The words and phrases, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings:
ABANDONED ADVERTISING DISPLAY. Any display remaining in place or not maintained for a period of 120 days which no longer advertises or identifies an ongoing business, product, or service available on the business premises where the display is located.
ABANDONED ADVERTISING STRUCTURE. Any legal or legal nonconforming structure remaining in place or not maintained for a period of 120 days, which no longer.supports an advertising display which advertises or identifies an ongoing business, product, or service available on the business premises where the structure is located.
ABATEMENT. The process by which the city requires removal or conformance of signs relating to inoperative or no longer existing businesses, signs that do not conform to the provisions of this subchapter, and illegal signs.
ADVERTISING DISPLAY. All parts of a sign which are not a part of the advertising structure.
ADVERTISING STRUCTURE. Any structure, housing, sign device, figure, statuary, painting, display, message placard, or other contrivance, or any part thereof, which has been designed, constructed, created, engineered, intended or used to advertise, or to provide data or information in the nature of advertising.
ALTERATION. Any change in copy, color, size or shape, which changes the appearance of a sign or a change in position, height, location, construction or supporting structure of a sign, except that a copy change on a changeable copy sign is not an alteration.
ANIMATED SIGN. Any sign which has any visible moving part, flashing lights, visible mechanical movement of any description, or other apparent visible movement achieved by any means.
ATTACHED SIGN. Any sign which is permanently affixed to a building, except a painted sign.
AWNING. A shelter projecting from the exterior wall of a building and constructed of nonrigid materials except for the supporting framework.
BALLOON SIGN. A lighter-than-air or gas-filled balloon tethered to a fixed location.
BANNER SIGN. A nonpermanent sign composed of fabric, pliable plastic, paper, or other non- metallic light material not enclosed in a rigid frame.
BUILDING FACADE. All windows, doors, and wall areas of a building in one plane or elevation.
BUILDING FRONTAGE. The linear frontage of the width of a building facing on a principal street. Where a building faces two or more streets, the frontage, containing the principal street address shall be designated as the building frontage.
BUILDING IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign on which copy is limited to the name and address of a building or institution.
BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION SIGN. An on-site sign which serves to identify only the name and lawful use of individual businesses and sets forth no other advertisement.
CAN SIGN. A sign with advertising copy within a rigid frame, whether illuminated or not.
CANOPY. A fixed shelter of any material and of any length, projecting from and connected to a building and/or columns and/or posts from the ground, or supported by a frame extending from the ground.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN. A sign in which at least 50% of the sign area is designed to be used with removable graphics to allow the changing of copy.
CHANNEL LETTERS. Three dimensional individual letters or figures, illuminated or non- illuminated, which are fixed to a building or freestanding sign structure.
CIVIC EVENT SIGN. A sign posted to advertise, identify or provide direction to a civic or charitable event sponsored by the city, a school, church, civic-fraternal organization or similar noncommercial organization.
CONSTRUCTION SIGN. A temporary sign which identifies the future occupant, purpose for which the building is proposed, and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of those individuals' or businesses directly participating in construction on the property on which the sign is located.
CONVENIENCE SIGN. A small sign, emblem, or decal informing the public of goods, facilities, or services available on the premises, e.g., a credit card sign or a sign indicating hours of business.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN. A sign designed to guide or direct pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic and which is non-advertising in nature.
DIRECTORY SIGN. A single sign that identifies two or more businesses on a site.
DOUBLE-FACED SIGN. A sign which has two identical display surfaces back-to-back or against the same background, and in which one face is designed to be seen from one direction and the other from the opposite direction. A double-faced sign shall be considered as one sign for the purposes of this subchapter.
ELECTION SIGN. A sign which advertises a candidate for public office, a proposition or other issue to be voted on by the electorate.
ELECTRICAL SIGN. A sign or sign structure in which electrical wiring, connections or fixtures are used.
EMITTING SIGN. A sign which emits sound, color, or visible matter, such as smoke or steam.
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. The public employee or officer designated by the City Council to perform the enforcement duties imposed by this subchapter and by Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 5499.1 et seq.
EXPOSED NEON SIGN. A gas-filled tubing where the tubing is visible.
FLAG SIGN. A sign generally made of flexible material, usually cloth or plastic, of two dimensions that is suspended from a building facade from a pole, supporting rod or wire.
FREESTANDING SIGN. A sign which is permanently affixed in or upon the ground on a base and is not attached to nor a part of a building.
GENERIC ADVERTISING. The name of brand goods, products or services which by nature of the name indicates the type of use or businesses connected with the advertising.
GRADE. The ground level directly below a sign or immediately adjacent to its base or support. Where the ground level has been artificially raised for landscaping or other purposes, grade shall be measured from the level of the nearest curb of a public street.
GRAPHIC. A painted area which does not advertise any business, goods or service and which covers all or a major portion of a wall, building facade or structure, and shall be considered as an architectural embellishment and/or mural.
GRAPHIC SIGN. An illustration which is intended to portray a business or service without the use of words.
HEIGHT. The vertical distance from the grade to the top of the sign's highest element, including any structural element.
HOLIDAY DECORATION SIGN. A sign or display, including lighting, which is a nonpermanent installation celebrating national, state and/or local holidays or holiday seasons.
ILLEGAL ON-PREMISES ADVERTISING DISPLAY. An on-premises advertising display and connecting advertising structure which:
(1) Was erected without first complying with all ordinances and regulations in effect at the time of its construction and erection or use; or
(2) Was legally erected, but the use of which has ceased, or the structure upon which the display is placed has been abandoned by its owner, is substantially deteriorated, or not used to identify or advertise an ongoing business for a period of not less than 120 days; or
(3) Was legally erected, but which later became nonconforming as a result of the adoption of an ordinance, the amortization period for the display provided by the ordinance rendering the display nonconforming has expired, and conformance has not been accomplished; or
(4) Is a danger to the public or is unsafe; or
(5) Is a traffic hazard.
ILLUMINATED SIGN. A sign for which an artificial source of light is used in order to make the sign's message readable, including internally and externally lighted signs and reflectorized, glowing or radiating signs.
LEGAL NONCONFORMING SIGN. A sign which was legally installed under laws or ordinances in effect at the time of its installation, but which is in conflict with the later enacted provisions of an ordinance.
LOGO. A trademark or company name or symbol identifying the business or service provided and which may be all or part of a sign.
MARQUEE. A permanent, projecting roof structure attached to and supported by a building wall, which may project over a public right-of-way.
MARQUEE SIGN. A sign painted on or attached to or supported by a marquee.
MASTER SIGN PLAN. A coordinated program of signage for multiple establishments.
MONUMENT SIGN. A low-profile freestanding sign with a solid base on the ground of approximately the same dimension as the height of the sign, and which is designed to incorporate design and building materials which complement the architectural theme of the buildings on the premises.
MURAL. A picture on an exterior surface of a structure that does not pertain to any business, product or service.
NAMEPLATE. A nonelectric, on-premises identification sign which contains only the name and address of an occupant or group of occupants of a property.
NEON SIGN. A sign with tubing that is internally illuminated by neon or other electrically charged gas.
OFF-PREMISES ADVERTISING DISPLAY. Any advertising display used or intended to advertise any establishment, product, business, goods or service not available on the premises where the display is located.
ON-PREMISES ADVERTISING DISPLAY. An advertising display for any of the following purposes:
(1) To designate, identify, or indicate the name or business of the owner or occupant of the premises upon which the advertising display is located; or
(2) To advertise the business conducted, services available or rendered, or the goods produced, sold, or available for sale upon the property where the advertising display has been lawfully erected.
PAINTED SIGN. A sign which is painted directly onto a building or structure.
PENNANT. A device generally made of flexible materials, such as cloth, paper or plastic, which may not contain copy and which is primarily intended to draw attention.
POLE SIGN. A sign which is elevated from the ground by a pole or other narrow structure and not supported or attached to any building or structure.
POLITICAL SIGN. A sign advocating any political idea or measure which is to be voted on by the electorate.
PORTABLE SIGN. A sign which is capable of being carried or readily moved from one location to another and which is not permanent in nature. Such signs include, but are not limited to: A-frame signs, sandwich board signs, signs on wheels, and signs which lean onto a stationary object, building or structure.
PROJECTING SIGN. A sign, excluding roof signs, attached to, supported by, or suspended from any part of a building or structure and projecting more than 12 inches therefrom.
REAL ESTATE SIGN. A temporary sign which advertises the sale, lease, rental, or other disposition of the property upon which it is located.
ROOF SIGN. A sign erected upon a roof or above the parapet wall of a building and which is wholly or partially supported by said building.
SIGN. Any object or device which is designed, intended, used or located so as to be visible by the public from outdoors for the purpose of advertising the property, establishment or enterprise, including goods and services, upon which the sign is located. This definition shall include all parts, portions, frame, background, structure, support and anchorage thereof.
SIGN AREA. The entire area within a single continuous perimeter composed of a square or a rectangle which encloses the extreme limits of the advertising message, announcement, display, logo, picture or any figure of a similar nature, together with any frame, background area of sign, structural trim, or other material, color, or condition which forms an integral part of the display, excluding the necessary supports, architectural accouterments, or uprights on which sign is placed.
SIGN COPY. Any words, letters, numbers, figures, designs or other symbolic representation incorporated into a sign.
SIGN STRUCTURE. A structure of any kind or character erected or maintained for advertising purposes on which any sign, billboard, poster, bill, printing, painting, or other advertisement of any kind may be placed.
SITE. All of the contiguous ground area which has been legally assembled into one development location.
STREET FRONTAGE. The linear dimension of a lot or parcel of land along or fronting upon a street or streets.
SPECIAL EVENT SIGN. Any temporary or nonpermanent sign which advertises or pertains to any civic, patriotic or special event of general public interest.
SUBDIVISION IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A freestanding or wall sign which is permanent and identifies a recognized subdivision, condominium complex or residential development.
SUBDUED LIGHTING. A light intensity, whether from internal or external illumination, of not greater than 75 foot lambert when measured with a standard light meter perpendicular to the face of the sign from a distance equal to the narrowest dimension of the sign.
TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign which is nonpermanent and is intended to be displayed for a period of time not to exceed 90 days.
TOTAL SIGN AREA. The combined permitted and permanent sign areas of all signs on any one lot, site, building, structure or other premises, excluding the area of signs specifically exempted from the provisions of this subchapter.
TRIM. Any molding, battens, capping, matting strips, latticing, or platforms which may be attached to a sign or sign structure.
UNDER CANOPY SIGN. A sign which is suspended beneath a canopy, marquee, ceiling, roof or eave.
VEHICLE. A sign placed on a vehicle or trailer which is parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying said sign. This does not apply to portable signs or signs or lettering on buses, taxis or vehicles operating during the normal course of business.
WALL SIGN. A single-faced sign attached to and parallel to the building facade.
WINDOW SIGN. A sign installed inside or on a window and intended to be viewed from the outside.
('65 Code, § 9-3.2403) (Ord. 445-C.S., passed 5-16-95)