Santa Ana Municipal Code § 41-884 Amendments

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. NS-2116, § 3, adopted Mar. 18, 1991, repealed former Div. 3, §§ 41-880—41-886, relative to penal provision pertaining to on-premise signs, and enacted similar new provisions in lieu thereof as §§ 41-880—41-884. Formerly, such provisions derived from Ord. No. NS-1721, § 1, adopted Apr. 2, 1984.

(a) A planned sign program shall be adopted for multitenant development and shall include criteria for freestanding, wall and directional signs, as applicable, for each individual development.

(b) No permit shall be issued for any sign in or for a multitenant development, except pursuant to an approved planned sign program in accordance with this article.

(c) A planned sign program for existing multitenant developments that do not have an approved planned sign program shall be adopted prior to the issuance of any additional sign permits in such development. Such planned sign program shall follow the implied sign program or predominant pattern of sign type and configuration in use in the existing development.

(Ord. No. NS-2116, § 3, 3-18-91)

Application for a planned sign program shall be filed by, or with written consent of, the property owner. An application shall be filed and reviewed in the same manner as an application for a sign permit pursuant to Division 4.

(Ord. No. NS-2116, § 3, 3-18-91)

(a) A planned sign program shall satisfy the following standards:

(1) All of the signs are consistent with the purpose, spirit and intent, as well as the specific minimum standards, of this article.

(2) All of the signs are harmonious and visually related to each other through the incorporation of common design elements.

(3) The signs are architecturally integrated with the buildings to which they are appurtenant.

(4) The signs do not adversely affect nearby land uses or obscure the view of other signs which conform to this article.

(b) A planned sign program as submitted by an applicant may be approved subject to conditions designed to bring it into compliance with the purpose, spirit and intent of this article. No conditions unrelated to signage shall be imposed. However, approval may be more restrictive than Division 2 of this article.

(Ord. No. NS-2116, § 3, 3-18-91)

Applications for planned sign programs shall be decided in the same manner as sign permits subject to the right of appeal by any aggrieved applicant to the planning commission. No public hearing shall be required, but the zoning administrator or the planning commission may send such notices of the pending action and receive such comment to and by surrounding property owners and occupants or other interested persons as they deem appropriate. The decision of the planning commission shall be final.

(Ord. No. NS-2116, § 3, 3-18-91)

(a) An application for an amendment to an approved planned sign program may be made at any time, subject to the same limitations, requirements and procedures as apply to an original application, except that tenants whose signs are addressed by the amendment application need the property owner's consent to file such application. Sign program amendment review shall consider existing signs prior to approval or denial of program change.

(b) The change of copy on a sign, or the substitution of one (1) sign for another, shall not require an amendment to a planned sign program if the change or substitution is limited in effect to changing the identification of a business activity only, and the new or altered sign conforms in all other respects to the approved planned sign program.

(Ord. No. NS-2116, § 3, 3-18-91)

a) Definitions:

1. Regional commercial center - A large commercial complex containing a variety of stores, restaurants and other businesses housed in a series of connected and/or adjacent buildings within an integrated campus that shares common areas and parking facilities, and which fronts onto one or more freeways. Said center must be located on a site of no less than fifteen (15) acres.

2. Regional automobile dealership - An automobile dealership licensed by the state that sells new or used automobiles or other motor vehicles in conjunction with new automobiles to the general public on an integrated site which fronts onto one or more freeways or is on a site which is located within three hundred (300) feet of the point where a freeway exit centerline intersects with a city street.

3. Regional attraction - A large cultural or educational establishment such as a museum or zoo, or other establishment that blends education, entertainment, and/or amusement, and which fronts onto one or more freeways. Said attraction must be located on a site of no less than five (5) acres.

4. Regional institution - An institution providing higher education such as a college or university with minimum school year average enrollment of at least one thousand (1,000) students; a healthcare institution such as a medical office building complex or hospital on a site of no less than five (5) acres.

b) Eligibility for a regional planned sign program:

1. The sign program is proposed for a site that is a regional commercial center, regional automobile dealership, regional attraction, or a regional institution.

c) Signage and other on-premises advertising must meet the provisions of the sign code meant to protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents and workers in the immediate vicinity; signage shall be limited to only advertising on-site business activities. All signage must comply with the provisions of sections 41-860 and 41-861 of this chapter except as noted within those sections pursuant to approval of a regional planned sign program described in this section.

d) The provisions of this section shall be applied in conjunction with chapter 41, article XI, "On-Premises Signs" of this Code, provided however, in the event of a conflict between the provisions within this section and the remainder of the City of Santa Ana Sign Ordinance as outlined in chapter 41, article XI, "On-Premises Signs," the provisions of this section shall prevail.

e) Electronic message displays may be permitted in regional planned sign programs subject to the following conditions:

1. Any electronic message displays may not be located within three hundred (300) feet of property zoned or used for residential purposes, as measured from the face of the electronic message display to the nearest property line of the residential property. The display(s) shall comply with the following requirements:

A. Be oriented in a way that:

i. Minimizes visual and light-emitting intrusion onto properties zoned or used for residential purposes; and

ii. Maximizes visibility from adjacent or nearby freeway corridors.

B. Produce a maximum 0.3 foot-candles over ambient light levels.

C. Include a means of ensuring additional flexibility in reducing light levels upon request by the city.

D. Provide a means of limiting excessive light or glare.

E. Have automatic dimming capabilities.

2. The sign copy shall comply with the following requirements:

A. Where screen transitions are used, such transitions shall not give the appearance of moving text or images, and should use smooth effects, such as fades, rather than abrupt transitions. The sign copy shall not use flashing, intermittent or moving lights or produce the optical illusion of movement.

B. Each sign copy shall be displayed for a minimum of eight (8) seconds.

3. No electronic message display shall be located on a ground sign within fifty (50) feet of a traffic signal or sign, or placed in a location that would not maintain safe conditions for motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists as determined by the public works agency.

4. The property owner shall comply with Santa Ana Municipal Code section 41-638.2, establishing standards for graffiti abatement.

5. The property owner shall provide the city and the public a designated phone number and email address for emergencies or complaints that will be accessible twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days per week.

6. In addition to their on-premises advertising and identification purposes, the signs must make available a minimum amount of display time to be used for public service announcements or warning signs as requested and provided by the city of Santa Ana. Such minimum time will be established as a condition of approval for the regional planned sign program.

7. The sign shall comply with any and all federal, state and local laws, regulations and permitting requirements.

f) A regional planned sign program may be submitted by an applicant representing or owning the project site or may be required for a development project when the Planning Director or his or her designee determines that such a sign program is necessary because of special project characteristics.

g) Applications for regional planned sign programs shall be accompanied by photo simulations of all proposed signage showing daytime and nighttime conditions in addition to standard forms, exhibits, and other materials requested by staff as required for a complete submittal.

h) Every application under this chapter for a regional planned sign program or appeal to the city council shall be accompanied by a filing fee. No application shall be accepted for filing without the required fee, except that all governmental agencies are exempted from the fee requirement. The city council shall from time to time by resolution adopt a schedule of fees to be charged, a copy of which shall be maintained in the office of the planning department.

i) An application to permit a regional planned sign program must be approved by the Planning Commission and be reviewed subject to compliance with the following sections of the Santa Ana Municipal Code:

1. 41-633, requiring forms, descriptions, notification of surrounding property owners, and signature(s) from recorded property owner(s), as applicable;

2. 41-635 through 41-637, scheduling for public hearing, providing notice of hearing, and continuances;

3. 41-642, reviewing the decision of the planning commission by the city council;

4. 41-645 and 41-646, processing appeals;

5. 41-647 and 41-647.5, utilizing such permits and violations of such permits;

6. 41-649, modifying such permits; and

7. 41-651, revoking of such permits.

j) In granting or denying a regional planned sign program, the planning commission shall make the following findings of fact and may impose conditions, restrictions or limitations as the commission may determine to be necessary to meet the general purpose and intent of this chapter and to ensure that the public health, safety and welfare are being maintained. Findings shall be made and conditions may be imposed to confirm that:

1. The scale and intensity of the proposed signage is consistent and harmonious with surrounding land uses and does not create conditions that could contribute to visual or physical blight, intrusion, or similar incompatibilities.

2. The location of the proposed signage will not contribute towards a hazardous environment for pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists on city streets or freeways.

3. The proposed signage is compatible with the scale, intensity, and site development characteristics on which it is proposed. Scale, intensity, and site development characteristics may be determined by:

A. Height of existing or proposed buildings on-site;

B. Quantity of freestanding buildings, facades, and street frontages;

C. Scale of buildings as they relate to pedestrian and vehicular access, surrounding land uses, and transportation corridors;

D. Visibility from streets, highways, pedestrian areas, rail corridors, bikeways, other transportation routes, parks, and other public spaces;

E. Architecture, color(s), material(s), illumination, and other site characteristics; and nature of business activities conducted on-site; and

F. Visibility from any property used or zoned for residential purposes.

k) Appeals from decisions of the planning commission, extensions, time limits, and modifications to such regional planned sign programs must be conducted in a manner in accordance with chapter 41, article v, division 1 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. NS-2861, § 5, 5-6-14; Ord. No. NS-3038, § 35, 2-7-23)