Chapter 15.10
DEFINITIONS
Sections:
15.10.010 Definitions.
“Abandoned sign” means a sign which no longer directs, advertises or identifies a legal business establishment, product or activity on the premises where such sign is displayed.
“Advertising” means that copy on a sign describing products or services being offered.
“Architectural projection” means a marquee, porch, canopy or other similar projection.
“Awning sign” means any sign copy or logo attached to or painted on an awning.
“Banner, flag, or pennant” means any cloth, bunting, plastic, paper, or similar nonrigid material used for advertising purposes attached to any structure, staff, pole, line, framing, or vehicle, not including official flags of the United States, the state of California and other states of the nation, counties, municipalities, official flags of foreign nations, and nationally or internationally recognized institutions and organizations.
“Building identification sign” means a sign that identifies the name of the building.
“Business day” means a day that City Hall is open for business. Typically, Monday through Friday excluding national and city holidays.
“Business frontage” means the lineal frontage of a business that abuts a public street right-of-way or other area accessible to the public such as business frontage on a parking lot or parking structure generally open to the public, or on a publicly traveled waterway such as the Pacific Ocean.
“Business identification sign” means a sign that serves to identify only the name, address, and/or general use of the premises upon which it is located.
“Changeable copy sign” means a sign designed to allow manual, nonelectronic changing of copy (i.e., the text or content of the sign).
“Commercial message” means a message on a sign, or portion of a sign, that promotes goods and services, informs or proposes an economic transaction, or primarily concerns the economic interests of the sign sponsor and/or audience.
“Community event sign” means a temporary sign for a temporary event sponsored or approved by the city, including signs for a carnival or fair, for a farmers market, or for an athletic event or competition, but not including those signs which are otherwise differentiated in this chapter.
“Construction sign” means a sign that identifies the name of the contractor, builder, architect, etc., for a project that is under development.
“Days” refers to calendar days unless otherwise indicated. If a deadline falls on a weekend or city holiday, it shall be extended to the next working day.
“Directional sign” means an on-site sign that is designed and erected solely for the purposes of directing vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic within a project.
“Directory sign” means a sign listing the tenants of a multiple tenant center.
“Freestanding sign” means a sign that is supported by a base structure that rests on the ground and is not supported by or attached to a building, including monument, pole and pylon signs.
“Future tenant sign” means a temporary sign that identifies the name(s) of future businesses, organizations, and/or entities that will occupy a site or structure.
“Height of sign” means the vertical distance from the uppermost part of a sign to the highest elevation of the finished grade immediately below and adjoining the sign.
“Historic resource sign” means a sign identifying a historic resource. For example, the sign may include background information, including relevant dates, names of individuals associated with the resource, and the general history of the resource.
“Illegal sign” means:
1. Any sign originally erected or installed without first complying with all structural, locational, design, building and electrical regulations in effect at the time of its construction or installation;
2. Any commercial sign that is not maintained, or is not used to identify or advertise an ongoing business, occupancy, product, good or service available on the site of the sign;
3. Any unsafe sign;
4. Any legal nonconforming sign that has not been removed following the expiration of any applicable amortization period provided in this title; and
5. Any sign that is in violation of the provisions of this title.
“Install” refers to the erection, placement, location, relocation, converse, or other action of putting a sign up, replacing an existing sign, or modifying an existing sign.
“Lineal street frontage” means the lineal distance that a parcel or parcels occupied by a business or businesses abut a public street right-of-way. This lineal distance will be used to calculate sign area for multiple tenant center signs and to determine additional business identification and/or multiple tenant center signs.
“Marquee sign” means a sign that is attached to a marquee or architectural projection.
“Monument sign” means a permanent freestanding sign where the entire supporting base of the sign is affixed to the ground and is not attached to or supported by a building.
“Multiple tenant center” means a development consisting of two or more separate uses or tenancies that share either the same parcel, set of parcels or structure and use common access and parking facilities.
“Noncommercial message” means any message that is not commercial, including but not limited to commentary or advocacy on topics of public debate and concern.
“Off-site sign” means a sign that identifies, advertises or attracts attention to a business, product, service, event or activity sold, existing or offered at a different location outside the property where the sign is displayed. A sign is not considered “off-site” if it is located within the same multiple tenant center as the business, product, service, event, or activity to which it refers. The off-site/on-site distinction applies only to commercial messages.
“On-site sign” means a sign that identifies, advertises, or attracts attention to a business, product, service, event or activity sold, existing or offered upon the same property as the sign. A sign is considered “on-site” if it is located within the same multiple tenant center as the business, product, service, event, or activity to which it refers. The off-site/on-site distinction applies only to commercial messages.
“Permanent sign” means a sign constructed of durable materials and intended to exist for the duration of time that the use or occupant is located on the premises.
“Pole sign” means a permanent freestanding sign that is supported by one upright, brace, pole, or similar structural element and is not attached to or supported by a building.
Primary Business Frontage. Where a business has more than one business frontage, the longest single frontage may be used to calculate the maximum allowable sign area. The cumulative total of frontages shall not apply.
“Projecting sign” means a sign, other than a wall sign, that is suspended from or supported by a structure attached to a building and projecting or is placed outward from the building. This sign type includes signs that hang from marquees or architectural projections.
“Promotional sign” means a sign erected on a temporary basis to promote the sale of new products, new management, new hours of operation, new service, grand opening, or to promote a special sale.
“Pylon sign” means a permanent freestanding sign that is supported by two or more uprights, braces, poles, or similar structural elements and is not attached to or supported by a building.
“Real estate sign” means a sign indicating that a property or any portion thereof is available for sale, lease, or rent, or directing people to such a property, as authorized by Civil Code Section 713.
“Rider sign” means an additional smaller sign that is attached to the primary sign.
“Roof sign” means a sign that is mounted on the roof of a building or which is wholly dependent upon a building for support and which projects above the highest point of a building with a flat roof, the eave line of a building with gambrel, gable, or hip roof, or the deck line of a building with a mansard roof.
“Sign” means a device, structure, or fixture which incorporates graphics, symbols, or written text that is visible from the nearest public frontage and is intended to communicate information or ideas.
“Temporary sign” means a sign intended to be displayed for a limited period of time and capable of being viewed from a public frontage.
“Three-dimensional signs” means signs that have a depth or relief on their surface greater than six inches.
“Wall sign” means a sign attached to or erected against a wall of a building; any sign affixed in such a way that its exposed face is parallel to the plane of the building.
“Wayfinding sign” means a sign that is part of a city-sponsored and coordinated program to provide directions to business areas, attractions, facilities, and other locations.
“Window sign” means a sign affixed to the interior face of a window or located within five feet of a window and visible from the street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way. (Ord. C-2022-01 §2(Att. A), 2022; Ord. C-2013-04 §9(part), 2013; Ord. C-3-10 §1(Exh. A(part)), 2010. Formerly 15.12.010).