Poway Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

A. The provisions of this chapter shall be known as the comprehensive sign regulations. It is the purpose of these provisions to establish a comprehensive system for the regulation of on-site and off-site signs.

B. The City recognizes the need for signs as a means to identify businesses within the community. However, the City also recognizes that signing is an important design element of the physical environment. Regulations consistent with the goals and objectives of the community are necessary to ensure that the rural character and image the community is striving for can be attained.

C. It is the purpose of this chapter to make the City attractive to residents, visitors and commercial, industrial and professional businesses while maintaining economic stability through an attractive signing program. Specifically, the purposes of this chapter are to:

1. Protect the general public health, safety and welfare of the community;

2. Reduce possible traffic and safety hazards through good signing;

3. Direct persons to various activities and uses, in order to provide for maximum public convenience;

4. Provide a reasonable system of sign regulations, to ensure the development of a high-quality visual environment;

5. Encourage signs which are well designed and pleasing in appearance and to provide incentive and latitude for variety, good design relationship to the business or use it identifies, and spacing between signs and buildings;

6. Encourage a desirable rural character which has a minimum of clutter;

7. Enhance the economic value of the community and each area, business and use thereof, through the regulation of such elements as size, number, location, design and illumination of signs; and

8. Encourage signs which are well located, and take into account the service and usage of adjacent areas.

D. By the adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter, the City recognizes its legal and constitutional obligations to allow noncommercial signage wherever commercial signage is permitted, not to discriminate among noncommercial messages, and not to discriminate among commercial messages, except for the distinction between onsite and off-site signs.

E. Traffic control signs and kiosk signage located upon the public right-of-way or other public property and erected at public expense are intended to control traffic movement and to direct the public to an area of the City; to the availability and location of a public or semipublic facility or event; or to the sale of real estate in a manner which enhances the safe and orderly flow of traffic along and upon primary and secondary thoroughfares instead of narrower or more congested streets. The City Council finds that kiosk signs serve the same compelling interest as traffic control signs in that such signs reduce traffic congestion and are indispensable to the safe vehicular use of City streets.

(Ord. 82 § 1 (Exh. A), 1983; Ord. 113 §§ 1 (Exh. A 7.0), 3, 1983; Ord. 427 (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 525 § 2, 2000; Ord. 739 § 2, 2012)