For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
A-FRAME. A freestanding sign usually hinged at the top, or attached in a similar manner, and widening at the bottom to form a shape similar to the letter “A”. Such signs are usually designed to be portable; hence they are not considered permanent signs.
ABANDONED SIGN. A sign which no longer correctly directs or attracts any person, nor advertises an existent bona fide business or related activities and products from the premises on which such sign is displayed.
ANIMATED SIGN. Signs that have moving parts (inclusive of rotating signs) or lighting or motion picture projection, which creates the illusion of moving parts; animated viewing screens; flashing, chasing, scintillating or twinkling lights.
AREA OF SIGNS. The area of the sign shall be determined by circumscribing the exterior limits of the mass of each display with a rectangle, parallelogram or other acceptable geometric figure connecting all extreme points, but excluding any reasonable embellishments and the necessary supports or uprights. If the sign consists of more than one section or module, all areas will be totaled.
AWNING. A temporary or permanent structure attached to, or supported by a building, designed for aesthetics, or shelter over a pedestrian or vehicular way and which may or may not project over public property.
BANNER SIGNS. A temporary sign composed of lightweight material not enclosed in a rigid frame, secured or mounted to allow movement of the sign by the atmosphere.
BARBER POLE. A stationary cylindrical pole of red, white and blue spiral stripe design and which identifies a barbershop.
BILLBOARD. Any sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, industry or other activity which is not sold, offered or conducted on the premises upon which such sign is located, or to which it is affixed.
BUILDING FACADE. That portion of any exterior elevation of a building extending vertically from the grade to the top of a parapet wall or eave, and horizontally across the entire width of the building elevation.
BUILDING FRONT. That portion of the main building which affords public entry. In the case of more than one public entry, the entrance with the assigned address shall be considered the main public entry for computation purposes.
BUILDING FRONTAGE. The length of the side of a building, which faces directly upon a public street. For the purposes of this chapter, FACES DIRECTLY UPON A PUBLIC STREET shall mean the area formed by extending perpendicular lines to the street from the two building sides. This definition does not include any portion of a building that intersects any portion of another structure fronting onto an adjacent street or any portion of another lot. If a building is curved or triangular, the BUILDING FRONTAGE shall be the shortest distance between the points on the outside extremity of the building elevation measured parallel to the public street upon which the building fronts.
BUILDING IDENTIFICATION SIGN. Signage that is limited to the name of the tenant or business where the logo or the tenant or business does not contain product information.
BULLETIN BOARD. A sign used to announce a coming event or attraction or used to convey a specific message related to the building or use of the property in which the bulletin board is located. In all zones, BULLETIN BOARDS, which are displayed so as to be viewed from a public street, highway, parking lot, walkway or mall shall be subject to the sign regulations of the zone in which the building or property is located.
CANOPY. A permanent roof structure of covering extending along part or all of a building facade, but not over a public right-of-way.
CANOPY SIGN. A sign that is constructed in or on, attached to the face or suspended below a canopy or cantilevered covered walkway or arcade, whether parallel to or at right angles to the face of the building.
CIVIC SIGN. A sign, other than a commercial sign, posted to advertise a civic event, public agency, school, church, civic-fraternal organization or similar noncommercial organization.
COMMERCIAL ZONE AREA. All areas within the city zoned for commercial use.
COMMUNITY DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A sign informing the direction to a community service organization, public facility or a church.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN. Signs located on a site during construction, which informs of new buildings opening dates, leasing opportunities and/or identifies the architects, engineers, contractors and financiers.
CURB LINE. The line at the face of the curb nearest the roadway.
DILAPIDATED SIGN. Any sign or element of a sign which is excessively weathered or structurally unsound, or where the copy can no longer be seen or understood by a person with normal eyesight under normal viewing conditions.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A directional or informational sign designed to direct and guide pedestrian and vehicular traffic while said traffic is on a parcel or real property.
DISTRICT. Zoning district.
ERECT. To erect, construct, attach, hang, place, suspend, paint, post or affix, but shall not include change of copy.
FLASHING SIGN. Any sign in which the illumination source alternately is on and off when the sign is energized.
FREESTANDING SIGN. A sign wholly supported by one or more uprights, poles or upright members in or upon the ground, which are not part of, or supported by a building, and are not temporary in nature.
FREEWAY. A highway to which the owners of abutting property have no right of easement or access to or from their property, and which is declared to be such in compliance with the California Streets and Highways Code.
FREEWAY SIGN. Any professional, retail/commercial, or industrial use located on property within 500 feet of the State Highway 99 right-of-way.
GROUND SIGN. A freestanding sign six feet or less in height with a base or method of support, which is an integral part of the sign.
HISTORIC SIGN. A sign which exceeds 50 years in age and exhibits historic, cultural or aesthetic qualities that embody or represent the character of the city.
IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign identifying an apartment, residence, school, church or other nonbusiness use or a use allowed on a lot in a residential zone.
ILLUMINATED SIGN. Any sign which has characters, letters, figures, designs or outlines illuminated by electric lights, or luminous tubes as a part of the sign.
INCIDENTAL SIGN. A sign that has a purpose secondary to the use of the property where it is located. Generally informational, these signs include posting of “no parking”, “loading only” and other similar directives. No sign with a legible commercial message shall be considered incidental.
INDUSTRIAL ZONE DISTRICT. All areas within the city zoned for industrial use.
INSTITUTIONAL SIGN. Any identification signs for churches, schools, fraternal organizations, hospitals, public facilities and institutional uses.
LOGO SIGN. An established trademark or symbol identifying a product or use.
MARQUEE. Any permanent roofed structure, projecting over public property or right-of-way, attached to and supported by a building.
MONUMENT SIGN. Any “freestanding sign”, as defined herein, which does not exceed a height of five feet.
MURAL. A permanent picture painted directly on an exterior wall or on panels affixed to exterior walls.
MURAL PERMIT. A permit issued by the city authorizing the painting of a mural within the city.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN. Any sign that advertises goods, products, services or facilities not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished on the premises on which the sign is located.
PARKING LOT SIGN. A sign that is placed or displayed on a parking lot to supply information to people using such lot, including information with respect to liability as well as entry, exit and directional information, as is necessary to facilitate the safe movement of vehicles served by the parking area.
PERMANENT SIGN. Every sign except temporary signs.
POLE SIGN. A freestanding sign independently supported by one or more poles.
POLITICAL SIGN. A temporary sign designed for the purpose of expressing support for, or opposition to, a political candidate, campaign issue, or proposition at a public election.
PORTABLE FREESTANDING SIGN. Any sign that is designed to be movable and is not structurally attached to the ground, a building, a structure, or any other sign. Such portable sign may or may not be in the configuration of an “A”.
PROJECTING SIGN. Any sign other than a wall sign which is suspended from or supported by a building or wall and which projects more than 12 inches therefrom.
READER BOARD. A sign constructed so that individual letters or other advertising material can easily be changed, used only by businesses, activities or uses that depend on frequently changing events.
REAL ESTATE SIGN. A sign that is a temporary sign advertising the sale, lease or rent of the property upon which it is located, which may include the identification of the person or firm handling such sale, lease or rent, and an attached rider providing additional information about the property.
RESIDENTIAL ZONE DISTRICT. All areas zoned within the city for residential use.
REVOLVING SIGN. A sign which rotates in either part of or a full circle.
ROOF SIGN. Any sign erected upon, against or directly above a roof, or projecting above the roofline of the building.
ROOFLINE. The ridge of the roof or the top of the parapet, whichever forms the top line of the building silhouette.
ROTATING SIGN. Any sign which physically moves about on an axis.
SHOPPING CENTER. Any combination of five or more separately owned or operated business establishments on a single or commonly owned parcel of land.
SHOPPING CENTER IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A freestanding sign used to identify a shopping center or group of businesses which function as an integral unit and does not reference or advertise any individual tenant.
SIGN. Any insignia, display board, bill, announcement, poster, picture, lithograph, map, plat, banner, bunting flag, pennant, balloon, valances, sample, model, structure or other device when erected or maintained out of doors in view of the general public, including application of such to window surface so as to be displayed to the exterior, used to announce, declare, demonstrate, display, advertise or attract the attention of the public, including, but not limited to, clocks, and barber poles or other similar devices, but shall not include display of the American flag or State of California flag.
SIGN AREA. The number of square feet of the smallest rectangular figures which a sign face can be enclosed.
SITE (INCLUSIVE OF PARCEL, LAND AND PREMISES). Only that portion of the site or building land area actually occupied by the building and/or contiguous improved surfaces (parking area and the like). This is not to be construed as including vacant or unimproved land under the same ownership or contiguous to the building site area; however, off premises parking lots shall be subject to identification signs as defined by “directional sign”.
SNIPE SIGN. Signs of a temporary nature advertising a specific event or product and which are illegally posted to trees, posts, poles, stakes, fences or similar support structures.
SUBDIVISION DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A directional or informational sign, located on a site other than the subdivision being advertised, and designed to direct or guide traffic to another location where new homes are available for sale.
TEMPORARY SIGN. Any sign approved for a limited period of time.
TIME AND TEMPERATURE SIGN. A sign or the portion of any sign that displays the current time and temperature in alternating sequence.
WALL SIGN. Any sign posted or painted on, suspended from or otherwise affixed to the wall of any building or structural part thereof, in essentially a flat position, with the exposed face of the sign approximately parallel to the plane of such wall and not extending more than 12 inches beyond the face of the building or structural part thereof.
WINDOW SIGN. Any sign maintained in or painted upon the surface of a window. Such signs include non-national advertising signs.
ZONE. One of the various classes of areas into which the city has been divided by this chapter.
(Ord. 596, passed 10-18-2011; Ord. 612, passed 4-1-2014)