Lake County Zoning Code § 45.2 Definitions (CA)

(a) Bulletin board sign: A sign which identifies an institution or organization on the premises on which it is located and which contains the name of the institution or organization, the names of individuals connected with it, and general announcements of events or activities occurring at the institution, or similar messages.
(b) Community identification and directional sign: A sign used to identify a community or business district. Said sign does not contain individual business names, but may alert the traveling public to the types of services available in the community. (Ord. No. 2886, 02/26/2009)
(c) Community or Business District: An area of concentrated retail, medical, and/or professional businesses often located within a community’s downtown area. (Ord. No. 2886, 02/26/2009)
(d) Community Growth Boundaries: Areas officially adopted by the Lake County General Plan with mapped line separating land to be developed at urban densities (1 or more DU/acre) from land to be protected for natural resources or developed at rural densities (IDU/5 or more acres). Community Growth Boundaries. (Ord. No. 2886, 02/26/2009)
(e) Directional sign, on-site: A sign designed to guide or direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
(f) Double-faced sign: A sign with two surfaces against, upon or through which the message is displayed. Both surfaces of a double-faced sign must be parallel to each other and must be tied together into one integral unit with no visible air space between the surfaces.
(g) Freestanding sign: Any sign erected upon or standing on the ground, supported from the ground by one or more poles, columns, uprights or braces.

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(h) Indirect lighting: The illumination of a sign by a light source that is not a component part of the sign, such as spotlights.
(i) Internal lighting: The illumination of a sign by a light source that is a component part of the sign itself, including neon.
(j) Major Collector Road: An intraregional travel route providing access to major neighborhood retail and service facilities, community centers, major recreational facilities, employment centers, and other intensive land uses. (Ord. No. 2886, 02/26/2009)
(k) Occupancy frontage: The length of that portion of a building occupied by a single business abutting a street or alley or parking area, or other means of customer access such as an arcade, mall, or walkway.
(l) Off-site sign: A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, use or entertainment conducted, sold or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.
(m) Off-site Business District sign: A sign which directs attention to a specific, local Business District, and is located within 1 mile (by road) of said business district. The sign structure shall include the name of the business district at the top with dominant sized letters, and shall only include names of individual local businesses located within the District, below the business district name. (Ord. No. 2886, 02/26/2009)
(n) On-site sign: Any sign used exclusively to advertise the sale or lease of the property upon which such sign is located, to designate the name of the owner or occupant of the premises or to advertise the uses, business conducted, services rendered, or goods produces or sold upon the property upon which such sign is located.
(o) Political sign: A temporary sign announcing or supporting political candidates or issues in connection with any national, state or local election.
(p) Portable sign: A sign that is not permanent, affixed to a building, structure, or ground, including sandwich signs, and wheel mounted bulletin board signs.
(q) Projecting sign: Any sign which is suspended from or is supported by a wall or building and which projects more than one (1) foot outward therefrom.
(r) Roof sign: A sign mounted upon and projecting above a roof, eave or other architectural features such as, but not limited to, mansards and parapets.
(s) Shopping center: A group of commercial establishments, the perimeter of which is clearly definable, developed on a contiguous area of land, planned and developed as a single unit and providing on-site parking appropriate to the number, types and sizes of stores.

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(t) Sign area computation: The area of each sign surface shall be computed by calculating the area within the frame enclosing the letters or material which composes the sign, or, where there is no frame, by calculating the area of the surface upon, against or through which the message is displayed. Where a sign is composed of separate letters which are placed or painted on a building or other similar surface not designed specifically for sign presentation, the sign area shall be computed on the basis of a shape closest to the extremities encompassing individual letters or words.
(u) Street frontage: The front lot line of a lot abutting the right-of-way line of a public or private street, excluding alleys to which such property has the legal right of access.
(v) Temporary sign: Any sign, banner, pennant, or advertising display consisting of any material intended to be displayed for a short period of time only.
(w) Wall sign: Any sign posted or painted on, suspended from or otherwise affixed to the wall of any building or structure in such a position that is essentially parallel to the wall of the building and projecting not more than one (1) foot from such wall.
45.3 Special purpose signs - permitted:
- The following special purpose signs are permitted uses in all zoning districts, except as provided for in Section 45.23:
- (a) Directional, warning or informational signs required or authorized by law which are erected by federal, state, county or municipal officials.
(b) Official notices issued by a court, public body or office and posted in the performance of a public duty.
- (c) Danger signs and signs of public utility companies indicating danger and aids to service or safety.
- (d) House numbers.
- (e) Flags, emblems and insignia of a nation or political subdivision.
- (f) Commemorative signs or plaques of recognized historical organizations.
- (g) Signs on licensed vehicles.
- (h) Signs which are not intended to be viewed from public streets and are not legible therefrom adjacent properties, such as signs in interior areas or shopping centers, commercial buildings and structures, ball parks, stadiums, race tracks and similar uses of a recreational or entertainment nature.

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(i) Religious symbols or insignia.
(j) Holiday decorations, not identifying a business name or product.
(k) Statuary signs incorporating three-dimensional replicas of persons, animals, products or trademark figures in whole or in part.
(l) Murals or other art with no advertising copy.
(m) No Trespassing and No Parking signs and similar warning signs.
(n) Incidental signs showing trading stamps offered, credit cards accepted, notices of services required by law, trade affiliations, and the like, attached to a freestanding sign, structure or building.
(o) On-site directional signs designed to guide or direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
(p) Signs on awnings or removable canopies not permanently attached to or built as part of a building.
(q) Name plate signs located on the premises giving the name or address, or both, of the owner or occupant of a building or premises.
(r) Temporary window signs painted directly onto the window or constructed of paper, cloth or similar expendable material that are affixed only to the interior window surface or painted onto the window surface for a short period of time to promote a particular sale of products or merchandise.
(s) Bulletin board signs for public, philanthropic, charitable or religious organizations or agencies.
(t) Identification signs identifying multiple dwellings, clubs and similar uses of premises.
(u) Community identification signs solely to identify a community, its civic, fraternal, and religious organizations, and its community slogan or motto.
(v) Temporary on-site construction site signs identifying contractors or subcontractors currently conducting work on the premises and future businesses.
(w) Temporary real estate signs advertising the sale, lease or rental of property on which located.
(x) Temporary political signs, subject to the following conditions;

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No political signs shall be erected earlier than ninety (90) days prior to the election in which the candidate or measure will be voted upon.
All political signs shall be removed within ten (10) days of the close of the campaign. Signs on behalf of a political candidate who is successful in the primary election may be retained for the general election.
The maintenance and removal of political signs is the responsibility of the candidate or sponsor.

(y) Temporary grand opening signs and mobile searchlights for a period not exceed four (4) weeks. Grand opening signs are permitted during an on-site use’s original opening, or upon a change in ownership of an existing on-site use or upon an expansion of an existing use or building.
(z) Signs which move or revolve, or display any moving or revolving parts, provided that signs larger than twelve (12) square feet shall require a minor use permit.
(aa) Airborne devices such as blimp or balloons if less than six (6) feet in size in major dimension.
(bb) Attention-attracting signs such as flags, banners, pennants, streamers and similar devices.
(cc) Self-illuminated signs.
(dd) Signs with variable lighting, provided that signs larger than twelve (12) square feet shall require a minor use permit.
(ee) Any other signs or works of art which are not mentioned in this ordinance, which signs or works of art do not conflict with the purposes of intent set forth in the articles of this ordinance; and which signs or works of art do not cause adverse effects or harm to people, property or the environment.