This section shall apply to all districts designated by the zoning provision as commercial. This section shall specifically apply to the following zone districts: C1, C2, CN, CR, and CH.
(A) Commercial uses: freestanding signs.
(1) Size and height. The sign area of each face and the sign height shall not exceed those areas and height set forth in the following tables:
Each Street Frontage
|
Height
|
Face Area
|
0 - 50 | 6' | 20 Sq. Ft. |
51 - 100 | 8' | 30 Sq. Ft. |
101 - 150 | 10' | 40 Sq. Ft. |
151 - 200 | 12' | 50 Sq. Ft. |
201 - 400 | 14' | 60 Sq. Ft. |
401 - Plus | 20' | 100 Sq. Ft. |
Each Street Frontage of Development*
|
Height
|
Face Area
|
0 - 50 | 6' | 40 Sq. Ft. |
51 - 100 | 8' | 50 Sq. Ft. |
101 - 150 | 10' | 60 Sq. Ft. |
151 - 200 | 12' | 80 Sq. Ft. |
201 - 400 | 14' | 100 Sq. Ft. |
401 - Plus | 20' | 120 Sq. Ft. |
Each Street Frontage of
Center*
|
Height
|
Face Area
|
200 or less | 14' | 75 Sq. Ft. |
201 - 400 | 16' | 100 Sq. Ft. |
401 - 500 | 20' | 120 Sq. Ft. |
501 - Greater | 20' | 150 Sq. Ft. |
* In addition to the allowable freestanding sign allowance, shopping centers with a street frontage of 700 lineal feet or greater shall be allowed secondary tenant freestanding identification signs. The number of secondary signs shall not exceed one per main drive approach for a maximum of two. Sign area shall not exceed 100 square feet of sign area per sign, with individual panels of no more than ten square feet. Identification signs shall have a maximum height of 20 feet. Such signs shall be granted for minor tenants within the center, located more than 150 feet from the street the business intends to serve. | ||
(2) Location. The location of such signs shall not be less than one foot inside the property line and shall not interfere with the safety of vehicular traffic entering into or exiting from the business center or with vehicular street traffic or pedestrians. On corner lots, it is the intent of this section that signs not be placed at the corner of one street frontage to be viewed from another street frontage. Generally, multiple freestanding signs for independent businesses and business centers shall be centered on the street frontage on which they are placed.
(3) Number. Only one freestanding sign shall be allowed for and upon each street frontage. Without increasing the total freestanding sign allowance for corner parcels, the Planning Director may allow the linear footage of two or more connecting street frontages to be combined for corner parcels in order to obtain a greater face area for a freestanding sign along a particular frontage than would otherwise normally be permitted, subject to the following restrictions:
(a) The height of the freestanding sign does not exceed that otherwise permitted for the street frontage on which the sign is placed, based on values denoted for the linear footage on that street; and
(b) The combined face area of the freestanding sign does not exceed that otherwise permitted for the street frontage on which the sign is placed by more than 25%.
(4) Minor tenant directional signs. Shopping centers shall be allowed on-site directional signage for minor tenant identification. The number of directional signs shall not exceed one per main drive. Signs shall not exceed ten square feet of sign area per sign, with individual panels of no more than three square feet. Minor tenant directional signs shall have a maximum height of six feet and should architecturally integrate with the shopping center site. Signs shall be located a minimum of 40 feet from the nearest street property line, and the location shall be subject to approval by the Planning Director. It is not the intent of this section to create additional signs to be viewed from a public right-of-way.
(B) Commercial uses: on-building identification signs.
(1) Area allowed for frontages with public entrances. Each business frontage having a public entrance shall be permitted on-building identification signs with the allowable area computed in accordance with Table E as follows:
Building Entrance Setback from Property Line
|
Allowable Sign Area Formula
|
Minor Tenants Max. Allowable Sign Area
|
Major Tenants Max. Allowable Sign Area*
|
Major Tenant Greater Than Two Stories Tall
|
Less than or equal to 150 feet to the nearest street property line | One Sq. Ft. per each linear foot of occupancy frontage | 75 Sq. Ft. | 150 Sq. Ft. | 200 Sq. Ft. |
Building Entrance Setback from Property Line
|
Allowable Sign Area Formula
|
Minor Tenants Max. Allowable Sign Area
|
Major Tenants Max. Allowable Sign Area*
|
Major Tenant Greater Than Two Stories Tall
|
More than 150 feet to the nearest street property line | One and one-half Sq. Ft. per each linear foot of occupancy frontage | 100 Sq. Ft. | 200 Sq. Ft. | 250 Sq. Ft. |
* Major tenants having 100,000 square feet or more gross leasable area shall be eligible for additional on-building sign area under special approval by the Planning Director. In such cases, the Planning Director may increase the maximum allowable areas for major tenants set forth in Table E from 150 to 200 square feet where the building entrance setback is located less than or equal to 150 square feet from the nearest street property line; or from 200 to 300 square feet where the building entrance setback is located more than 150 feet from the nearest street property line; whichever applies. Without further increasing the allowed on-building sign area, the Planning Director may allow major tenants to transfer, in whole or in part, the on-building sign area allowance from a side street frontage without a public entrance to a frontage with a public entrance. | ||||
(2) Area allowed for street frontages without public entrances. Each business occupying the end of a building, having a street frontage without a public entrance, shall be permitted one-half square foot of sign area for each one foot of leased occupancy frontage. The maximum area shall be limited to 25 square feet.
(3) Minimum sign area. Each commercial use which has direct pedestrian access through an exterior building wall which is visible from a public right-of-way shall be allowed at least 25 square feet of building sign area, regardless of building occupancy frontage. Commercial uses having a sole access from the interior of any building or from an enclosed lobby or court shall not be allowed the minimum building wall sign area referred to in this section.
(4) Under canopy signs. Under canopy signs shall be allowed in commercial centers provided they shall not exceed six square feet in sign area, nor shall such sign extend lower than seven feet or higher than ten feet above the area over which it is suspended, and shall be mounted perpendicular to the building face. Such signs shall identify only a business name or profession location in a business center. Only one such sign shall be displayed per frontage with a public entrance.
(5) Transfer of sign area. When approved by the Planning Director, the sign area may be transferred in part or in whole from a frontage with a public entrance to one without a public entrance provided the signs on a given frontage do not exceed the allowable area, as computed in Table E set forth in division (B)(1) of this section.
(C) Temporary signs. Temporary signs shall be allowed at the following times:
(1) Holiday promotion periods. Within identified holiday periods, temporary promotion signs shall be limited to banners, painted window signs, and/or pennants, not to exceed in size the total allowable on building sign area for the business/use. Such signs may be displayed without a sign permit or prior approval by the city. The allowed holiday promotional display periods are as follows:
(a) Valentine's Day, and the preceding six days.
(b) Easter Sunday, and the preceding six days.
(c) Mother's Day, and the preceding four days.
(d) Independence Day, and the week (Monday - Sunday) thereof.
(e) Old Timers Day, and the week (Monday - Sunday) thereof.
(f) Halloween, and the preceding six days.
(g) Thanksgiving, the preceding ten days and the following three days.
(h) Christmas/New Year’s Holiday season (December 1st to December 31st).
(2) Additional promotion periods. In addition to the holiday promotional periods listed above, a business may display banners, painted window signs, pennants, and/or windblown devices/inflatable signs not to exceed in size the total allowable on building sign area for the business/use, during two additional 14 day periods each calendar year. The additional two-week (14 day) periods may be at the discretion of the business owner per the approval of the Planning Department. To display special promotion temporary signs, a business must obtain an approved Temporary Sign Permit from the Planning Department of the city. The application shall indicate the time period and type of display. Such signs may be used in conjunction with an event or sale, and may be displayed for 14 days maximum. Such promotional displays shall not list individual product prices. Special promotion periods may be used in place of a holiday promotion period (overlaid), as long as they do not extend the 14 day maximum period.
(D) Grand opening signs. A business may apply to the Planning Department for a special sign permit for grand opening signage. A-frame signs, I-frame signs and portable changeable copy signs shall be limited to only one grand opening and a maximum display time of 30 days per business, with a written request approved by the Planning Director.
(E) Going out of business. A business may apply to the Planning Department for a special sign permit in order to facilitate the liquidation of inventory for a closing business for a period not to exceed 90 calendar days. Such permit will be allowed only once for any business, with a written request approved by the Planning Director. Change of ownership, change of management, business remodel, or business renovation events are not valid.
(F) Special uses. See Table 1, Special Uses, set forth in § 10-6.13 of this chapter, for the signage (other than identified above) permitted in the commercial district.
(Ord. 864 C.S., passed 11-4-09)