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Escondido City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 52

FREEWAY SIGN CONTROL

§ 33-990 Definitions.

As used in this article, certain terms are defined as follows:
"Advertising"
structure refers to a structure of any kind or character erected or maintained for outdoor advertising purposes on which any poster, bill printing, painting or other advertisement of any kind whatsoever may be placed, including statuary.
"Sign"
refers to any card, cloth, metal, painted or wooden sign of any character, placed for outdoor advertising purposes on or in the ground or any tree, wall, bush, rock, fence, building, structure or thing, either publicly or privately owned, other than an advertising structure.
(1) 
Exceptions.
Neither "advertising structure" nor "sign" as used in this article includes:
(A) 
Official notices issued by a court or public body or officer;
(B) 
Notices posted by any public officer in performance of a public duty, or by any person in giving legal notice;
(C) 
Directional, warning or information signs or structures required or authorized by law.
"Advertising display"
refers to advertising structures and to signs.
"Sign controlled freeway"
means a divided arterial highway for through traffic, with full or partial control of access, and which may or may not have grade separations at intersections.
To place.
The verb "to place" and any of its variants as applied to advertising displays includes the maintaining and the erecting, constructing, posting, painting, printing, tacking, nailing, gluing, stitching, carving or otherwise fastening, affixing or making visible any advertising display on or to the ground, or any tree, bush, rock, fence, post, wall, building, structure or thing.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9041)

§ 33-991 Advertising displays adjacent to sign controlled freeways.

No advertising displays shall be placed or maintained on property adjacent to a sign controlled freeway as defined in section 33-990, if the advertising display is designed to be viewed primarily by persons traveling on such freeway.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9042)

§ 33-992 Exempt advertising displays.

The provisions of section 33-991 shall not apply to any of the following listed advertising structures or signs which are used exclusively:
(a) 
To advertise the offering for sale or for lease of the property on which said advertising display is placed;
(b) 
To designate the name of the owner or occupant of the premises upon which said advertising display is placed or to identify such premises;
(c) 
To advertise the business conducted or goods manufactured or produced, or services rendered upon the property upon which said advertising display is placed;
(d) 
To direct the public to historical places or points of interest as approved and recorded in the Register of Historical Places or State of California Department of Parks and Recreation as a "point of historical interest."
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9043)

§ 33-993 Removal of prohibited displays.

Any advertising structure or sign which is now, or hereafter may be, in violation of the provisions of section 33-991 shall be removed within three years from the effective date of this article.[1]
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9044)
[1]
Editor's Note: The effective date of this article is July 23, 1965.

§ 33-994 Prohibited displays as nuisance.

All advertising displays which are placed or which exist in violation of the provisions of this article are public nuisances and may be removed by any public employee after 10 days written notice posted on the structure or sign and a copy forwarded by mail to the display owner at his last known address.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9045)

§ 33-995 Removal of temporary signs.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article the city manager or any authorized employee may summarily and without notice remove and destroy any advertising display placed in violation of this article which, because of the materials of which it is constructed, or because of the nature of the copy thereon, is temporary in nature.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9046)

§ 33-996 Entry upon private property.

For the purpose of removing or destroying any advertising display placed in violation of the provisions of this chapter, the city manager or his authorized agent may enter upon private property without incurring any liability for trespass therefor.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9047)

§ 33-997 Violation as misdemeanor.

Every person as principal, agent or employee violating any of the provisions of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9048)

§ 33-998 Remedies cumulative to this article.

The remedies provided in this article for the removal of illegal advertising displays are cumulative and not exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.
(Zoning Code, Ch. 90, § 9049)