Fremont Municipal Code Art. V Regulations Applicable to Signs for Nonresidential Land Uses

This article applies to signs in commercial and industrial land use designations and to the commercial uses in areas designated for mixed-use. It does not apply to signs on residential dwelling units or to signs in residential or open space land use designations. (Ord. 2-2014 § 1, 1-14-14.)

(a) Temporary Signs. Temporary signs are allowed in areas with commercial and industrial land use designations and commercial uses in areas designated for mixed-use projects, subject to the approval of a sign permit and the following regulations:

(1) Size: The total display area for temporary signs allowed at any one time is 25 percent of the applicable basic permittable area (BPA) for permanent building mounted signs, up to a maximum of 64 square feet.

(2) Display time: Temporary signs are allowed in increments of 15 days but in no case may the number of days per calendar year that temporary signs may be displayed exceed a cumulative total of 45 days. Temporary real estate signs may be displayed during the sale period but must be removed within 15 days of the close of escrow.

(3) Location/height: Temporary signs may be affixed to a door, window or building wall but below the roof eave or parapet wall, but not to trees or other landscape structures. Signs located above a pedestrian path of travel shall provide a minimum of eight feet of vertical clearance. Real estate signs may also be freestanding but may not exceed six feet in height.

(b) Temporary Signs Displayed During the Election Period. In addition to the noncommercial signs allowed under the message substitution policy, temporary signs displaying any variety of noncommercial constitutionally protected speech may be displayed without a sign permit during the election period as defined in Section 18.25.2600 and may be freestanding or mounted on a building wall. On vacant sites, such signs may only be placed with an approved sign permit that incorporates the owner’s consent. Since no buildings are located on the property, such signs may be either freestanding or fence-mounted. The maximum cumulative display area for temporary signs during the election period is 100 square feet per site. Except as specifically provided herein, all other structural and locational rules apply. This subsection does not authorize private parties to place temporary signs on city property or in the public right-of-way. Such signs are regulated by Chapter 18.194.

(c) Temporary Construction Signs. The following standards apply to construction projects that have received all necessary licenses, permits, and approvals. They do not apply to housing subdivision project signs which are regulated by Section 18.193.720.

(1) Size: Signs authorized by this section shall be limited to 50 percent of the otherwise allowable basic permittable area (BPA) when the project is complete.

(2) Number: maximum two per street frontage.

(3) Height: maximum eight feet above grade.

(4) Display time: Signs authorized by this article may be installed and displayed only during a time which begins when final building permits have been issued and ends when the project receives final inspection approval, certificate of occupancy, accepted notice of completion, or the functional equivalent of any of them.

(5) Illumination: not allowed.

(6) Message types: General advertising for hire is prohibited.

(7) Physical type and location: freestanding or attached to wall or fence.

(8) Additional signage: In addition to the BPA, certain other signs may be displayed as necessary. These include warning signs, construction hour limitations, directional signs, and identification of locations and facilities. (Ord. 2-2014 § 1, 1-14-14; Ord. 23-2018 § 36, 10-2-18.)

(a) Freestanding Signs. Freestanding signs are subject to the following standards:

(1) Maximum number: No more than one freestanding sign per building frontage may be permitted. Transfer of sign area from one frontage to another is not permitted.

(2) Type: Freestanding signs shall be monument signs unless traffic safety requires a pole sign. Additionally, a pole sign may be considered within the regional commercial land use designation.

(3) Landscaping: All freestanding signs shall require automatic irrigated landscape at the base at least three feet in all directions.

(4) Setback: All freestanding signs shall be set back from the street frontage property line by at least three feet and from all other property lines by at least five feet.

(5) Cladding: Cladding that covers the pole is required in the case of pole signs. Cladding may not be used to display copy. Cladding shall be a complementary color to the main building on the site.

(6) Height: Freestanding sign height is subject to the following standards:

(A) Monument signs shall have a maximum height of six feet, or eight feet with a minimum 18-inch high decorative base.

(B) Pole signs (when allowed) shall have a maximum height of 20 feet but in no case shall they exceed the height of the ridgeline or parapet of the building roof.

(b) Wall Signs. Wall signs, when allowed under the land use rules, are subject to the following standards:

(1) Number: Each establishment may display only one wall sign per building frontage or one per tenant space.

(2) Number exception, additional wall signs for multi-story buildings: When a building has three or more floors that are not used for residential purposes, a maximum of one additional wall sign per building frontage is allowed. The additional wall sign may be mounted on the top floor level.

(3) Height: Wall signs shall not extend higher than the building wall upon which they are attached. Signs may not be placed on mansard or other roof forms.

(4) Coverage: Wall sign copy shall not occupy more than 75 percent of the length of the wall to which the sign is attached.

(5) Placement: Each sign shall be placed flat against the building wall. No wall sign may cover, wholly or partially, any required wall opening, such as a door, window, or fire escape.

(6) Projection: Wall signs cannot extend more than 12 inches beyond the face of the wall to which they are attached unless authorized through a master sign program.

(7) Physical types: Wall signs shall consist of painted or other flat panel type signs, or signs with individual letters and logos directly affixed to the wall of a building. No “can signs” (i.e., a metal/plastic box with an interior light fixture and plastic face) shall be allowed. Existing can signs with valid permits may be maintained and repaired.

(c) Awning and Canopy Signs. Awning and canopy signs may be attached to or painted on the vertical edges of awnings, canopies, arcades, or similar features or structures in accordance with the standards found in Table 18.193.550 and the following standards:

(1) Height: maximum 12 feet.

(2) Clearance between sidewalk and bottom of awning or canopy: minimum eight feet.

(3) Clearance between canopy and curb: minimum two feet.

(4) Illumination: none allowed.

(d) Projecting Signs. Projecting signs are only authorized in areas where specific sign design guidelines have been adopted and where the sign complies with the provisions of Table 18.193.550 and the following standards:

(1) Number: a maximum of one projecting or suspended/blade sign per building or tenant space.

(2) Size: maximum nine square feet per sign face.

(3) Clearance between the sidewalk and the bottom of the sign: minimum of eight feet.

(4) Illumination: external only.

(e) Suspended or Blade Signs. Signs suspended beneath a covered walkway, awning, or canopy in conjunction with pedestrian walkways are allowed where the sign complies with the provisions of Table 18.193.550 and the following standards:

(1) Number: a maximum of one projecting or suspended/blade sign per building or tenant space.

(2) Size: maximum three square feet per sign face.

(3) Clearance between sidewalk and bottom of sign: minimum eight feet.

(4) Illumination: external only.

(f) Marquee Signs. Marquee signs are only allowed subject to a master sign program and when in conformance with the provisions in Table 18.193.550 and following standards:

(1) Number: maximum one per site.

(2) Qualifying land uses: Marquee signs are permitted for movie theaters, performance theaters, concert halls, convention centers, and similar uses characterized by human assembly and periodically changing programs.

(3) Location: No portion of the changeable copy section of the marquee sign shall be higher than the eave line or parapet wall of a building.

(4) Height: maximum four feet in vertical dimension, excepting movie and performance theaters, in which case additional vertical dimension up to six feet may be authorized by a master sign program.

(5) Clearance between the sidewalk and the bottom of the sign: minimum of eight feet.

(6) Projections: A marquee sign may extend from the building to which it is attached but no closer than two feet from the curb line.

(7) Changeable copy: Changeable copy may occupy up to 75 percent of the area of a marquee sign.

(g) Window Signs. Permanent window signs painted or otherwise adhered directly onto the interior or exterior of a window are subject to the provisions set forth in Table 18.193.550 and the following standards:

(1) Height: Window signs shall not be mounted or placed on windows higher than the second story.

(2) Size: Window signs may not occupy more than 20 percent of the total window area. (Ord. 2-2014 § 1, 1-14-14.)

Legal nonresidential uses in all land use designations may display flags at any time. Flags do not count toward the basic permittable area. Only establishments with more than 30 feet of street frontage may erect flag poles, subject to the following provisions:

(a) Maximum number of flag poles: three per street frontage.

(b) Maximum number of flags: not limited (see “maximum display area”).

(c) Maximum height of flag poles: the same as the allowable building height within the applicable zoning district.

(d) Maximum display area for all flags (measured on one side only):

(1) Lots under one acre: 45 square feet.

(2) Lots between one and 10 acres: 72 square feet.

(3) Lots over 10 acres: 150 square feet.

(e) Other Requirements. Flags may not be used to display off-site commercial images, or used for general advertising for hire. Flags may be mounted on poles or attached to walls via a projecting arm that holds the flag wherein the top of the projecting arm does not exceed the roof eave. (Ord. 2-2014 § 1, 1-14-14.)

One regional serving sign may be permitted on a private property within a nonresidential land use designation along Interstate I-880 to serve the downtown district as defined in Section 18.25.2600. This sign shall be intended to create an identity marker for the downtown and may advertise the downtown and businesses located within the downtown area. Advertising on this sign by businesses located within the downtown district shall not be considered off-site signage. The owner of the sign shall not prohibit regional or destination-serving downtown businesses from locating on the sign and the sign shall be designed to accommodate a variety of businesses in the downtown district. This sign will require a conditional use permit approval by the planning commission. Prior to consideration of the conditional use permit, the city council shall adopt guidelines for such signage. (Ord. 2-2014 § 1, 1-14-14.)