(a) The purpose of this Chapter is to establish standards for the fabrication, erection, and use of signs, and to regulate the location, type, size, and height of signage for all properties within the City of Canyon Lake. The adoption of this Chapter reflects the formal finding of fact by the City Council of the City of Canyon Lake that regulation of signage advances the following compelling governmental interests:
(1) Reducing signage that the City has determined to be a cause of unsafe traffic and visibility conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and passengers.
(2) Protecting pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and passengers from injury caused by the faulty and uncontrolled construction and use of signs within the City.
(3) Protecting pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and passengers from injury caused by distractions, obstructions, and hazards created by certain signs or by cluttered, distracting, or illegible signage.
(4) Promoting the public welfare, health, and safety of all persons using public thoroughfares and rights-of way within the City of Canyon Lake in relation to the signage displayed thereon, or overhanging, or projecting into such public spaces.
(5) Preserving the value of private property by assuring the compatibility of signs with surrounding land uses.
(6) Assuring that those public benefits derived from expenditures of public funds for the improvement and beautification of public streets and other public structures and spaces are protected by exercising reasonable controls over character and design of signage.
(7) Advancing the aesthetic goals of the City throughout the community and ensure the effectiveness and flexibility in the design, creativity, or use of signage without creating a detriment to the general public.
(b) The provisions of this Chapter are not intended to abrogate any easements, covenants, conditions, restrictions, or agreements which are more restrictive than the provisions hereof. The provisions of this Chapter are in addition to the Canyon Lake Property Owners Association (POA) requirements which are enforced separately.
(c) Furthermore, this Chapter leaves ample and adequate alternative channels of commercial speech communication for the messages portrayed on advertising signs - namely, distributed print media, broadcast media, and point-of-purchase display - and is narrowly defined so as to limit said prohibition to commercial speech on exterior signage and signage intended to be viewed from beyond the boundaries of a site.
(d) The penalties of the City of Canyon Lake Municipal Code may be applicable to violations of the provisions of this title.
(e) Any sign authorized by this Chapter may contain a noncommercial message.
(Ord. 221, passed 7-6-2022)