Article 3 — SIGN PERMIT AND FEES

911.3.010 SIGN PERMIT REQUIRED.

a) To ensure compliance with the regulations contained in this Chapter, a sign permit shall be required for any person, business, or identified or presumed responsible person as defined by this Code to erect, display, enlarge, modify, relocate, or change in any way beyond general maintenance, repair, or complete removal, any permanent or temporary sign or sign structure unless such action is expressly exempted by this Chapter. Refacing of existing signs shall be included in this requirement. Sign permits are also required for signs approved through a sign program or other discretionary action.

b) No sign permit shall be issued for any additional signs or alterations to existing signs until all signs on the property or development conform to the provisions of this Chapter.

911.3.020 OFFICIAL, QUASI-OFFICIAL, AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNS.

a) Nothing herein contained shall prevent the erection, construction and maintenance of official traffic, fire and police signs, signals, devices and markings of the State Department of Public Works, the City Council or other appropriate governmental authorities, nor the posting of notices required by law. Private and quasi-public signs shall be prohibited upon public property unless otherwise authorized by the City Manager or appropriate governmental authority.

b) Legal notices, telephone and other underground utility warning signs, not exceeding one (1) square foot in size and other safety signs may be erected without a permit being issued.

c) Nonadvertising, directional or informational signs less than six (6) square feet in area may be used with any "C," "M" or multiple-family use permitted in addition to all other permitted signs.

911.3.030 APPLICATION FOR SIGN PERMIT.

a) Application for sign permits shall be made to the Community Development Department of the City, accompanied by the filing fee, where applicable, and in the amount provided for by resolution. Applications, whether for discretionary approval or for the issuance of a permit, shall be submitted to the Community Development Department for each development on which the sign or signs are to be erected with the application to be submitted to the Planning Commission and shall contain or have attached thereto the following information:

• 1. Name, address and telephone number of the applicant;
• 2. Location of building, structure or lot to which or upon which the sign or advertising structure is to be attached or erected;
• 3. Position of the sign or advertising structure in relation to nearby buildings or structures;
• 4. Name of person, firm, corporation or association erecting or attaching structure or painting the sign;

5. Written consent of the owner of the building, structure or land to which or on which the structure is to be erected or sign to be painted when more than one (1) occupancy can or does exist;

• 6. Scaled renderings of all proposed signs;
• 7. Detailed plans of all existing signs, including photos and/or other pertinent data which will aid in the determination of the site’s conformance with this Chapter;
• 8. Such other information as the Community Development Director shall require to show full compliance with this and all other laws and ordinances of the City.

• b) For issuance of a permit, the following shall also be required:

1. Two (2) blueprints of ink drawings of the plans and specifications and method of construction and attachment to the building or in the ground;

2. Copy of stress sheets and calculations showing the structure is designed for deadload and wind pressure in any direction in the amount required by this and all other laws and ordinances of the City;

• 3. Estimated sign valuation;
• 4. Any electrical permit required and issued for such sign;
• 5. In addition to the filing fee, a building permit fee shall be collected in accordance with the evaluation schedule of the City Building Code.

911.3.040 NONCONFORMING SIGNS.

All applications for sign permits for signs which do not conform to the provisions of this Code or are located on the same property or development on which other signs or all the signs do not conform with the provisions of this Code shall be submitted by the Community Development Director to the Planning Commission for review in accordance with the provisions of this Code.

911.3.050 ISSUANCE OF PERMITS.

If it shall appear the proposed sign structure is in compliance with all the requirements of this Code and all other laws and ordinances of the City of Torrance and has received all necessary approvals, the Community Development Director shall then issue the sign permit. If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within one hundred eighty (180) days or a proper extension granted thereto after date of issuance, the said permit shall become null and void. Issuance of the sign permit shall be conditioned upon the applicant’s acceptance of any conditions imposed thereon by the City. No sign permit issued with conditions shall be valid until all conditions have been complied with by the applicant.