San Jose Municipal Code Part 4 Os, A, R-1-Rr, R-1-1, R-1-2, R-1-5, R-1-8, R-2, R-M, R-Mh, Open Space,…

In addition to the provisions set forth in Chapter 23.02, this part shall govern signage standards in the OS, A, R-1-RR, R-1-1, R-1-2, R-1-5, R-1-8, R-2, R-M, R-MH, open space, agricultural, and residential zoning districts and for all residential uses in other zoning districts and in special sign zones.

(Ords. 24201, 29558.)

No signage whatsoever shall be erected or maintained in OS open space zoning districts except upon issuance of and in compliance with a conditional use permit issued as provided in Part 6 of Chapter 20.100 of Title 20 of this Code.

(Ord. 24201.)

A. Quantity.

1. Subject to Subsections 23.04.320.A.2 and A.3 below, one attached or freestanding sign shall be allowed on each residential parcel.

2. For residential developments consisting of at least one building with one hundred residential units or more, two attached signs or two freestanding signs or a combination of one attached sign and one freestanding sign shall be allowed for each frontage on a public street.

3. For each residential development consisting of more than two thousand residential units and located on fifty or more acres, one additional freestanding sign shall be allowed for each frontage of the single residential development on a public street consisting of at least four moving travel lanes and identified on the general plan transportation diagram at the time the sign was approved.

B. Size.

1. The aggregate sign area of all attached and freestanding signs allowed under this section shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each occupancy unit on the parcel, except as otherwise allowed in this part.

2. Each individual sign shall not exceed a maximum of thirty-two square feet in size, except as otherwise allowed in this part.

3. Unless otherwise specified in this part, signage for residential developments consisting of at least one building with one hundred residential units or more shall be subject to the following:

a. The sign area for each attached sign shall not exceed thirty-two square feet; and

b. Freestanding signs shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each eight linear feet of street frontage, up to a maximum of thirty-two square feet in sign area.

C. Height.

1. Attached signs shall not be displayed higher than twelve feet above grade, except for skyline signs, residential developments consisting of at least one building one hundred units or more, and awning signs as indicated in this part.

2. Subject to Section 23.04.320.C.3 below, freestanding signs shall not be more than three feet in height and shall not be located more than five feet from the primary residential building.

3. For residential developments consisting of at least one building with one hundred residential units or more:

a. Attached signs shall be displayed no greater than thirty feet in height above grade.

b. An attached sign may be displayed over, under or on a permanent projecting canopy that is architecturally integrated with the design of the building, subject to the following:

i. Both an attached sign and an awning sign shall not be placed on the same permanent projecting canopy.

ii. If the attached sign is located under a permanent projecting canopy, such sign shall be displayed at least seven feet above grade.

c. Freestanding signs shall be allowed up to five feet in height for each fifty units located on the subject site. The maximum height of a freestanding sign shall be no greater than fifteen feet above grade, except in the North San José signage area where the maximum height of a freestanding sign shall be no greater than twenty feet above grade.

D. Setbacks.

1. Freestanding signs shall be located at least twenty-five feet from the side and rear property lines of the parcel.

2. In the case of parcels less than fifty feet wide, signs shall be located as far from the side property lines of the parcel as possible.

3. Freestanding signs shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from the front property line of the parcel, except:

a. For residential developments consisting of at least one building with one hundred residential units or more, freestanding signs shall be set back a minimum of seven feet from the front property line of the parcel.

4. Freestanding signs shall be separated by a distance of at least ten feet from each other unless otherwise provided in this section.

E. Other types of signs. The following types of signage shall be allowed and shall not reduce the types and quantity of signage that are otherwise allowed under this part.

1. Skyline signs. Residential or mixed-use residential buildings one hundred forty feet to one hundred ninety feet in height above grade may have one skyline sign in addition to other allowable signage for the building or the parcel, subject to the following provisions:

a. The total sign area for the skyline sign shall not exceed two hundred fifty square feet of signage.

b. Each skyline sign shall be designed and constructed as an integral part of the building and placed on a permanent architectural element that has been designed and constructed to accommodate such signage.

c. The skyline sign shall not illuminate or be mounted on the exterior of that portion of the building facade containing residential living units.

2. Awning signs. Residential developments consisting of at least one building with one hundred residential units or more may have awning signs subject to the following provisions:

a. A maximum of two awning signs per building frontage may be placed upon each discrete surface of an awning.

b. Each awning sign shall be no greater than ten square feet in sign area.

c. Awning signs shall be located at least seven feet but no greater than twelve feet in height above grade.

d. Awning signs shall maintain a minimum three-inch clearance from each edge of the discrete surface of the awning on which the sign is placed.

3. Window signs. Window signs in conformance with Section 23.02.1060 of this title shall be allowed.

F. Other provisions.

1. Window, awning, projecting and segmented signs shall not be allowed unless otherwise specified in this part.

2. Signs shall not be displayed on accessory structures.

3. Illumination:

a. Signs shall not be illuminated, except for required safety or directional signs, or as otherwise allowed in this part.

b. Signs located within one hundred feet of a riparian corridor shall not be illuminated.

c. Signs on residential developments consisting of at least one building with one hundred residential units or more may be illuminated with external lighting, halolighting, and internal lighting if only the letters or symbols are illuminated. Such signs shall be illuminated only with continuous lighting.

d. Subject to Subsection E.1.c of this Section 23.04.320, skyline signs may be illuminated with external lighting, halolighting, and internal lighting if only the sign area is illuminated. Such signs shall be illuminated only with continuous lighting, except that gradual color changes shall be allowed if there is no perception of flashing lights created.

(Ords. 24201, 26273, 29097, 29380, 29558.)

A. Quantity.

1. One attached or freestanding sign shall be allowed on each nonresidential parcel that has a street frontage of less than two hundred feet.

2. One attached and one freestanding sign shall be allowed on a parcel that has a street frontage of two hundred linear feet or more.

B. Size. Each sign shall not exceed one square foot of sign area for each eight linear feet of street frontage, up to a maximum of thirty-two square feet.

C. Height.

1. Attached signs shall not be displayed higher than twelve feet above grade.

2. Freestanding signs shall not be more than four feet in height.

3. Freestanding signs may be up to ten feet in height if located behind the required front setback of the zoning district.

D. Setbacks.

1. Signs shall be located at least twenty-five feet from the side and rear property lines of the parcel.

2. In the case of parcels less than fifty feet wide, signs shall be located as far from the side property lines of the parcel as possible.

3. Freestanding signs shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from the front property line of the parcel.

4. Programmable electronic signs shall be at least one hundred fifty feet from a residentially zoned parcel.

E. Other provisions.

1. Window, awning, projecting and segmented signs shall not be allowed unless otherwise specified in this part.

2. Signs shall not be displayed on accessory buildings.

3. Illumination:

a. Signs shall not be illuminated, except for required safety or directional signs or as otherwise allowed in this part.

b. Where allowed under this part, signs may be illuminated with external lighting, halolighting, and internal lighting if only the sign area is illuminated and with continuous lighting.

c. Signs located within one hundred feet of a riparian area, river or creek shall not be illuminated.

F. Programmable electronic signs.

1. Signage allowed in accordance with Section 23.04.330 B. above, for a small assembly space, may have one programmable electronic sign component not to exceed seventy-five percent of the allowable sign area. No more than one sign (attached or freestanding) shall include a programmable electronic sign component. Operation of a programmable electronic sign shall conform to the provisions of Section 23.02.905.

G. Other types of signs. The following types of signage do not reduce the types and quantity of signage that are otherwise allowable under this part:

1. Awning signs. Awning signs shall be allowed on a parcel that has a street frontage of at least two hundred linear feet or more subject to the following criteria:

a. A maximum of two awning signs may be placed upon each discrete surface of an awning.

b. Each awning sign shall be no greater than ten square feet in area.

c. Awning signs shall be located at least seven feet but no greater than twelve feet in height above grade.

d. Awning signs may be illuminated.

e. Awning signs shall maintain a minimum three-inch clearance from each edge of the discrete surface of the awning on which each awning sign is placed.

2. Window signs.

a. Window signs consistent with Section 23.02.1060 of this title are allowed on the first floor.

b. Window signs shall not be allowed above the first floor, except window signs may be displayed on second-story occupancy frontages with no separate ground-level frontages.

(Ords. 24201, 29097, 29380.)

A. Unless expressly provided otherwise elsewhere, each parcel may display up to two temporary signs at any time.

B. The following temporary signs are permitted:

1. Real estate signs. One temporary sign related to the lease or sale of the real property on which the sign is placed, as follows:

a. Such sign shall not exceed thirty-two square feet in sign area on any nonresidential parcel.

b. Such sign shall not exceed eight square feet in sign area on any residential parcel.

c. Such sign shall be removed within ten days after the property to which it refers is no longer for sale or lease.

2. Construction signs.

a. Construction signs related to construction on the property on which the sign is placed may be displayed fourteen days prior to the commencement of construction, during construction and for a period of no longer than seven days after completion of construction.

b. Construction signs on or attached to fences that enclose construction sites and no higher than ten feet above finished grade shall have no size limitation, subject to a maximum aggregate sign area of sixty-four square feet per frontage.

c. Construction signs not on or attached to fences shall not exceed thirty-two square feet in size and shall be limited to one such sign per street frontage.

3. Other temporary signs. One other temporary sign may be displayed for no more than a total of two months in any calendar year, as follows:

a. Such sign shall not exceed ten square feet in sign area on any nonresidential parcel.

b. Such sign shall not exceed five square feet in sign area on any residential parcel.

C. In addition to the signs described in subsections A. and B. above, unimproved parcels may display the following temporary signs:

1. One temporary sign related to the lease or sale of any real property as follows:

a. Such sign shall not exceed thirty-two square feet in sign area on any nonresidential parcel.

b. Such sign shall not exceed eight square feet in sign area on any residential parcel.

c. Such sign shall be removed within ten days after the property to which it refers is no longer for sale or lease.

2. For each two hundred feet of street frontage, one additional temporary sign related to the lease or sale of any real property, subject to the same requirements as set forth in subsection C.1. above.

D. Freestanding temporary signs may be up to ten feet in height. No greater setback than ten feet shall be required.

E. Any temporary sign allowed on a residential parcel may be an A-frame sign.

F. In addition to the signs described in subsections A. and B. above, corner parcels in residential zoning districts may display one temporary portable A-frame sign in the adjacent public right-of-way, subject to the following conditions and all other applicable provisions of this Code:

1. Such sign shall be displayed on the parkstrip adjacent to the parcel, as follows:

a. Sign shall be placed in the area between the end of the curb return and that point along the curbline that is fifteen feet distant from the end of the curb return.

b. Sign shall not be placed:

i. In any curb return.

ii. In any bus stop zone.

iii. Within two feet of any driveway or curbcut access ramp.

iv. Within eighteen inches of any curb where parking is allowed.

v. Attached in any manner to any other structure on the parkstrip, such as, but not limited to, trees, lampposts, utility poles, utility cabinets, street or traffic signs, benches, hydrants and mailboxes.

2. Such sign shall not exceed five square feet in sign area per side.

3. Such sign shall not exceed three feet in height.

4. Such sign may be displayed up to six hours during daylight hours.

5. Such sign shall not be illuminated.

6. If the parkstrip adjacent to the residential parcel is not wide enough to display the sign, or if there is no parkstrip, such sign may be displayed on the residential parcel, adjacent to the sidewalk, subject to all other requirements but not subject to setback requirements.

(Ords. 24201, 24757.)

Any illumination of a programmable electronic sign shall conform to the requirements of Section 23.02.905.

(Ord. 29097.)