For the purpose of this chapter, the words, terms and phrases herein shall have the following meanings:
.010 "Abandoned Sign" means any display remaining in place or not maintained for a period of ninety (90) days or more, that no longer advertises or identifies an on-going use on the business premises where the display is located or that advertises, or identifies a use that was located in a building that no longer exists.
.020 "Amortization" means the required removal of nonconforming signs over reasonable time periods.
.030 “Animated Sign.” See "Flashing Sign" and "Rotating or Revolving Sign."
.040 "Area of Sign" means the square footage of the entire face of a sign, together with any frame or other material, color or conditions that form an integral part of the display, and are used to differentiate such sign from the wall or background against which it is placed. The definition excludes the necessary supports or uprights on which the sign is placed, but includes the area of a monument sign and its base, measured from finish grade. Where a sign has with (2) or more faces, the area of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign, except where two (2) such faces are placed back-to-back and are at no point more than two (2) feet from one another, the area of the sign shall be taken as the area of one (1) face, if the two (2) faces are of equal area; if the two (2) faces are of unequal area, the area of the larger face shall be used. Further, where a sign consists only of individual letters, numerals, logos or other similar components, and is painted onto or attached flat against the wall of a building, and where such individual components are without integrated background definitions and are not within a circumscribed framed area, the total area of the sign shall be the sum of the areas of squares or rectangles surrounding each individual sign component.
.050 "Awning Sign" means a device attached to the facade of a building, usually extending over sidewalks, windows and business entries, sometimes to provide weather protection to pedestrians walking beneath such shelters. Awning structures slope downward and away from a building, and typically support canvas, wood or metal slats or glass. Canvas awnings may have a valance (vertical flap) at the bottom of the sloping plane, which may be used to mount a sign identifying the building or store.
.060 "Balloon, Fixed" means any air-filled or gas-filled balloon attached to a string, rope or similar device, and tethered to a fixed or moving place or object, including a motor vehicle. See also "Inflatable Device."
.070 “Banner” means a sign made of fabric, cloth, plastic, or paper used only temporarily that is not permanently mounted or affixed to the ground or any structure, with or without enclosing framework, used to advertise a fundraiser, promotional or sales event, special or seasonal event, or other temporary on-site informational or directional sign. Pennants, as defined herein, shall be considered “banners” for purposes of this chapter.
.080 "Billboard" means a sign of any kind or nature whatsoever used to advertise (i) any business, industry, entertainment or activity not conducted, or (ii) any goods or other tangible items not produced, sold or available, or (iii) any services or other intangibles not available or rendered, on the premises upon which such sign is located; provided, however, such term shall not include any regional guide sign, nameplate, temporary real estate sign, identification sign or on-site advertising sign as such terms are defined in this chapter. Such term shall also not include any notice posted by any public officer in the performance of an official duty, or any directional, warning or informational sign required or authorized by any federal, state, county or local authority.
.083 “Building Elevation” means an exterior face of the unit for which a sign is proposed.
.085 “Business Flag” means a flag displaying the name, symbol or logotype of a business or corporation.
.090 "Cabinet Sign" or "Can-Type Sign" means a box-shaped sign that has copy on the outside of its surface and is internally illuminated.
.100 "Changeable Copy Sign" means a sign, or portion thereof, with characters, letters or illustrations that can be changed or rearranged without altering the face of the display surface of the sign.
.110 "Company Symbol" means a mark or logo that can either stand alone or be used with a company name to identify a company.
.120 "Company Name" means the full spelling of the name of a business.
.130 "Coordinated Sign Program" means a planned program for two or more signs for an individual building or building complex with multiple tenants.
.140 "Directional Sign" means any sign that serves solely to guide or designate the location or direction to any place or area.
.150 “Display Surface” means the surface made available by the structure for the mounting of material to carry the advertising message, trademark or emblem.
.150 “Dual-Lit Channel Letters” means individual letters formed as a sign can structure, composed of opaque sides and transparent acrylic plastic on both the front and back of the letter. Lighting from within the sign can structure creates an illuminated face and a halo around the letterform.
.160 "Electronic Readerboard" or "Electronic Message Board" means a changeable copy sign upon which the copy is displayed or changed by electronic means.
.170 "Flashing Sign" means any sign which is designed to intermittently blink on and off, or which creates the illusion of blinking on and off, or which contains running, traveling, animating lights upon the sign structure or within the sign area; such term shall not include time and temperature displays, other electronic readerboard or electronic message board signs.
.180 "Freestanding Sign" is a ground-mounted sign that is typically supported by no more than two uprights or braces (e.g., pylon-supported) that are not connected to another structure. Any sign with a base that is less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the width of the sign shall be considered a freestanding sign.
.190 "Freeway-Oriented Sign" means a freestanding, on-site advertising or directional sign, not including billboards, located on property abutting a freeway right-of-way or freeway frontage road, and whose height, location and sign copy are designed in a manner which permits identification from an adjacent freeway.
.200 "Height of Sign" means the vertical distance from the uppermost point of a sign to the ground immediately below such point; provided that, if the finished grade has been raised immediately below such point, the height shall be measured from the average finished grade of the surrounding area.
.210 "Identification Sign" means any sign designed solely to identify the use or occupant of a structure or site, and which contains no other advertising copy.
.220 "Inflatable Device" means balloons exceeding two (2) cubic feet and other inflatable devices, including figure objects and caricatures that are intended to attract attention.
.230 "Illegal Sign" means any sign or advertising display constructed or erected without first complying with all applicable ordinances and regulations in effect at the time of its construction, erection or use.
.240 "Lighter Box Gasoline Service Station Sign" means an illuminated sign designed to be an integral part of the architecture of a gasoline service station, and intended to be placed above the fuel pumps of a service station for purposes of providing light for the working area and commercial identification.
.250 "Location" means a lot, parcel, site or premises, building, wall or any place whatsoever upon which a sign is erected, constructed or maintained.
.260 "Marquee (Changeable Copy) Sign" means a sign or readerboard that is characterized by non-electronic changeable copy, whether said sign is freestanding or mounted on a structure.
.270 "Monument Sign" means a ground-mounted sign, single-sided, double-sided or three-sided, supported from grade with a solid base or the appearance of a solid base that is at least seventy-five (75%) of the width of the sign, that is not connected to another structure. Such sign is oriented for vehicular view along roadways, and is often used at entries to a building or project.
.280 "Multiple-Faced Sign" means a sign with more than one (1) sign face.
.290 “Mural” means a painting, tile or other materials deemed appropriate that comprise artwork on an exterior wall in public view, whose primary purpose is commemorative or artistic rather than advertising.
.300 "Nameplate" means any lighted or unlighted sign mounted on or near an entry that identifies the name and occupation or profession of the occupant of the premises.
.310 "Nonconforming Sign" means any sign that complied with all applicable ordinances and regulations in effect at the time it was erected, but which does not conform to one or more of the requirements of this chapter.
.320 Off-Site Advertising Sign" means the same as the term “Billboard” as defined in this section.
.330 "On-Site Advertising Sign" means a sign of any kind or nature whatsoever which directs attention to any business, industry, entertainment, occupancy, activity, goods or other tangible items, services or other intangibles, or other activity, conducted, produced, sold, offered, rendered or available upon the premises where the sign is located, as distinguished from an off-site advertising sign. A political or other noncommercial message may be substituted for the advertising copy of any on-site advertising sign allowed under this Code.
.340 "Parcel” or “Lot" means any "Parcel” or “Lot" of real property under separate ownership from any other "Parcel” or “Lot," or under separate lease of at least ten (10) years' duration, with option to renew, which has street or highway frontage.
.350 "Pennant" means any plastic, fabric or other material, whether or not containing a message of any kind, suspended from a rope, wire, string,, or other similar device, usually in series, designed to move in the wind.
.360 "Permanent Sale Sign" means a sign that indicates a sale in progress and is posted more than thirty (30) days during any sixty (60) day period.
.370 "Pole-Mounted Freestanding Sign" means a single- or double-faced sign mounted on a single pole, as distinguished from a single- or double-faced sign that is supported by no more than two pylons.
.380 "Portable Sign" means any sign not permanently attached to the ground or other permanent structure, or a sign designed to be transported, including but not limited to, signs designed to be transported by means of wheels; signs converted to A-frames or T-frames; sandwich board signs; balloons used as signs; umbrellas used for advertising; and signs attached to or painted upon vehicles parked and visible from the public right-of-way, unless said vehicle is used in the normal day-to-day transportation operations of the business, and is not parked away from the business primarily to gain visibility from a public right-of-way.
.390 "Projecting Sign" means a pedestrian-oriented, double-sided sign which projects from a building and is mounted perpendicular to the building wall.
.400 "Pump Island Sign" means any sign attached to a fuel-dispensing pump, either affixed to or placed upon the pump.
.405 “Pump-Top Video Display Terminal” means any video screen or electronic display, monitor or terminal that is located on, or affixed to, a fuel-dispensing pump that broadcasts, displays, emits, exhibits or shows audio and/or visual content or material.
.410 "Real Estate Sign" means any sign and sign structure of a temporary nature, relating to the sale, lease or other disposition of real property.
.420 “Readerboard.” See "Marquee (Changeable Copy) Sign."
.430 "Regional Guide Sign" means all signs and sign structures that serve as off-site directional guides to recognized areas of regional significance and patronage. It is intended that signs within this category shall be correlated with traffic flow, and designed to assist those seeking out recognized areas of regional significance and patronage. To clarify and define such areas of regional importance and patronage, five (5) types of areas are included:
.4301 Recreational and entertainment centers of recognized regional significance, where at least fifteen percent (15%) of the annual attendance at any such center is composed of persons residing outside the State of California;
.4302 Regional shopping centers maintaining a minimum of one thousand (1,000) parking spaces in the immediate vicinity;
.4303 Major sports stadiums, entertainment centers or convention centers having a seating capacity in excess of three thousand (3,000) persons;
.4304 Any recognized historical landmark; and
.4305 Retail businesses of regional significance that are the sole occupant, or the major tenant of a site no less than eight (8) acres in size.
.440 "Roof Sign" means a sign upon the roof, upon a structure that appears to be a roof (such as a mansard roof), or above the roofline of the building elevation to which it is attached.
.450 "Rotating or Revolving Sign" means a rotating or revolving sign or sign structure, or portion thereof, which is designed to physically turn, tilt, rotate or move in any manner.
.460 “Sign” means any display, exhibit, declaration, demonstration, graphic announcement, inflatable device, illustration or insignia used to advertise or promote the interest of any person, business, institution or organization, when the same is placed outdoors, or on the inside of a window to be seen from the outside, in view of the general public; provided that this definition does not apply to the display of the flag of a nation, state, county or city or any official flag or banner of any bona fide religious or fraternal organization.
.470 “Sign Area.” See "Area of Sign."
.480 "Sign Copy" means any characters, letters or type that constitutes the message of the sign.
.490 “Sign Height.” See "Height of Sign."
.500 "Sign Structure" means the uprights, bracing, guy rods, cables, framework and other support of a sign or billboard.
.510 "Street Frontage" means the lineal foot width of a building site or parcel of land, along or fronting on a street or other rights-of-way, excluding alleys.
.520 "Temporary Sign" means any sign that is used only temporarily and is not permanently mounted or affixed to the ground or any structure.
.530 "Tract Sign" means any real estate sign advertising a new development project, including the initial sale, lease or other disposition of more than one unit or lot of real property in any single contiguous grouping of units or lots of real property.
.540 "Under-Awning Sign" means a pedestrian-oriented, double-sided sign hung over a walkway, or beneath an awning or arcade, perpendicular to the face of the building to which it is attached.
.550 "Valance" means the vertical face or flap of a canvas awning that hangs down, or is stretched down at the leading edge of the awning, and is frequently used for a painted sign identifying the business in a building to which the awning is attached.
.560 “Wall Sign” means a sign that is affixed to, or painted on, an exterior wall of that business’s tenant space in a manner that the wall becomes the supporting structure for, or forms the background surface of, the sign.
.570 "Wayfinding Sign means an off-site sign which may contain multiple sign panels intended to advertise and direct vehicular traffic to new residential developments, districts or public venues and that is implemented in conjunction with an approved Wayfinding Sign program.
.580 “Window Sign” means any words, picture, symbol, brand name, business name logo, including any negative or clear spaces between graphics, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale, or service, that is applied or attached to a window or located within five (5) feet of the inside of a window in a manner that it can be seen from the exterior of the structure. (Ord. 5920 1 (part); June 8, 2004: Ord. 6042 §§ 5 through 7; October 3, 2006: Ord. 6101 § 38; April 22, 2008: Ord. 6123 § 1; November 18, 2008; Ord. 6137 § 2: April 14, 2009: Ord. 6153 §§ 2 - 4; August 11, 2009: Ord. 6245 § 67; June 5, 2012: Ord. 6382 §§ 28 (part), 29; October 18, 2016: Ord. 6506 § 42; February 9, 2021: Ord. 6555 § 46; April 4, 2023.)