Chapter 19.32
SIGNS
Sections:
19.32.010 Regulations.
Signs shall be allowed in the various districts according to the following schedule:
A. General Regulations.
1. 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.
2. In the event there is no building on the property, the maximum height allowed shall be twenty feet.
3. No signs, placards, handbills or bumper stickers shall be affixed to telephone poles, public signs or other advertising structures.
4. All calculations of sign size will be based on calculation of the area of the exterior edge(s) of the entire sign.
5. 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.
6. Signs which do not comply with the regulations contained herein may be removed by the county.
B. Real Estate Signs.
1. 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;
2. 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;
3. 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);
4. 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.
C. Addresses. Addresses on any building; not to exceed one foot by five feet in size; in any district.
D. Uses Allowed Pursuant to Section 19.28.020 of this Title. The following restrictions shall apply unless said use is located in a commercial zone district.
1. 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.;
2. 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.
E. Uses in Noncommercial Zone Districts.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
F. Uses in Commercial Zone Districts. Appurtenant to any permitted use on the premises; nonflashing, uninterrupted illuminated only; attached and/or detached; not more in total area than fifteen percent of the area of the building frontage, up to a maximum of one hundred fifty square feet in area on any one face, or two hundred fifty square feet in total area per business establishment. Any freestanding sign located on the premises shall be limited to a maximum of one-third of the total allowable signage on the premises.
G. Shopping Centers. One freestanding sign up to a maximum of three hundred square feet in total area on which any business in the center may be identified of which said sign’s square footage shall be deducted from the total square footage allowed pursuant to subsection (F) of this section. Additional freestanding signs may be allowed for every five hundred lineal feet the shopping center has of road frontage. Each business may only have one sign on the freestanding sign.
H. Banners. The following provisions shall apply to banners:
1. 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.
2. 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:
a. No more than two banners may be displayed per business establishment;
b. Banners may be no larger than sixty square feet;
c. For businesses in a group development at least one banner must be attached to the building;
d. For standalone businesses, banners can be attached to a building, existing structure, fence, or retaining wall;
e. Banners shall be professionally made and maintained. Faded, torn, falling down or poorly made banners shall be removed and/or replaced within one week of notification by the community development agency.
Unless terminated by action of the board of supervisors, these regulations shall remain in effect until April 24, 2016. Upon expiration, the board of supervisors may extend this subsection in the event the board of supervisors declares the economic need for additional banners continues to exist.
3. 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.
I. Outdoor advertising signs and structures, not appurtenant to any use on the premises; nonilluminated; single face only; not more than one hundred square feet in area; not more than twelve feet in height; no closer than seventy-five feet from the centerline of a state highway or county road; no closer than one mile to any other off-premises outdoor advertising structure located on the same side or one-half mile on the opposite side of any state highway or county road; not in addition to the total allowable maximum square footage of any appurtenant sign on the premises; in any H district; not within any officially designated scenic highway corridor; on securing a separate use permit.
1. 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.
2. 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.
J. Directional signs of a public or quasi-public nature; in any district, on securing a use permit therefor. The sign design and size shall be submitted for approval at the time of the use permit application and 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 said sign are in harmony with the general area, and do not constitute a hazard to vehicle or pedestrian traffic but in no case shall said sign exceed ten square feet or be illuminated.
K. Temporary political signs shall be permitted subject to the following restrictions and procedures.
1. Signs shall be related to issues on the ballot in the next election.
2. Signs shall not exceed four feet by eight feet in size.
3. Home owners may display temporary political signs meeting the criteria contained in this chapter without a permit.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Permits issued for a primary election in June shall be considered valid for the same signs in the general election in November.
L. Community Events.
1. 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.
2. 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.
M. Special Sign Programs. Notwithstanding the above-listed permanent sign provisions, the county may approve a special sign program for integrated developments, subject to a use permit. For purposes of this section, an "integrated development" means a group of five or more adjacent uses or entities planned and developed in a joint manner with undivided or nonsegregated parking facilities shared by them or that are governed by a common business, tenant, homeowner or other association or by common conditions, covenants, and restrictions (CC&Rs), regardless of whether such uses or entities are located on the same lot or parcel. The designated approving authority for a special sign program shall be the planning commission. The following rules govern approval of special sign provisions:
1. 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.
2. 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:
a. Freestanding signs along project perimeter. No more than one freestanding sign shall be allowed per five hundred linear feet of public street frontage.
b. Freestanding signs internal to project site. The applicant may propose smaller scale freestanding signs to identify individual businesses within the integrated development. These signs are not intended to provide advertising visible from surrounding streets. Rather these small monument signs serve more as an internal directory to identify the location of individual businesses along internal driveways.
c. Building attached signage may be placed along any building frontage that faces a public street, parking lot, or mall and shall not be located above a roofline. Allowable sign area may exceed the maximum signage area identified in subsection F of this section; however, individual signs are restricted by the height and placement standards listed below:
i. Primary Building Frontage. Sign length shall not exceed seventy-five percent of the primary building frontage on which it is located. Sign height shall not exceed twenty percent of the average height of the building.
ii. All Other Frontages. Signs placed on any side or rear building frontage shall not exceed twenty-five percent of said frontage. Sign height shall not exceed ten percent of the average height of the building.
3. Performance Standards.
a. Height. In order to exceed the freestanding height limit specified in subsection A of this section, the applicant must demonstrate the need to exceed said height limit to achieve visibility from adjacent roadways. Signs shall not block or otherwise obstruct the view of existing signs.
b. Placement for Clear Visibility. All freestanding signs shall be located outside of the county’s required clear visibility area at the intersection of roadways and driveways.
c. Illumination. Freestanding signs along roadways shall be either nonilluminated, externally illuminated, or internally illuminated with opaque (nontranslucent) background. No sign shall cause glare or direct light into traffic or neighboring properties.
d. Maintenance. All signs shall be maintained in good condition including maintenance of colors and materials, replacement of defective parts, painted, cleaned, and kept free of graffiti. Any portions of a sign in need or repair shall be repaired or contracted for repair within thirty days of notification by the enforcement officer.
4. Findings. A special sign program shall be granted only when the designated approving authority finds the following:
a. The proposed signage is consistent with the county general plan; and
b. The proposed signage is in keeping with the scale, character, and use of the integrated development; and
c. The proposed signage is not repetitive or excessive in visual or physical scale.
N. Temporary directional signs shall only be allowed, with an approved staff-issued permit, when the Amador County board of supervisors declares an economic need. The following provisions shall govern all temporary directional signs:
1. Signs shall be subject to the following:
a. The term of the sign permit shall be for a period of one year or not to exceed the term of this code, whichever is shorter. Sign permits may be renewed;
b. One sign per parcel with up to five businesses per face; sign may be two sided;
c. Maximum of two signs per business with a minimum distance of five hundred feet between another sign subject to this section;
d. Parcel(s) must be zoned C or M and sign location may be no more than one-half mile from the business(es) location(s);
e. Maximum sign size is four feet by four feet for signs displaying multiple businesses and a maximum of two feet by three feet for signs displaying one business; acceptable sign types: sandwich board or board type signs;
f. Sign may not be illuminated, and shall be limited to the name of the business and/or type of business, hours of operation (if desired), and use permit ID number, with clear and legible directions (no advertising allowed on sign);
g. The size, height, location, and general appearance of signs shall be in harmony with general area, and not constitute a hazard to vehicle or pedestrian traffic (no reflective paint or tape allowed on sign); signs will consist primarily of earth-tone colors;
h. All signs shall observe the building setback regulations for the property on which located and 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;
i. All signs shall be maintained in good condition including maintenance of colors and materials, replacement of defective parts, painted, cleaned, and kept free of graffiti and weeds. Any portions of a sign in need of repair shall be repaired or contracted for repair within thirty days of notification by the enforcement officer; and
j. If sign(s) become(s) a nuisance or safety hazard, the county may remove the sign immediately.
2. 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.
3. 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. (Ord. 1742 §2, 2014; Ord. 1724 §2, 2012; Ord. 1718 §2, 2012; Ord. 1636 §2, 2006; Ord. 1471 §2, 1999; Ord. 1469 §2, 1998; Ord. 1376 §2, 1994: Ord. 1172 §3, 1988; Ord. 1000 §2, 1984; Ord. 358 §6, 1963: Ord. 351 §10.200, 1962).