Compton Municipal Code Ch. 19 Signs and Advertising Structures

[Added by Ord. #884, §§ 8600 — 8600.22; Ord. #2211, § 3; Ord. No. 2215]

As used in this section:

ADVERTISING STRUCTURE

Shall mean any ground sign, or other structure and all parts thereof which is erected or used for advertising purposes or upon which any poster, bill, bulletin, printing, painting, device or other advertising matter of any kind whatsoever is placed, posted, tacked, nailed, pasted, or otherwise fastened, including also glass tube outlining for advertising and electric signs; but, shall not include any board, sign, or surface used exclusively to display official notices issued by any court or public office, or posted by any public officer in the performance of a public duty, or a private person giving a legal notice; nor shall it include a sign 12 square feet or less in area and the highest portion thereof less than six feet in height above grade when such sign is located on private property and used to advertise the carrying on of any business or any profession conducted on the premises on which such sign is located; nor shall it include any real estate sign advertising the property on which it stands, providing the advertising surface of such sign is 12 square feet or less and the highest portion thereof is not more than six feet above grade; nor shall it include any sign painted on the permanent part of any building when such sign advertises only the business conducted or carried on within such building.

ALLEY

Shall mean any public space, public park or thoroughfare less than 20 feet, but not less than 10 feet in width which has been dedicated or deeded to the public for public use.

APPROVAL OR APPROVED

Shall mean the approval of methods or material by the Building Official.

ARCHITECT

Shall mean one who holds a certificate to practice architecture, issued by the California State Board of Architectural Examiners.

BILLBOARD

Shall mean an advertising structure which advertises goods, products, services or facilities not sold, produced, manufactured or furnished on the premises on which the sign is located (also known as outdoor advertising, off-premises sign or off-site sign).

BUILDING LINE

Shall mean a setback line established by ordinance in accordance with Chapter 29, Setback Lines; provided, however, if all buildings in a block are set back from the front property line, the building line shall be a line parallel to the front property line and the same distance therefrom as the face of the building nearest to such front property line, unless such a setback line has been established at a greater distance from the front property line.

CURB LINE

Shall mean the top face of a curb or, when the curb is not in place, the curb line as it has been established by the City.

ELECTRIC SIGN

Shall mean an advertising structure served or energized with electric current.

ENGINEER

Shall mean one who holds a certificate of registration as a civil engineer from the State Board of Registration for Civil and Professional Engineers, or a structural engineer who holds such a certificate and also has been authorized by said Board to use the title of Structural Engineer.

FACE OF BUILDING

Shall mean the general outer surface of any main exterior wall of a building or structure, not including cornices, bay windows, balconies, porches, or other ornamental trim.

FRONT PROPERTY LINE

Shall mean the dividing line between any private property and any street or sidewalk.

GRADE

Shall mean the elevation of the public sidewalk nearest to the property upon which any advertising structure is erected, or the natural surface of the ground supporting an advertising structure, whichever is lower.

GROUND SIGN

Shall mean an advertising structure supported by a single pole placed in the ground the advertising surface of which does not exceed 50 square feet in area and the highest portion of which sign is not more than 25 feet above grade.

PARAPET WALL

Shall mean that part of any wall entirely above the roof or eave line.

PERSON

In addition to those included in the term by Section 1314, shall mean any municipal or quasi-municipal corporation or governmental agency other than the City.

PROJECTING SIGN

Shall mean a sign other than a wall sign suspended from or supported by a building or other structure and projecting outwardly therefrom.

PROJECTION

Shall mean the distance an advertising structure extends beyond the building line or front property line.

PROPERTY LINE

Shall mean the dividing line, except a front property line, between any parcels of land under different ownership.

ROOF SIGN

Shall mean a sign erected upon or above a roof or parapet wall of a building or structure.

SIGN

Shall mean any name, figure, character outline, spectacle, display, delineation, announcement, advertising device, appliance, or anything of a similar nature to attract attention and include all parts, portions, units and materials composing the same, together with the frame, background, structure and support and anchorage therefore, as the case may be.

STREET

Shall mean any thoroughfare or public park not less than 20 feet in width which has been dedicated or deeded to the public for public use.

STREET BANNER

Shall mean an object that both (i) is made of durable cloth, plastic or similar nonrigid material; and (ii) is suspended or otherwise displayed over, along, across or upon a street or other public way. Any street banner erected, placed, suspended, attached or maintained over any public street or other public way shall conform to the provisions of Section 19-10 of this Chapter.

WALL SIGN

Shall mean any sign attached to or erected against the wall of a building or structure with the exposed face of the sign in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of said wall.

[Added by Ord. #884, § 8604; Ord. No. 2215]

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Editor's Note: See subsection 30-22.9 of the Compton Municipal Code.

[Added by Ord. #884, § 8620]

No person shall erect, install, alter, repair, or remove any advertising structure which projects over or above any public property, nor do any work preparatory thereto unless a suitable barricade of heavy rope attached to moveable structures or standards or a board fence not less than four feet in height is erected and maintained to keep pedestrian or other traffic from underneath such advertising structure for a distance not less than 25 feet on all sides of such structure during the period in which the work is being performed, except that a suitable space on the sidewalk next to the curb may be left for passage, and, in addition, between sunrise and sunset there shall be installed and kept burning not less than two lighted red lanterns if such work is to be performed at night.