Los Altos Hills Municipal Code Ch. 6 Signs and Advertising Structures

For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

Advertising display means and includes signs and advertising structures, and combinations thereof, as such terms are defined in this section.

Freeway means a highway in respect to which the owners of abutting lands have no right or easement of access, or in respect to which such owners have only limited or restricted right or easement of access, and which freeway is declared to be such in compliance with the provisions of the Streets and Highways Code of the State.

Landscaped freeway means a section or sections of a freeway which is or hereafter may be either designated as a landscaped freeway by the Division of Highways of the State or improved by the planting, on at least one side of the freeway right-of-way, of lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, or other ornamental vegetation which shall require reasonable maintenance.

To place and any of its variants, as applied to advertising displays, means and includes the maintaining and erecting, constructing, posting, painting, printing, tacking, nailing, gluing, stitching, carving, or otherwise fastening, affixing, or making visible any advertising display on or to the ground or to any tree, bush, rock, fence, post, wall, building, structure, or thing.

Advertising structure and sign, as defined in this section, shall not include the following:

(1)

Official notices issued by any court or public body or officer;

(2)

Notices posted by any public officer in the performance of a public duty or by any person in giving any legal notice;

(3)

Directional, warning, or information signs or structures required or authorized by law or by any competent governmental authority; and

(4)

Any display, for other than advertising purposes, of the flag of the United States or of the State.

(§ I, Ord. 42; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

Except as otherwise provided in Section 8-6.03 of this chapter, no advertising display shall be placed or maintained on property within the Town.

(§ II, Ord. 42; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

(a) There shall be excepted from the provisions of Section 8-6.02 of this chapter advertising displays used exclusively for any of the following purposes, or any combination thereof:

(1) To advertise the sale or lease of the property upon which such advertising display is placed;

(2) To designate the name of the owner or occupant of the premises upon which such advertising display is placed or to identify such premises; and

(3) To advertise services rendered or goods manufactured, produced, or grown on the property upon which such advertising display is placed.

(b) There shall also be excepted from the provisions of Section 8-6.02 of this chapter directional advertising displays indicating the location of improved or unimproved parcels of land for sale that are having an "open house." These displays must be temporary in that they are not fixed in the ground or on any plant or structure. They may be put up no earlier than one hour before the beginning of the "open house" and taken down no later than one hour after the "open house" is concluded; provided that in no event, may any sign be left up overnight.

(c) There shall also be excepted from the provisions of Section 8-6.02 of this chapter temporary signs or banners for public events, charitable functions and noncommercial purposes. Applications for a temporary sign or banner permit shall be made in writing to the City Manager or designee and shall include a site plan, drawing or photograph of the sign, sign dimensions, materials and colors. No filing fee shall be required.

(§§ III, IV, Ord. 42; § 18, Ord. 328, eff. October 6, 1989; § 1 Ord. 360, eff. January 1, 1994; § 1, Ord. 509, eff. January 13, 2007; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

Every advertising display placed or maintained pursuant to the provisions of Section 8-6.03 of this chapter shall conform to all the applicable building regulations and shall not have a total area of more than six square feet.

(§ VA, Ord. 42; § I, Ord. 95; § 1, Ord. 303, eff. June 20, 1986; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

No card, cloth, metal, painted, or wooden sign of any character, billboard, poster, pennant, flag, or sample bearing letters, writing, figures, or characters of any nature, conveying a message or idea, which display is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of this chapter, shall be placed or maintained at any place within the Town without permission therefor having previously been granted by the Council upon such terms and conditions as the Council deems necessary.

(§ VB, Ord. 42; § I, Ord. 95; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

The Building Inspector and his or her agents are hereby empowered to remove or destroy any advertising display which is in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter. The person placing such advertising display shall be liable, in addition to any criminal penalties, for the costs of such removal or destruction. The Building Inspector and his or her agents may enter upon private property without incurring any liability therefor for the purposes of removing or destroying any advertising display placed in violation of the provisions of this chapter.

(§ VII, Ord. 42; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

An election sign may be erected without a permit in conformity with this section.

(a) Public Property. No election sign shall be erected:

(1) Within five feet of the paved or otherwise improved portion of any public street, pathway or any other public way.

(2) On any other public property in any residential zone, including, but not limited to any public parking lot, fence, post, tree, utility guy line or any other public place.

(3) On any fire hydrant.

(4) On any City sign, including, but not limited to, traffic signs.

(5) On any utility pole.

(6) On any City equipment, street light pole, traffic signal pole, or traffic signal controller.

(7) On any City building, tree or shrub.

(8) Within five feet of the paved or otherwise improved portion of any other public way, or any place where a sign would obstruct a motorist's line of sight.

(b) Private Property. An election sign may be erected on private property only if the owner or all the occupants consent to having the election sign erected.

(c) Sign Restrictions. An election sign may be erected only in accordance with the following restrictions:

(1) Illumination. No election sign may be illuminated in any manner.

(2) Wall Sign. A wall sign shall not have a total area of more than six square feet.

(3) Freestanding or Suspended Signs. A freestanding or suspended sign shall not have an area exceeding six square feet and shall not be more than three feet in height.

(d) Duration and Removal. An election sign shall be completely removed no later than six days following the date of the election. Each election sign shall be removed by the person who erected it or by the owner of the property upon which the sign is erected.

(§ 1, Ord. 301, eff. June 6, 1986; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)

(a) Any person violating any of the provisions of Section 8-6.07 is guilty of an infraction. Any person convicted of an infraction under the provisions of Section 8-6.07 shall be punishable for a first conviction by a fine of not more than $50, for a second conviction within a period of one year by a fine of not more than $100, and for a third or any subsequent conviction within a period of one year by a fine of not more than $250.

(b) In addition, election signs erected in violation of any provision of Section 8-6.07 may be removed and disposed of by the Building Official or designee.

(§ 2, Ord. 301, eff. June 6, 1986; § 1, Ord. 558, eff. February 15, 2015)