Unless the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, the following definitions govern the construction of the words and phrases used in this article.
ABANDONED SIGN - Any sign that no longer advertises a business, tenant, owner, product, service, or activity on the site where the sign is displayed.
ACCESSORY SIGN - A permanently mounted sign that is designed to facilitate the announcement of credit cards, hours of business, or other incidental matters, and which does not announce or advertise the products, goods, or services directly related to the business conducted on the premises.
AGRICULTURAL SIGN - A sign which identifies any agricultural business, farm, or ranch use on the property on which it is placed or which advertises agricultural produce for sale on premises.
ANIMATED SIGN - A sign with action or motion, flashing, or color changes requiring electrical energy, but not including wind-actuated elements such as flags, banners, or specialty items, and public service signs such as time and temperature units.
BANNER - A strip of cloth, thin plastic, or other flexible material on which a sign is painted, printed, or otherwise displayed.
CAMPAIGN SIGN - A temporary freestanding sign erected for candidates or issues in an upcoming election.
CANOPY - A permanent roofed structure that provides shelter and that projects from a building wall or is supported by columns, such as false mansards, projecting facade facings, service station pump island shelters, and other architectural features which project from a building wall above a height of eight feet.
CANOPY SIGN - A sign attached to or constructed in a canopy. Those signs suspended beneath the canopy and perpendicular to the building facade are projecting signs.
CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN - A sign that has changeable copy, regardless of method of attachment or materials of construction.
Figure 48-4
Sign Types
CITY MANAGER - The City Manager or designee.
COMMERCIAL COPY or COMMERCIAL MESSAGE - A message displayed on a sign which pertains primarily to the name, location, products, or services of a for profit business or profession.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT SIGN - A temporary sign stating the names of individuals or firms directly connected with the work on a building or facility under construction or alteration; a temporary sign announcing the future use of the property on which the sign is located.
DEALERSHIP - means the use of any building, land area, or other premises for the display and sale of new or used automobiles, panel trucks, vans, trailers, or recreation vehicles, including any repair service conducted as an accessory service.
DIRECTIONAL SIGN - On-site incidental signs designed to guide or direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic and which contain no matter specifying products or services.
DIRECTOR - the Planning Director, or designee.
EXEMPT SIGN - An allowable sign not requiring a permit under this chapter.
EXPIRED SIGN - A sign with a commercial message promoting an event for a certain date which passed by more than seven days.
FLAG - A piece of fabric, thin plastic, or other piece of flexible material, usually rectangular in shape, with a distinctive design used as a symbol or signaling device and usually displayed hanging free from a staff or pole to which it is attached by one side. FLAGS include, without limitation, pennants and streamers.
FREESTANDING SIGN - A sign not attached to a building but is instead supported from the ground by one or more poles or posts and with or without braces
and is permanently mounted in a fixed location and greater than six feet in height.
FREEWAY ORIENTED SIGN - A sign that is located and oriented to be primarily visible to motorists on a freeway or freeway ramp.
ILLUMINATED SIGN - A sign designed to emit or reflect artificial light, or a sign that uses a source of light to make characters or a message more readable.
INFLATABLE SIGN - An object made of an airtight material, generally greater than 18 inches in diameter at its widest point, filled with air or gas to form a three dimensional shape and used as a sign.
MAIN BUILDING - A building which is used for the principal use of the parcel upon which it is located or where a business' principal activity occurs. More than one main building may be located on a parcel.
MASTER SIGN PLAN - Plans and specifications establishing the design, materials, and placement of signs within a subdivision. MASTER SIGN PLANS are intended to help promote signs of superior quality and creativity in a particular area within the city. MASTER SIGN PLANS do not include temporary banners.
MONUMENT SIGN - A freestanding sign with a solid base, where the bottom of the sign is in contact with or close to the ground. Not greater than six feet in height.
MOVING SIGN - Any sign that has any visible moving parts, visible revolving parts, or visible mechanical movement. The definition includes signs that emit smoke, steam or vapors and signs that create an illusion of motion.
MURAL PAINTING - A large-scale painting either painted directly on or attached to the wall of a building such that it is an integral part of the wall.
NONCOMMERCIAL COPY - A message that pertains primarily to matters other than commercial products, services or activities.
NONCONFORMING SIGN - A sign that was legally erected before a change in applicable law and fails to conform to applicable law because of such change. A NONCONFORMING SIGN may fail to conform with current laws because of its type, size, location, display of motion, type of lighting, or other factor addressed in applicable law.
OFFSITE SIGN - A sign that identifies, advertises, or directs attention to businesses, buildings, occupancies, accommodations, goods, services, or activities supplied or originated outside of the specific establishment, property, or business or industrial complex where the sign is displayed. The onsite/offsite distinction applies only to commercial copy.
ON-SITE SIGN - A sign which identifies or promotes an establishment, business or building, accommodations, goods, services, commodities, or activities that are available or conducted within the specific establishment, property, or business or industrial complex where the sign is displayed. The onsite/offsite distinction applies only to commercial copy.
PERMITTED - Indicates that an allowable sign may be legally displayed only with a permit issued by the city. The definition includes alternative forms of the word such as "permissible" and "permittable."
PERMITTEE - A person or entity to which the city issues a permit pursuant to this chapter.
PORTABLE SIGN - A sign that by the nature of its construction or mounting is easily moved. A PORTABLE SIGN includes, without limitation, signs mounted on wheels, watercraft, and aircraft; signs that are leaned against another structure; signs held in place by gravity that are easily dislodged; signs easily detached from mounting devices; and signs that are held or mounted upon humans or animals.
PROJECTING SIGN - A sign that is attached to a wall and projects horizontally from a structure by more than 12 inches and uses the building wall as its primary source of support.
ROOF SIGN - Any sign erected and constructed wholly on and over the roof of a building, supported by the roof structure, and extending vertically above the highest portion of the roof.
SIGN - Any structure, device, or material, temporary or permanent, fixed or portable, moving or stationary, whether located inside or outside a building, that is visible from any property where the primary purpose of the sign is to convey visual communication. SIGN does not include the following:
(1) Interior signs that are located entirely within an enclosed structure and not visible from the exterior;
(2) Building features that are only decorative or architectural and do not include lettering, trademarks, or moving parts;
(3) Symbols of noncommercial organizations or concepts including, without limitation, religious or political symbols when they are permanently integrated into the structure of a building;
(4) Items or devices of personal apparel, decoration or appearance including, without limitation, tattoos or makeup;
(5) Marks on tangible products that identify the maker, seller, provider or product, and that customarily remain attached to the product even after completion of a sale;
(6) Traffic, directional, emergency, warning or informational signs required or authorized by a government agency having jurisdiction;
(7) Public utility signs;
(8) Advertisements or banners mounted on duly licensed mass transit vehicles including, without limitation, buses and trains, that legally pass through the city;
(9) Grave stones or grave markers;
(10) Insignia located on legal vehicles and water craft including, without limitation, license plates, registration insignia, noncommercial messages, messages relating to the business for which the vehicle is an instrument or tool, and messages relating to the proposed sale, lease or exchange of vehicles or watercraft;
(11) Foundation stones and corner stones if cut into any masonry surface or inlaid to be part of a building when constructed of bronze or other incombustible material; and
(12) Newsracks and newsstands.
SIGN AREA - The face or display area of a sign, including its border only when the border carries or displays part of the message or copy.
SPECIAL EVENT - An event that is outside the scope of normal operation of an establishment. By way of example, not limitation, SPECIAL EVENTS may include short term sales or promotional events, grand opening or remodeling sales, and other, similar, types of events.
TEMPORARY FREESTANDING SIGN - Any temporary sign not attached to a building but is instead supported from the ground by one or more poles or posts and with or without braces, and is within the dimensions outlined in this Code (Temporary Freestanding Signs).
TEMPORARY SIGN - Any portable sign, banner, pennant, valance, or advertising display constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, paper, cardboard, wallboard, or other light materials with or without frames mounted in a nonpermanent manner.
TOTAL FIRST FLOOR FRONTAGE GLASS AREA - Total glass area of the first floor of a building or tenant bay. The glass area may include Plexiglas, plastic window sheeting, glass block and other clear or translucent window materials located on the front of the first floor of the building or tenant bay.
VEHICLES - All motorized, non-motorized, operable, non-operable, registered, or unregistered vehicles within the city's jurisdiction including, without limitation, wheeled vehicles, aircraft over which the city has regulatory jurisdiction, and watercraft. A vehicle does not include aircraft with a valid waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration for towing aerial signs pursuant to 14 Code of Federal Regulations § 91.311.
WALL SIGN - A sign fastened to or painted on the wall of a building or structure with the exposed face of the sign in a plane parallel to the plane of said wall. Such a sign does not project more than 12 inches from the building or structure wall, and any portion thereof above the building's roof peak, parapet, or facade does not exceed 30% of the height of the sign.
WINDOW SIGN - Any sign painted or affixed to the inside or outside of a window surface, or otherwise located within a building so as to be visible from the exterior of the building.
(Ord. 1122, passed 10-18-04; Am. Ord. 1172, passed 7-2-07)