Mountain View Municipal Code Div. 7 Sign Regulations for the Downtown Precise Plan

The following signs are permitted in the downtown precise plan area, subject to compliance with all provisions of this article, including approval through the design review process as set forth in Section 36.44.45. The sign regulations listed below are the maximum permitted standards and may be reduced to ensure architectural compatibility, including the relationship of the sign to the overall appearance of the building and subject property and to the surrounding community. Unless otherwise stated, signs shall be unlighted, or may be indirectly or internally illuminated as approved in the design review process.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

The sign area for all signs permitted by this article shall be measured by means of the area of a single rectangular or circular shape that encloses all sign elements except the support structure. For signs consisting of individual letters and/or graphics mounted on a building wall or window, the sign area shall be measured by means of the area of a single rectangular or circular shape that encloses all of the letters and graphics that constitute the sign. For signs with more than one (1) side that is visible to the public, the sign area shall be the total of the calculated area of all sides. Aggregate sign area is the area of all signs on the property or occupancy, except for exempt signs and real estate signs.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

a. Commercial, building-mounted. No more than one (1) sign per public street or alley frontage shall be permitted and the maximum allowable sign area shall not exceed one (1) square feet per one (1) foot of occupancy frontage. Said sign shall be mounted flat against building or awning, shall be mounted below second-floor windows, with design integrated with, and complementary to, facade design. For occupancies on side streets crossing Castro Street, this sign may project at an angle to the building for visibility from Castro Street. For occupancies fronting on a side street with a second frontage on an alley, the sign may be on the alley side of the building. Neon may be used for primary, commercial, building-mounted signs.

b. Residential. Signs as permitted in the R3 district.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

a. Monument signs. If building entrance is set back a minimum fifteen (15) feet from public street right-of-way line on which the building fronts, no more than one (1) freestanding sign is permitted in addition to building-mounted sign. The maximum monument sign area shall not exceed thirty (30) square feet per face, and the maximum height shall not exceed six (6) feet.

b. Pedestrian signs. No more than one (1) sign per storefront shall be permitted; however, said sign may display multiple tenant names if there are multiple tenants in one (1) storefront. The maximum size shall not exceed two (2) feet by three (3) feet. The minimum height above sidewalk shall not be less than eight (8) feet. The pedestrian sign shall be supported by decorative chain or bracket, designed and constructed with high level of craftsmanship and detail. Creative signs symbolizing the identity of the business are encouraged.

c. Directory signs. For multiple-story buildings, no more than one (1) sign listing multiple tenants in the building is permitted. Said sign shall be located on the ground floor. The maximum letter height for tenant names shall not exceed two (2) inches. The sign design must be compatible with the building design and materials. If a second- or third-floor tenant has separate entry on the street, one (1) pedestrian sign is permitted per such tenant entry. Such sign shall be placed near the tenant street entry.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

a. First-floor window signs. The regulations listed in Section 36.36.50.f shall apply. A maximum of one (1) window sign related to the occupancy is permitted per window pane or framed window area on the ground floor and shall not occupy more than twenty-five (25) percent of the total transparent glass area of those windows parallel to the street on the ground floor of that use, excluding the area of any glass doors, or one (1) square foot per one (1) linear foot of occupancy frontage on a public street, whichever is less. The maximum height of lettering on window signs shall not exceed twelve (12) inches. Window signs in the downtown precise plan area shall be professionally designed and constructed and shall be limited to gold leaf or painted signs on the glass, or other high-quality graphics material that has been approved by the zoning administrator. Neon signs within four (4) feet of any window are permitted provided that: (i) all electrical supply cords and conduits and electrical transformers are hidden from view through the window; and (ii) all necessary permits, including electrical and/or building permits, have been obtained.

b. Second-floor window signs. Commercial uses that are located on second floors of multiple story buildings and that do not have ground-floor occupancy may have window signs in addition to otherwise permitted building-mounted or freestanding signs. A maximum of one (1) window sign is permitted per window pane or framed window area on the second floor and shall not occupy more than fifteen (15) percent of the total second floor, transparent glass area of those windows parallel to the street of that use. The maximum height of lettering on window signs shall not exceed twelve (12) inches. Second floor window signs shall be nonilluminated and shall consist of paint or gold leaf on the glass surface.

1. Window signs above the second floor are prohibited.

2. Except as otherwise provided, paper, cardboard, plastic, chalk- or white-board signs are prohibited.

c. Window graphics and displays. Any graphics, displays or sign panels with lettering more than one (1) inch high, mounted within four (4) feet of a window shall be considered a window sign subject to these provisions, except for: (i) displays with lettering less than one (1) inch high; (ii) products on shelves for sale to the public; or (iii) framed information panels with eighty (80) percent of the area of text in lettering less than one (1) inch high.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

a. Flags. Customized graphic flags that convey a message through the use of a pictorial or graphic image and which complement the building design are permitted. Customized flags should be mounted on a decorative bracket attached perpendicular to the building face. Maximum size shall not exceed six (6) feet by ten (10) feet, and the lowest point of the flag must be at least eight (8) feet above the surface of any sidewalk or pedestrian way.

b. Trompe l'oeil. Life-size trompe l'oeil art painted on the wall surface of a building may be permitted in addition to the signs allowed in the downtown precise plan area. Such proposed art shall be reviewed at the zoning administrator design review level to ensure that it does not constitute a sign otherwise allowed or prohibited by this Article and to ensure the art complements the design of the building in color, shape and location on the building.

c. Menu holders. A menu holder is permitted on the exterior storefront of a restaurant. The menu holder shall be limited to the size of two (2) pages of the menu utilized by the establishment. The menu holder shall be located so that it does not impede pedestrians on the public sidewalk. The menu holder shall not be used for additional business identification signage and lettering shall not exceed one (1) inch in height.

d. Off-site signs. Off-site directional signs painted on buildings at the alley intersections to direct pedestrians to businesses down side-streets and/or alleys are permitted with the permission of the building owner. Signs shall be professionally designed and constructed and must complement the color and materials of the building on which they are painted.

e. Outdoor patio signage on private property in the downtown. Outdoor patios may be permitted signs on the patio umbrella(s) in addition to the main occupancy frontage signs. Said sign(s) shall be limited to the name of the patio business in maximum six (6) inch letter height, and a business logo is not to exceed one (1) square foot in area. No generic advertising, such as a product name, shall be permitted. The total signage on an umbrella shall not exceed ten (10) percent of the area of the umbrella.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13; Ord. No. 7.2023, § 3, 5/23/23.)

a. Opening banners. In addition to the provisions of Section 36.36.15.h, professionally designed and constructed banners advertising a new business opening are permitted for a maximum of thirty (30) days. Said banner(s) shall be dated on the sign and shall be removed within thirty (30) days of the posted date.

b. Community interest sign, private property. A single designated area not exceeding six (6) square feet of a single window of an occupancy may be approved to allow display of a maximum of two (2), ancillary, temporary, professionally prepared posters announcing an event of general public interest in addition to any permanent signs allowed. Said posters shall not require individual city approval, but shall be dated on the sign and shall be removed within thirty (30) days of the posted date or upon conclusion of the event, whichever occurs first.

c. Construction sign. No more than one (1) temporary sign, advertising the various construction trades participating in the project is permitted. On a site less than one (1) acre, the sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in sign area or six (6) feet in height. On a parcel of land of one (1) acre or more, the sign shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet in sign area or ten (10) feet in height. The sign shall not extend beyond the subject property nor interfere with any traffic safety visibility area of the parcel. The sign shall be unlighted. The sign may remain on the property until the last unit is sold, rented or leased or for one (1) year, whichever period is less; provided, however, that the zoning administrator shall have the authority to extend the time period for one (1) additional year.

d. Real estate signs. No more than one (1) real estate sign per occupancy frontage shall be permitted until a project or tenant space is leased or sold. Maximum sign area per sign shall be nine (9) square feet. Said sign shall be located flat against the building wall or within a window, and shall not project above the eave line. Signs shall be unlighted. Vacant lots may mount the sign on a freestanding monument, located outside of any sight visibility area and so no portion of the sign extends across the property line.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

In addition to the signs prohibited in Section 36.36.20, within the area covered by the downtown precise plan, rooftop signs, cabinet signs, readerboards, banners (except for approved grand opening and civic event signs), balloons, flashing signs, bill-boards, "A"-frame signs, plastic flags, white-/chalk-/black-boards are all prohibited.

Figure 36.36-1 SIGN TYPES, SIGN AREA (For Reference Only) [Figure: Figure 36.36-1 SIGN TYPES, SIGN AREA (For Reference Only)]

Figure 36.36-2 MEASUREMENT OF SIGN HEIGHT (For Reference Only) [Figure: Figure 36.36-2 MEASUREMENT OF SIGN HEIGHT (For Reference Only)]

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)