Firebaugh City Zoning Code
§ 25-47.3
Standards by Zone District.
Signs permitted by zone district are listed as follows:
a.
Residential, Urban Reserve and Open Space Zone districts: (R-1, R-1-4.25, R-1-5, R-2, R-2-A, R-3, R-3-A, MPH, U-R, O). Unlighted signs and other commercial advertising shall be permitted in residential districts only as provided in this section.
1.
Name plates shall be permitted subject to the following conditions.
(a)
Maximum size: two square feet.
(b)
Content: Name plates may display the following information:
(c)
Placement: Name plates shall be affixed flush to the subject building.
(1)
"For Rent" and "For Sale" signs shall be permitted. Not more than two such signs, not exceeding a total of six square feet (aggregate) in area, shall be permitted on any lot or parcel.
(2)
For subdivisions, apartment complexes and mobile home parks, churches and other permitted institutional uses, no more than one sign shall be erected at any entrance to the development. Signs shall not exceed 35 square feet for all readable surfaces, nor exceed four feet in height.
(3)
For properties in the U-R (Urban Reserve) district, there shall be permitted one non-illuminated sign for each street frontage. The total area of such sign shall not exceed 40 square feet. Information on the sign shall pertain only to products for sale upon the premises or services rendered thereon or therefrom.
b.
Commercial, Industrial and Government Zone districts: (C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2 and G districts): The following signs are permitted for each business in commercial and industrial districts (see also Exhibit 47-1 for graphic illustration of standards for various sign types). For multitenant shopping centers or office parks containing three or more individual uses, a coordinated sign program shall be submitted for review and approval by the Planning Director. Further, the Planning Commission may approve sign programs, sign size, placement and design which do not strictly comply with sign ordinance requirements when deemed necessary due to building design, site layout, site design and other similar circumstances, consistent with the intent of the sign ordinance. Such a request shall be by conditional use permit, consistent with the procedures established in Chapter 51 (Conditional Use Permits).
Exhibit 47-1: Selected Commercial Sign Standards  |
1.
Wall signs.
(a)
Number of signs per business. The number of wall signs permitted per business or parcel is as follows:
(1)
One primary wall sign is permitted on the wall with the primary public entrance to the business. For businesses with more than one entrance, only one entrance shall be counted as the primary entrance.
(2)
Where the site abuts a public street and the primary wall sign is on a wall not facing the street, a secondary wall sign is permitted on the wall facing the street.
(4)
For businesses fronting onto a public alley, one alley wall sign is permitted for the wall that faces onto the alley.
(b)
Calculation of wall sign area:
(1)
For a primary wall sign, 0.9 square foot of sign area is permitted for each foot of linear occupancy frontage, as shown in Exhibit 4, up to a maximum of 150 square feet of sign area, whichever is less. Notwithstanding this regulation, all businesses shall be permitted a minimum of 25 square feet of primary wall sign.
(2)
Where a secondary wall sign is permitted, the maximum sign area shall be one-half the permitted sign area of a primary sign.
(3)
For an alley wall sign, the maximum sign area shall be 25 square feet.
(4)
For multitenant buildings, each tenant shall be permitted one sign mounted on the wall with the primary entrance, except for corner units which may be permitted a primary wall sign and a secondary wall sign.
(c)
Maximum height: Not to exceed the top of the vertical wall surface on which the sign is mounted. Signs mounted on a pitched roof may not extend above the peak of the ridge line of the roof. No sign is permitted on the top of a flat-roofed structure.
2.
(Reserved)
3.
Freestanding signs.
(a)
Maximum height: 10 feet.
(b)
Maximum area: 35 square feet per sign face.
(c)
Sign design: Freestanding signs shall be designed as a monument sign with a solid base extending the entire height of the sign.
(d)
Number per parcel: One freestanding sign is permitted per parcel (or collection of parcels functioning as a single integrated development) for each 1,000 feet of street frontage, or fraction thereof, except that parcels with frontage on more than one public street shall be permitted one freestanding sign for each 1,000 lineal feet of frontage (or fraction thereof) on each street.
(e)
Setbacks: A freestanding sign shall be set back a minimum of five feet from any interior side property line. Encroachment into a setback may be permitted by the Planning Director where the location of existing improvements presents a functional hardship in compliance with the required setback.
(f)
Landscaping. All freestanding signs shall be surrounded by landscaping of an area at least twice the size of the area of one side of the sign structure.
4.
Directional signs.
(a)
Maximum height: four feet.
(b)
Maximum area: six square feet.
(c)
Number per site: one per driveway from a public street.
(d)
Location: Directional signs shall be placed within five feet of a driveway that accesses the site from a public street. Placement of directional signs shall ensure the sight safety of vehicles entering/leaving a site is not compromised.
5.
Directory signs.
(a)
Number per site: one per public vehicle and/or pedestrian entrance to the site.
(b)
Maximum area: 35 square feet.
(c)
Maximum height (if freestanding): six feet.
(d)
Location: No directory sign which is a freestanding sign may locate closer than five feet to any neighboring property line or closer than three feet to any point of ingress/egress.
6.
Temporary/portable signs.
(a)
Banners:
(1)
Number of signs: One banner sign is permitted per business.
(2)
Maximum Height: Not to exceed roofline of nearest building or building affixed to but in no case higher than 30 feet. Banner signs shall not be attached to existing freestanding signs.
(3)
Maximum area: 50 square feet.
(4)
Permitted time: Banner signs may not be utilized for more than 30 days per calendar year. The banner shall include a date visibly noted on the sign and be removed within 30 days of the posted date.
(5)
Temporary signs used to identify a business shall be removed within 30 days and replaced with a permanent sign.
(b)
Sandwich board signs:
(1)
Maximum height and width: three feet wide and four feet tall, maximum.
(2)
Maximum area: 12 square feet.
(3)
Number per business: one.
(4)
Location: May be placed on the business site as long as conflicts with vehicle safety are not caused. May also be placed on the public sidewalk adjacent to the business with approved encroachment permit, but must permit a minimum of four feet of passage area on sidewalk, and be no closer than 25 feet to a driveway or a cross street.
(5)
Permitted display time: During business hours.
(c)
Changeable message signs. A business that enters into an agreement with the City to not use temporary signs may be permitted a changeable message sign to be incorporated into its freestanding monument sign, or as a building wall sign, provided that the overall sign area for the business is not increased (see Exhibit 47-3). When a changeable message sign is added to a freestanding sign, the area of the sign may be increased so the total sign face area does not exceed 50 square feet per sign face. When a changeable message sign is added to a wall, sign, the total sign area may be increased up to 20% over the permitted area.
7.
Projecting signs.
(a)
Maximum height and projection: Not to exceed roofline of wall or structure to which projecting sign is attached. (Note: Bottom of sign shall be a minimum of eight feet from ground to provide proper clearance.)
(b)
Number per business: One, but a projecting sign is permitted only where a wall sign is not used on the same wall.
(c)
Calculation of area: 0.5 square foot of sign area for each lineal foot of building frontage of the business to which sign pertains.
(d)
Maximum area: 20 square feet.
(e)
Location: Projecting signs may extend over public rights-of-way including public sidewalks, not to exceed 2/3 of the distance from the building face to which the sign is attached to the curb face of said sidewalk.
8.
Awning/canopy signs.
(a)
Number of signs: Where an awning is present, a sign may be applied to the awning.
(b)
Maximum area: The area of signage on each surface of an awning shall not exceed 25% of the area of the individual surface.
(c)
Location: Awning signs shall be made of removable materials such as individual cut-out letters and/or symbols attached, stenciled or otherwise placed on the canopy surface, and may be located on exterior surfaces of a canopy. Canopy signs shall be of color, size and design to harmonize with the color, size and design of the canopy on which they are placed.
9.
Window signs. Maximum area: Up to 25% of the area of each individual window may be covered with a window sign or graphic. No permit is required for window signs.
10.
Alley-side signs.
(a)
Number of signs/sign area: Any building facing a public alley shall be permitted one alley-side sign with a maximum of 25 square feet of sign area. An alley-side sign may be in the form of either a wall-sign, awning sign, or projecting sign.
(b)
Height. Alley side signs may not project above the wall on which they are mounted.
12.
13.
14.
Incidental traffic control signage in parking lots within private developments.
(a)
Number of signs and size: As determined to be necessary by the City Engineer.
15.
Special uses standards.
(a)
Open air sales. In addition to the sign area permitted under this section, 10 square feet of additional sign area is permitted for every 5,000 square feet of site area for vehicle and large equipment sales operations. The additional signage may be used to increase the allowable area for wall signs and freestanding signs, except that height shall not be increased for freestanding signs.
(b)
Drive-through menu boards. No more than two drive-through menu/order boards are permitted for each food and/or beverage establishment featuring a drive-through. Each sign shall not exceed 40 square feet and be no taller than eight feet.