A. 
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, 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 D of this section.
B. 
Externally Illuminated Signs.
1. 
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.
2. 
A light fixture mounted above the sign face may be installed with its bottom opening tilted toward the sign face, provided:
a. 
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
b. 
The uppermost portion of the fixture's opening is located no higher than the top of the sign face, as shown in Figure 20.84.090A below. Light fixtures aimed and installed in this fashion shall be considered fully shielded.
Figure 20.84.090A
C. 
Internally Illuminated Signs.
1. 
Internally illuminated signs shall be constructed with an opaque background and translucent text and symbols. 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.
2. 
No digital, neon (Figure 20.84.090C), or electronic message center sign shall exceed a brightness level of 0.3 foot-candle above ambient light as measured using a foot-candle (lux) meter at a preset distance provided in Table 20.84.090B in accordance with the following procedure:
a. 
At least 30 minutes past sunset, record the ambient light while the sign is off or displaying all black copy, or with the sign's illumination blocked.
b. 
The light meter shall be held five feet above the finished grade in front of the sign.
c. 
The meter shall be aimed toward the center of the electronic message center sign.
From the same location, a second reading shall be recorded while the sign is on and not blocked.
3. 
If the difference between the measurements is 0.3 foot-candle or less, the brightness is properly adjusted; otherwise, the EMC must be adjusted to comply with the brightness adjustment standard set forth above.
Table 20.84.090B
Area of electronic message center in square feet
Measurement distance in linear feet
10
32
20
45
30
55
Figure 20.84.090C
Neon Sign
D. 
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. 1965 § 2, 2017)
A. 
Temporary Signs. The construction of temporary signs is limited to the materials described in the definition of "temporary sign" (PMC § 20.84.290, Definitions). In addition, the temporary sign must also conform to the requirements of this chapter, including, but not limited to, PMC § 20.84.260 (Temporary signs).
B. 
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:
1. 
Paper-faced signs, 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.
2. 
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.
Sign Structure Materials
Sign Structure Which Blends with Development Site
(Ord. 1965 § 2, 2017)
A. 
City Right-of-Way. No sign may be placed within the city right-of-way (see PMC § 20.84.260(E) for restrictions on temporary signs outside of the roadway) except as otherwise permitted with a city right-of-way use or special event permit.
B. 
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.)
Figure 20.84.110A
Signs on Vehicles Used for Business Purposes
C. 
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.
(Ord. 1965 § 2, 2017)
Sign area for all sign types is measured as follows:
A. 
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, as shown in Figures 20.84.120A, 20.84.120B, 20.84.120C and 20.84.120D.
Figure 20.84.120A
Sign Area for Signs on Background Panel
B. 
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.
C. 
Illuminated Surface. Sign copy mounted, affixed or painted on an illuminated surface or illuminated element of a building or structure is measured as the entire illuminated surface or illuminated element which contains sign copy, as shown in Figure 20.84.120B. Such elements may include, but are not limited to, lit canopy fascia signs and/or interior lit awnings.
Figure 20.84.120B
Sign Area for Signs with Illuminated Surfaces
D. 
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, including the side panels if the structure or spandrel is greater than six inches in width.
E. 
Multiface Signs. Multiface signs, as shown in Figure 20.84.120C, are measured as follows:
1. 
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.
2. 
Three- or Four-Face Signs. The sign area is 50 percent of the sum of the areas of all sign faces.
3. 
Spherical, free-form, sculptural or other non-planar 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, as shown in Figure 20.84.120C. Signs with greater than four polyhedron faces are prohibited.
Figure 20.84.120C
Sign Area for Multiface Signs or Free Form Signs
F. 
Odd Shaped Signs. The area of an odd shaped sign having no continuous border shall mean the entire area within a single continuous perimeter formed by no more than eight straight lines enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representations, emblem, or any figure or similar character, together with any frame or other material or color forming an integral part of the display or used as a border excluding the necessary supports or uprights on which such sign is placed (see Figure 20.84.120D).
Figure 20.84.120D
Sign Surface Area, Odd Shaped Sign
(Ord. 1965 § 2, 2017)
Sign height is measured as follows:
A. 
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:
1. 
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 as shown in Figure 20.84.130A.
Figure 20.84.130A
Freestanding Sign Height – Signs Higher than the Grade of an Adjacent Road
2. 
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, as shown in Figure 20.84.130B.
Figure 20.84.130B
Freestanding Sign Height – Sign Lower than the Grade of an Adjacent Road
(Ord. 1965 § 2, 2017)
A. 
Support Elements. Any angle iron, bracing, guy wires or similar features used to support a sign shall not be visible.
B. 
Electrical Service. When electrical service is provided to freestanding signs or landscape wall signs, 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. A building permit (electrical) must be issued prior to the installation of any new signs requiring electrical service.
C. 
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 20.84.140A.
Figure 20.84.140A
Raceway Cabinets
D. 
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 fixture, newspaper distribution racks or trash container. The use of sign structures and associated landscape areas as bicycle racks or support structures for outdoor signs is prohibited.
(Ord. 1965 § 2, 2017)