§ 33-1395. Sign standards—General.

All permanent freestanding signs shall not obstruct the vehicle sight distance area at the intersections and driveways to the satisfaction of the engineering department. Freestanding signs shall not be placed within easements or over utility lines, except with the prior written approval of all easement holders. Any site plans submitted in conjunction with a sign permit application for a freestanding sign shall identify the location of easements or public or private utilities within 50 feet of the proposed sign location. On sites where the existing street is not constructed to the full designated width, signs shall be located behind the ultimate property line unless otherwise approved by the planning division and the engineering department with an agreement for future removal or relocation. In addition, all permanent freestanding signs shall incorporate the numerical address, or range of addresses, of the parcel or commercial center at which the sign is located. The area of the address shall not be counted in the area of the signs. All illuminated signs shall be equipped with automatic timing devices so that the lighting is turned off between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and sunrise, unless exempt pursuant to Article 35, Outdoor Lighting. (Ord. No. 92-47, § 1, 11-18-92; Ord. No. 94-33 § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 2000-23, § 9, 9-13-00; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08; Ord. No. 2023-06, § 3, 3-8-23)

• (a) Allowable wall sign area. One square foot of sign area for every 50 square feet of gross building floor area for each business establishment. A minimum aggregate sign area of 15 square feet shall be permitted. The total aggregate area of all wall signs shall not exceed 300 square feet per business establishment.

• (b) Size.

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City of Escondido, CA

ESCONDIDO CODE

§ 33-1395.1

§ 33-1395.1

• (1) The maximum size of individual wall signs shall be 100 square feet. Tenants occupying a space larger than fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet in area may request individual wall sign(s) greater than 100 square feet;

• (2) The director shall determine whether the signs are consistent with the sign guidelines and appropriate for the specific site conditions;

• (3) Projecting signs shall not exceed six square feet and shall be counted against the total wall sign area permitted for the building. These signs shall project from the wall not more than three feet at an angle of 90 degrees, or hang from an overhead canopy.

• (c) Wall signage on multistory buildings. Top-of-building wall signage on buildings of three or more stories shall be limited to the address and text and/or logo identifying the building. Such signage shall be subject to the following sign sizes:

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Number of Stories Max. Letter Height Max. Symbol Height
3 to 4 3′6″ 3′10″
5 to 9 4′0″ 4′5″
10 to 15 5′0″ 5′6″
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• (d) Location. Wall signs may not project above the primary wall line or parapet, nor be located on or supported by the roof. Wall signage shall not occupy more than 80% of the length of a building frontage or tenant space frontage.

• (e) Tenants in multitenant buildings with an approved comprehensive sign program, may transfer portions of their sign allotment to a frontage which is not part of their shop space with the written consent of the owner of the building and the tenant occupying the space where the sign is proposed. The total aggregate area of all signs on the tenant spaces shall not exceed the maximum area permitted for that tenant building. The aggregate length of all signs on a single frontage shall not exceed 80% of the total length of the building or tenant space frontage.

• (f) Wall signs for businesses adjacent to Centre City Parkway should be oriented toward vehicular entries on the cross streets. Wall signs that face [8] Centre City Parkway shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

  • (1) Signs shall be limited to a maximum 24 inch letter height for all businesses with less than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area. Graphics associated with the text may exceed the 24 inch height limitation.

• (2) Signs shall be located in a manner that reduces the potential for visual conflict with Centre City Parkway right-of-way and parking lot landscaping at maturity, and shall not rely on trimming or removal of landscaping to increase or maintain sign visibility.

  • (3) Internally illuminated "cabinet" signs with illuminated backgrounds shall be prohibited.

• (g) Transfer of other sign entitlements. All or part of the freestanding sign entitlements for a lot or center allowed under column A of the chart in section 33-1395.2(a) may be

8. A wall sign shall be considered to face Centre City Parkway when it forms an angle of 45 degrees or less to Centre City Parkway.

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.1

ZONING

§ 33-1395.2

transferred to permitted wall sign area. However, no wall sign(s) shall occupy more than 80% of the length of the building/tenant space frontage. No freestanding sign is allowed when any sign area is transferred. If the proposed wall signs are consistent with the design guidelines, including maximum frontage coverage, no design review is required. Transfers up to the maximum freestanding sign entitlement (column B of the chart in section 33-1395.2(a)) for the lot/center may be approved by planning staff if deemed appropriate. No one sign may exceed 100 square feet unless proposed for a tenant occupying more than 15,000 square feet of space and planning staff determines that the proportions of the sign are appropriate for the building and location.

• (h) Super-graphic signs. Additional sign area for purposes of displaying large graphic images may be permitted pursuant to section 33-1395.11.

• (Ord. No. 94-33, § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 96-32, § 1, 11-20-96; Ord. No. 98-25, § 1, 12-9-98; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08)

• (a) Size. The maximum size of freestanding signs shall be determined by the size of the lot or commercial center according to the following chart:

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----- Start of picture text -----
Column A Column B
Maximum size without Maximum size with staff
design review design review
Lot/Center Size Area Height Area Height
a. Up to 7,000 SF (.16 ac) 10 SF 4′* 20 SF 15′
b. 7,001-10,000 SF (.23 ac) 20 SF 4′* 40 SF 15′
c. 10,001-25,000 SF (.57 ac) 30 SF 6′ 60 SF 15′
d. 25,001-43,560 SF (l ac) 30 SF 6′ 80 SF 15′
e. l+ ac-3 ac 30 SF 6′ 100 SF 15′
f. 3+ ac-7 ac 30 SF 6′ 125 SF 20′
g. 7+ ac 30 SF 6′ 150 SF 30′
----- End of picture text -----

Notes:

• Signs with appropriately designed bases may be up to five feet high.

Individual signs which do not exceed the maximum sign area and height indicated in column A and column B of the chart in this subsection for the appropriate lot/center size category, and which are consistent with the sign design guidelines, may be approved administratively.

• (b) Number. No more than one freestanding sign per street frontage shall be permitted except as follows:

  • (1) In commercial centers over three acres, multiple freestanding signs may be permitted as follows:

    • (A) Frontages longer than 1,000 linear feet on one street may have two freestanding signs.

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.2

ESCONDIDO CODE

• (C) In the case of multiple frontages, the allowed number of freestanding signs shall be calculated separately for each street and may not be transferred to other frontages on the site.

  • (D) All freestanding signs on the site shall be separated by a minimum distance of 250 linear feet, except as may be permitted by the director.

  • (E) For the purposes of determining the number of permitted freestanding signs, the term "street frontage" shall include frontages adjacent to Interstate 15 and Highway 78.

  • (F) The maximum sign area allowed for any second or subsequent sign on the same frontage is 70% of the maximum size allowed for the lot/center size category for the purposes of calculating total allowable aggregate sign area. This aggregate total may be distributed in any appropriate fashion among all freestanding signs in the center with no single sign exceeding the maximum sign area for the lot/ center size category under column B of the chart in subsection (a) of this section.

• (2) In commercial centers over three acres in size, monument signs not exceeding 60 square feet or eight feet in height shall be permitted for single tenants occupying the entire building located on a separate pad within the center. The area of the sign shall be counted in the allowable wall sign area for the pad building and the sign shall be located in close proximity to the subject business. A minimum separation of 250 linear feet shall be maintained between the pad sign and any other freestanding sign in the commercial center, unless a lesser separation is determined appropriate by the director.

• (3) Additional freestanding signs (maximum of one per frontage) may be permitted for service stations as necessary to comply with state-mandated price notification requirements. The maximum number of freestanding signs allowed per service station is one per street frontage. Such additional price signs are exempt from sign separation requirements, but shall be limited to a maximum size of 10 square feet and maximum height of six feet including the base.

• (4) Menu signs. In conjunction with a drive-through business or automated car wash:

  • (A) Up to two freestanding menu, or other similar signs, up to 32 square feet each and a maximum height of six feet may be permitted for drive-through businesses with one stacking lane.

  • (B) Drive-through businesses with more than one stacking lane shall be allowed one freestanding menu sign, or other similar sign, up to 32 square feet and a maximum height of six feet, and one freestanding menu sign, or other similar sign, up to 24 square feet and a maximum height of six feet, for each stacking lane.

  • (C) A maximum of two freestanding menu, or other similar signs, shall be oriented toward each stacking lane for drive-through businesses.

  • (D) Automated car washes shall be allowed one freestanding menu sign or other

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.2

ZONING

• (E) Menu signs shall be screened from view from adjacent properties and rights-ofway through the use of landscaping, earthen berms, walls, etc., to the maximum extent possible.

  • (F) Menu signs may be internally illuminated and utilize changeable copy.

  • (G) The area of the menu signs shall not be counted against the allowable sign area for the business.

• (c) Other limitations specific to properties on Centre City Parkway. Notwithstanding subsection (b) above, a maximum of one freestanding sign along Centre City Parkway shall be permitted for each vehicular entry from Centre City Parkway.

• (Ord. No. 94-33, § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 96-32, § 1, 11-20-96; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08; Ord. No. 2011-19R, § 5, 1-11-12; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16; Ord. No. 2018-15, § 5, 6-13-18; Ord. No. 2018-22, § 1, 12-5-18; Ord. No. 2020-14 § 10, 8-12-20)

• (a) Eligible properties and uses. Freeway-oriented signs may only identify the name of the center and/or the specified freeway-oriented uses listed in the sign design guidelines, which are located on parcels or in commercial centers physically contiguous to the Interstate 15 freeway right-of-way, or that portion of Highway 78 right-of-way west of Broadway, or on certain noncontiguous properties which are visually oriented to the Interstate 15 freeway and are located at off-ramp intersections. These noncontiguous parcels are identified in the design guidelines.

• (b) Type of sign. Freeway-oriented signs may be freestanding pole or monument type signs, wall signs, structures, or other building signs which are determined by the director to be consistent with the design guidelines and appropriate for the specific site and development.

• (c) Number. Not more than one freeway-oriented sign is permitted for any parcel or commercial center, and the area of the sign shall be counted as part of the allowable freestanding sign entitlements for the lot or center.

• (d) Size. The area of the sign shall comply with the corresponding lot center size indicated in the permitted freestanding sign chart in section 33-1395.2(a). For lots/centers 25,000 square feet or less in area, larger signs up to a maximum of 80 square feet may be approved by the director based on specific site characteristics, the visibility of the sign, and the demonstration of the need for a larger sign to achieve the least obtrusive design solution which provides the necessary visibility.

• (e) Height. The height of freeway-oriented signs shall be the minimum necessary to achieve a functional sign in conformance with the design guidelines. In no event shall the overall height of the sign exceed 80 feet.

• (Ord. No. 94-33, § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08; Ord. No. 2011-19R, § 5, 1-11-12; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16)

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City of Escondido, CA

ESCONDIDO CODE

§ 33-1395.4

§ 33-1395.5

• (a) Number. No limit for a given building elevation (see subsection (b) of this section). The maximum number of building elevations on which wall signs may be located shall not exceed the number of street frontages.

• (b) Size. Total wall signage shall not exceed 20 square feet in area on each building elevation, except as may be approved pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

• (c) Transfer of other sign entitlements. All or part of one of the freestanding sign entitlements for a lot or center allowed under column A of the chart in section 33-1395.5(b) may be transferred to permitted wall sign area on any single frontage. A maximum of one freestanding sign is allowed when any sign area is transferred. Requests for transfers maybe approved by planning staff upon determination that the proportions of the sign are appropriate for the building and location.

• (d) Location. Signs shall be mounted flush and parallel to the building wall on which it is located and shall not extend above the wall line or parapet, nor be located on or supported by the roof. The length of the sign, or aggregate length of signs in a horizontal row, shall not occupy more than 80% of the length of the building/tenant space frontage.

• (e) Illumination. External illumination only, except halo-lit letters are permitted.

• (f) Super-graphic signs. Additional sign area for purposes of displaying large graphic images may be permitted pursuant to section 33-1395.11.

• (Ord. 94-33, § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 98-25, § 1, 12-9-98; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08)

• (a) Number. No more than one freestanding sign per street frontage, except as noted below. In no case may a development have more than two freestanding signs total.

  • (1) Two freestanding signs may be permitted on a single frontage. The total sign area of both signs may not exceed the maximum allowed for a single sign.

  • (2) Freestanding signs on the same site shall be separated by a minimum distance of 25 feet, except as may be approved by the director.

  • (3) Transfers of allowable freestanding sign area to freestanding signs on another street frontage is prohibited, except that up to 50% of the freestanding sign entitlement for one frontage may be allotted to a freestanding sign on an alley, with the approval of the director.

• (b) Size. The maximum size of any freestanding sign shall be determined by the size of the lot or professional center according to the following chart:

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Column A Column B
Maximum Size Without Maximum Size With Staff
Design Review Design Review
Lot/Center Size Area Height Area Height
a. Up to 21,000 SF 10 SF 4′* 25 SF 8′
b. 21,001 SF -3 ac 20 SF 6′ 50 SF 8′
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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.5

ZONING

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Column A Column B
Maximum Size Without Maximum Size With Staff
Design Review Design Review
Lot/Center Size Area Height Area Height
c. 3+ ac 30 SF 8′ 60 SF 12′
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Notes:

• Signs with appropriately designed bases may be up to five feet high.

Multishingle/panel signs are encouraged in the CP zone (see definition).

Individual signs which do not exceed the maximum sign area and height indicated in column A and column B of the chart in this subsection for the appropriate lot/center size category, and which are consistent with the sign design guidelines, may be approved administratively.

(c) Illumination. External illumination only, except halo-lit letters are permitted. (Ord. No. 94-32 § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16)

• (a) Allowable wall sign area. One square foot of sign area for every 100 square feet of gross building floor area for each business establishment.

• (b) Size. The maximum size of individual wall signs shall not exceed 50 square feet, unless the business occupies an entire building in which case the maximum size of individual wall signs shall not exceed 100 square feet. The total aggregate area of all wall signs shall not exceed 150 square feet per business establishment.

• (c) Location. Wall signs may not project above the wall line or parapet, nor be located on or supported by the roof. Wall signage shall not occupy more than 80% of the length of a building frontage or tenant space frontage.

• (d) Tenants in multitenant buildings with an approved comprehensive sign program may transfer portions of their sign allotment to a frontage which is not part of their shop space with the written consent of the building owner and the tenant occupying the space where the sign is proposed. The total aggregate area of all signs on the tenant spaces shall not exceed the maximum area permitted for that tenant building. The aggregate length of all signs on a single frontage shall not exceed 80% of the total length of the building or tenant space frontage.

• (e) Wall signs for businesses adjacent to Centre City Parkway should be oriented toward vehicular entries on the cross streets. Wall signs that face [9] Centre City Parkway shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

  • (1) Signs shall be limited to a maximum 24 inch letter height for all businesses with less than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area. Graphics associated with the text may

9. A wall sign shall be considered to face Centre City Parkway when it forms an angle of 45 degrees or less to Centre City Parkway.

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.6

ESCONDIDO CODE

• (2) Signs shall be located in a manner that reduces the potential for visual conflict with Centre City Parkway right-of-way and parking lot landscaping at maturity, and shall not rely on trimming or removal of landscaping to increase or maintain sign visibility.

• (3) Internally illuminated "cabinet" signs shall be prohibited.

• (Ord. No. 94-33 § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 96-32, § 1, 11-20-96)

• (a) Maximum number and size. Wall signs shall be limited to one 30 square foot wall sign or two 15 square foot wall signs for freestanding buildings.

Each industrial establishment located within a multitenant building is permitted one nonilluminated name plate sign not to exceed 16 square feet.

• (b) Location. Wall signs shall not project a distance greater than 12 inches from the face of the building which wholly supports such sign. Such wall sign shall not project above the wall line or parapet, or be located on or supported by the roof.

• (Ord. No. 94-33, § 2, 11-2-94)

• (a) Number. No more than one freestanding sign per street frontage shall be permitted.

• (b) Size. Freestanding signs shall not exceed 50 square feet excluding the base and may be double faced.

• (c) Height. Freestanding signs shall not exceed a maximum height of six feet including the base.

• (d) Location. Freestanding signs for businesses adjacent to Centre City Parkway shall be oriented towards the vehicular entries on the cross streets or vehicular entries from Centre City Parkway, if any. A maximum of one freestanding sign along Centre City Parkway shall be permitted for each vehicular entry from Centre City Parkway. All freestanding signs adjacent to Centre City Parkway shall require DRB approval.

• (Ord. No. 94-33 § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 96-32, § 1, 11-20-96; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08)

• (a) Entry signs. Project entry signs shall be permitted as follows:

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----- Start of picture text -----
Class Single-family residential subdivisions and multifamily
developments of 16 units or more including mobilehome
parks.
Sign Type Monument or mounted on a perimeter wall.
Maximum number One per major entry to project.
Maximum area per sign Twenty square feet.
face
Maximum height Three feet within required setback and six feet otherwise.
----- End of picture text -----

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.9

ZONING

• (b) Name plates. For single-family residences and multifamily complexes of two to four units, signs or name plates depicting the name and address of the resident are allowed. Each sign/ name plate shall not exceed two square feet in area. A maximum of two signs or name plates are allowed per dwelling unit and no sign permit is required.

• (c) Wall signs. In addition to the signs allowed in the preceding paragraphs, multifamily complexes with five to 15 units may also have a single wall sign not exceeding 20 square feet in size. A single 30 square foot wall sign may be permitted for each street frontage if the apartment complex has 16 units or more. Such signs shall not be illuminated, except by indirect or halo-type backlighting.

• (d) Incorporation of rental information. If the permanent wall or entry sign is designed so that rental information can be integrated with the sign as units become available, the size of the permanent sign may be increased by up to 10 square feet. The increased area shall include any attachments for the rental information. Any monument type entry sign which is increased by this process may be up to four feet in height when a five foot setback is provided. No other rental signs or attention-getting devices are allowed with these types of signs. A sign(s) up to four square feet, which only advertises the multifamily development for sale, would also be allowed pursuant to section 33-1393(a)(2).

• (e) In addition to the requirements of this section, signs located in the Old Escondido Neighborhood shall conform with Article 65 of the Escondido Zoning Code.

• (Ord. No. 94-33, § 2, 11-2-94; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08)

Notwithstanding other sections of this article, this section shall regulate the type, location, size, number, and eligible user(s) of regional market signs, as well as the application and review process.

• (a) Eligible users. Only a regional market group or an affiliated business organization consisting of members of the regional market group, as approved by the city council, may request a regional market sign.

• (b) Type of sign. Regional market signs may be freeway-oriented, freestanding pole or monument type signs, wall signs, structures, art pieces, or other building signs which are determined by the planning commission and city council to be consistent with the design guidelines, appropriate for the specific site and surrounding development, and comprehensively designed to provide artistically integrated elements which create an innovative and high-quality advertisement.

• (c) Location. Regional market signs shall be located only on commercially and certain industrially zoned parcels contiguous to Interstate 15, as shown on Figure 33-1395.10(c)l.

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City of Escondido, CA

ESCONDIDO CODE

§ 33-1395.10

§ 33-1395.10

Figure 33-1395.10(c)1

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• (d) Size. The area and height of the sign shall be the minimum needed to achieve a visible and functional sign in compliance with the design guidelines. Signs up to a maximum of 80 feet high and 710 square feet in copy area including any message center panel approved by the city council, with the total sign area not exceeding 825 square feet, may be considered based on specific site characteristics, adjacent freeway elevation and substantiation of the need for that large of sign. The director of community development may approve a sign up to 10% larger than the maximum sign height and sign area specified here, upon receipt of an application for an administrative adjustment.

• (e) Number.

  • (1) Not more than one regional market sign is permitted for any regional market group or lot/center where the sign will be located. Not more than one regional market sign shall be permitted within the industrially zoned area along Interstate 15 as described above in subsection (c). The regional market sign may be in addition to any existing permitted freeway oriented advertising sign(s) not related to the regional market group, on the property at the time the regional market sign is requested. An appropriate separation based on specific site characteristics and existing signs shall be provided between freeway-oriented signs.

  • (2) A regional market group may have either a freeway-oriented regional market sign or a freeway-oriented advertising sign on any site; not both.

• (f) Displays. Regional market signs may only identify the regional market group, group members, or affiliated business organization located on-site as owners or occupants of the premises, and/or advertise the business conducted or services rendered or goods produced or sold upon the property upon which the regional market sign is constructed, and other information consistent with Section 5405 of Division 3, Chapter 2 of the Business and Professions Code, Outdoor Advertising Act, and the policies of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for freeway-oriented signs.

• (g) Fixed text. Any permanent fixed copy on a regional market sign shall be individual letters or have the appearance of individual letters, and shall be consistent with the sign design guidelines including criteria for legibility and the avoidance of a cluttered appearance.

• (h) Changeable message. An electronic message center may be incorporated in the regional market sign with the approval of the city council, subject to the following:

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.10

ZONING

§ 33-1395.10

• (1) Length of display. Each message shall be displayed for a period of at least eight seconds. The sign shall remain blank (no messages or display) for at least one second between displays. The messages and displays shall not be animated, appear in incremental stages or move across the changeable copy sign face. The software manufacturer and the software installer shall certify to the city that the software for the computer which controls the sign has been designed to and can only operate the sign at the approved on and off intervals.

• (2) Maximum size. The maximum size of the electronic message center portion of a regional market sign shall be 600 square feet. The director of community development may approve an electronic message center up to 10% larger than the maximum size specified here, upon receipt of an application for an administrative adjustment.

• (i) Illumination. The permanent copy may be illuminated by internal illumination of each individual letter or by halo back-lighting of each letter. No cabinet signs with illuminated backgrounds are allowed. The changeable copy area shall only be illuminated by the internal electronically controlled lights of the message center component.

• (j) Initiation of application. Each sign application for a regional market sign shall be forwarded to the city council for initiation. The city council shall make the following findings prior to initiating any request.

Initiation findings.

• (1) The applicant(s) constitute(s) a regional market group as defined by section 33-1391(52-1) or an affiliated business organization consisting of members of a qualified regional market group,

• (2) The regional market group has limited visibility from the Interstate 15 freeway,

• (3) Due to interurban competition, the defined group of users is at risk of a reduction in their share of the regional market; or

The regional market sign will assist in the retention of the regional market group uses in Escondido.

Upon initiation by the city council, a sign(s) shall be posted in a conspicuous location(s) on the project site so as to be visible from each public street adjacent to the site. The sign(s) shall notify the public of the submittal of a regional market sign application and shall be consistent with the requirements of section 33-1300(c)(2) of this chapter as to content and size.

• (k) Review of application. Upon initiation by the city council, the sign permit application and processing fee shall be submitted to the planning division and shall include a site-specific study prepared pursuant to subsection (n) of this section, as well as a list of property owners within 500 feet of the proposed sign location pursuant to subsection (1) below. If the proposed location for the regional market sign is zoned PD-C (planned developmentcommercial), no separate modification of the master sign program for the planned development is necessary. The sign application shall be reviewed by the planning division, whose recommendations shall be considered by the planning commission and the city council at separate public hearings. The city council shall make all the following findings prior to any approval or conditional approval of a regional market sign.

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.10

ESCONDIDO CODE

• (1) The proposed sign size and design are appropriate for the proposed location, type of regional market group, and surrounding development including the elevation of the adjacent freeway travel lane and mature height of landscaping, and conform to the sign standards of this section.

  • (2) The proposed sign is comprehensively designed to artistically integrate the various elements of the advertising and structure consistent with the sign design guidelines, which creates a high quality advertisement.

  • (3) The proposed sign will not be materially detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity in which the property is located.

  • (4) The regional market group association has demonstrated the ability and intent to enter into an agreement with the city to provide continuing maintenance of the regional market sign in accordance with the sign standards and conditions of approval.

• (l) Public hearing notice. Public notice of the public hearings before the planning commission and the city council shall be given pursuant to Division 6, section 33-1300 of this chapter. However, the 500 foot radius from the property line adjacent to the freeway shall be measured from the Caltrans right-of-way line on the opposite side of the freeway from the project site.

• (m) Other permits. Any approval of a sign application submitted without a current sign permit from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the proposed location, shall be conditioned upon obtaining any applicable sign permit from Caltrans for the proposed location.

• (n) Requirements of site-specific study. The applicant shall provide a visual study representing the sign at the proposed location which demonstrates the visibility of the proposed sign from northbound and southbound travel lanes of Interstate 15. The study may be photographs or video tape of sign mockups situated on the proposed site; photo simulations; computer simulations; or other appropriate representations to the satisfaction of the director.

• (o) Maintenance agreement. A maintenance agreement between the regional market group and the city shall be executed prior to the issuance of building permits for the regional market sign. The agreement shall identify the party responsible for the maintenance and operation of the regional market sign and shall include the annual maintenance schedule, to the satisfaction of the city attorney.

• (Ord. No. 95-18, § 2, 9-13-95; Ord. No. 96-27, § 1, 8-28-96; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08; Ord. No. 2011-19R, § 5, 1-11-12; Ord. No. 2016-07, § 4, 8-24-16)

Subject to review and approval by the director, wall signs, except projecting wall signs that incorporate large graphic images may exceed the maximum allowable sign area subject to wall sign development criteria and design guidelines for the underlying zone and subject to the following additional provisions and standards:

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1395.11

ZONING

§ 33-1396

• (a) Size. In no event shall the total area of super-graphic signs exceed two times the allowable wall sign area for the underlying zone. The text of the sign shall be limited to the maximum allowable wall sign area of the underlying zone.

• (b) Illumination of a super-graphic sign shall not exceed an area equal to the maximum allowable wall sign area of the underlying zone.

• (c) Internally illuminated cabinet signs shall be prohibited.

• (d) If deemed appropriate by the director, a super-graphic sign may extend above the primary wall line or parapet.

• (Ord. No. 98-25, § 1, 12-9-98; Ord. No. 2011-19R, § 5, 1-11-12; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16)

• (a) Historic buildings. Signs for buildings listed in the Escondido historic/cultural resource inventory or on the local register of historic places may deviate from the standards and from the design guidelines if the request is deemed historically appropriate for the significant architectural style of the building and consistent with the historic preservation incentives program. The historic preservation commission shall consider each request on a case-bycase basis.

• (b) Advertising structures and signs identified by the historic preservation commission as having historic cultural significance may be maintained pursuant to the historic preservation incentives program. The historic preservation commission shall consider each request on a case-by-case basis.

• (c) Maintenance requirements. Failure to maintain a historic sign and advertising structures in conformance with the following requirements shall constitute grounds for rescinding existing sign exception:

  • (1) All parts of the signs and advertising structures exempted by this section, including neon tubes, incandescent lights, and shields and sign faces, shall be maintained in a functioning condition as historically intended.

  • (2) Historic signs and advertising structures for which an exception is granted shall be brought into conformance with the above requirements within 90 days of the date the exception is granted.

• (d) Alterations. Subject to the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness pursuant to Article 40, a historic sign may be altered provided that such alterations do not substantially change the historic style, scale, height, type of material, or dimensions of the historic sign.

• (Ord. No. 2000-23, § 10, 9-13-00; Ord. No. 2011-19R, § 5, 1-11-12; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16)