Chino Municipal Code Ch. 16.02 Definitions

For the purposes of this title, the following terms, words and phrases, and their derivations, shall have the meanings set forth below:

"Advertising structure" means a structure of any kind or character, erected or maintained for outdoor advertising purposes, upon which any poster, bill, printing, painting, or other advertisement of any type whatsoever may be placed, including statuary for advertising purposes.

"A-Frame (sandwich board) sign" means a pedestrian-oriented sign that is not permanently affixed to a structure or the ground to advertise special goods, services, or products offered on the site.

"Animated sign" means any sign which is designed and constructed to give its message through a sequence of progressive changes of parts or lights, or a degree of lighting.

"Auto mall (auto center)" means a group of new-car dealerships (incidental used-car sales may be permitted) which meet all of the following criteria:

1. Dealerships must be located within a one-half-mile radius of one another;

2. At least two dealerships must be located on contiguous lots or parcels, or across the street from each other, or the area must be planned for auto mall development, as determined by the planning commission or city council;

3. Each dealership must have separate and distinct office, sales, display and service facilities (common employee and customer parking, and product storage facilities are encouraged); and

4. An auto center association shall be formed and appropriate CC&Rs, or similar documents establishing the purpose and restrictions of the association, shall be entered into by its members. The purpose of the association is to jointly market the sales of automobiles, operate and maintain any approved auto mall (auto center) signs, maintain common areas/facilities, enforce CC&Rs and regulate operations and uses.

"Backlit channel lettering" means a type of sign utilizing opaque channel lettering with an open back containing a light source which throws light onto the sign background against which the channel letters are silhouetted.

"Ballot measure" means any proposal requiring the votes of the residents of the city, other than a candidate, as defined in this title.

"Banner" means a flexible, nonadhesive sign of lightweight fabric or similar material typically supported at two or more points and attached to a building, wall, or fence, or otherwise suspended down or across its face for temporary advertising purposes.

"Billboard." See: "Off-site sign."

"Building face" means the exterior elevation (front, rear or side) of a building in which a business is located.

"Building frontage" means that portion of a building on, adjacent to, or oriented toward a street.

"Building official" means the building official of the city, or his or her designee.

"Bus bench sign" means copy painted or affixed on any portion of a bus bench, containing only the name and/or insignia of local community service organizations recognized by the city council.

"Business frontage" means that portion of the building wherein lies the main or primary entry into a building or unitized (tenant) space. For the purposes of this title, not more than one point of entry may be designated as the main entry.

"Candidate" means any person seeking federal, state, regional, county or local elective office, whose election depends upon votes from the residents of the city; provided, a candidate shall also include his previously authorized representative.

"Channel letters" means three-dimensional, individually manufactured letters or figures with a channel designed to accommodate lighting, illuminated or nonilluminated, affixed to a building or sign structure.

"City council" means the city council of the city of Chino.

"City engineer" means the city engineer of the city, or his or her designee.

"Civic interest signs" means a temporary sign for the purpose of advertising religious, charitable, educational or cultural events in the city.

"Commercial center (commercial complex)" means a development within a commercial zone or land use district of two or more buildings, or a single building divided into five or more tenant spaces, constructed by a single developer or group of developers and designed to function as a single cohesive unit in terms of access, parking, landscaping, property and landscape maintenance, and architecture, regardless of the subsequent parcelization. The terms "commercial center" and "commercial complex" may be used interchangeably.

"Date of sale" means the date upon which the last dwelling unit within a subdivision closes escrow, or thirty days after entering escrow, whichever occurs first, excluding those dwelling units on display as models.

"Directional sign" means a sign erected for the purpose of informing the viewer of the approximate route, direction or location of a facility.

"Director of community development" means the director of community development of the city, or his or her designee.

"Directory sign" means a sign listing the tenants or occupants and their suite numbers of a residential, commercial or industrial development project.

"Eave line" means the bottom of a roof eave (overhang).

"Electric(al) sign" means a sign containing electrical wiring for the purpose of interior lighting or illumination.

"Electronic message board (LED)" means a sign with electronically controlled changeable copy and/or message containing internally illuminated letters whose function is primarily to scroll text.

"Exterior illuminated sign" means a sign whose illumination is reflected from its source by the sign surface to the viewer's eye, the source of light not being visible to the viewer.

"Flashing sign" means any sign which is intermittently on and off.

"Freestanding sign" means a sign supported upon the ground and not attached to any building. Freestanding sign shall include signs mounted on garden and screen walls which do not enclose a building.

"Freeway" means a roadway which is declared to be such in compliance with the California Streets and Highways Code.

"Frontage" means the length of a lot line abutting a public street right-of-way, excluding alley rights-of-way. The terms "frontage" and "street frontage" are interchangeable.

"Grand opening" means a promotional activity used by newly established businesses, occurring within three months following occupancy, to inform the public their location and services or products available to the community. "Grand opening" does not mean an annual or occasional promotion of retail sales by a business.

"Icon." See: "Logo."

"Identification sign" means a sign which advertises or directs attention to an occupancy, major business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered upon the premises where the sign is maintained.

"Industrial park (industrial complex)" means a development within an industrial zone or land use district, consisting of two or more buildings, constructed by a single developer or group of developers and designed to function as a single cohesive unit in terms of access, parking, landscaping, property and landscape maintenance, and architecture, regardless of the subsequent parcelization. The terms "industrial park" and "industrial complex" may be used interchangeably.

"Interior illuminated sign" means a sign designed to emit artificial light directly, or through transparent or translucent material, from an interior light source.

"L.E.D. (light emitting diode)" means a semiconductor diode that emits light when a voltage is applied to it.

"Logo (icon)" means an identifying symbol or mark associated with a business or business entity.

"Marquee sign" means a wall or monument sign with movable or changeable letters, words or numerals, erected for the purpose of publicizing current or coming attractions or events at a school, theater, arena, playhouse, auditorium or cinema.

"Mixed use development" means a single building containing more than one type of land use or a single development of more than one building and use, where the different types of land uses are in close proximity, planned as a unified complementary whole, and functionally integrated as to the use of shared vehicular and pedestrian access and parking areas.

"Monument sign" means a freestanding sign, not to exceed fifteen feet in height, with a solid base that is equal to or larger than the width of the sign face, and incorporates the architectural theme and building materials of the building(s) located on the property in which the sign serves.

"Moving sign" means a sign designed to attract attention through the movement or simulation of movement of the whole, or any part of a sign, including rotation.

"Multiple tenant building" means a building wherein two or more separate and independently owned, rented, leased or operated commercial occupancies are contained.

"Neon" means an illumination source created when a glass tube filled with neon or other similar gas emits light when energized. The tube can be bent to form letters, symbols, or other shapes.

"Nonilluminated sign" means a sign which is not interior or exterior illuminated.

"Office building" means a building containing two or more separate, independently owned, rented, leased or operated commercial or professional tenants, in which the lease area of a majority of said occupants is accessed from the interior of the building as opposed to direct access from a street or parking lot.

"Off-site sign (billboard)" means a sign located in areas distant, and on a separate parcel of land from the place where a product, business or premises advertised is located.

"On-site sign" means a sign which advertises any business conducted, or product manufactured or sold, on a property upon which the sign is placed.

"Open house sign" means a temporary sign posted to indicated a salesperson is available to represent the property subject to sale, lease or rent.

"Pedestrian sign" means a small sign readable primarily from the abutting sidewalk, walkway or parking lot, but not generally from the street.

"Pendant sign (under canopy sign)" means a sign suspended beneath a projecting canopy, walkway cover, awning, ceiling or marquee.

"Planning commission" means the planning commission of the city of Chino.

"Political sign" means any display utilized for the purpose of proposing or opposing the election of a candidate or a ballot proposition.

"Portable sign" means any sign designed to be moved easily, and which is not permanently affixed to the ground, a structure or a building.

"Poster sign" means any sign printed on paper, cardboard, or similar material which is generally displayed in a case or window, or attached to a building, or staked to the ground.

"Promotional banner" means a banner used to advertise a special sale, sidewalk sale, parking lot sale, or other similar event held in conjunction with a commercial or industrial business.

"Pylon sign" means a freestanding sign which is permanently supported by one or more uprights, braces or poles, or other similar structural components.

"Reader board" means a sign with moveable or changeable letters, words or numerals, indicating the names of persons associated with, events conducted upon, or products or services offered upon a premises upon which such a sign is maintained.

"Real estate sign" means a sign advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which the sign is maintained, including a temporary "subdivision sign."

"Regional commercial" means a development within a commercial zone or land use district which is designated on the city's adopted general plan land use map as a regional commercial land use.

"Residential complex" means mobile home parks, apartment buildings, common interest developments, or other similar residential developments of five or more dwelling units constructed by a single developer or group of developers, and designed to function as a single cohesive unit in terms of access, parking, landscaping, property and landscape maintenance, and architecture, regardless of the subsequent parcelization.

"Roof line" means the upper edge of any building wall or parapet for a flat-roof structure; or the ridge line of a gable-roof structure.

"Sign" means any medium for visual communication, including graphic display, light display, sign copy, sign structure and component parts, advertisement, illustration, emblem, insignia, symbol, trademark logo, lettering, or other visually perceptible format which is used or intended to be used to attract attention to, identify or advertise an establishment, product, service, person, place, thing, idea, activity or location, or to provide information. Interior window displays of products sold on a premises shall not be considered signs.

"Sign area" means the entire face of a sign, including the surface of any framing, projections or molding, but not including the support structure. The area of a sign consisting of individual channel letters mounted on a building wall or freestanding structure shall be computed by including the entire area within a single, continuous perimeter of not more than eight straight lines, a circle or an ellipse, enclosing the extreme limits of lettering, representation, emblem, or other display.

"Sign copy" means any words, letters, numbers, figures, designs, or any other symbolic representations incorporated onto the face of a sign, excluding building addresses.

"Sign face" means the exterior surface of a sign, exclusive of structural supports, on which is placed the sign copy.

"Sign height" means the vertical distance measured from the highest point of the sign to adjacent finish grade.

"Sign program" means a plan providing coordinated signing for a business or a group of contiguous businesses, and utilizing one or more common design elements, such as, but not limited to, colors, materials, lettering, illumination, sign type and sign shape.

"Sign rider" means a secondary sign appurtenant to a primary sign or sign structure.

"Sign structure" means the supports, uprights, bracing and/or framework of a sign.

"Single-tenant building" means a building wherein no more than one owned, rented, leased or operated commercial occupancy is contained.

"Street" means any public or private thoroughfare, including alleyways, which provides primary means of access to abutting properties.

"Swooper sign" means a sign that is longer than it is wide and made of a flexible material (typically cloth, nylon or vinyl) and mounted to a pole to fly freely, commonly used to attract attention to a business or event, or advertise goods and services.

"Temporary event banner" means a banner used to advertise a bazaar, carnival, rodeo, public assembly tent, or other similar event involving a large assemblage of people and/or equipment for the benefit of a nonprofit organization.

"Temporary sign" means a sign utilized to identify a business or other activity for an interim period.

Under canopy sign. See: "Pendant sign."

"Vehicle sign" means any sign on or affixed to a truck, van, automobile, trailer, or other vehicle which is parked on, or adjacent to any property for the purpose of which is to attract attention to a product sold, or an activity or business located on the property.

"Wall sign" means a sign affixed to or erected against the wall or fascia of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign parallel to the plane of wall or fascia to which it is affixed to or erected against.

"Window sign" means an illuminated or nonilluminated sign that is posted, painted, placed or affixed in or on a window exposed to public view. An interior sign that faces a window exposed to public view and located within three feet of the window is considered a window sign for the purpose of calculating the total area of all window signs.

(Ord. 97-12 § 2 (part), 1997.)

(Ord. No. 2011-08, §§ 1—3, 2011.)

For the purposes of this title, the following abbreviations shall have the meanings listed below:

(Ord. 97-12 § 2 (part), 1997.)