A. General Prohibition. General Advertising Signs (billboards) are prohibited in all zones unless authorized by this Section in connection with the relocation of an existing legally established nonconforming billboard or in connection with the conversion of an existing static (non-digital) General Advertising Sign to digital General Advertising Sign.
B. Applicability. Any legal nonconforming General Advertising Sign may be considered as a candidate for relocation approval. Such General Advertising Signs may be relocated to a new site or relocated on the present site only in accordance with this Section.
C. Required Permits and Agreements.
1. Billboard Relocation/Conversion Agreement and Conditional Use Permit Required. The relocation or conversion of existing static General Advertising Signs to digital General Advertising Signs, or any modification to an existing General Advertising Sign, shall be subject to an approved Billboard Relocation/ Conversion Agreement and Conditional Use Permit.
2. Billboard Relocation/Conversion Agreement Parameters. The Billboard Relocation/Conversion Agreement shall include, but is not limited to, standards to regulate the following: sign size, "air time" for public service announcements, and any relocation or replacement provisions, and may include a revenue- sharing provision.
3. Lease or License Agreement. Construction and installation of General Advertising Signs on property owned by the City of San Bernardino or its related agencies may be accomplished by lease or license in lieu of a Billboard Relocation/Conversion Agreement, and any reference to a development agreement in this Chapter shall include leases or licenses on such properties.
D. Removal Requirement. In exchange for the right to locate one new replacement General Advertising Sign at a new site, or to modify characteristics of an existing legally established General Advertising Sign, such as sign area, height, and/or type, the following removal requirements apply:
1. Existing Sign Removal Prior to New Sign Installation. Any existing legally established General Advertising Sign shall be removed prior to the installation of an authorized replacement General Advertising Sign.
2. Number of Signs Required for Removal. Upon agreement between the sign owner and the City, the sign owner shall abandon a minimum of six legally nonconforming static General Advertising Sign faces and replace them with one new digital General Advertising Sign face, subject to the provisions of this Chapter.
E. Replacement of General Advertising Signs on the Same Site Without Modifications. An existing legally established General Advertising Sign may be replaced on the same site with another General Advertising Sign as a "like-for-like" replacement (i.e., same size, height, number of faces, and type).
F. Development Standards.
1. Location. A replacement or relocated General Advertising Sign shall be located on either:
a. City-owned property; or
b. Property in the CG, CR, IL, or IH zones that is within 200 feet of the outer edge of the I-10 freeway, I-215 freeway, and SR-210 freeway rights-of-way.
2. Size. The replacement sign area shall not exceed the sign area of the existing sign to be replaced, and in no event shall a replacement sign contain greater than 672 square feet of advertising sign area.
3. Static-Display Spacing Requirements. Spacing between static-display General Advertising Signs shall be:
a. Up to 100 square feet of sign face: 300 linear feet
b. Up to 300 square feet of sign face: 400 linear feet
c. Up to 672 square feet of sign face: 600 linear feet
4. Digital Sign Spacing Requirements. Digital General Advertising Signs shall be placed no closer than 1,000 feet from another Digital Sign (either general advertising or on-site) on the same side of the freeway or street.
5. Height. The height of each digital General Advertising Sign shall be limited to 50 feet above the grade of the adjacent street or freeway grade, as applicable, unless the applicant can demonstrate by a flag test or other means approved by the Community and Economic Development Director that clearly demonstrates greater height is needed for visibility.
6. Brightness. Digital General Advertising Signs shall comply with Section 19.22.070(B)(3).
(Ord. MC-1531, 06-03-20)