Mendocino County Municipal Code Ch. 15.24 Advertising Adjacent to Landscaped Freeways

As used in this Chapter, certain terms are defined as follows:

(A) ADVERTISING STRUCTURE. Refers to a structure of any kind or character erected or maintained for outdoor advertising purposes on which any poster, bill, printing, painting or other advertisement of any kind whatsoever may be placed, including statuary.

(B) SIGN. Refers to any card, cloth, metal, painted or wooden sign of any character, placed for outdoor advertising purposes, on or to the ground, or any tree, wall, bush, rock, fence, building, structure or thing, either publicly or privately owned, other than an advertising structure.

(C) Neither "advertising structure" nor "sign," as used in this Chapter includes:

(1) Official notices issued by a court or public body or officer;

(2) Notices posted by any public officer in performance of a public duty, or by any person in giving legal notice;

(3) Directional, warning, or information signs or structures required or authorized by law or by Federal, State or municipal authority.

(D) ADVERTISING DISPLAY. Refers to advertising structures and to signs.

(E) FREEWAY. The term "freeway" shall be deemed to mean a highway in respect to which the owners of abutting lands have no right or easement of access to or from their abutting lands or in respect to which such owners have only limited or restricted right or easement or access, and which is declared to be such in compliance with the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California.

(F) TO PLACE. The term "to place" and any of its variants as applied to advertising displays includes the maintaining and the 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 any tree, bush, rock, fence, post, wall, building, structure or thing.

(G) LANDSCAPED FREEWAY. The term "landscaped freeway" shall be deemed to mean a section or sections of a freeway which is now, or hereafter may be, improved by the planting, at least on one (1) side of the freeway right of way, of lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers or other ornamental vegetation which shall require reasonable maintenance.

Planting for the purpose of soil erosion control, traffic safety requirements, reduction of fire hazards or traffic noise abatement shall not change the character of a freeway to a landscaped freeway.

(Ord. No. 418, Sec. 1, adopted 1961.)

That portion of the freeway to be subject to the provisions of this Chapter is in Mendocino County between Robinson Creek and 0.8 mile south of Forsythe Creek on State Highway Route 1.

(Ord. No. 418, Sec. 2, adopted 1961.)

No advertising displays shall be placed or maintained on property adjacent to a section of freeway which has been, or hereafter may be, landscaped as defined herein, if the advertising display is designed to be viewed primarily by persons traveling on such landscaped section of a freeway.

(Ord. No. 418, Sec. 3, adopted 1961.)

The provisions of Section 15.24.020 of this Chapter shall not apply to any of the following listed advertising structures or signs used exclusively:

(A) To advertise the sale or lease of the property on which said advertising display is placed;

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

(C) To advertise the business conducted or goods manufactured or produced, or services rendered upon the property upon which said advertising display is placed.

(Ord. No. 418, Sec. 4, adopted 1961.)

Any advertising structure or sign which is now, or hereafter may be, in violation of the provisions of Section 15.24.030 shall be removed within three (3) years from the effective date of this Chapter [July, 1961] or within three (3) years from the date when the project for the landscaping of a section or sections of a freeway shall have been completed or accepted, and the character of said section or sections shall have been changed from a freeway to a landscaped freeway, whichever is later.

(Ord. No. 418, Sec. 5, adopted 1961.)