Application. The provisions set forth in this chapter shall be applicable to all signs permitted by this title.

Computation of Sign Area or Display Surface. For purposes of this chapter, measurements for computing the areas of a given sign shall be made as follows:

Projection and Height.

Number of Freestanding Signs. Not more than one freestanding on-premises sign, or freestanding outdoor advertising structure, may be located on each parcel of property within a zoning district in which a freestanding sign or freestanding outdoor advertising structure is permitted, with the exception of parcels in the UR-ST district which may have no more than two free-standing on premises signs for special events occurring on the site if permitted by the community development director or the city manager's designee.

Traffic Hazards.

Movement. A moving sign shall be permitted only in C or I districts; provided, that movement shall be slow (not to exceed 10 rpm), and shall not simulate effects obtained by varying the intensity, color, pattern or illumination. Notwithstanding this provision, at no time shall any movement be allowed that violates applicable state or federal law.

Utility Lines and Easements. No sign or outdoor advertising structure shall be located within a utility easement, or erected or located in a manner which will reduce the vertical or horizontal clearance from communication lines or energized electric power lines as required by laws, rules and regulations of the state and agencies thereof.

Exceptions. The following types of signs shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that temporary signs shall be removed by the agency, corporation, group or individual responsible for their erection within the specified timeframes below, or when the signs become damaged or are no longer legible, whichever occurs first:

Animated Signs. Animated signs, the movement of which is simulated by variations in the intensity, color, pattern, illumination, or flashing, including electronic display signs, shall be prohibited in all districts, unless exempted as follows:

Area Identification Signs. Area identification signs intended to identify a neighborhood, subdivisions, shopping or industrial district, complex or other area composed of multiple ownerships shall be limited to a maximum single surface area of 25 square feet, and total sign area not exceeding 50 square feet.

Outdoor Advertising Signs. Outdoor advertising signs are signs having part or all of their area devoted to directing attention to a business, profession, commodity, product or service that is not the primary business, profession, commodity, product or service sold, manufactured, conducted or offered on the site on which the sign is located, and shall be subject to the following conditions:

Signs on City Property. Any sign placed on property owned by the city of Lathrop, or within the right-of-way of a dedicated public street without the permission of the city may be removed by the city without prior notice. This section shall be interpreted consistent with the requirements of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and the free speech clause of Article I of the California Constitution.

Substitution of Noncommercial Message. Subject to the owner's consent, a noncommercial message of any type may be substituted for all or part of the commercial or noncommercial message on any sign allowed pursuant to this chapter. Design criteria which may apply to commercial signs, such as color, lettering style or height, and compatibility with other signs on the same parcel or other signs subject to a sign program, do not apply to noncommercial signs even when they are in an area subject to a sign program, master plan or specific plan. No special or additional permit is required to substitute a non-commercial message for any other message on an allowable sign, provided the sign is already permitted or exempt from the permit requirement. When a non-commercial message is substituted for any other message, the sign is still subject to the same location and structure regulations, such as size, height, illumination, duration of display, building and electrical code requirements, as would apply if the sign were used to display a commercial message or some other non-commercial message. This substitution provision shall prevail over any other provision to the contrary, whether more specific or not, in this chapter and applies retroactively to sign programs, master plans and specific plans which were adopted or approved before this chapter was enacted.

One name plate, not directly illuminated, with a maximum of two square feet in area (for example, a name plate having dimensions of one foot by two feet), containing the name or names of occupants of a residence or office;

One identification sign, not directly illuminated, located flat against a wall and not projecting above the roof line, with a single surface area of not more than 16 square feet pertaining to a permitted or conditional use conducted on the site;

One non-illuminated sign, with a single surface area of not more than eight square feet, pertaining to the sale, lease, rental or display of a structure or site;

Non-illuminated directional signs, with a single surface area of not more than six square feet, pertaining to vehicular or pedestrian traffic directions and located along a driveway or within a parking lot. Arrows painted on pavement are not included in this regulation;

One bulletin board; not directly illuminated, with a single surface area of not more than 20 square feet, located on the site of a church, school, auditorium or other similar place of public assembly;

One non-illuminated temporary construction sign, with a single surface area of not more than 16 square feet, on the site of a construction project, which shall be removed at the owner's expense at the time of project completion;

One non-illuminated temporary subdivision sales sign, with a single surface area of not more than 32 square feet, on the site of a residential subdivision. Additional temporary subdivision sale signs may be allowed for residential subdivisions with multiple builders, tracts, or as provided by an approved Master Sign Plan. Temporary subdivision sale signs may be displayed upon filing and receiving approval of a sign design application by the planning division;

In the UR-ST district up to two on-premises, freestanding signs of variable size as may be approved by the community development director or the city manager's designee, with the number of signs, their maximum size, and other requirements to be as determined by the community development director or the city manager's designee, provided that the maximum sign area for any single sign may not exceed 865 square feet. No outdoor advertising signs as defined in Section 17.84.020 shall be permitted in the UR-ST district.

Purposes and Application. The purpose of sign regulation within the C districts is to avoid unsightly, inharmonious, competing, cluttered and hazardous location and appearance of signs, and to encourage the replacement of existing nonconforming signs. Sign regulations of this section shall apply to any permitted or conditional use listed within a C district. Signs meeting the provisions of this section may be displayed upon filing and receiving approval of a sign design application by the planning division.

Maximum Total Aggregate Area in the CN, CC and CR Zone Districts.

Maximum Total Aggregate Area in the CS and CH Districts.

Directional Signs. Directional signs for off-street parking and off-street loading facilities shall not exceed six square feet of each sign; parking lot identification signs shall not exceed six square feet per face of sign; provided that no directional sign shall exceed three feet in height, as measured from finished grade. Higher directional signs shall be allowed only when such a sign is setback a sufficient distance from the public right-of-way and driveways as to not impede the clear sight of any vehicle utilizing the driveway for ingress and egress.

Sale, Lease and Rental Signs. Signs pertaining to the sale, lease, rental or display of a structure or land shall not exceed 32 square feet per single face of sign.

Projecting Signs. No sign, other than a directional sign, shall project more than 24 inches into a required rear yard or required interior side yard. No sign, other than a sign required by law or a marquee sign, shall project more than 14 inches into a public right-of-way.

Signs Attached to Buildings. Signs attached to buildings shall be installed parallel with the building, with no more than a 14 inch projection from the wall, except where permitted under subsection H below and/or attached directly to the vertical or sloped face of the marquee.

Marquee or Canopy Signs. Signs attached below the marquee or canopy shall not exceed six square feet per face of sign, and shall have a minimum ground clearance of eight feet above the sidewalk grade in order not to impede or interfere with pedestrian traffic and safety. Where the marquee or canopy is attached at an angle from a building, signs may be affixed to the sloped portion above the horizontal extension of the marquee or canopy as an integral part of the façade.

Painted Wall Signs. Within each of the C districts, signs painted upon a wall exterior surface shall be included when computing the allowable sign area.

Freestanding Signs.

Monument Signs. No more than one monument sign (a sign located flush on finished grade) shall be permitted for a single business or for a grouping of businesses on a single site; provided, that any monument sign does not exceed eight feet in height and no more than 50 square feet of total surface area for each sign face. Any proposed monument sign may be located within a setback area; provided, that it does not interfere with the clear sight of vehicles at driveway locations. Any monument sign over three feet in height shall also meet the requirements of subsection P of this section.

Temporary signs (see Section 17.84.060, Special provisions for temporary signs).

Announcement and Bulletin Boards. Announcement and bulletin boards or structures for any public, philanthropic, civic, religious or charitable organization or agency, nonilluminated or illuminated by indirect lighting only, may not exceed 32 square feet in area in any district when appurtenant to the premises on which they are located.

Height of Signs. The height of signs within the CN, CC and CR zone districts shall not exceed the height of the structure which houses the business being advertised, unless otherwise allowed under the provisions of this title or as approved by the planning commission with a conditional use permit or site plan review and in no case shall such sign exceed the height limitations of the district in which it is located.

Brand Name Advertising. Up to 30% of the signing allowance for any frontage may be devoted to the advertising or identification of an individual brand or brands of products. This provision shall not apply to the identification of one primary brand name identifying a service station.

Design of Signs. All signs shall be designed in scale and harmony with the architectural design of the buildings and uses they are intended to relate to or identify.

Outdoor advertising signs in accordance with the district limitations and standards prescribed in Section 17.84.020(K);

The maximum permissible area of all faces of all permanent signs pertaining to a permitted use or conditional use, excluding outdoor advertising signs, directional signs and signs identifying products within a window display area, shall be as follows: one square foot of sign area per lineal foot of property line adjoining a street, or 100 square feet per acre of site area in use, whichever is greater, to a maximum of 600 square feet of sign area;

One non-illuminated sign, not exceeding a single surface area of 32 square feet, pertaining to the sale, lease, rental or display of a structure or site;

No more than one monument sign (a sign located flush on finished grade) shall be permitted for a single business or for a grouping of businesses on a single site; provided, that any monument sign does not exceed eight feet in height and no more than 50 square feet of total surface area for each sign face. Any proposed monument sign may be located within a setback area; provided, that it does not interfere with the clear sight of vehicles at driveway locations. Any monument sign over three feet in height shall also meet the requirements of Section 17.84.040 of this chapter.

Non-illuminated directional signs along driveways or within parking lots, not exceeding a single surface area of six square feet, pertaining to vehicular and pedestrian traffic direction;

One bulletin board not directly illuminated, not exceeding a single surface area of 20 square feet, located on the site of a place of public assembly;

One non-illuminated temporary commercial construction sign, not exceeding a single surface area of 32 square feet, on the site of a construction project, to be removed at the owner's expense at the time of project completion.

Temporary signs (see Section 17.84.060, Special provisions for temporary signs).

Temporary Commercial Signs. Any sign containing a commercial message. Includes all signs not classified as noncommercial signs.

Temporary Noncommercial Signs. Temporary signs with noncommercial messages may be displayed on private property, with the property owner's permission, subject to compliance with the following limitations:

Alteration and Removal. Achieving the alteration or removal of dangerous, obsolete and nonconforming signs is a major policy of this chapter. To this end, certain signs are declared to be dangerous, obsolete or nonconforming, and shall be removed or altered to conform as follows:

No person shall maintain or permit to be maintained on any premises owned or controlled by him or her any sign which has been abandoned, or which is physically dilapidated. Any such sign shall be promptly removed by the owner or such other person. Any sign which is located on property which becomes vacant and unoccupied for a period of six months or more, or any sign which was erected for an occupant or business unrelated to the present occupant or his or her business, or any sign which pertains to a time, event or purpose which no longer is applied shall be presumed to have been abandoned. Where the owner or other person responsible for maintaining an abandoned or dilapidated sign fails to remove the sign in conformance with these provisions, the city shall cause the sign to be removed, and shall assess the owner or other person responsible at a rate established by resolution of the city council to cover the costs of such removal.

Any sign hereafter existing which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted or product sold on the premises where such sign exists shall be removed or made to conform by the owner of the building, structure or property upon which such sign is located within 90 days after written notification by the building inspector, or the building inspector may cause the removal of such sign. Any cost accrued by the city shall be treated in the same manner as provided above for dangerous or unsafe signs.

Appeals Procedure.

Purpose. The master sign plan provides a process for community development director review and decision related to requests for signs for multi-tenant projects. The intent is to allow the integration of a project's signs with the design of the structures to achieve a unified architectural statement and to approve common sign regulations for multi-tenant projects, and to encourage design flexibility.

Applicability. A master sign plan shall be required for all new multi-tenant shopping centers, office parks, and other multi-tenant or mixed-use developments of two or more separate tenants/uses that share either the same parcel or structure and use common access and parking facilities.

Approving Authority and Procedure. The designated approving authority for a master sign plan is the community development director. The process will be conducted administratively by the community development director. No public hearing is required for a master sign plan.

Projects with Business of Local and/or Regional Significance. Project sites that include a business of local and/or regional significance, as determined by the community development director or the city manager's designee, may if determined to meet the other findings of this subsection, exceed the number of free-standing signs, individual and/or aggregate sign areas, LED lighting and animation, and height requirements contained in this title through the master sign plan process. For the purposes of this exception, a business of local and/or regional significance is a business that would provide a significant economic benefit to the city of Lathrop in the form of jobs and/or sales tax generation.

In approving a master signage plan, the community development director shall make the following findings:

An application fee for a master signage plan shall be established from time to time as set forth by an adopted city council resolution.