(A) Interpretation. All words used in the present tense shall include the future tenses, and all words in the singular shall include the plural. “Lot” includes the word “plot”, “building” includes the word “structure”, and the word “shall” is mandatory and not “discretionary”. The word “county”, as used herein, shall mean the County of San Benito, a political subdivision of the State of California, the words “Board of Supervisors” shall mean the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Benito, the words “Planning Commission” shall mean the Planning Commission of the County of San Benito, and the words “county boundary” shall mean the territorial boundary of the County of San Benito.
(B) Definition of certain terms. Unless specifically defined below, words or phases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this chapter its most reasonable application.
ACREAGE, NET. The remaining ground area after deleting all portions for proposed and existing streets within a development or subdivision.
CLASS 1 LIGHTING. All outdoor lighting used for activities where color rendition is essential to preserve the effectiveness of the activity. Designation of Class 1 requires a finding by the Planning Director of the essential nature of color rendition for the lighting application. Recognized Class 1 uses are: outdoor eating and retail food and beverage service areas; outdoor manufacturing areas; display lots; outdoor assembly areas such as concert or amphitheater; service station canopies.
CLASS 2 LIGHTING. All outdoor lighting used for, but not limited to, illumination for walkways, roadways, equipment yards, parking lots and outdoor security where general illumination for safety or security of the grounds is the primary concern.
CLASS 3 LIGHTING. Any outdoor lighting used for decorative effects including, but not limited to, architectural illumination, flag and monument lighting, and illumination of trees, bushes, and the like.
COUNTY ROADWAYS. The same meaning as the terms “highways” and “county highways”, as defined in Cal. Streets and Highways Code §§ 23 and 25.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. Any residential, commercial, industrial or mixed-use development plan, any application to amend the General Plan and zoning designation of specific property, and/or any other proposed use of real property which is submitted to the county for approval under Titles 23 (Subdivision Ordinance) or 25 (Zoning Ordinance) of this code.
DIRECT ILLUMINATION. Illumination resulting from light emitted directly from a lamp or luminaries, not light diffused through translucent signs or reflected from other surfaces such as the ground or building faces.
FULLY SHIELDED FIXTURE. An outdoor light fixture shielded in such a manner that all light emitted by the fixture, either directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture, is projected below the horizontal plane as determined by photometric test or certified by the manufacturer.
INSTALLED LIGHTING. A light fixture that is attached, or fixed in place, whether or not connected to a power source.
LUMEN. The unit used to measure the actual amount of light that is produced by a lamp.
LUMINARIES. The complete lighting assembly, less the support assembly. For purposes of determining total light output from luminaries, lighting assemblies that include multiple unshielded, partially or fully shielded lamps on a single pole or standard shall be considered as a single unit.
LUMINOUS TUBE. A glass tube filled with a gas of gas mixture (including neon, argon, mercury or other gases), usually of small diameter (ten to 15 millimeters), caused to emit light by the passage of an electric current, and commonly bent into various forms for use as decorations or signs. A “neon” tube does not include common fluorescent tubes.
MULTI-CLASS LIGHTING. Any outdoor lighting used for more than one purpose, such as security and decoration, such that its use falls under the definition of two or more classes as defined for Class 1, 2 and 3 lighting.
NEON SIGN. A sign including luminous tubes formed into text, symbols or decorative elements that are directly visible from outside the sign cabinet. For purposes of this chapter, the signs are considered as opaque-background internally illuminated signs.
OPAQUE. Material that does not transmit light from an internal illumination source.
OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURES. Outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices, outdoor lighting or reflective surfaces, lamps and similar devices, either permanently installed or portable, which are used for illumination or advertisement. The devices shall include, but are not limited to, search, spot and floodlights for:
(a) Buildings and structures;
(b) Recreational areas;
(c) Parking lot lighting;
(d) Landscape and architectural lighting;
(e) Billboards and other signs (advertising or other);
(f) Street lighting; and
(g) Product display area lighting.
OUTDOOR LIGHT OUTPUT, TOTAL. The initial amount of light, measured in lumens, from all lamps used in outdoor light fixtures including all lights and luminous tubing for Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and multi-class lighting, and lights used for external illumination of signs but not including lights used to illuminate internally illuminated signs or luminous tubing used in neon signs. For lamp types that vary in their output as they age (such as high-pressure sodium, fluorescent and metal halide), the initial lamp output as defined by the manufacturer, is the value to be considered. For determining compliance with Zones I, II and III requirements of this chapter, the light emitted from outdoor light fixtures is to be included in the total output as follows:
(a) Outdoor light fixtures installed on poles (such as parking lot luminaries), light fixtures installed on the sides of buildings or other structures, and interior light fixtures installed in open-sided barns, arenas or similar structures, when not shielded from above by the structure itself as defined in divisions (b) and (c) of this definition, are to be included in the total outdoor light output by simply adding the rated lumen outputs of the lamps used;
(b) Outdoor light fixtures installed under canopies, building overhangs or roof eaves where the center of the lamp or luminaries is located at least five feet but less than ten feet from the nearest edge of the canopy or overhang are to be included in the total outdoor light output as though they produced only one-quarter of the lamp’s rated lumen output;
(c) Outdoor light fixtures located under the canopy and ten or more feet from the nearest edge of a canopy, building overhang or eave are to be included in the total outdoor light output as though they produced only one-tenth of the lamp’s rated lumen output.
OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITY. An area designed for active outdoor recreation, whether publicly or privately owned, including, but not limited to, baseball diamonds, soccer and football fields, golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools.
PERSON. Any individual, lessee, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, corporation or agent of the aforementioned groups or the county or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
PLANNING DIRECTOR. The Director of Planning for the county.
PRIVATE ROADWAYS. All privately owned roads, streets, lanes, alleys, cul-de-sacs and other byways that do not meet the definition of “county roadways”.
SIGN. Any medium, including its structure and component parts, which is used or intended for advertising purposes other than the unilluminated painting on the surface of a building.
SIGN, EXTERNALLY ILLUMINATED. Any sign illuminated by light sources from the outside of the sign cabinet.
SIGN, INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED. Any sign which has the source of light entirely enclosed within the sign and not directly visible to the eye.
TEMPORARY LIGHTING. Lighting which does not conform to the provisions of this chapter and which will not be used for more than one 30-day period within a calendar year, with one 30-day extension. TEMPORARY LIGHTING is intended for uses that by their nature are of limited duration; e.g. holiday decorations, civic events or construction projects.
USE, ABANDONMENT OF. The relinquishment of a property right, or the cessation of a use of or activity on real property, by the owner or tenant thereof for a continuous period of one year, excluding temporary or short term interruptions for the purpose of remodeling, maintaining or otherwise improving or rearranging a facility. A use shall be deemed abandoned when the use is suspended as evidenced by the cessation of activities or conditions that constitute the principle use of the property.
WATT. The unit used to measure the electrical power consumption of a lamp.
(1966 Code, § 32-3) (Ord. 748 § 1(part))