy mounted as individual letters or graphics against a wall, fascia, mansard or parapet of a building or surface of another structure, that has not been painted, textured or otherwise altered to provide a distinctive background for the sign copy, is measured as the sum of the smallest square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle or circle that will enclose each word, name, sentence and complete message, and each graphic in the sign.
(3) 
Illuminated Surface. If sign copy is mounted, affixed or painted on an illuminated surface or illuminated element of a building or structure, the sign area is measured as the entire illuminated surface or illuminated element which contains sign copy. Such elements may include, but are not limited to, illuminated canopy fascia signs and/or interior illuminated awnings.
(4) 
Backlit Translucent Panels. Backlit translucent panels and spandrels, with or without text or graphics, are measured as the area of the height and width of any internally illuminated translucent panel or spandrel, including the side panels if the structure or spandrel is greater than six inches in width.
(5) 
Multiface Signs. Multiface signs, as shown in Figure 8, are measured as follows:
(a) 
Two Face Signs. If the interior angle between the two sign faces is 45 degrees or less, the sign area is of one sign face only. If the angle between the two sign faces is greater than 45 degrees, the sign area is the sum of the areas of the two sign faces.
(b) 
Three or Four Face Signs. The sign area is 50 percent of the sum of the areas of all sign faces.
(c) 
Spherical, free-form, sculptural or other nonplanar sign area is measured as 50 percent of the sum of the areas using only the four vertical sides of the smallest four-sided polyhedron that will encompass the sign structure. Signs with greater than four polyhedron faces are prohibited.
(Ord. 024-17 § 2 (Exh. 1))
Sign height is measured as follows:
(1) 
Freestanding Signs. Sign height is measured as the vertical distance from natural grade at the base of a sign to the top of the sign, including the sign support structure; except that signs within 25 feet of an adjacent road may be measured as follows:
(a) 
If natural grade at the base of a sign is higher than the grade of the adjacent road, sign height shall be measured from the base of the sign.
(b) 
If natural grade at the base of the sign is lower than the grade of an adjacent road, the height of the sign shall be measured from the top of curb or road-grade elevation; provided, that fill is placed between the curb and the sign and extends at least five feet beyond the base of the sign in all directions.
(Ord. 024-17 § 2 (Exh. 1))
(1) 
Support Elements. Any angle iron, bracing, guy wires or similar features used to support a sign shall not be visible from publicly accessible areas.
(2) 
Electrical Service. When electrical service is provided to freestanding signs or to signs located on a wall within a landscaped area, all such electrical service is required to be underground and concealed. Electrical service to building-mounted wall signs, including conduit, housings and wire, shall be concealed or, when necessary, painted to match the surface of the structure upon which they are mounted. An electrical permit must be issued prior to the installation of any new signs requiring electrical service.
(3) 
Raceway Cabinets. Raceway cabinets, where used as an element of building-mounted wall signs, shall match the building color at the location of the building where the sign is located. Where a raceway cabinet provides a contrast background to sign copy, the colored area is considered part of the sign face and is counted in the aggregate sign area permitted for the site or business. Examples of raceway cabinets are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3
Raceway Cabinets
(4) 
Limitation on Attachments and Secondary Uses. All permitted sign structures and their associated landscape areas shall be kept free of supplemental attachments or secondary uses including, but not limited to, supplemental signs not part of a permitted sign, light fixtures, newspaper distribution racks or trash containers. The use of sign structures and associated landscape areas as bicycle racks or support structures for signs that are not permitted is prohibited.
(Ord. 024-17 § 2 (Exh. 1))