Long Beach Municipal Code Div. II Special Major Signs

Wall painted signs, roof signs, changeable copy signs, residential neighborhood and commercial district identification signs, and historic signs shall all be considered special major signs. These sign types occur less frequently throughout the City and require specific regulation to ensure compatible design with surrounding architecture, signs, and land uses, to ensure that the City's aesthetic goals are achieved.

(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)

A wall-painted sign is intended to take the place of a wall sign, and is painted directly onto the building wall. Wall-painted signs fill an important niche in the sign types this chapter makes available to the public—they can be established with no building permit or structural review required, at considerably less cost than a permanent wall sign. This is advantageous to small businesses just starting out, and others in similar situations. Wall painted signs also have the potential to make a significant character-enhancing contribution to their immediate surroundings and neighborhood, becoming something of a landmark if well executed. For these reasons, wall-painted signs are preferred over foam letter wall signs in the gamut of low-cost sign types.

A. Number, height, location and copy. Standards for the number, height, location, and copy of wall-painted signs shall be the same as for wall signs, as specified in this chapter.

B. Area. In order to encourage the selection of a wall-painted sign over foam letters or other low-cost sign types, the allowable area is increased such that wall-painted signs shall not exceed one and one-half (1½) square feet of sign area per every linear foot of building wall and shall not exceed a maximum of one hundred (100) square feet on any sign facing a residential, local or collector street, and not more than two hundred fifty (250) square feet for any sign facing a major or minor arterial.

C. Review. In order to assure a quality design for each wall-painted sign, the wall-painted sign application shall be reviewed by the Site Plan Review Committee, or a sub-committee designated by the SPR Committee for this purpose, within three weeks of filing, at no fee to the applicant. The SPR Committee shall either approve the application, or direct the applicant to alter the plans in a way that would allow the Committee to approve the application.

(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)

Roof signs shall be permitted through the Creative Sign Permit process only. The area standards for projecting signs shall apply to roof signs. The building height limits established for the zoning districts shall not apply to roof signs.

(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)

Changeable copy signs shall be allowed subject to the following:

A. Users limited. Changeable copy signs are limited to the following users: churches, florists, public schools, public colleges and universities, movie theaters, and gasoline price signs for gas stations. Exceptions to this rule shall require a Standards Variance as described in Division III of Chapter 21.25—Specific Procedures.

B. Size. Changeable copy displays may be installed on freestanding, monument, and wall signs. The area of the changeable copy display shall be counted toward the allowable sign area for the type of sign upon which the changeable copy is installed.

(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)

The City recognizes the desire for unique communities within its boundaries, both residential and commercial, to positively identify themselves and their geographic boundaries. To this end, the following guidelines are established to control the design, content, and location of such identification signs on both private and public property. In addition to these standards, the provisions of Subsection 21.44.900.A.6 (Signs on public property) also shall apply to any such sign located on public property. Street-name-style Neighborhood Marker Signs mounted on street lights or traffic signal poles are not regulated by this chapter, and are administered by the Department of Public Works.

A. Type of Sign. Limited to monument signs for residential neighborhood identification. Monument or freestanding signs are allowed for commercial district identification.

B. Number of Signs. Each residential neighborhood or commercial district shall display no more than one (1) sign on each side, or corner, or boundary of the neighborhood or district. In cases of irregularly-shaped or unclear boundaries, the Zoning Administrator shall be authorized to determine if a given proposal conforms to this regulation.

C. Maximum Height, Width, and Area. The maximum height, width, and area allowed for residential neighborhood and commercial district identification signs shall be as provided in Table 44-3.

Table 44-3 Height, Width, and Area Development Standards for Residential Neighborhood and Commercial District Identification Signs

D. Thickness. Minimum of three inches (3") to a maximum of one foot (1').

E. Materials. Wood, stone, concrete, stucco, or metal or a combination of these materials.

F. Lettering. Individual letters carved from display or bolted onto display. Fragile or glued-on lettering is prohibited.

G. Lighting. Exterior light sources or internal illumination are allowed. External lights shall be aimed and shielded to prevent any light trespass into the adjacent roadway or adjacent properties.

H. Prohibited. Cabinet signs are prohibited as residential neighborhood and commercial district identification signs, as well as any plastic or fabric panels or fascia.

I. Identification. Each sign must indicate that the respective neighborhood or commercial district is part of the City of Long Beach, using the name "City of Long Beach" in at least three-inch (3")-tall letters. The purpose of this regulation is to avoid giving the impression that an area is a separate city or otherwise not a member of the City as a whole.

J. Site Plan Review required. Prior to the issuance of a sign permit (and prior to issuance of a right-of-way permit by the Department of Public Works in the case of a sign located on public property), an identification sign for a residential neighborhood or commercial district shall be subject to review by the Site Plan Review Committee. A fee equivalent to the fee for a Creative Sign Permit, as specified in a fee resolution to be adopted by the City Council, shall be required.

K. Waiver of standards. The Site Plan Review Committee may, at its discretion, waive the following development standards: type of sign, number of signs, height, length, thickness, materials, and lettering. The Site Plan Review Committee shall approve such waivers only if the findings required for a Creative Sign Permit are made, and the waiver will achieve the specified purpose of a Creative Sign Permit. However, prohibited sign types and materials shall not be approved through a waiver.

(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)

Any sign designated by City ordinance as a Historic Landmark, or granted historic designation by the California State Historic Preservation Office, or the United States Secretary of the Interior, or any sign that is a historic element of such a designated building or site, shall be considered a historic sign. Historic signs shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter as to height, illumination, location, movement, sign area, and materials, and may be maintained as legally conforming signs subject to the following conditions:

A. All parts of the exempted historic sign including neon tubes, incandescent lights and shields, and sign faces shall be maintained in a functioning condition as historically intended for the sign to the greatest degree possible.

B. Parts of historic signs originally designed to flash or move may be allowed to continue to flash or move. There shall be no alterations to the historic pattern, speed, or direction of flashing or moving elements.

C. The wording or image of a historic sign may be altered only if the alterations do not substantially change the historic dimensions, height, scale, style, character, or type of materials of the historic sign.

D. Failure to maintain a historic sign as required above shall be grounds for disallowing an exemption from the requirements of this chapter. The Cultural Heritage Commission shall be authorized to make a determination of revocation of exemption. The sign shall thereafter be brought into compliance with the requirements of this chapter to the satisfaction of the Director of Development Services.

E. Full reconstruction or major alteration of a historic sign shall require approval of the Site Plan Review Committee, and the Cultural Heritage Commission in the case of a City-designated Historic Landmark.

(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)