Shasta Lake Municipal Code § 17.88.080 Directional and other official signs and notices

There are certain land uses that are an integral part of the city which, because of their reliance on the city's natural resource base, must necessarily operate where the resource is located. There are other types of uses which depend on varying geo-graphic conditions or locational requirements that do not fit within a standard zone district and, therefore, must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The uses described in Sections 17.88.020 through 17.88.110 of Article I of this chapter may be located in most or all districts, subject to the specified limitations and requirements, unless the use directly conflicts with a specific district regulation.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

The exploration, extraction and processing of minerals, rock, sand, gravel, topsoil or steam for commercial purposes and accessory uses may be allowed, provided a use permit is issued in each case except that gravel crushing and asphalt and cement batch plans shall be located only in industrial (I) and mineral resource (MR) districts. The provisions of Chapter 18.04 of the Shasta County Code (Surface Mining and Reclamation Act) shall apply to all mineral extraction activities.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

A. Small hydropower facilities may be permitted with an approved administrative permit, if all of the following are met:

1. The project is located in an EA, TP, TL, MR, F-1, M-L, M or PF district;

2. The height of the diversion structure, the amount of water to be impounded by it and the electrical capability of the facility will qualify the project for an exemption from the licensing requirements administered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

3. The level of mechanical noise generated by the facility, when measured at the property lines of the site on the CNEL scale, shall not exceed the higher of either 55 dBA higher than the ambient noise level on properties adjoining the project site;

4. A grading plan is submitted to the planning division for review and approval by the department of public works. The plan shall include all provisions necessary to stabilize and revegetate all land temporarily or permanently disturbed by the construction and operation of the facility;

5. Security acceptable to the city has been filed by the owner or operator of the facility with the planning division to insure compliance with the requirements of subsection (A)(4) of this section. The amount of any security filed by the owner or operator of the facility with the Department of Fish and Game or the Regional Water Quality Control Board may be used to offset part or all of the security required under this subsection;

6. The proposed project meets the requirements of the California Department of Fish and Game;

7. The proposed project meets the requirements of the Regional Water Quality Control Board;

8. The project sponsor receives the necessary license or exemption from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

9. The proposed project meets applicable requirements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

10. The project sponsor owns or has the concurrence of the property owner of the site on which the project will be located;

11. If, in the course of development, any archaeological, historical or paleontological resources are uncovered, discovered or otherwise detected or observed, construction activities in the affected area shall cease and a qualified archaeologist shall be contracted to review the site and advise the city of the site's significance. If the findings are deemed significant by the environmental review officer, appropriate mitigation measures shall be required.

B. If any of the above criteria are not met, the facility may be permitted if a use permit is issued for it.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Forest management activities, as described in the California Forest Practices Act, are permitted as long as the regulations of the Forest Practices Act, along with other applicable state regulations, are met.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Fish and wildlife enhancement projects are permitted as approved by the Department of Fish and Game.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Agricultural accessory buildings are permitted uses, provided the size of the property on which he building(s) is to be located meets the minimum acreage requirements for full-time agricultural operations.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Except in R-1, R-2, R-3, RM and MHP districts, circuses, carnivals, open air theaters, race tracks, boat races or similar uses involving temporary or intermittent assemblages of people, automobiles or boats and that do not involve permanent structural improvements, may be permitted if a use permit is issued in each case (not including fraternal or service groups), and it is determined that the proposal will not adversely impact surrounding properties.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Those types of outdoor advertising signs that qualify under Title 4, Chapter 6, Subchapter 4 of the California Administrative Code (Outdoor Advertising), including official signs and notices, public utility signs, service club and religious notices, and directional signs are permitted uses, except use permits must be issued for private directional signs. All of these signs may be located without regard to distances from other outdoor advertising signs. Outdoor advertising signs shall be subject to the requirements of Section 17.84.060 of this title.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

For sale or lease signs are permitted uses provided that, for residential lots, there are not more than two signs per lot, each sign not exceeding six square feet in size, or for commercial or industrial lots, one sign not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in size. In addition to the on-site signs described above, if there are five or more lots for sale, one onsite and one offsite subdivision sign, each not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in size, are permitted.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

A. Purpose. The purpose of the electronic readerboard sign is to provide information on events, convey essential messages including emergency information, and communicate other noncommercial information to the public.

B. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

1. City shall mean the city of Shasta Lake.

2. Electronic readerboard shall mean a sign structure which can be electronically changed without altering the face or the surface of the sign and intended to accommodate changeable short-term messages.

3. Non-profit organization shall mean a corporation organized to provide religious, charitable, literary, educational, scientific, social, or other forms of public service that are exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.

4. Sign shall mean the electronic readerboard sign.

C. Permit Requirements. An electronic readerboard shall be allowed pursuant to this section if an administrative permit is issued by the development services director or his/her designee pursuant to SLMC Section 17.92.050. The administrative permit shall include terms and conditions under which the permit is issued.

D. Allowable Locations. Notwithstanding the sign regulations specified for the individual zone district or SLMC Section 17.84.060, one readerboard sign may be located within the City Center (CC), Village Commercial (VC) or Community Commercial (C-2) Zone Districts on property abutting State Route 151 between the Union Pacific Railroad trestle and Cascade Boulevard.

E. Use Limitations. The sign shall be used only to publicize the following activities. The sign shall not be used to advertise any commercial business or for-profit event or to endorse any specific candidate for political office or to support or oppose any ballot measure or proposition.

1. City events and activities sponsored by non-profit organizations or local service clubs.

2. Candidates night forums and general public announcements regarding voting dates and locations.

3. School events such as football games, graduations and reunions.

4. Major community events that are co-sponsored (officially recognized, approved and/or subsidized) by the city or require downtown street closures, or held in city parks or facilities.

5. Messages regarding youth sports league sign-ups occurring within the city.

6. Messages regarding free meetings and events of general public interest sponsored by public agencies or legislators serving the city.

7. Messages and alerts related to the city's emergency response system.

8. Other messages found to be similar in nature as determined by the development services director or his/her designee.

F. Development Standards.

1. Maximum height shall be no more than fifteen (15) feet above grade.

2. Maximum size of the entire sign face shall be no more than forty-eight (48) square feet per side.

3. The sign may have no more than two faces.

4. The sign shall be located in a landscaped area not less than twice the total area of the sign face.

5. The sign shall not imitate or resemble any official traffic sign, signal or device.

6. The sign shall be placed in a manner that will not adversely interfere with the visibility or functioning of traffic signs, signals or devices, or interfere with official signs, taking into consideration physical elements of the sign in relation to the surrounding area, such as physical obstruction, line of sight, brightness and visual obstruction or impairment issues.

7. The sign shall be placed no closer than three hundred fifty (350) feet from a crosswalk across State Route 151.

8. The sign shall display only static text in each of its display messages. No sign shall display animated text, graphics or video, including flashing, blinking, fading, rolling, shading, dissolving, or any other effect that gives the appearance of movement.

9. Each message shall be displayed for a minimum of four seconds unless a greater amount of time is set forth as recommended by the development services director in consultation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

10. The transition or blank screen time between one display message and the next shall not exceed one second.

11. Transition from one message to another message shall appear instantaneous as perceived by the human eye.

12. To the extent feasible, each message shall be complete in itself and shall not continue on a subsequent sign message.

13. Font size shall be determined by the development services director based on sight distance and the speed limit of the adjacent right-of-way.

14. The sign shall be designed and placed to prevent light and glare from being visible to adjacent residential properties.

15. The sign shall not emit light that could obstruct or impair the vision of any driver.

16. The sign shall utilize automatic dimming technology to adjust the brightness of the sign relative to ambient light.

17. The sign shall be turned off between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless an exception is granted by the development services director or his/her designee for special circumstances, such as, but not limited to, providing emergency notifications or announcing early morning or late evening events.

18. The sign shall contain a default mechanism that will cause the sign to revert immediately to a black screen if the sign malfunctions.

19. The sign shall comply with all state requirements governing such uses, including but not limited to the California Vehicle Code.

20. More restrictive or additional conditions of approval shall be included in the administrative permit as determined necessary by the development services director based on specific site conditions and consultation with applicable city departments and outside agencies.

21. The development services director may make minor exceptions to the development standards included in this section if it is determined the revised standard meets the intent of this section.

G. Maintenance Requirements. The administrative permit shall include the terms and conditions for ongoing operation and maintenance of the electronic readerboard.

(Ord. No. 12-227, § 1(2), 8-7-2012)

A. Public uses and public utilities are permitted if a use permit is issued, provided the use is found to be compatible with, and will not adversely impact, surrounding land uses, except that public utility transmission lines, towers, distribution poles and lines, regardless of height, and gas pipelines are permitted uses.

B. A use permit shall not be issued for a public use or utility in a resource district unless findings are made that there is not a reasonable alternative site outside of a resource district, and the impacts from the project on the resource land have been reduced to the lowest reasonable level.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Except in R-1, R-2, R-3, RM and MHP districts, airports, landing strips and heliports are permitted if a use permit is issued.

(Ord. 97-99 § 1 (part))

Temporary storage structures are intended to provide temporary storage of household goods on residential property and business specific goods on commercial or industrial used and/or zoned lands for a period not to exceed the life of the building permit. Such temporary structures shall not interfere with the normal operation of the established use on the property, and are subject to the following requirements:

A. Permit Required. Placement of a temporary storage structure of any kind is subject to the following permitting requirements:

1. Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Districts. Placement and use of a temporary storage structure on any site zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial uses shall only be permitted in conjunction with a valid building permit.

B. Temporary Storage Standards. The following standards shall apply to all temporary storage structures:

1. Location. Temporary storage structures or bulk solid waste containers shall not be located in required drive isles or where such structure creates a safety hazard for pedestrians or vehicles entering or exiting the site. No temporary storage structure shall be located on any property so as to interfere with traffic visibility as determined by the development services director or city engineer, and no temporary storage structure may be placed in the public right-of-way without issuance of an encroachment permit by the public works director. Location of the temporary storage container shall be approved by the development services director or designee and indicated on the site plan for the associated building permit.

2. Number. There is allowed a maximum of one temporary storage structure per site. Use of additional structures may be approved by the development services director or designee.

3. Term of Use.

i. The use of temporary storage structures as described in Subsection 17.88.120.A.1 shall be limited to the term of the valid building permit that has been issued for substantial construction. Such containers shall be removed within one week of the building permit expiration, the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, or the issuance of a certificate of completion on the property. Requests for extensions of time for use of temporary storage may be granted in writing by the development services director or designee, where it can be determined with certainty that such extension is necessary to support the reasonable completion of the project. In no case shall such extension(s) exceed one year.

4. Bulk solid waste containers may also be used for the removal of miscellaneous waste without a demolition or building permit. In this case, the use of such containers shall be limited to no more than sixty (60) days in any calendar year and the containers shall comply with the location standards set forth in this section for temporary storage containers.

(Ord. No. 21-290, § 3, 9-7-2021)