Contra Costa County Municipal Code Ch. 88-18 Offsite Vessel Advertising

Article 88-18.2. General Provisions

Footnotes:

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For additional sign provisions, seee Chapters 88-6, 88-8, and 88-9, this code. For additional vessel provisions, see Division 410, this code.

This chapter shall be known as the Offsite Vessel Advertising Ordinance of Contra Costa County.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

The board of supervisors finds as follows:

(a) Billboards and other offsite commercial signs on vessels on waters within the jurisdiction of the county cause visual blight, are distracting, create significant safety hazards to pedestrians and motorists, and reduce the value of waters within the jurisdiction of the county as a public attraction, because billboards and other offsite commercial signs tend to be frequently changed, are specifically and primarily intended to attract the public's attention, and do not enhance the natural beauty or scenery of waters within the jurisdiction of the county.

(b) Onsite commercial signs on vessels on waters within the jurisdiction of the county, including signs identifying commercial shipping, industrial harbor watercraft, and tourist, passenger, and fishing vessels, or their services, goods, or commodities, are much less distracting, cause much less visual blight, and create significantly fewer safety hazards to pedestrians, motorists and boaters than do billboards and other offsite commercial signs, because onsite commercial signs are not changed frequently and often are used primarily for identification rather than to attract the public's attention.

(c) Recreational and competitive sailing on sailboats on waters with the jurisdiction of the county enhance the public's recreational use and enjoyment of waters within the jurisdiction of the county, and promote the economic vitality of the county. Offsite commercial signs displayed on the hulls or sails of sailboats on waters within the jurisdiction of the county, including signs relating to commercial sponsorship, do not cause visual blight or create significant safety hazards to pedestrians and motorists, because sailboats that display offsite commercial signs on their hulls or sails tend to do so only incidentally, remain aesthetically pleasing and thus enhance the natural beauty and scenery of waters within the jurisdiction of the county and promote recreational uses of those waters.

(d) By adopting this ordinance, the board of supervisors does not intend to and is not regulating shipping or other activities on waters within the jurisdiction of the county to the extent that state or federal laws or regulations, including the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq)., preempt such regulation.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

The purpose of this chapter is to regulate the display of billboards and other offsite commercial signs on vessels on waters within the jurisdiction of the county in order to protect and enhance the aesthetic value, natural beauty and scenery of waters within the jurisdiction of the county, reduce visual blight, reduce safety hazards to pedestrians, motorists and boaters, protect and enhance the value of waters within the jurisdiction of the county as a public attraction, and promote recreational uses of waters within the jurisdiction of the county. [Harbors and Navigation Code section 660.]

(Ord. 200 1-23 § 2).

Article 88-18.4. Definitions

For purposes of this chapter, "onsite sign" means (1) a sign which identifies or advertises a business, good, commodity, service, industry, or other activity which is sold, offered, or conducted, other than incidentally, on the vessel upon which the sign is displayed; or (2) a sign which identifies or advertises a good or commodity that is being transported on the vessel or identifies or advertises a container in which a good or commodity is being transported on the vessel, where the sign is displayed on the good, commodity or container.

(Ord. 200 1-23 § 2).

For purposes of this chapter, "offsite sign" means a sign which identifies or advertis~s a business, good, commodity, service, industry, or other activity which is sold, offered, or conducted off the vessel upon which the sign is displayed, or which is sold, offered, or conducted on such vessel incidentally, if at all.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

For purposes of this chapter, "sailboat" means any watercrafl designed to be and capable of being propelled solely by wind power.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

For purposes of this chapter, "sign" means any structure or surface or a device or arrangement attached to or painted or represented upon a structure or surface which is displayed on any vessel and which attracts or is intended to attract attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization or business, or which displays or includes a letter, work, model, figure, banner, flag, pennant, insignia, device or representation used as, or which is in the nature of an announcement, direction, advertisement, declaration or illustration.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

For purposes of this chapter, "vessel" means every description of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, including, but not limited to, motorized, towed, or sailing watercraft such as ships, boats, tugboats, barges and sailboats, but not including aircraft.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

Article 88-18.6. Prohibition and Exemptions

No offsite sign may be displayed on the outside of any vessel on any waters within the jurisdiction of the county.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).

The prohibition in this chapter shall not apply to:

(a) Any onsite sign displayed on a vessel; or

(b) Any sign displayed on the hull or sails of a sailboat, provided that the sails are designed, and are being used, primarily for the propulsion of the sailboat.

(Ord. 2001-23 § 2).