Santa Barbara County Municipal Code Div. 1 Generally

The regulations contained in this article shall be known and referred to as the "Sign Regulations of Santa Barbara County."

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1)

The purpose of this article is to harmonize by regulations the legitimate private purpose of signs; that is, the identification and promotion of the seller to the buyer, with the public purposes of public safety, health and welfare. The public purposes most directly expressed in the regulation of signs in the county are traffic safety as related to the diversion of a vehicle driver's attention from the road, both in direction and time, and the economic and aesthetic welfare of the county as related to the existing and future economic significance of tourism; retirement income; and quality residential, recreational, commercial and light industrial developments. All of these economic bases depend in large measure upon the county's ability to maintain its well established reputation as an attractive area, both as to natural and man-made features, in which to visit and to live.

While the regulations contained in this article serve both public purposes, they also may enhance the private purpose of signs. For example, the prohibition against animated signs, roof signs, most projecting signs, marquee signs and portable signs clearly serves both public purposes, but this prohibition also eliminates a jungle of competing signs in which the individual business's identity or message is lost to his potential customer. On the other hand, the permitted use, under this article, of wall signs, freestanding signs permitting changeable copy or multiple copy in place of portable signs, and under canopy signs will serve both public purposes while at the same time permit the more effective realization of the private objectives of signs.

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1)

For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section. The illustrations of the defined words or phrases are merely illustrative. If any conflict exists between the text of a definition and the corresponding illustration, the text shall govern.

Advertising Surface. Sign area.

Animated Sign. A sign with action or motion, whether by flashing lights, color changes, wind, rotation, movement of any parts of the sign or letters or parts of the sign structure, or other motion. (Animated signs are not permitted in any district—See section 35-4.)

Arcade. Arcade is a permanent roofed structure attached to the building, projecting over public property, and partially enclosed and supported by supports located on public property.

Arcade Sign. A sign located on the exterior of the arcade facing the street which does not extend above or below the arcade structure.

Architectural Board of Review. The architectural board of review of the county.

Architectural Projection. A projection not intended for occupancy and which extends beyond the face of an exterior wall or roof of a building, but not including signs.

[Figure]

Building. A structure having a roof supported by columns or walls and intended for the shelter, housing or enclosure of any person, animal or chattel.

Building Facade. That portion of any exterior elevation of a building extending from grade to the eaves or the top of the parapet wall and the entire width of the building elevation.

Business Sign. An on-premise sign.

Canopy. A permanent roof structure that does not project over public property, which may be freestanding, attached to a building, or supported in whole or in part by a building.

Canopy Sign. See Under Canopy Sign.

Certificate of Conformance. A certificate issued by the planning department for a sign or sign structure which is in conformance with the provisions of this article.

Changeable Copy Sign. A sign so constructed that the copy can be readily changed by use of movable letters or symbols.

[Figure]

Combination Farm Sign. A sign used for the purpose of identifying the owner or operator of a farm and the product produced on the farm, which sign may also incidentally identify the contract buyer of the product.

Construction Sign. A temporary sign placed in advance of occupancy of a building or structure indicating the name of the building or structure, the architects, the contractors, and other information regarding the building or structure.

Directional and Informational Sign. A sign designed to guide or direct pedestrians or vehicles.

[Figure]

District. An area designated by a zoning ordinance of the county to be subject to the regulations of a particular district. For the purposes of this article, all the zone districts presently existing in the county are segregated into the following categories of residential, estate, agricultural, commercial, heavy commercial, industrial and heavy industrial districts. These categories of districts, as represented by the district symbol, are as follows:

Double Face Sign. A sign having only two display surfaces containing the same copy, backed against, parallel to, and not more than twenty-four inches between each other, one face of which is designed to be viewed from one direction and the other face from the opposite direction.

Farm Organization Sign. A sign used only for the purpose of indicating membership in a farm organization, such as Cattlemen's Association, Four H Club, Farm Bureau.

Freestanding Sign. A sign supported by one or more poles, columns, uprights, or by other structural support separated from a building.

Gate or Entrance Sign. A sign attached to an entrance gate or entrance structure to a residential building site or residential subdivision, which identifies the site or subdivision.

[Figure]

Ground Sign. A fixed sign containing only the words entrance or exit which is supported on one or more uprights or braces in the ground.

Identification Sign. A sign used only for the purpose of identifying the occupancy of a building, structure, or property.

Institutional Sign. A sign used only for the purpose of identifying an institution.

Marquee. Marquee is a permanent roofed structure, other than an arcade, attached to and supported by the building and projecting over public property.

Marquee Sign. A sign attached to or constructed in a marquee. (Marquee signs are not permitted in any district—See section 35-4.)

Menu Board For Drive-Through Restaurant. A sign that is either affixed to a wall or freestanding, which may be illuminated, which indicates information that is essential for the efficient intake of orders from customers of a drive-through restaurant.

Multiple Copy Sign. A sign which advertises other than the name of the business and the principal product or service.

Off-Premise Sign. A sign not located on or supported by a structure located on the same premises as the business, product, service or activity being identified or advertised by such sign.

On-Premise Sign. A sign containing copy related only to the business, product, service or activity conducted or sold on the same premises as that on which the sign is located.

Outdoor Advertising Sign. An off-premise sign.

Perimeter Lighting. A subdued method of illuminating a sign without illuminating the area outside the sign.

Permanent Sign. A sign not specifically designated as being temporary.

Planning and Development Department. The planning and development department of the county.

Planning Commission. The planning commission of the county.

Planning Department. The planning and development department of the county.

Political Sign. A sign promoting, advertising or identifying a political party, candidate or issue.

Portable Sign. A sign not affixed to the ground or to a building or structure affixed to the ground, for example, a sandwich board. (Portable signs are not permitted in any district—See section 35-4.)

Projecting Sign. A sign mounted on the facade or vertical surface of a building or structure in such a manner that all of the display surfaces are not parallel to the supporting surface.

[Figure]

Roof Sign. A sign any portion of which extends more than six inches above a roof or parapet wall of a building and which is wholly or partially supported by the building on which it is located. Signs which are on pylons or other architectural projections and extend more than six inches above a roof or parapet wall are, for the purpose of this article, roof signs. (Roof signs are not permitted in any district—See section 35-4.)

Safety Sign. A sign used only for the purpose of identifying and warning of dangers, such as slow, blind exit, turn off your motor, no smoking, sound horn, children playing and beware of dog.

Shopping Center. A retail commercial center, or group of retail commercial enterprises, planned, developed, managed and maintained as a unit; with common off-street parking provided to serve all uses on the property.

Sign. Any device and all parts thereof and any applied or projected image which is used: (1) to advertise enterprises, products, goods, services, or otherwise promote the sale of objects or identify objects for sale; (2) to identify, to direct or to inform persons concerning enterprises, areas, entities, services or dangers; or (3) to attract attention to the premises or other signs of a particular enterprise or entity, including but not limited to flares, flashing lights, color changes, flags, bunting, pennants or other moving devices.

Sign Area. The area of the entire sign in square feet as measured by the planning department pursuant to the provision of section 35-11 of this article.

Sign Structure. A structure which supports or is capable of supporting any sign as defined in this article.

Street Frontage. The footage of the property that abuts an improved street or streets open to public use to which the property has access.

Temporary Sign. A sign intended to advertise community or civic projects, construction projects, real estate for sale or lease, or other special events on a temporary basis.

Time and/or Temperature Sign. A changeable copy sign which indicates only the current temperature and/or time.

Under Canopy Sign. A sign attached to the underside of a canopy.

[Figure]

Wall Sign. A sign affixed in any manner to any exterior wall of a building or structure and which is parallel to and projects not more than eighteen inches from the building or structure wall and which does not extend more than six inches above the parapet wall or roof of the building on which it is located. Signs which are on architectural projections which do not extend more than six inches above the roof or parapet wall of the building area, for the purpose of this article, are wall signs.

[Figure]

Zoning Administrator. The zoning administrator in the planning and development department of the county.

(Ord. No. 2105, § 1; Ord. No. 2077, § 1; Ord. No. 2471, § 1; Ord. No. 3235, § 1; Ord. No. 4207, § 1)

The following signs are prohibited in all districts within the unincorporated area of the county:

1. Animated signs.

2. Roof signs.

3. Projecting signs, except as specifically permitted by this article for symbols with or without words—See paragraph (6) of section 35-17, paragraph (5) of section 38-18, and paragraph (1) of section 35-19.

4. Marquee signs.

5. Portable signs.

6. More than one freestanding sign for any enterprise, except as specifically permitted by this article.

7. Changeable copy and multiple copy signs, except as specifically permitted by this article in:

a. Commercial, heavy commercial, industrial and heavy industrial districts for freestanding signs.

b. Commercial, heavy commercial, industrial and heavy industrial districts for wall signs for certain places of public entertainment.

c. Service stations in shopping centers.

d. Church changeable copy signs.

8. Political signs, except as they would be permitted as on-premise or off-premise signs for any nonpolitical enterprise.

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1; Ord. No. 4207, § 2)

1. Architectural projections or sign structures shall not increase the number or area of permitted signs, nor shall they be used as a device which is, in itself, a sign, unless such a sign is a permitted sign under this article.

2. Sign structures shall be free of unsightly supporting features, such as bracing, angle iron, guy wires and cables.

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1)

All signs and sign structures must meet the regulations as to height and setback imposed by the specific zone district in which they are located, if the specific zone regulations are more restrictive than those imposed by this article. Freestanding signs are structures for the purposes of this article and any zoning ordinance of the county.

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1)

If any provision of this article, except for the height and setback regulations discussed in section 35-6, conflicts with any provision of any regulation contained in any previously adopted zoning ordinance of the county, the provisions of this article shall be controlling.

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1)

The following signs, flags and devices are exempt from the provisions of this article:

1. Flags of a governmental entity or a civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organization.

2. Signs and devices erected by a governmental entity.

3. Signs erected by a public utility or common carrier to warn of dangers, such as the location of underground facilities and railroad crossings.

4. Signs required to be maintained or posted by law or governmental order, rule or regulation.

5. Signs within buildings.

(Ord. No. 2077, § 1)