8110-6 - Specific regulations by type of sign. 8110-6.1 - Bench signs.

Bench signs are permitted at bus stops designated on a valid bus schedule. The copy area of such signs shall be a maximum of four square feet in open space, agricultural and residential zones, and eight square feet in commercial and industrial zones. No bench sign shall extend beyond the edges of the bench backrest.

Canopy signs may extend to within one foot of the edge of a canopy from which the sign is suspended. Signs painted on or affixed to canopies shall be considered part of the total allowable area of attached signs for that building. Signs suspended under canopies which project over private walks or drives open to the public shall be limited to an area of eight square feet per sign.

Time and temperature devices shall have a maximum area of 24 square feet.

Such structures are allowed subject to conditions stated in a CUP or PD Permit in all commercial zones, and may include enclosed display of products sold or bulletin-type advertising stands which may or may not serve other functional purposes, such as kiosks, covers for inclement weather and the like, or they may serve as an additional structural element visually to enhance pedestrian ways or landscaped or parking areas.

a.

Location—Such structures shall not be located in any required setbacks.

b.

Area—The area of pedestrian sign display structures shall be in accordance with Sec. 8110-5.1 (matrix), and may be allowed in addition to sign area otherwise permitted for the lot.

c.

Lighting—Illumination of pedestrian sign display structures such as kiosks may be by indirect or diffused light only.

Signs in open space, agricultural and residential zones may have indirect or diffused illumination. Illuminated signs in nonresidential zones shall not exceed the brightness of a diffused light panel having cool white fluorescent 800 milliampere lights spaced at least ten inches on center. Sign illumination shall not result in glare being directed toward surrounding properties.

Any sign erected on the back of an existing freestanding sign must have the same exterior dimensions as the existing sign.

Such signs are permitted only with the granting of a Planning Director Conditional Use Permit in accordance with Article 11, and are subject to the following regulations and standards in addition to those listed in Sec. 8110-5.1:

8110-6.7.1 - Freestanding off-site advertising signs are prohibited within Scenic Corridors or if visible from a Scenic Highway. No such sign shall be established so as to obstruct the view toward any area of scenic or historic significance designated by the Planning Commission. The view of the ocean from a freeway has scenic significance.

8110-6.7.2 - Only uni-pole design is permitted for such signs up to 72 square feet in area, and encouraged for all other signs.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85)

8110-6.7.3 - Any such sign shall be located at least 500 feet from any other freestanding off-site sign, at least 500 feet from a freeway interchange, at least 50 feet from the exterior boundaries of a service station site and at least six feet from any other structure. Such sign may not extend beyond the boundaries of the lot on which it is located.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85)

8110-6.7.4 - The back of such sign, if not used for advertising copy, shall be screened if visible from any public right-of-way.

8110-6.7.5 - Maximum sign size allowed shall be based on the following:

a.

The number of lanes shall be measured on the side of the road from which the sign is designed to be read.

8110-6.7.6 - In addition to the permit standards of Sec. 8111-2.1.2, the following design criteria shall be considered in the reviewing of all Conditional Use Permit applications:

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85)

a.

Sign structures shall be of the most modern design and aesthetically attractive type feasible.

b.

The number of light fixtures shall be kept to a minimum and integrated into the design of the structure.

c.

On developed sites, landscaping shall be used to enhance the appearance of the sign, and to the extent possible, to allow the sign to blend with the remainder of the site.

d.

The use of planter boxes to improve the appearance of the sign base, and trees to mask the unused side of a single-faced sign, are encouraged.

e.

Sign poles and other non-copy elements shall be made to blend visually with the color(s) and texture(s) of the background, including any buildings.

8110-6.7.7 - Noncommercial messages are permitted on freestanding, off-site advertising signs in accordance with all requirements of Sec. 8110-6.7 and Sec. 8110-5.1. 8110-6.8 - Political signs.

The purpose of this Section is to prevent damage to Public property, protect the integrity of the electoral process and prevent the erosion of aesthetic quality and historic values within the County. It is specifically recognized that if temporary political signs on private property are not removed after the election is held, the deteriorating signs and accumulating debris become a blight, defacing the landscape. It is therefore an intent of this Article to make provision for the erection and removal of such signs after the election which they publicized has been held.

No temporary political sign face shall exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area. The aggregate area of all temporary signs placed or maintained on any lot in one ownership shall not exceed ninety-six (96) square feet. (Am. Ord. 4216—10/24/00)

In order to keep track of the placement of temporary political signs to assure removal subsequent to an election, such signs shall be registered with the Planning Department by the candidate or his or her registered agent, or, when a ballot proposition is involved, by an authorized agent of the group or organization sponsoring the signs, prior to the distribution of such signs for the attachment or installation on any property. Registration of political signs shall be on forms available in the Planning Department and shall be accompanied by an agreement signed by the candidate or his or her authorized agent, or when a ballot proposition is involved, by an authorized agent of the group or organization sponsoring the signs, that within ten calendar days after the election all political signs shall be removed, and a certified statement by the registrant that consent will be obtained from each owner of the property on which a sign is to be posted.

Political signs may not be affixed, installed, or erected within 100 feet of a polling place or historic site, nor within the right of way of any highway, nor within 660 feet of the edge of a "Scenic Highway" or landscaped freeway, nor in any location where the sign will impair sight distance or create a hazard to traffic or pedestrians, nor on any telephone pole, lamppost, tree, wall, fence, bridge, bench, hydrant, curbstone, sidewalk or other structure in or upon any public right-of-way, nor upon any other public property.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85; Am. Ord. 4216—10/24/00)

Temporary political signs shall not be posted sooner than 90 days prior to a scheduled election administered by the County Elections Department. Said signs shall be removed within 10 days after the election.

(Add Ord. 4216—10/24/00)

Except for signs remaining posted after the post-election deadline, any political sign not posted in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be deemed to be a public nuisance and shall be subject to removal by the candidate, property owner, or, when a ballot proposition is involved, the authorized agent of the group or organization sponsoring the sign or, upon their failure to do so after reasonable attempt at notice by the County, by County officers or zoning inspectors. Any political sign which is not removed within the specified period following an election shall be subject to summary removal and confiscation by the County.

(Am. Ord. 3730 - 5/7/85; Am. Ord. 4216—10/24/00)

On-site service station signs are permitted in accordance with the following regulations:

Attached signs are permitted as follows:

a.

Maximum permitted area in square feet is three times the square root of the area (in square feet) of the wall or canopy face. Maximum 200 square feet for all attached signs, except that when wall area exceeds 5,000 square feet, the sign area may be increased by ten square feet for each additional 500 square feet of wall area over 5,000, to a maximum of 300 square feet.

(Am. Ord. 3749—10/29/85)

b.

Maximum height—16 feet, provided that the sign does not extend above the eaves of a gable roof nor more than two feet above the face of the canopy or parapet wall to which it is attached.

c.

Brand name insignia, emblems or medallions may be attached to the building frontage of the service station. Symbol background area may be 14 square feet maximum per symbol, maximum ten feet horizontally and maximum eight feet vertically.

Freestanding signs are permitted as follows:

a.

Maximum area in square feet is the lesser of 120 or 0.8F-40, where F is the lot frontage in linear feet.

b.

Maximum height is 25 feet or 1.8 times the square root of the lot frontage, whichever is less.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85)

The maximum total area for all signs on a service station site is 300 square feet.

There is no limit on the number of signs on a service station site, except that poster boards are limited to two; see Sec. 8110-6.9.5, below.

Two poster boards mounted on permanently anchored footings may be installed in locations which do not obstruct safe visibility from vehicles. Each poster board may have a maximum area of 15 square feet and a maximum height of six feet.

An identification sign may be mounted on a pole projecting through the roof of a pump island canopy, and a suspended sign may be attached to hang below the canopy.

One symbol sign in the form of a graphic presentation of goods or services sold or rendered on the premises or a traditional emblem associated with a trade, which emblem or symbol bears no written message or trademark, shall be permitted on each building frontage of the enterprise provided that it is affixed to the building, canopy or wall which is part of the building frontage and does not project over any publicly maintained right-of-way nor more than two feet above the canopy or wall. No such symbol sign if attached to the building shall exceed 64 square feet in area, and no such symbol sign if hanging from a canopy or facia shall exceed two square feet in area. Such signs shall be included in the total area of signs allowed on the lot where they are located.

Temporary signs are permitted as follows:

The Planning Director may authorize temporary banners, pennants, flags or captive balloons for a period of up to 30 days in any 90-day period for the purpose of advertising a grand opening or other special event.

No Zoning Clearance for a temporary sign promoting an event shall be issued unless and until the applicant therefor has signed an agreement that the sign involved will be removed within seven days after the expiration of the 30-day temporary period. Said agreement shall authorize County agents to remove expired signs and shall be accompanied by a cash deposit of $100.00, which deposit may be used to defray the costs of sign removal in the event the permit holder defaults upon the agreement as aforesaid. Appropriate refunds to the applicant(s) shall be made upon written report to the Planning Director that sign removal has been satisfactorily accomplished.

Such signs are permitted on agriculturally zoned property, on vacant residentially or industrially zoned property, and on vacant property zoned C-P-D, only after a final tract map has been recorded, for a period of 18 months from the date of issuance of the Zoning Clearance for such sign or until all lots have been sold, whichever is the first to occur. No tract shall have more than four off-site signs advertising its existence. Such signs may be located adjacent to routes traveled to reach the tract advertised unless such route has been adopted as a freeway or County Scenic Highway on the Ventura County Scenic Highways Element of the General Plan, or is a State-designated Scenic Highway, or if the proposed sign location is within a "Scenic Corridor" adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85)

Tract signs located within the County shall advertise only tracts located within the County or within cities located therein, or may exhibit noncommercial messages for a period of 18 months.

No lot shall have thereon both a tract advertising sign and an on-site identification sign, and no tract sign shall be placed within 500 feet of any other tract sign.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85)

Window signs shall not exceed 25 percent of a given window's area. That portion of the total window signage area that exceeds ten square feet on any individual business shall be counted toward the attached sign area permitted for that business. Signs attached to the exterior surfaces of windows are prohibited.

(Am. Ord. 3730 - 5/7/85; Am. Ord. 4216—10/24/00)(See also Sec. 8110-3(n))

A drive-in or drive-through restaurant is permitted one menu board not exceeding 16 square feet in area, which shall not be counted toward the sign area or permitted number of signs otherwise allowed for the lot or premises.

(Add Ord. 3810—5/5/87)

8110-7 - Abatement of signs relating to inoperative functions.

Signs pertaining to enterprises or occupants that are no longer using a property shall be removed from the premises within 60 days after the associated enterprise or occupant has vacated the premises. Other signs of a temporary nature shall be removed within ten days following the event or other purpose served by the sign in the first instance. Any such sign not removed within the required period shall constitute a nuisance and shall be subject to summary abatement pursuant to Section 38773 of the California Government Code, and the expense of such abatement shall be a lien against the property on which the sign was maintained and a personal obligation against the property owner. Said property owner shall first be served with a notice to abate the nuisance and shall be given the opportunity for a hearing before the Planning Director.