Unless otherwise restricted elsewhere in this chapter, all signs shall observe the building setback regulations for the property on which located; shall be no higher than the highest point of the roof line of the building located on the premises, or thirty feet, whichever is lower.

In the event there is no building on the property, the maximum height allowed shall be twenty feet.

No signs, placards, handbills or bumper stickers shall be affixed to telephone poles, public signs or other advertising structures.

All calculations of sign size will be based on calculation of the area of the exterior edge(s) of the entire sign.

The size, height, location and general appearance of signs shall be in harmony with the general area, and not constitute a hazard to vehicle or pedestrian traffic.

Signs which do not comply with the regulations contained herein may be removed by the county.

Advertising the sale, lease or rental of property on which located; not illuminated; not over six square feet in area; in any district and must be removed within ten days from the close of escrow;

Advertising the sale of any lots in a tract or subdivision upon which located; illuminated by indirect lighting only; not more than four feet by eight feet in size on any one face; not more than sixty-four square feet in total area on the premises; in any district and must be removed within sixty days of final sale of tract or subdivision or ten years from the date the tentative map is approved, whichever occurs first;

Permanent Subdivision Monuments. Identifying the subdivision upon which located; not more than thirty-two square feet on any one face, no more than two faces; not more than eight feet high; using earth tones (i.e., grays, browns, greens, beiges, straw, natural metals);

Generic real estate directional signs as approved by the planning department. No more than one generic directional sign shall be allowed at any road intersection.

Announcement and bulletin boards attached to the building; illuminated by indirect lighting only; not over sixteen square feet in area. Times at which the sign may be illuminated shall be limited to from sunset to ten p.m.;

Identifying the occupant of the premises; freestanding or attached to the building; illuminated by external, shielded lighting only; using nonfluorescent colors; not more than thirty-two square feet on any one face, no more than two faces. Sign design and appearance shall be submitted for approval with the use permit application for the proposed use.

Appurtenant to any permitted use on the premises; and home occupations conducted pursuant to Section 19.48.125 of this title; nonilluminated; located within the boundaries of the parcel meeting the following criteria: on parcels 4.99 acres or smaller, the sign shall not exceed two square feet in area, and must be located within ten feet of the dwelling on the property. On parcels five acres or larger, the sign may be up to four square feet in area, and may be located at any place within the boundaries of the property.

Bed and Breakfast Inns. Only one advertising structure (i.e., sign) which may be either freestanding or affixed to the main building shall be allowed. On parcels of five acres or more said sign shall not have an advertising surface of one side greater than sixteen square feet. On parcels less than five acres said sign advertising surfaces may, on each side, be illuminated by a single, nonflashing light source not exceeding the equivalent of one-hundred-fifty-watt light bulb aimed directly at the sign and shielded from neighboring properties. On parcels of five acres or more permitted illumination shall be of a nonflashing type, but, without restriction as to wattage unless found to be necessary.

Unless covered by subsections (E)(1) and (E)(2) of this section, mines, mineral processing facilities, recreational facilities, veterinary clinics, and agricultural processing businesses, including but not limited to dairies, nurseries, wineries, greenhouses, animal slaughtering, auction yards, Christmas tree farms, commercial stables, crop processing and packaging plants, and uses of a similar nature may have one appurtenant sign not exceeding four feet by eight feet in dimension, no more than two faces, unless a larger sign area is granted by use permit.

Unless the board of supervisors declares an economic need as provided below, only one banner shall be permitted per business establishment, located outside the building, not more than twenty-five square feet in area, in any C or M district. Banners shall not be in place more than ninety days in any calendar year. All banners shall be professionally made and maintained and securely attached.

If the board of supervisors declares an economic need pursuant to subsection N of this section, the following shall take the place of the above regulation:

Banners may be allowed in any C or M district not subject to the ninety-day time limit, only during the time that this subsection remains in effect and subject to the following conditions:

In addition to any banners permitted above, up to three banners shall be allowed per parcel; not to exceed more than sixty square feet in an aggregate total area, advertising a service benefiting a local nonprofit organization may be allowed in any C or M district and will not be subject to the ninety-day time limit as long as the banner is submitted to the planning department to verify compliance with this section prior to being displayed.

In addition to the findings required by Section 19.56.040, the commission in granting a use permit for any sign under this section must first find that the size, height and location and general appearance of such sign is in harmony with the general area and does not constitute a hazard to vehicle or pedestrian traffic. To be considered in harmony with an area, such sign shall not rise above any skyline so as to stand out from the natural foreground view of motorists; shall not require substantial removal of native vegetation to be seen by the motoring public; and, shall not have colors which contrast unduly with its surroundings.

A use permit granted for such signs and structures under this section shall be valid for a period of not more than five years, and may be renewed de novo, on application to the planning commission as provided in Chapter 19.56 of this title.

Signs shall be related to issues on the ballot in the next election.

Signs shall not exceed four feet by eight feet in size.

Home owners may display temporary political signs meeting the criteria contained in this chapter without a permit.

A permit shall be obtained from the county planning department for all temporary political sign locations solicited by a candidate or campaign organization in the unincorporated territory of the county excepting those signs described in subdivision (3) of this subsection. The application for the permit shall contain the name of the candidate or campaign organization and ballot measure. The person responsible for the placement and removal of signs shall sign the permit including a statement that all regulations will be adhered to and that all property owners, where signs are to be located, have given their consent.

Temporary political signs shall not be erected more than ninety days prior to election day and shall be totally removed within ten days of election day.

Permits issued for a primary election in June shall be considered valid for the same signs in the general election in November.

Announcing annual community events sponsored by not-for-profit organizations; subject to the permission of the landowner and obtaining an over-the-counter permit from the planning department; no larger than thirty-two square feet, no more than a total of six signs located only on land adjacent to major highways or county roads. Said signs shall not be in place more than sixty days prior to the event and shall be removed within forty-eight hours after the event.

Private yard and garage sales signs shall not be erected more than twenty-four hours before the event and shall be totally removed within twenty-four hours after the event.

Purpose. The purpose of these provisions is to recognize the unique nature of signage in an integrated development and to ensure design consistency throughout the project.

Sign Standards. The county will consider each request for a special sign program on a case-by-case basis to ensure that proposed signs provide adequate business identification without repetition or excessive visual or physical scale. To that end, the following standards apply:

Performance Standards.

Findings. A special sign program shall be granted only when the designated approving authority finds the following:

Signs shall be subject to the following:

Any business(es) who wishes to construct a temporary directional sign shall file an application with the planning department, shall pay the required fee, and provide a plot plan of the property(ies) showing the proposed location of the sign(s) and graphic representation of the sign showing the design, dimensions, height. The planning department shall hold the application for ten days after it is received and accepted as complete, and shall upon receipt of a complete application mail out a notice describing the proposed sign location and design to all owners of property, as shown on the most recent available tax roll, within a distance of three hundred feet in all directions from the subject parcel. If the planning department receives opposition to the permit application within ten days after the mailout, the planning department may deny the permit. The applicant or any interested person may appeal the planning department's decision pursuant to Chapter 19.64 of this code within ten days after the planning department's determination on the permit application.

These regulations shall remain in effect only until January 10, 2014, unless the board of supervisors declares the economic need for temporary directional signs continues to exist. A continued economic need shall be presumed to exist if the Amador County sales and use tax revenue is less than one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars.