Berkeley Municipal Code Ch. 20.20 Residential District Regulations

Except as provided in this chapter and in Chapter 20.16, no sign shall be permitted on private property in any residential district. (Ord. 7120-NS § 9 (part), 2009; Ord. 6424-NS § 1 (part), 1998)

A. The following signs shall be permitted on premises in ES-R, R-1 and R-1A districts:

1. One on-premises wall sign for each single-family dwelling not exceeding seventy-two (72) square inches in sign area, no portion of which is higher than seven feet above existing grade;

2. One temporary on-premises wall or ground sign not exceeding seventy-two (72) square inches in sign area, no portion of which is higher than seven feet above existing grade;

3. For parcels consisting solely of single- and multiple-family dwellings, one on-premises wall sign and/or one on-premises monument sign with a total sign area of five percent of the building face of the premises or two square feet, whichever is greater, no portion of which is higher than ten (10) feet above existing grade;

4. For parcels with legally established uses other than single- and multiple-family dwellings, one on-premises wall sign and/or one on-premises monument sign with a total sign area of five percent of the building face of the premises or twenty (20) square feet, whichever is less, no portion of which is higher than ten (10) feet above existing grade;

5. One on-premises wall sign for each legal nonconforming business, not to exceed five percent of the building face of the premises or twenty (20) square feet, whichever is less, no portion of which is higher than ten (10) feet above natural ground level;

6. One bulletin board as defined in Section 20.16.060.

B. No moving sign, wind sign, projecting sign or roof sign shall be permitted.

C. Wall signs and bulletin boards may be illuminated; provided, that the light source is not visible and the illumination is not intermittent. No other signs shall be illuminated. (Ord. 7120-NS § 9 (part), 2009; Ord. 6424-NS § 1 (part), 1998)

A. The following signs shall be permitted on premises in R-2 and R-2A districts:

1. All signs permitted in R-1 districts;

2. One on-premises wall sign for multiple-unit dwellings and family boarding homes for aged persons not exceeding two square feet in sign area, no portion of which is higher than seven feet above natural ground level.

B. No moving sign, wind sign, projecting sign or roof sign shall be permitted.

C. Wall signs and bulletin boards may be illuminated; provided, that the light source is not visible and the illumination is not intermittent. No other signs shall be illuminated. (Ord. 7120-NS § 9 (part), 2009; Ord. 6424-NS § 1 (part), 1998)

A. The following signs shall be permitted on premises in R-3 districts:

1. All signs permitted in R-1 districts;

2. One on-premises wall sign for two-family or multiple-unit dwellings, apartment houses, dwelling groups, flats, dormitories, fraternity or sorority houses, roominghouses, boardinghouses, family boarding homes for aged persons, nursing homes and medical buildings not exceeding six square feet in sign area, no portion of which is higher than ten (10) feet above natural ground level;

3. One on-premises sign for hospitals not exceeding twelve (12) square feet in sign area, subject to the following exceptions:

(a) For general hospitals having three or more street frontages with each frontage two hundred (200) or more feet, four on-premises signs will be permitted with each such sign, other than a sign permitted by subsection A.3.b of this section, limited to the following:

i. Single sign-face areas not exceeding twenty-eight (28) square feet,

ii. Multi-faced sign areas not exceeding ninety (90) square feet,

iii. Sign height not exceeding ten (10) feet above existing grade,

iv. No projections over public property.

(b) General hospitals with more than two hundred forty (240) beds and which also provide twenty-four (24) hour emergency services may have no more than one on-premises wall sign which does not exceed two hundred (200) square feet and which may be placed higher than ten (10) feet above existing ground.

B. No moving sign, wind sign, or roof sign shall be permitted.

C. On-premises signs for hospitals may be illuminated. Wall signs and bulletin boards may be illuminated; provided, that the source is not visible and the illumination is not intermittent. No other signs shall be illuminated. (Ord. 7120-NS § 9 (part), 2009; Ord. 6424-NS § 1 (part), 1998)

A. The following signs shall be permitted on premises in R-4 and R-5 districts:

1. All signs permitted in R-3 districts;

2. One on-premises wall sign for clubs, lodges and institutions not exceeding three square feet in sign area and for office buildings not exceeding six square feet in sign area;

3. One on-premises sign for hotels not exceeding twelve (12) square feet in sign area.

B. No signs for stores and shops incidental to hotels, clubs, lodges, automobile courts, institutions or offices which are entirely within a building with no direct street access, and no moving sign, wind sign or roof sign, shall be permitted.

C. On-premises signs may be illuminated. Wall signs, and bulletin boards may be illuminated; provided, that the source of the illumination is not visible and the illumination is not intermittent. No other sign shall be illuminated. (Ord. 7120-NS § 9 (part), 2009; Ord. 6424-NS § 1 (part), 1998)