(Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.010 Purpose.

This section establishes regulations relating to the permitted type, size, height, placement, and design of signs. The intent of these regulations is to:

(a) Support economic vitality and promote local businesses without detracting from the scenic qualities of the County, including the County’s rural, agricultural, and open space areas;

(b) Promote high quality and aesthetically pleasing design within the County’s communities;

(c) Minimize hazards to pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists caused by distracting sign displays; and

(d) Provide standards for signs that safeguard and protect life, health, property, and public safety and welfare. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.020 Applicability.

The standards in this section apply to signs within all zones. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.030 Compliance Required.

No sign shall be installed on any real property situated in the County without approval in accordance with this section, unless the sign is allowed without a permit as identified at section 44-3.50.040. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.040 Signs Allowed Without Permits.

(a) Permanent Signs Allowed Without a Permit. Sign type, placement, location and other standards identified at section 44-3.50.070 apply to permanent signs allowed without a permit. Permanent signs allowed without a permit shall not be illuminated and shall be no more than six feet in height if freestanding and no more than five feet in height if affixed to a building or other structure. The following signs are allowed without a permit and do not count towards the allowable area or number of signs on a site.

(1) Signs no greater than eight square feet that are consistent with all applicable standards in this section.

(2) Signs required by state or federal law, the County Code, a government agency, a public utility or service, or a court order.

(3) On-site directional or informational signs that provide information for the convenience or safety of the public, with a maximum area of five square feet. This type of sign includes directional signs in parking lots, signs listing hours of business, and signs identifying the locations of telephones or restrooms.

(4) Official flags of any state, nation, or government entity displayed in a manner consistent with the flag code (U.S.C.A. Title 36, Section 173 et seq.)

(5) Signs within a building or within an interior area on the property that are not visible from a public right-of-way.

(6) One commemorative sign that is cut into a permanent building material or made of a noncombustible material with a maximum area of sixteen square feet.

(7) One professional name plate identifying the name of a business or the name of an occupant of a commercial, industrial, public, or semi-public building with a maximum area of sixteen square feet.

(8) One bulletin board on the premises of a meeting facility or public building, with a maximum area of twelve square feet.

(b) Temporary Signs Allowed Without a Permit. Sign type, placement, location and other standards identified at section 44-3.50.070 apply to temporary signs allowed without a permit. However, with the exception of holiday decorations, temporary signs allowed without a permit shall not be illuminated and shall be no more than five feet in height if freestanding and no more than six feet in height if affixed to a building or other structure. Signs installed pursuant to this section shall not be placed on public property or in the public right-of-way. The following temporary signs are allowed without a permit:

(1) Holiday decorations commonly associated with any national, local or religious holidays, provided that such decorations be displayed for a period of no more than 45 consecutive calendar days or no more than 60 calendar days in one year;

(2) Campaign or political signs pertaining to an election to any public office or ballot measure may be installed on private property with the property owner’s consent with the following restrictions:

(A) The maximum sign height shall be twelve feet;

(B) All signs that have a height greater than seven feet require a building permit in accordance with the building code;

(C) No campaign or political signs shall be greater than thirty-two square feet; and

(D) In no case shall a campaign or political sign through its construction, placement, or size endanger the health, safety, or welfare of any member of the public.

(3) New business signs that constitute a window sign or banner sign up to five square feet that identifies the name of the establishment may be installed upon submittal of an application for a permanent business identification sign. The temporary identification sign shall be removed upon installation of the permanent identification sign;

(4) One construction sign, with a maximum area of 32 square feet, may be placed in the front or side yard on private property with the property owner’s consent during construction activities and up to 30 days following completion of construction activities.

(5) Real estate signs (e.g., for sale, for lease, under construction, etc.) for a residence that are six square feet or less per sign. One sign may be installed per public frontage. The signs shall be removed upon sale or lease of unit or building. Up to two rider signs up to one square foot each may be attached to the real estate sign;

(6) Real estate signs (e.g., for sale, for lease, under construction, etc.) for a non-residential use that are 20 square feet or less per sign. One sign may be installed per public frontage. The signs shall be removed upon sale or lease of the unit or building;

(7) Open house signs, including A-frame signs, to direct traffic from major collector and arterial streets to the subject property. These signs shall be removed daily at the close of the open house. One sign may be placed for each change in direction up to a maximum of six signs per open house each with a maximum sign area of two square feet per sign; and

(8) Temporary signs not exceeding twenty square feet in area pertaining to drives or events of civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organizations, provided that such signs are:

(A) Posted on private property with the property owners’ consent;

(B) Posted no more than 21 calendar days before the event and only while the event is in progress; and

(C) Removed no more than five calendar days after the event.

(c) Changes to Sign Face. Changes to an on-premise sign face that do not structurally alter the sign or its size are allowed without a permit provided that the changes are consistent with the standards of this section. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part); Ord. No. 788 § 13)

44-3.50.050 Permit Requirements.

(a) Administrative Permit Required. All signs not specifically identified in Section 44-3.50.040 (Signs Allowed Without Permits) require Zoning Administrator approval of an Administrative Permit.

B. Submittal Requirements. An Administrative Permit application for a sign shall include all information and materials required by Title 44-1. Applications shall also include:

1. The name and address of the property owner and the sign contractor;

2. Site plans showing the location of the proposed sign;

3. Scale drawings showing the sign design and materials;

4. An inventory of the location, sign area, and sign type of all existing signs on the site, excluding signs that are allowed without a permit; and

5. Any additional information required by the Zoning Administrator to verify compliance with this section. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.060 Prohibited Signs.

The following signs shall be prohibited:

A. Signs that identify a use, facility, or service which is not located on the parcel or premise where the sign is located, except for temporary real estate signs consistent with Section 44-3.50.040 (Signs Allowed Without Permits) and off-site billboards consistent with Section 44-3.50.080 (Signs Allowed With a Permit).

B. Any sign that projects above the building roof to which it is affixed.

C. Signs that obstruct a door, window, fire escape, or other required access way.

D. Signs that encroach into any right-of-way or easement, means of ingress or egress, or path of travel, except as specifically allowed by this section.

E. Signs that emit sound, with the exception of a permitted drive-through or menu sign.

F. Signs adversely affecting traffic control or safety, including signs that interfere with visibility for drivers at an intersection, public right-of-way, or driveway.

G. Signs located on public property or in the public right-of-way, excluding official signs that are posted or required by a government agency, public utility, or public service and temporary signs that are specifically authorized by this section.

H. Signs that have less horizontal or vertical clearance from overhead utilities than required by State agencies.

I. Signs that have become a public nuisance due to inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, or abandonment.

J. Signs that were unlawfully installed, erected, or maintained.

K     Signs containing obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit matter. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.070 General Standards.

A. Measurement of Sign Area.

1. The area of each face of a sign is measured as the area of the smallest rectangle or single continuous perimeter composed of no more than eight straight lines drawn at right angles that encloses all of the words, characters, images, and symbols on the sign face, and also includes any border or frame and any background color on the sign face. See Figure 44-3.50-1.

FIGURE 44-3.50-1: MEASUREMENT OF SIGN AREA

The area of a sign that has two parallel and back-to-back faces is counted only once if the distance between each sign face does not exceed two feet. For such a sign, the area shall be measured as the area of the largest face.

2. The area of a three-dimensional sign is measured as the area of the smallest rectangle that encloses the projection of that sign onto a vertical plane.

3. The total sign area on a site is calculated as the sum of the sign areas of all types of signs on the site, excluding signs that are exempt from obtaining an Administrative Permit.

B. Measurement of Sign Height. Sign height shall be measured from the upper most part of the sign used in determining the area of the sign to the lowest elevation at the base of the sign. See Figure 44-3.50-2.

FIGURE 44-3.50-2: SIGN HEIGHT

C. Maintenance. Signs shall be maintained in a state of good repair at all times. Damage to signs, including cracked sign faces, frayed or weathered fabric, and broken lighting, shall be repaired.

D. Illumination.     

1. All signs may be illuminated from an internal or external light source. Illuminated signs in residential zones shall comply with the provisions of Section 44-3.30 (Lighting Standards). Signs with individual, three-dimensional letters may also use rear “halo” illumination for each letter.

2. Signs shall not have blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights or other illumination devices that have a changing light intensity, brightness, direction or color, with the exception of signs allowed by Section 44-3.50.080 (Signs Allowed with a Permit).

3. Electrical conduits shall be placed so that they are not within public view. Where this is physically impractical, or doing so would damage significant architectural features or materials, the Zoning Administrator may grant a waiver of this requirement provided all conduits, raceways, and similar devices are kept as small as possible and are painted the same colors as adjacent wall surfaces.

4. Electronic Changeable Display. Wall, off-site, pole, and monument signs in the commercial, industrial, and agricultural classifications may have electronic changeable displays consistent with the following standards:

a. Only permitted in commercial, industrial, and agricultural zones.

b. Sign edge shall be 150 feet from any residential zones and shall not be visible from any residential zones.

c. Sign shall be a minimum of 150 feet from other electronic changeable copy signs.

d. Display (text or graphics) shall not change or move more often than every 30 seconds, except if display is text only. If the changing portion of the display is text only, the text shall not change or move more frequently than every 10 seconds.

e. Text shall not exceed 10 words at any one time.

f. Illumination shall be in accordance with Section 44-3.30.

g. Signs displaying graphics shall have an automatic dimmer control to produce a distinct illumination change from a higher illumination level to a lower level for the time period between one half-hour before sunset and one half-hour after sunrise.

E. Setbacks. Freestanding, monument, and off-site signs with a height greater than 42 inches shall not be located within 15 feet of any parcel line or within 14 feet of any driveway or alley or placed within any road right-of-way or obstruct adequate and safe sight distance for vehicles as determined by the Director of Public Works. There shall be no setback requirements for all other types of signs.

F. Removal. If an establishment ceases to operate for a period of two years, all signs and their structures associated with the establishment shall be removed. Blank, broken, abandoned, or unused signs on a parcel not used by the existing business shall be removed, unless a plan for use is presented and approved by the Zoning Administrator.

G. Traffic Safety. No sign shall restrict safe sight distances for vehicles on any public or private road. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

44-3.50.080 Signs Allowed with a Permit.

Types of signs are defined in Article 44-6 (Definitions) and various sign types are illustrated on Figure 44-3.50-3.

FIGURE 44-3.50-3: SIGN TYPES

A. Identification Signs. Identification signs consistent with the following standards are allowed for non-residential and residential uses. Non-residential uses may have identification signs as described by Table 44-3.50-1. Residential uses may have identification signs as described by Table 44-3.50-2.

1. Number of Signs. All businesses and organizations may have at least one sign. Businesses may have one additional sign per business frontage. Where businesses have a lineal street frontage in excess of 300 feet, one additional sign is allowed for every 300 feet of lineal street frontage in excess of 300 feet.

2. Sign Area. A business may have up to 1.5 square feet of sign area per one lineal foot of primary business frontage, up to:

a. 80 square feet of sign area for freestanding businesses, except if a business is adjacent to a highway or if a business is in a multiple tenant center; or

b. 100 square feet of sign area if a freestanding business is adjacent to a highway and is not in a multiple tenant center; or

c. 60 square feet of sign area for each business in a multiple tenant center. If more than one business occupies a single store front, the combination of identification signage for businesses within that single store front shall not exceed 60 square feet. If one business occupies more than one store front, identification signage for that business shall not exceed 70 square feet.

d. Buildings in excess of 5,000 square feet with a minimum of 100 lineal feet of street level frontage are allowed up to 140 square feet of sign area.

e. Where a business has less than five lineal feet of primary business frontage, it may have up to 20 square feet of sign area.

3. Downtown. Signs in the downtown Arbuckle and downtown Maxwell areas as shown on Figure 44-3.50-4 shall conform with the following standards:

a. The sign is scaled and oriented to the pedestrian level;

b. The sign is designed and constructed with a high level of craftsmanship and detail that complements the architectural features, scale and finish of the building.

c. The design of the sign complements the downtown area and includes any two of the following five elements:

i. The most prominent lettering element on a sign, such as the business’ name, uses a serif or script font.

ii. The sign includes a frame, background, or lettering in natural wood.

iii. The sign includes a frame, background, or lettering in wrought iron or a metallic material that is brass, gold, or copper in appearance.

iv. The sign has raised lettering or a raised border such that the sign is not one-dimensional in appearance.

v. The sign is projecting or a hanging sign and is attached to a decorative mounting bracket.

d. In order to preserve the integrity of the buildings in the downtown areas, signs affixed to a building shall have a mounting mechanism that allows the sign to be changed without removing the mounting materials from the building.

FIGURE 44-3.50-4: DOWNTOWN AREAS

1Where businesses have a lineal street frontage in excess of 300 feet, one additional monument sign is allowed for every 300 feet of lineal street frontage in excess of 300 feet.

2Buildings in excess of 5,000 square feet with a minimum of 100 feet of lineal street frontage are allowed up to 120 square feet of sign area.

1Multi-family development shall have at least four units.

4. Multiple Tenant Center Signs. The following standards identify the number of signs, sign area, and types of signs allowed for multiple tenant centers. These signs are in addition to the business identification signs for individual uses within the center, accessory signs, temporary signs, and wayfinding signs allowed under this section.

a. Uniform Treatment. A uniform treatment of sign type, colors, materials, design and illumination is required for individual businesses within multiple tenant centers. When new signs are proposed for existing centers with multiple tenants and multiple signs, such signs shall reflect, where possible, the general sign type, colors, materials, design, and illumination that is prominent in the center.

b. Allowable Sign Area. The allowable sign area for a single multiple tenant center under single ownership may be distributed at the discretion of the owner upon approval of the Zoning Administrator; however, in no event shall the combined sign area for all tenants exceed the total allowable sign area for the center.

c. Number of Signs. A multiple tenant center may have one identification sign and one directory sign per public frontage. Where a multiple tenant center has an excess of 300 feet of lineal street frontage, one additional monument or freestanding sign and one directory sign is allowed for every 500 feet of lineal street frontage in excess of 300 feet.

d. Sign Area. A multiple tenant center may have one square foot of sign area per one foot of lineal street frontage, up to a maximum of 100 square feet per multiple tenant center. This sign area is in addition to the signs and sign area allowed per individual business as set forth in Section 44-5.50.080(A)(1),(2).

e. Types of Signs. A multiple tenant center may have identification signs and directory signs as described in Table 44-3.50-3.

f. Design Standards. A multiple tenant center may submit a Master Sign Program that identifies all proposed signs for the multiple tenant center. The Master Sign Program may deviate from standards contained in this section relating to permitted sign height, number of signs, sign area, and type of sign.

i. All subsequent signs proposed for a development or property subject to an approved Master Sign Program shall comply with the standards and specifications included in the Master Sign Program.

ii. Approval of a Master Sign Program shall supersede the regulations of this section. Any aspect of the proposed signs not addressed by the Master Sign Program shall be in compliance with this section.

B. Accessory Signs. The standards identified in Table 44-3.50-4 apply to permanent accessory signs that do not advertise a business as their primary purpose. These signs do not count toward the permanent sign area allowed under Section 44-5.50.080(A).

C. Temporary Signs. Signs that are consistent with the standards identified in Tables 44-3.5 and 44-3.6 may be erected on a temporary basis.

1Parcels fronting a state or federal highway.

(Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part); Ord. No. 788 § 14)

44-3.50.090 Nonconforming Signs.*

(a) Any sign that does not comply with the requirements of this section but which was constructed, operated, and maintained in compliance with all previous regulations, shall be regarded as a legal nonconforming use.

(b) A nonconforming sign that has been abandoned, or whose advertised use has ceased to function for a period of one hundred eighty days or more, shall be brought into conformity.

(c) Nonconforming signs shall not be structurally altered, reconstructed, or moved without being brought into conformity.

(d) The following exceptions apply to the above requirements for nonconforming signs:

(1) Lawfully erected billboards may be amortized and removed without compensation only in accordance with the requirements of the California Outdoor Advertising Act.

(2) A sign that is part of a designated historic resource may be deemed nonconforming only if at least one of the following conditions applies:

(A) The sign does not contribute to the historic significance of the historic landmark.

(B) The sign poses an immediate threat to public safety. If the sign is deemed nonconforming solely because it threatens public safety, it shall be repaired or modified, if possible, rather than removed. (Ord. No. 765 § 2 (Exh. A) (part))

*    Code reviser’s note: Ord. No. 765 lays this section out as 44-3.50.080. It has been editorially renumbered to avoid duplication of numbering.