For the purposes of this article, certain terms and words are classified and defined as follows:
(A) Classification by sign content. The following terms, words, and definitions comprise a comprehensive listing of signs differentiated by content. Any sign which is not expressly listed shall be considered to be included within the definition (with the most similar characteristics) which describes its content:
(1)
ACCESSORY SIGN. A sign which, separately from a business identification sign, announces or advertises a product, commodity, or service incidentally offered or provided on the premises. ACCESSORY SIGN shall also include a sign announcing or advertising a rating or special status of the business conducted upon the premises.
(2)
ADVERTISING SIGN. A sign which directs attention to a business, profession, commodity, service, or entertainment which is conducted, sold, or offered at a location other than on the same lot or parcel upon which the sign is located.
(3)
BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign which identifies, announces, endorses, or provides directions or other necessary information about the principal business, industry, profession, product, service, or entertainment conducted or offered upon the lot or parcel where the sign is located.
(4)
CIVIC SIGN. A sign which identifies or states the location of, describes the services available or performed upon, describes the function of and the activities conducted upon, or states the conditions or uses of premises or facilities used, maintained, or owned by a governmental entity, educational institution, society or association, religious society or association, church, recreation society or association, medical institution, group or society, or public utility.
(5)
DEVELOPMENT SIGN. A sign of a temporary nature which announces the anticipated sale, lease, or rental or the character of facilities being constructed or altered or which identifies persons or firms engaged in the promotion, design, construction, or alteration thereof.
(6)
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A sign which directs, facilitates, or controls the movement of pedestrians or vehicles. DIRECTIONAL SIGN shall also include a sign which identifies by name or symbol the entrance to some form of development complex.
(7)
POLITICAL SIGN. A sign which is designed to influence the action of the voters for the passage or defeat of a measure appearing on the ballot at any national, state, or local election or which is designed to influence the action of the voters for the election or defeat of a candidate for nomination or election to any public office at any national, state, or local election.
(8)
REALTY SIGN. A sign of a temporary nature which pertains to the sale, lease, rental, or display of an existing lot, building, or other property.
(9)
RESIDENTIAL SIGN. A sign on a lot or parcel showing the name or address of the residential facility or structure located thereon and/or the name of the residents residing there.
(B) Classification by physical type. The following terms, words, and definitions comprise a comprehensive listing of signs differentiated by physical type or means of support. Any sign which is not expressly listed shall be considered to be included within the definition (with the most similar characteristics) which describes the physical type:
(1)
AWNING SIGN. Any sign attached to or painted on an awning. AWNING shall mean a rigid or movable shelter supported entirely from the exterior wall of a building and of a type which may be retracted or folded against the face of the supporting building.
(2)
BANNER or PENNANT SIGN. Any display of three signs or less which are painted or printed on lightweight flexible material and hung from a staff or other device by ropes, wires, or similar means.
(3)
FREESTANDING SIGN. Any sign standing directly on the ground or attached to any support other than a building, whether or not the principal purpose of such support is to display the sign, or any sign affixed to a freestanding canopy when such canopy has a roof area of less than 200 square feet.
(4)
GROUND SIGN. Any freestanding sign with a maximum height of eight feet.
(5)
PROJECTING SIGN. Any sign, other than a wall, roof, or marquee sign, which is supported by a building and projects outward therefrom or which is attached to the top, except for the edge, of a marquee.
(6)
ROOF SIGN. Any sign, other than a wall or projecting sign, which stands directly on the roof of a building, or the parapet wall of a building, or on a freestanding canopy or similar structure with a roof area of 200 square feet or more.
(7)
THEATER MARQUEE SIGN. An on-site sign attached to a canopy, porch, or similar covering structure, other than an awning, which projects more than 18 inches from the building to which it is attached and the purpose of which is to advertise or promote a theater use.
(8)
WALL SIGN. Any sign posted or painted on, suspended from, or otherwise affixed in an essentially flat position to the wall of a building or the wall of a pylon, tower, or similar structure which may project above the roof of the building but which is structurally and architecturally a part of such building.
(9)
WIND SIGN. A display of more than three streamers, pennants, whirligigs, or similar devices made of flexible lightweight material, strung together or attached in such a manner as to move by wind pressure.
(10) WINDOW SIGN. Any sign which is posted or painted on or otherwise affixed to a display window or any sign placed within four feet of a window and which is visible through a display window. Window signs of up to four square feet shall be allowed for store hours and identification purposes without deducting from the square footage allowed for the use by the provisions of this article. Any window sign in excess of four square feet shall be considered in the calculation to derive the overall square footage of signs.
(C) Classification by characteristics. The following terms, words, and definitions are a noncomprehensive listing of sign characteristics pertaining to duration, operation, and design:
(1)
FIXED ILLUMINATION SIGN. Any sign illuminated by means of electricity, luminous tubes, gas flames, or similar sources when such illumination is maintained constant in intensity, color, and pattern during all periods of illumination.
(2)
FLASHING ILLUMINATION SIGN. Any sign illuminated by means of electricity, luminous tubes, gas flames, or similar sources when such illumination is not maintained constant in intensity, color, and pattern during all periods of illumination.
(3)
MOVING SIGN. Any sign in or on which any visible portion rotates or moves in any way.
(4)
TEMPORARY SALE SIGN. Any sign, other than a realty development sign, which announces a special sale or offering of a commodity or service produced or rendered on the premises where the sign is located and where such sale, commodity, or service is of a limited duration and the sign itself is removed at the end of such sale or offering.
(D) Other definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings and definitions set forth:
(1)
DISPLAY AREA.
(a) For wall, marquee, and awning signs, the “display area” is the area of the smallest geometric figure enclosing the outer limits of the writing, representation, emblem, or similar form of communication.
(b) For freestanding, roof, projecting, and banner or pennant signs, the “display area” is the entire sign, exclusive of uprights or other structural members, except that where a freestanding, roof, or projecting sign has two faces back-to-back which are approximately in parallel planes not more than 30 inches apart and exactly identical in size, the “display area” is the area of one face only. Where such signs have multiple sides or faces, including signs in the form of cylinders, spheres, or other types of three-dimensional figures, the entire surface is the “display area.”
(2)
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. The area in the city bounded on the north by the San Joaquin River (including the waterfront); on the east by E Street; on the south by Fourth Street; and on the west by J Street.
(3)
PARCEL. All contiguous land held in one ownership or under one management as indicated in the records of the County Assessor, except that if such land is divided by an existing or proposed public right-of-way, each division shall be a separate parcel.
(4)
SHOPPING CENTER. Five or more stores on a plot of ground at least 30,000 square feet in area with integrated off-street parking which meets the parking standards.
(5)
SIGN. In addition to the other definitions contained in this article, SIGN shall mean any writing, pictorial representation, symbol, registered trademark, flag, or any similar figure used to identify, announce, direct attention, advertise, or communicate, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the background, which sign is located on or outside a building, is on the inside face of a display window, or is located within four feet of a display window and is visible from outside a building.
(6)
STREET FRONTAGE.
(a) The portion of a property line separating a lot or parcel from a permanently reserved thoroughfare, which frontage affords the principal means of egress and ingress, including side streets, but not including alleys.
(b) A lot or parcel shall be considered to have two or more street frontages if the property line abuts two or more separately designated, permanently reserved thoroughfares which afford the principal means of egress and ingress, including side streets, but not including alleys.
(Ord. 918-C-S, passed 5-28-96)