Redwood City Municipal Code § 3.122 Scope

This Division regulates permanent signs on nonresidential property.

(Ord. No. 2309, § 2, 5-7-07)

Signs within the scope of this Division shall comply with the following requirements:

A. Maximum Total Sign Area: The combined area of all signs on a property, whether permanent or temporary, which are subject to the permit requirement, shall not exceed one and one-half (1.5) square feet of sign area for each one foot of lot frontage. On lots abutting more than one public right-of-way, the property line with the longest dimension shall be the lot frontage. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article, each legal individual establishment shall be entitled to at least fifty (50) square feet of sign area unless subject to a sign program as part of a multi-tenant building. No individual sign shall exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area, unless specifically authorized elsewhere in this Article. An additional ten percent (10%) of sign area shall be allowed for noncommercial messages.

B. General Building Sign Regulations: All signs which are attached to or mounted on a building are subject to the following general regulations:

1. Location: Each building sign shall be displayed only on a building facade which faces a street, alley or parking lot.

2. Projection: Any sign projecting two inches (2″) or more from a building wall shall have a vertical clearance of at least eight feet (8′) above grade.

3. Placement: Unless otherwise provided in the Redwood City Code, the Redwood City Zoning Ordinance or in an adopted precise plan, no sign shall be placed in a manner whereby any portion of the sign extends above a roofline.

(Ord. No. 2309, § 2, 5-7-07)

The following provisions apply to particular physical types of signs described as:

A. Awning and Canopy Signs:

1. Number: Establishments may display up to three (3) awning or canopy signs.

2. Illumination: If signage illumination affects the entire canopy or awning, then the entire surface of the awning or canopy shall be included in calculating the sign area.

B. Blade Signs and Under-Canopy Signs:

1. Number: Establishments may display up to three (3) blade or under canopy signs.

2. Size: No blade sign or under-canopy sign shall exceed six (6) square feet in area per side.

3. Placement: No blade sign may extend more than four feet (4′) from the face of a building. Each blade sign or under canopy sign shall be set back at least two feet (2′) from the curb or paving of the nearest street. Lowermost edge of blade sign shall be a minimum of eight feet (8′) from grade level.

C. Drive-Through Service Signs:

1. Eligibility: Establishments which provide goods or services to customers or clients located in their vehicles may install drive-through service signs.

2. Number: When permitted by the eligibility requirements above, an establishment may be allowed to have up to two (2) drive-through service signs.

3. Size. No drive-through service sign shall exceed thirty (30) square feet in area, six feet (6′) in width or five feet (5′) in height.

D. Freestanding Signs:

1. Number: When not prohibited by the eligibility requirements above, not more than one freestanding sign may be placed on any single street frontage. Under no circumstances may any parcel have more than two (2) freestanding signs.

2. Size: Unless otherwise provided by this Article or a Precise Plan, no freestanding sign shall exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area or ten (10) feet in width.

3. Setback: Each freestanding sign shall be on private property and set back at least six feet (6′) from the curb or edge of pavement of the nearest street.

4. Height: Unless otherwise provided, no freestanding sign shall exceed fifteen feet (15′) in height.

E. Wall Signs:

1. Number: The number of wall signs permitted shall be as follows:

a. Unless otherwise provided, each groundfloor establishment may display one wall sign on each building facade which it occupies which faces a street or parking lot.

b. Establishments located above the groundfloor shall not display a building sign unless customer access is provided directly from stairs or an elevator adjacent to an exterior door on a building facade that is dedicated exclusively to said establishment. Such establishments may display one wall sign on each building facade which it occupies which faces a street or parking lot.

2. Size: No wall sign for an establishment located on the groundfloor shall exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area. No wall sign for an establishment located above the first floor shall exceed six (6) square feet in area.

F. Window Signs:

1. Groundfloor Maximum Coverage Area. Unless otherwise provided, no more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the groundfloor window area on each building facade may be covered by signs. All signs located within three feet (3′) of a window or glass door as well as any internally illuminated signs within ten feet (10′) of a window or glass door that are visible from outdoors shall be included in determining the coverage area.

2. Second Floor Maximum Coverage Area: A nonresidential establishment located on the second floor may cover up to ten percent (10%) of the second floor window area on each building facade with window signage.

3. Signage Above Second Floor: A nonresidential establishment located above the second floor of a building may not display window signage.

G. Commercial Mascots: If commercial mascot is on private property — maximum allowable sign area carried by mascot shall be twelve (12) square feet (three (3) by four (4) or two (2) by six (6) for example); one sign per street frontage; if the message is commercial in nature, then it must qualify as on-site.

(Ord. No. 2309, § 2, 5-7-07)