Article 6 — GENERAL PROVISIONS — Torrance Zoning Code

911.6.010 PROJECTION INTO ALLEYS PROHIBITED.

No sign shall project into any alley below a height of seventeen (17) feet above grade or more than twelve (12) inches when over seventeen (17) feet.

911.6.020 INTERFERENCE WITH BUILDING REGULATIONS.

No sign shall be erected in such a manner that any portion of its surface or supports will interfere in any way with the free use of any fire escape, exit or standpipe, or obstruct any required ventilator, or door stairway. No sign shall obstruct the free use of any window on the same premises.

911.6.030 PROJECTION OVER PUBLIC PROPERTY.

No projecting sign or ground sign may extend over any public street or private street, public sidewalk, other public property, or beyond a building line, except a distance as determined by the clearance of the bottom of the sign to the level of the sidewalk or grade immediately below as follows:

a) Clearance less than eight (8) feet, no projection.

b) Clearance of eight (8) feet, one (1) foot projection.
c) Clearance above eight (8) feet, for each additional two (2) inches clearance an additional one (1) inch projection to a maximum projection of four (4) feet.

911.6.040 ENCROACHMENT PERMIT.

a) No sign permit shall be issued for any sign or billboard which encroaches upon or over any City owned or controlled property unless an encroachment permit therefor is obtained from the City Manager or his designee.

b) No encroachment permit for any sign or billboard shall be issued unless in the opinion of the City Manager the erection and maintenance of said sign shall not imperil the health, safety and welfare of the public. Any such permit may be issued subject to such conditions as the City Manager deems to be reasonably necessary for the protection of the public.

911.6.050 PROJECTION OVER PRIVATE PROPERTY.

No sign may project more than six (6) inches from the face of a building over private property used or intended to be used by the general public, unless there is a minimum of eight (8) feet clearance from the bottom of the sign to sidewalk or grade immediately below the sign, or a minimum of seventeen (17) feet clearance from the bottom of the sign to a vehicular trafficway immediately below the sign.

911.6.060 MEMORIAL SIGNS AND HISTORICAL TABLETS.

Memorial signs and historical tablets or plates commemorating a historical event or a memorial to a deceased person may be used with any building if not exceeding two (2) square feet in area and permanently fastened to the building surface; provided, however, larger signs may be permitted with approval by the Planning Commission.

911.6.070 VEHICLE SIGN.

a) Any vehicle with advertising permanently attached to it or temporarily placed upon it for the purpose of advertising a business, service or product shall not be parked on private or public property so as to serve as a billboard or sign.

b) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to signs advertising the sale of a vehicle by the owner thereof who is not an automobile dealer or an employee or agent thereof.

911.6.080 BULLETIN BOARDS.

Bulletin boards or changeable copy signs shall be any identification sign used in conjunction with religious institutions, Y.M.C.A.s and other civic or charitable organizations, florists, movie theaters and gas stations. Bulletin boards not over twelve (12) square feet in area may be used with a public, charitable, or religious institution located in a residential use zone when such bulletin boards are located on the premises of such institution. Bulletin boards in the form of electronic message centers shall require approval by the Planning Commission and shall not exceed the designated size of twelve (12) square feet, with the exception of gas station price signs, which may be electronic without Planning Commission approval.

911.6.090 SPECIAL PERMITS.

Nothing herein contained shall prevent the City Council from granting temporary special permits on such terms as it may deem proper, for signs advertising or pertaining to any civic, patriotic or special event of general public interest taking place within the boundaries of the City, when it is determined that the same will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare, interest or safety, nor injurious to adjacent property or improvements.

911.6.100 PROHIBITED SIGNS.

(Amended by O-3939)

The following signs, sign types and locations are inconsistent with the purposes and standards of this Chapter and are, therefore, prohibited in the City:

a) Abandoned and/or dilapidated sign structures.

b) Inflatable devices.

c) Lightbulb strings or tube lighting, unless approved as part of the building design.
d) Flashing signs.
e) Snipe signs.
f) Obscene or unlawful signs.
g) Portable signs, including A-frame, T-stand, rolling signs, sandwich boards, bow banners or signs held or supported by human beings.
h) Signs emitting audible sounds, odors or particulate matter.
i) Rotating, moving, changing or blinking signs.
j) Signs emulating traffic signals or devices.

k) Mylar balloons.

911.6.110 SIGNS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.

No sign shall be placed on any public property, including but not limited to any City building, sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, street lamp post, hydrant, tree, shrub, tree stake or guard, railroad trestle, electric light or power or telephone or telegraph wire pole or wire appurtenance therefor or upon any fixture of the fire alarm system or upon any lighting system, street sign or traffic sign.

a) Application may be made for a temporary sign on public property and will be reviewed by Community Development and City Manager.

911.6.120 SIGN APPURTENANCES.

a) All cabinets, conductors, transformers and other equipment shall be concealed.

b) Exposed lamps, tubing, raceways, cross-overs or conduits will be permitted by Planning Commission approval only and only when an integral part of the sign design.

911.6.130 USE OF ROMAN LETTERS, ARABIC NUMERALS.

Any business or place of public assembly shall have, at a minimum, at least one (1) conspicuous sign setting forth the trade name of the business or the name of the place of public assembly and the street address number in Roman letters and Arabic numerals, respectively. The letters and numerals on any such sign shall be large enough to be readable from a distance of one hundred (100) feet.