Chapter 17.54 — SIGN REGULATIONS

The purpose and intent of this Section is to establish standards which accomplish the following:

• A. Provide businesses the ability to communicate effectively with their customers without excessive signage;

• B. Preserve and protect the historic character and quality of life that is the basis of Jackson's economy by maintaining the aesthetics of the City;

• C. Ensure that signage installed meets all applicable building and safety codes;

• D. Establish fair and effective procedures for the enforcement of this Chapter to prevent unsightly sign competition and illegal sign installation to the detriment of local businesses, visitors, and residents;

• E. Reduce hazards to motorists and pedestrians; and

• F. Promote the public health, safety, and general welfare.

As used in this article, the following terms and phrases shall have the indicated meanings:

"A board sign" is any upright, rigid supporting frame in the form of a triangle with steeply angled sides that meet at the top in the shape of the letter "A" which conveys a message. Sandwich board signs are included in this definition.

"Area of sign" means the number of square feet of the smallest rectangle within which a sign face can be enclosed. In determining the area of an individual sign which has more than one face, the greatest area of sign faces visible from any one point shall be used. The "total area of signs on a site" is the greatest area of sign faces which are visible from any one point.

"Animated sign," means a sign, or any device designed to attract attention by visual means through the movement or semblance of movement of the whole or any part of the sign.

"Banner sign" is any canvas, plastic coated cloth, or other flexible material sign which is mounted to a structure with rope, canvas, or other fastening device. These signs are considered temporary.

"Billboard" means a sign structure which is available for lease or rent.

"Building face," means the whole of a building visible in an elevation of the building excluding sloped roof surfaces.

"Bulletin Board" means a sign which accommodates changeable copy and which displays information on activities and events on the premises.

"Cabinet sign" is a sign that contains all the text and/or logo symbols within a single enclosed cabinet and may or may not be illuminated.

"Changeable copy sign" is a sign on which copy is changed manually in the field, i.e. reader boards with changeable letters.

"Channel letter sign" is a fabricated or formed three-dimensional letter that may accommodate a light source.

"Channel logo" is a fabricated or formed three-dimensional logo that may accommodate a light source.

"Community directional sign" means a sign informing the location of a community service organization, public facility, or a church.

"Commercial sign" means a sign that relates primarily to economic interests such as the exchange of goods and services.

"Directory sign" means a sign identifying the location of occupants of a building or group of buildings which are divided into rooms or suites as separate offices or studios.

"Eaves" are the lower border of a roof that overhangs the wall.

"Electronic display screen" is a sign, or portion of a sign, that displays an electronic image or video, which may or may not include text. This definition includes television screens, plasma screens, digital screens, flat screens, LED screens, video boards, and holographic displays.

"Electronic message center" is any sign or portion of a sign that uses changing lights to form a sign message or messages in text form wherein the sequence of messages and the rate of change is electronically programmed and can be modified by electronic processes.

"Exterior-illuminated sign" means any sign with any part of which is illuminated from an exterior artificial light source mounted on the sign, another structure, or the ground.

"Fascia" means a flat horizontal band or broad fillet covering the joint between the top of a wall and projecting eaves.

"Flag pole sign" is any sign which utilizes the flag pole holes found in the sidewalk along Main Street.

"Flashing sign" means an illuminated sign in which the artificial light is not maintained in a stationary or constant intensity.

"Freestanding sign" means a sign not attached to any building and having its own support structure.

"Historic District" is defined as the metered parking district within the City.

"Identification sign" means any sign identifying an institution in a residential zone, occupant, apartment, residence, school or church, and not advertising any product or service.

"Interior-illuminated sign" means any part of which has characters, letters, figures, or any portion of the sign face or outline thereof illuminated from an interior light source.

"Height of sign" means the vertical distance from average adjacent ground level to the top of the sign including the support structure and any design elements.

"Logo" is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of the name of the organization (a logotype or wordmark). An example of an abstract mark is the blue octagon representing Chase Bank, while an example of a representational mark is the "everyman" icon of PBS. Examples of well-known logotypes (wordmarks) are the striped IBM design, Mobil written in blue with a red "o" and Coca Cola written in flowing red script.

"Lot frontage" or "frontage" means the horizontal distance along a lot line adjacent to or highly visible from a public street, or the side of a lot adjacent to or highly visible from a public street.

"Marquee sign" means a sign placed on the face of a permanent roof structure projecting over the building entrance, which is an integral part of the building (usually a theater or hotel) and is not a fascia extension of the roof or eave.

"Monument sign" means a sign which is completely self-supporting, has its base on the ground, and is generally rectangular in form.

"Nonconforming sign" means a sign which was validly installed under laws or ordinances in effect prior to the adoption of this Chapter, but which is in conflict with the provisions of this Chapter.

"Non-illuminated sign" means a sign with no internal or external artificial light source and only incidentally illuminated by ambient light conditions.

"Nonresidential zone" means any zone other than RS, RL, RSF, RD, RM, and RH zone districts.

"Notice" means written correspondence given to a tenant or property owner either by personal delivery or by deposit in the United States mail in a sealed envelope, registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid and addressed to the owner or his/her tenant.

"Off-premises sign" means any sign which directs attention to a business, service, product, or entertainment not sold or offered on the premises on which the sign is located.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association or government or any other legal entity.

"Pole sign" is a sign erected on one or more uprights supported from the ground, and which is not a part of any building or structure other than a structure erected solely for the purpose of supporting a sign.

"Premises" means a building or unified complex of buildings on one lot or on two or more contiguous lots under common ownership.

"Price sign," means a sign on the premises of a service station which contains information on the cost and type of motor fuel only (Refer to Section 13530 et seq. California Business and Professional Code).

"Projecting sign" means a sign which extends out from a building face or wall so that the sign face is perpendicular or at an angle to the building face or wall.

"Public entrance" means a place of entry at a premises which is accessible to the general public.

"Reader board sign" See "changeable copy sign"

"Roof-mounted sign" means any sign located or attached to the eave of a roof of a building.

"Sandwich board sign" See the definition for "A board sign."

"Shopping center" means five or more stores with a minimum area of 50,000 square feet, 300 feet of frontage and common off-street parking.

"Second story" means the highest point of the second floor of a building.

"Sign" means any visual device or representation designed or used for the purpose of communicating a message or identifying or attracting attention to a premises, product, service, person, organization, business or event, with or without the use of the words, visible from outside the premises on which such device is located.

"Sign face" means the visible sign proper including the characters and symbols (excluding essential structural elements which are not an integral part of the display) and including non-structural frame.

"Suspended sign," means a sign attached to and located below any permanent eave, roof, or canopy.

"Temporary noncommercial sign" means a temporary sign that does not primarily relate to economic interests such as the exchange of goods and services, such as an ideological, political, or religious sign.

"Temporary sign" means any sign, banner, pennant, valance, or advertising display constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, wall board, or other light materials, with or without frames, that is not designed or intended to be placed permanently.

"Wall sign" means a single-faced sign painted on or attached to a building or wall, no part of which extends out from or above a wall more than six inches (excluding window signs).

"Window sign" means a sign displayed within a building or attached to the interior of a window but visible through a window or similar opening for the primary purpose of exterior visibility. (Ord. 707 §2, 2019)

An application for a permit for each sign shall be made to the Building Official in such form and include such information as the Building Official may prescribe. The application shall be accompanied by the permit fee. The permit fee for each application for each sign shall be based on the fees prescribed in the Uniform Building Code currently in effect and adopted by the City. Sign permit applications and fees for commercial and industrial centers shall be submitted with the building permit application.

No person shall erect, reconstruct, alter, relocate, or place any sign within the City except such signs as are permitted by this Chapter. All signs, including the frames, braces or supports thereof, shall be constructed and maintained in compliance with this article, the Uniform Building Code and National Electric Code, the zoning ordinances and all other applicable ordinances and codes of the City.

No sign, or any portion thereof, shall be anchored to, attached to, supported by any fire escape or any standpipe, or erected so as to obstruct or prevent the unobstructed ingress to or egress from any window, door, or fire escape.

No sign shall be erected or placed so as to obstruct the vision of vehicular traffic or at any location where it may interfere with, or be confused with, any traffic signal or device.

All signs including signs installed prior to the adoption of this Chapter shall be constantly maintained in a state of security, safety, and good repair. If the Building Official finds that any sign is unsafe or insecure, is a menace to the public safety, is in a state disrepair, or has been constructed, erected, relocated, or altered after the effective date of this Chapter in violation of the provisions hereof, he or she shall give written notice to the owner or the tenant of the property wherein it is located to remove or alter such sign. If the owner or tenant fails to comply with the provisions of this Chapter within 10 calendar days after such notice, the Building Official may cause such sign to be removed and the cost hereof shall be paid by the owner or tenant. The Building Official may cause any sign which is, in his/her opinion, an immediate peril to persons or property, to be removed summarily and without notice.

Any sign now or hereafter existing which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted, a product sold or service rendered, shall be removed, or the advertising copy shall be painted or coated out, unless it is a sign having historical significance as defined by Section 17.54.150 (Historical Signs) of this Chapter.

If the property owner or tenant fails to do so within 30 calendar days after written notice from the Building Official, the Building Official shall remove or paint out the sign and any expense incident thereunto shall be paid by the owner or tenant.

No sign containing electrical wiring or connections shall be installed until the sign has been inspected and approved by the Building Official or his/her representative. The Building Official may accept the approval of such sign by the Underwriters Laboratories or other recognized testing agency as prima facie evidence of compliance with the requirement of the City for the electrical wiring and construction of such sign.

It shall be unlawful for any person to place, attach or maintain any sign, banner, sticker or other advertising devise upon or within any property, whether public or private, without securing the consent of the owner or his/her tenant.

It shall be the responsibility of every owner of real property and/or his/her tenant or other person in possession of such property with the consent of the owner to maintain every sign on such property in strict compliances with this Chapter.

No sign shall be attached to, anchored in, or supported by any structure or pole placed on or otherwise located on or allowed to extend into public property or rights-of-way, except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, unless an encroachment permit to do so is first obtained from the City.

• A. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, signs supported entirely on public or private property may be permitted to extend up to five feet into a public right-of-way; provided that in no event shall any sign be permitted to extend within three feet of any portion of the public right-ofway used principally for vehicular traffic.

• B. Portions of signs extending into the public right-of-way shall have a minimum vertical clearance of eight feet between the bottom of the sign or its supporting structure and the surface of the ground or sidewalk below. A marquee sign shall have a minimum vertical clearance of eight feet. In the event more restrictive provisions are established in connection with State highways, such provisions shall control.

• C. No sign or sign's structure shall project into any public alley below a height of 14 feet above grade, nor project more than 12 inches where the sign structure is located 14 feet to 16 feet above grade. The sign or sign structure may project no more than 36 inches into the public alley where the sign or sign structure is located more than 16 feet above grade.

Any sign which is permitted to extend over and be maintained on any public right-of-way shall be removed or altered by the person maintaining such sign at his/her sole expense within 10 days of receipt of written notice from the Building Official whenever, by reason of changed traffic conditions or the construction or relocation of public improvements or otherwise, the Building Official finds that the continued existence of such sign is no longer consistent with the purposes for which such public property is to be used.

No sign shall be constructed or maintained which has less horizontal or vertical clearance from communication wires or electric power lines than the clearance prescribed by the Orders or Regulation of the State Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Industrial Relations and other State law.

All permanent signs which existed prior to the effective date of this Chapter and which do not meet the requirements of the chapter will be considered nonconforming. Nonconforming signs may be altered, converted, or changed as long as such alteration, conversion, or change does not increase the extent of nonconformity or exceed the 50 percent provision in Section 17.54.105 below.

§ 17.54.105. Maintenance and Repairs of Nonconforming Signs.

• A. The routine maintenance or repair of a nonconforming sign or sign structure is permitted, provided the cumulative repair or maintenance does not exceed 50 percent of the replacement cost of the sign.

• B. If any nonconforming sign requires change, repair, or maintenance which would constitute an expense of more than 50 percent of the replacement cost of the sign, such sign must either be removed or brought within the requirements of this Section. Any nonconforming sign that is damaged due to circumstances beyond the owner's control shall be allowed to be rebuilt, provided that the nonconformity is not increased in any way.

• C. Replacement face plates for internally lit cabinet signs shall be required to conform to Section 17.54.152(H) .

Signs removed by the Building Official pursuant to this Chapter shall be stored for a period of at least 20 days, and if not claimed within such time, may be destroyed. Prior to the reclaiming of any sign, the owner shall pay a fee of $10 per day to the City to defray a portion of the expenses associated with storing and handling the illegal sign.

The provisions of this Chapter shall be administered by the Building Official and his/her authorized representatives. All other officers and employees of the City shall assist and cooperate with the Building Official in administering and enforcing the provisions of this Chapter.

Any permit issued under the terms of this Chapter may be revoked by the Building Official when it appears that the sign has been erected or maintained in violation of the provisions of this Chapter or any other ordinance or law. No such permit shall be revoked until a hearing shall have been held by the Building Official. Written notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be given by the Building Official to the property owner or tenant at least 10 days prior to the date set for the hearing. The notice shall contain a brief statement of the grounds for revoking such permit. Notice may be given either by personal delivery or by deposit in the United States mail in a sealed envelope, registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid and addressed to the owner or his/her tenant.

Within 30 days after revocation of any permit as provided in the preceding Section or within 10 days after affirmation of such revocation by the Planning Commission as provided in the following Section, the sign or signs described in such revocation shall be removed by the property owner or tenant. If such removal is not completed within that time, the Building Official shall cause such sign to be removed, and the cost thereof shall be paid by such owner or tenant.

• A. Any applicant for a permit under the provisions of this Chapter who is dissatisfied with the decision of the Building Official may appeal such decision to the Planning Commission by filing

with the City Clerk a written notice of appeal. Such notice must be filed within 10 calendar days after the date on which the decision of the Building Official is made, and shall set forth the specific ground or grounds of such appeal. The City Clerk shall forthwith set the matter for hearing before the Planning Commission and shall cause notice thereof to be mailed to the applicant not less than 10 days before such hearing. Such hearing may be continued from time to time, and upon the conclusion thereof, the Planning Commission shall promptly make a final decision in the matter.

• B. Any applicant dissatisfied with the decision of the Planning Commission may appeal such decision to the City Council by following the same procedure described above.

Violations under this Section shall be an infraction punishable as set forth in Municipal Code Section 1.20.020 (General Penalty—Infraction), or any successor section thereunto. Violations shall also be subject to enforcement by administrative action following notice to the owner of sign and the opportunity to be heard at a hearing called for that purpose by the City Manager or his/her designee. The hearing officer may, but is not limited to require the owner to do the following:

• A. Remove the sign;

• B. Alter any unlawful or nonconforming sign to bring it into compliance with this Chapter;

• C. Replace any unlawful sign with a sign meeting the requirements of this Chapter;

• D. Assess an administrative penalty and/or enforcement costs against the owner of the sign; or

• E. Cancel or revoke any permit issued under this Chapter.

Any hearing to be held under this Section may be referred to the Planning Commission at the discretion of the City Manager. The remedies set forth in this Section are not exclusive and the City retains the right to exercise any and all other remedies as available in law or equity to address violations of this Chapter.

Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Chapter, no sign shall be erected or used for business purposes of any kind except such signs as shall be located on a place of business, enterprise, or calling, and used solely for the naming, designating, or identifying of the business, enterprise, calling, products or services available on or within the premises, except for window signs.

A sign having historical significance need not be removed or painted out even though it no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted, a product sold or a service rendered. A sign having historical significance would be a sign which would be desirable to retain because of its connection with some event, product, or business which is considered to be historically significant to the City of Jackson. Any person having a sign on his or her property which he or she believes falls in the category of a sign having historical significance may file a written application with the City Clerk requesting that the sign be designated as a sign having historical significance. The Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing within 45 days from the date the application is filed for the purpose of hearing comments from the general public regarding the request contained in the application. A notice of the public hearing shall be published once in a newspaper of general

circulation published in the County of Amador at least five days prior to the hearing. The City Clerk shall, at least 10 days before the public hearing, inform the Amador County Archivist and the Historical Society of the request so they may comment on whether the sign has historical significance. Within 45 days from the conclusion of the public hearing the Planning Commission shall decide whether the sign has historical significance. The applicant or any citizen of the City may appeal the decision of the Planning Commission to the City Council. The procedure for appealing shall be the same as is established for appealing decisions of the Planning Commission pertaining to a variance.

The artificial illumination of signs, either from an internal or external source, shall be designed to eliminate negative impacts on surrounding rights-of-way and properties. The following standards apply to all illuminated signs:

• A. External light sources shall be directed and shielded to limit direct illumination of any object other than the sign;

• B. The light from an illuminated sign shall not be of an intensity or brightness which will interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of residential properties in direct visual proximity to the sign;

• C. Sign shall not have blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights or other illuminating devices that have a changing light intensity, brightness or color;

• D. Colored lights shall not be used at a location or in a manner so as to be confused or construed as traffic control devices;

• E. Neither the direct nor reflected light from primary light sources shall create a hazard to operators of motor vehicles;

• F. Reflective-type bulbs and incandescent lamps that exceed 15 watts (or 15 watt equivalent) shall not be used on the exterior surface of signs so as to expose the face of the bulb or lamp to a public right-of-way or adjacent property;

• G. Light sources shall utilize energy efficient fixtures to the greatest extent possible; and

• H. Cabinet (can or box) signs that are internally illumined shall have opaque backgrounds so that when the sign is illuminated, only the words or logos on the sign are lighted.

The following signs shall be allowed in all zoning designations without a permit. All signs falling within subsections A and C within this Section shall be in conformity as to size, design, and location with the other sections of this Chapter:

• A. Public information, identification, civic event, and directional signs constructed by a public agency or public utility; signs constructed by a private individual when required by law or regulations of any governmental agency; and legal notices. Signs exempt under this Section shall include safety signs, danger signs, no trespassing signs, signs showing the location of public telephones, signs placed by a public utility to show the location of underground facilities, signs placed by the City indicating scenic or historical points of interest, event signs, banners and patriotic swags in the downtown historic district placed by a public agency, and all signs erected by a public or peace officer in performance of a public duty.

• B. Temporary noncommercial signs that do not exceed 32 square feet per side. No temporary noncommercial signs shall be placed in a way that obstructs pedestrian or vehicle traffic or that

poses a public safety or health hazard. Temporary noncommercial signs that do not comply with these requirements will be deemed a public nuisance and abated pursuant to Section 17.54.140 (Violation) of this Chapter. Temporary noncommercial signs are limited to 80 square feet of aggregate area on any single parcel of property, must be posted on private property only, and must only be posted with the permission of the property owner. Temporary noncommercial signs must be removed no later than six months after the event for which it was posted has passed, or the date of the posting, whichever is later.

• C. Signs may be erected in conjunction with construction projects and used for the purpose of publicizing the future occupants of the building, or the architects, engineers and construction organization participating in the project. Such signs shall not exceed six square feet in area, and no freestanding sign shall exceed five feet in height. All such signs shall be removed before a final release on the construction is given by the Building Official.

• (Ord. 707 §2, 2019; Ord. 720 §1, 2021)

The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to signs which have been fabricated or assembled on the premises of a business which makes and sells signs and which is in compliance with all requirements of this Code, which do not advertise the sign business itself, and which are temporarily stored on the premises of the sign business until picked up by customers. In addition, the Planning Commission may, upon filing of appropriate applications, allow exceptions to the provisions of this Chapter. Such exceptions shall be granted only where the Commission finds that:

• A. The proposed exception is required to provide for safe installation of the proposed sign; or

• B. The proposed exception is consistent with the purpose and intent of this Chapter as set forth in Section 17.54.010 and the resulting sign will be superior to the sign which would otherwise be allowed by this Chapter in its design, construction, and placement.

No person may erect or maintain a sign which:

• A. Is a flashing sign, changeable copy sign or electronic display screen, except for prices of fuel on appropriate fuel station signs, and electronic message centers.

• B. Is a moving or animated sign including attention getting devices such as spinners, balloons, inflatable signs, and search lights.

• C. Is a sign advertising a business or housing development that is being held by an individual.

• D. Is designed or used for the purpose of emitting sound.

• E. Is roof-mounted except with approval of the Planning Commission per the process established in Section 17.54.160 (Exceptions), and if the building is single-story and is less than 35 feet. To be granted an exemption per Section 17.54.160 (Exceptions) for a roof-mounted sign, the Planning Commission must also make a finding that there is no other reasonable location for sign placement.

• A. Residential signs providing name of residents and address shall be allowed in all residential zones within the City without obtaining a permit if said signs meet the following criteria:

  1. One sign not to exceed two square feet in area attached to and parallel with the front wall of the building, and containing only the name and/or title or occupation of the occupant.

  2. One temporary single or double faced sign not to exceed four square feet in area per side advertising the premises for sale, lease, or rent located not nearer than 10 feet to adjoining premises, nor within a public way.

• B. Subdivision signs offering real estate or homes for sale in an approved subdivision may be erected under the following conditions:

  1. Not more than two such signs shall be allowed per subdivision unit;

  2. No such sign shall exceed 32 square feet in area;

  3. Such signs shall be removed when all lots and houses in the subdivision have been sold.

• C. Two single-sided subdivision name signs not exceeding 32 square feet shall be allowed at each entrance to a subdivision.

• D. One temporary sign, not to exceed six square feet if single-sided or 12 square feet if double sided, is allowed to advertise the property for sale, lease or rent; and shall be located not more than five feet to adjoining properties, nor within a public way. Larger signs may be allowed with approval of the Planning Commission per the process established in Section 17.54.160 (Exceptions).

No sign shall be placed, erected, altered or relocated on any property within the Commercial (C), Limited Commercial (LC), Professional Office (PO), Industrial (I), Public (P), or Recreation (R) zone unless such sign is, as to its exterior appearance, compatible with the Mother Lode architecture and typography consistent with the historic nature of the City (examples of which are available from the City's Planning Department), and unless it complies with all of the following requirements:

• A. Maximum Aggregate Sign Area Per Site. The aggregate area of all signs on a single lot, excluding exempt signs shall not exceed one square foot of sign area per lineal foot of public street frontage. However, in the special situations listed below, sign area is calculated as follows:

  1. Sites with Multiple Frontages. On sites with more than one frontage on a public street, maximum permitted sign area shall be calculated as follows:

     • a. Where an interior lot fronts on two streets (a corner or "through lot"), either both the front and side, or front and rear lot lines as related to the applicable frontages may be used for calculating the allowable sign area.

     • b. Where a lot has three or more frontages on a public street, the length of only two contiguous sides, one of which shall be the principal street frontage, shall be added together to determine allowable sign area.

• B. Wall Signs. The maximum wall sign area for each building face shall not exceed 20 percent of the total wall sign area available. No one sign for a single business shall exceed 90 square feet. Businesses with multiple store fronts shall be allowed 180 square feet of total wall signage.

• C. Pole Signs. No pole sign shall be erected to a height exceeding twice the distance from the sign to the nearest property line of the parcel on which it is placed, and in no event shall a pole sign be erected in excess of 35 feet in height. Not more than one pole sign shall be installed for any one entity. Pole signs shall not exceed 32 square feet per side or a total of 64 square feet. Pole

signs which advertise a shopping center, professional center, or industrial center shall not exceed the areas set forth in the following Table 1 (Pole Signs).

==> picture [382 x 655] intentionally omitted <==

Table 1 Pole Signs

• D. Projecting Signs. No projecting sign shall project more than one third of its height above the eave line or parapet of the wall on which it is mounted. There shall be a minimum distance of eight feet from the bottom of the sign to ground level. The minimal horizontal clearance between a sign and the curb line shall be two feet. The maximum projection over a public sidewalk shall be two-thirds the width of the sidewalk or six feet, whichever is less.

• E. Monument Signs. Freestanding monument or "ground" signs can be placed a minimum of five feet from the street right-of-way. Maximum sign area, height, and setback shall not exceed those set forth in Table 2 (Monument Signs).

• F. Suspended Signs. The maximum area for a suspended sign shall be 12 square feet per side. Additionally there shall be a minimum distance of eight feet from the bottom of the sign to ground level

• G. A cinema may erect a directory sign listing the attractions at the cinema the size of which shall be approved by the Planning Commission.

• H. As an alternative to the pole sign allowed in 17.54.175(D), but not in addition thereunto, each gasoline service station may place, erect, alter, or relocate a single pole sign which complies with State requirements.

• I. Board signs are permitted with the following requirements:

  1. Signs shall be a maximum of 24 inches wide and shall not extend more than 36 inches above the sidewalk surface;

  2. Signs shall not be placed within the public way except on established sidewalks within six feet of business frontage;

  3. A clear pedestrian travel way as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act shall determine sign location;

  4. No sign shall contain any flashing, blinking or moving letters, characters or other elements, and the sign itself shall not move;

  5. No sign shall contain any outline tubing, internal lighting, or neon lighting;

  6. The square footage of such signs shall not be counted as aggregate area as specified in subsection A , above.

• J. Temporary commercial signs are allowed subject to the following requirements:

  1. The use of a banner shall be used only to advertise a special promotion or for property sales, not as a permanent sign for naming the business.

  2. A temporary sign may be used to name the business for a period of 60 days only if it is a new business in the process of having permanent signs prepared or an existing business in the process of updating/maintaining existing permanent signs. Existing "naming" signs in place at time of adoption of this Section must be removed no later than six months from the effective date of this article.

  3. A maximum of two temporary/promotional signs shall be allowed per business at any given time.

  4. Temporary signs shall be limited to a total of 16 square feet, unless an exception is approved by the Planning Commission per the process established in Section 17.54.160 (Exceptions).

5. Temporary signs can only be used up to three times per year for no longer than 30 days each use. An application shall be submitted for each instance per the following requirements:

   • a. Sign permit fee shall be $25.00 per sign. Those larger than 16 square feet shall be charged $10.00 for each additional four square feet or portion thereof.

   • b. Permit shall include a picture or sketch of the temporary sign with the colors to be used. Neon colors or reflective signs are prohibited.

   • c. Location for temporary sign placement shall be shown on a picture or sketch, including distance to nearest street or highway.

   • d. Applicant shall provide the dates for the proposed use of the temporary sign.

   6. It is recommended that the letter size conform to the following distance to size ratio based on desired viewing distance: 100 feet—4 inches; 250 feet—10 inches; 360 feet—16 inches; 500 feet— 22 inches; 1,000 feet—43 inches.

• K. Temporary signs may be hung on the wall of a building or from sturdy posts. Temporary signs will not be allowed on utility poles, bushes, trees, cyclone fences or "T" posts. Temporary signs shall not be mounted on a roof, balcony or awning. One temporary sign, not to exceed 16 square feet if single-sided or 32 square feet if double sided, is allowed to advertise property for sale, lease or rent; and shall be located not more than five feet to adjoining properties, nor within a public way. Larger signs may be allowed with approval of the Planning Commission per the process established in Section 17.54.160 (Exceptions).

• L. Wall murals, off-premises signs, outdoor advertising, or graphic depictions which exceed the allowable square footage provided in subsection A of this section are subject to the Conditional Use Permit process described in Chapter 17.76 (Use Permits and Minor Use Permits) of the Development Code.

• M. Two off-premises directional signs shall be allowed per business and shall be limited to a maximum size of 25 square feet per side; and provided that such signs shall not be within the public way. Such signs shall not be counted as aggregate area as specified in subsection A .

• N. Window signs may cover no more than 25 percent of the surface area of the window or door in which such signs are placed. Temporary window signs shall not be allowed above the first story of a building. A window sign shall be considered to be a temporary window sign if it is displayed in the same window or door, or same approximate location outside of a window or door, for no more than 30 calendar days within a six-month period of time. Changes in the message displayed on such sign shall not affect to the computation of the 30-day period of time provided for herein.

• (Ord. 707 §2, 2019)

No sign shall be placed, erected, altered or relocated on any property within the Historic Commercial Zone (hc) unless such sign is, as to its exterior appearance, compatible with the Mother Lode architecture and typography consistent with the historic nature of the City (examples of which are available from the City's Planning Department), and unless it complies with all of the following requirements:

• A. The maximum wall sign area for each building face shall not exceed 20 percent of the total area, but not exceed 90 square feet for a single business, except for multiple store fronts.

• B. Each sign shall be affixed to a building, except that where the building is set back from the street to such extent that a sign affixed to the building would not be within reasonable view from the street, then a sign need not be so affixed, but may be located in some other manner as the Planning Commission shall approve with a Conditional Use Permit;

• C. No sign shall project more than six feet from the face or vertical surface of the building;

• D. No sign shall project above the eave or parapet line of the building;

• E. No sign shall contain any outline tubing;

• F. Either an A-Board sign or a Flag Pole sign is permitted with the following requirements:

  1. Signs shall be a maximum of 24 inches wide and shall not extend more than 36 inches above the sidewalk surface;

  2. Signs shall not be placed within the public way except on established sidewalks and must be within six feet of the business frontage;

  3. A clear pedestrian travel way as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act shall determine sign location;

  4. No sign shall contain any outline tubing, internal lighting, or neon lighting unless the Planning Commission has determined that such sign is historic;

The square footage of such signs shall not be counted as aggregate area as specified in subsection A , above.

• G. Neon signs or signs containing any outline tubing which are sought to be located inside a building and which are designed to be seen from the outside of the building are prohibited with the exception of "Open" signs.

• A. No sign shall be placed or erected in the bed of a truck or on the deck of a trailer or a truck.

• B. Banners or other temporary signs displayed on vehicles shall be prohibited, except that temporary signs placed inside a vehicle relating to the proposed sale, lease or exchange of that vehicle are allowed without a permit.

• C. This Section shall not apply to signs that are being transported for installation.

Sign area shall include the entire area within a single continuous perimeter composed of squares or rectangles that enclose the extreme limits of all sign elements, including, but not limited to, sign structures or borders, written copy, logos, symbols, illustrations, and color. Supporting structures such as sign bases and columns are not included in sign area provided that they contain no lettering or graphics except for addresses or required tags. The calculation of sign area for various types of signs is illustrated in Figure 3-22, Calculation of Sign Area.

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Figure 3-22 Calculation of Sign Area

If any part, section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, phrase, clause, term, or word in this Chapter is declared invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining portions of the chapter.

Signs containing noncommercial speech are permitted anywhere that advertising, business, or other commercial signs are permitted, subject to the same regulations applicable to such signs.