§ 33-1396 - (B) Theaters;

• (C) Churches;

  - (D) Convention/conference centers; 
  
  - (E) WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredited primary and secondary schools (grades K-12); 
  
  - (F) Museums; 
  
  - (G) Youth centers; 
  
  - (H) City of Escondido or other public body; 
  
  - (I) Establishments which offer live entertainment. 
  

  • (2) All requests for the construction of electronic changeable copy signs shall be considered by the planning commission. Requests for manually-changed bulletin signs shall be reviewed by planning staff.

• (f) Signs for Nonresidential Uses in Residential Zones. Nonresidential facilities and uses located in residential zones subject to a conditional use permit, are allowed one wall sign, a maximum of 20 square feet in area and one freestanding sign, a maximum of 24 square feet in area. A freestanding sign three feet high may be located anywhere on the site. A taller sign up to a maximum of six feet high shall maintain the required setback of the zone. All freestanding signs must be compatible with the structure and/or property where they are installed and shall not adversely impact the visual character of the surrounding area. For properties with more than five acres and frontage on more than one street, one freestanding sign per street frontage may be allowed. Only one sign per property/use may be a changeable copy sign pursuant to section 33-1396(e).

  • (A) WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredited primary and secondary schools (grades K-12) subject to this section are allowed one wall sign, a maximum of 40 square feet in area. Monument sign(s) of up to six feet in height are permitted, or a pole sign of up to 15 feet in height may be permitted subject to staff design review. The maximum square footage allowed for each freestanding sign shall not exceed 60 square feet, and the number of freestanding signs permitted on a site shall not exceed two. Each and every sign over three feet shall maintain the required setback of the underlying zone.

• (g) Public Facilities Signs of the City of Escondido. Freestanding signs, wall signs, and bulletin signs for public facilities of the City of Escondido shall be reviewed by the director for appropriate design and scale for the site pursuant to the design guidelines, but in no event shall any sign exceed the sizes and heights permitted in commercial zones.

• (h) Off-Site Directional Signs for Approved Historical Points of Interest. In the case of approved historical points of interest, off-site directional signs of a content, size, height above ground, and location acceptable to the city may be approved by the director and the city engineer. To be considered approved, a place or point of interest must be recorded in the national register of historical places, the local register of historic places, or at the California Department of Parks and Recreation as a point of historical interest.

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City of Escondido, CA § 33-1396

ZONING

§ 33-1396

• (i) Pole-Mounted Banners. Pole-mounted banners for the purpose of providing business identification shall be permitted on poles within HP (hospital professional), CG (general commercial), CP (office professional) and PD-C (planned development—commercial) zones. All proposals for pole-mounted banners shall be reviewed by the planning division for conformance with the following standards:

  • (1) Banners shall be constructed of vinyl, cloth or similar durable material. Each banner may be double-faced and shall be permitted a maximum area of 16 square feet. A maximum of two banners shall be permitted on each pole. Each banner shall be hung on the pole so that the lowest portion of the banner is at least eight feet above the ground.

  • (2) Banners shall be kept in good condition and may be exhibited year-round. For commercial centers or properties less than three acres in size, the aggregate total of all banners shall not exceed 72 square feet.

  • (3) All banners shall feature color backgrounds and/or graphic images. Text shall be limited to no more than 1/2 of the banner area. All text shall be limited to identifying the business or enterprise on the property only and shall not be used to display products, services or promotions.

• (j) Signs within the public right-of-way for commercial activities for which there is a valid encroachment-removal agreement.

  • (1) Monument signs for which there is a valid encroachment-removal agreement may be placed within the public right-of-way, only under the following circumstances:

    • (A) Sufficient right-of-way exists between the ultimate edge of pavement or back of sidewalk, whichever is applicable, and the adjacent property line, as determined by the city engineer.

    • (B) Existing underground public utilities preclude the placement of a monument sign on the property immediately adjacent to the location where the sign is proposed.

    • (C) The right-of-way is classified as a major road or prime arterial in the General Plan.

    • (D) The public right-of-way intended for placement of a monument sign must be immediately adjacent to a commercially zoned property or property designated for commercial use, with an operating commercial land use activity, and the commercial property must be at least four acres in size.

    • (E) The encroachment-removal agreement must be between the City of Escondido and the owner of the property immediately adjacent to the location where the sign is placed.

    • (F) No other freestanding sign is allowed for the adjacent shopping center along the street where the monument sign will be placed.

    • (G) New buildings have not been constructed on the property immediately adjacent to the location where the sign is proposed after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this subsection in a location that would have otherwise

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City of Escondido, CA

ESCONDIDO CODE

§ 33-1396

§ 33-1397

provided an opportunity for a monument sign on said adjacent property.

• (2) Monument signs placed within the public right-of-way shall be subject to the following conditions:

  • (A) Development standards (size, height, illumination, etc.) shall be the same as those applicable to the adjacent commercial property.

  • (B) The sign is considered an on-site sign for the immediately adjacent shopping center and shall be subject to all laws and regulations applicable to the subject shopping center for the duration of the encroachment-removal agreement.

  • (C) The sign shall be subject to design review.

  • (D) The sign shall have a decorative base and enhanced landscaping must be provided around the base of the sign.

  • (E) The sign shall be as close as possible to the immediately adjacent property line.

  • (F) The sign must be at least 100 feet from any intersection and shall not create or exacerbate an existing sight-distance issue.

  • (G) Placement of the sign shall not necessitate the removal of any trees, either for installation of the sign and/or visibility of the sign.

• (3) The city may deny any request to place a sign in the public right-of-way if necessary to preserve the public health, safety, and welfare, or other public interest concerning the right-of-way.

(Ord. No. 92-47, § 1, 11-18-92; Ord. No. 99-20, § 4 Exh. A, 7-21-99; Ord. No. 2001-05, § 4, 2-28-01; Ord. No. 2008-11, § 4, 5-21-08; Ord. No. 2008-22, § 7, 9-10-08; Ord. No. 2009-02, § 4, 2-25-09; Ord. No. 2012-08, § 4, 5-23-12; Ord. No. 2017-08, § 7, 5-24-17; Ord. No. 2018-22, § 1, 12-5-18; Ord. No. 2019-10, § 7, 8-21-19)