8110-0 - Purpose.

The purpose of this Article is to promote traffic safety and the aesthetics of the visual environment of Ventura County through the regulation of all signs within the unincorporated areas, except in public rights-of-way. Regulations contained herein are the least burdensome regulations to carry out the above stated purpose.

For areas located within the Old Town Saticoy boundary as delineated in the Saticoy Area Plan (Figure 1.1.2), refer to the Old Town Saticoy Development Code, Article 19, for additional sign regulations.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85; Ord. No. 4479, § 7, 9-22-2015)

8110-1 - Definitions.

Advertising Sign—A sign which calls attention to products, goods or services for sale or hire, or which otherwise contains a commercial message.

Attached Sign—Any sign posted, painted on, or constructed or otherwise attached to the wall, facade, canopy, marquee, or other architectural part of a building.

Canopy Sign—Any sign attached to or constructed in or on a canopy or marquee.

Directional Sign—Any sign which serves solely to designate entrances or exits, or the location or direction of any on-site area.

Double-faced Sign—A sign structure with messages on both sides of a sign board or panel; or a sign with two faces that are attached to each other on one side and form an angle of not more than 30 degrees; or a sign structure with two attached parallel faces not more than 18 inches apart, with a message on each face.

(Add Ord. 3810—5/5/87)

Freestanding Sign—Any sign which is anchored directly to the ground or supported from the ground, or is attached to a freestanding wall or fence.

(Am. Ord. 3810—5/5/87)

Identification Sign—An on-site sign which indicates the premises, occupants, address, neighborhood or entrance location to the premises.

Noncommercial Message—A display or statement on a sign which calls attention to something other than products, goods, or services for sale or hire, including personal political statements, unrelated to pending

elections. Such messages are permitted on any type of sign provided that all the standards of this Article are followed. "Noncommercial Message" signs shall be regulated in the same manner as "Identification" signs.

(Am. Ord. 4054—2/1/94)

Off-site Sign—A sign which displays commercial or noncommercial messages related to property, goods, services, or ideas not found on, or related to, the property on which the sign is located.

On-site Sign—A sign located on the same site as the occupant, business, trade or profession to which it relates.

Permanent Sign—A sign intended to be erected and maintained for a period of more than 60 days.

Political Sign—A temporary sign or handbill erected prior to, and referencing specific individuals or issues in, a pending election, excluding leased space on the face of permanent, legal, off-site advertising signs (billboards).

(Am. Ord. 4054—2/1/94)

Projecting Sign—An attached sign which projects outward perpendicularly or at an angle from a wall or building face.

Real Estate Sign—A sign which advertises the sale, rental or lease of the property on which it is maintained.

Roof Sign—Any sign erected upon, against or directly above a roof or on top of or above the parapet of a building.

Sign—A communication device using words or symbols, illuminated or nonilluminated, which is visible from any public place or is located on private property and exposed to the public and which directs attention to a product, service, place, activity, person, institution, business or solicitation, including any permanently installed or situated merchandise; or any emblem, painting, banner, pennant, placard or temporary display designed to advertise, identify or convey information.

Sign Area

a.

Area of Simultaneously Visible Faces—Where the lettered or illustrative material of a sign is placed upon a sign board or other sign structure having a continuous or essentially continuous surface or face (whether plane, curved, angulated or otherwise), the background or face area of simultaneously visible faces of such sign board or sign structure shall be the sign area. For purposes of computation, single and double faced signs are considered to have the same area; in other words, a double-faced sign having two square feet of sign copy on each face is considered to have two square feet of sign area. The Planning Director may require landscaping or other screening at the open end of a double-faced sign whose faces are not parallel.

(Am. Ord. 3730—5/7/85; Am. Ord. 3810—5/5/87)

b.

Framed Area—Where the lettered or illustrative material of a sign is not placed as described in subsection a. above, but is framed either mechanically or visually by the design or layout of the sign itself, then the area so framed shall be the sign area.

c.

Geometric Unframed Figure—Where the lettered or illustrative material is not placed or framed in the manner described in subsection a. or b. above, but is composed either vertically, horizontally, diagonally or otherwise, essentially in the form of a rectangle, triangle or similar geometric figure, the area of the geometric figure within which such material could be enclosed shall be the sign area; except that when the space between the elements comprising the sign exceeds 1½ times the average size of the elements themselves, the area of the elements may be measured separately as provided in subsection d. below.

d.

Area of Abutting Rectangles—Where the lettered or illustrative material is not placed, framed or composed as described in subsection a., b. or c. above, the total area of the abutting rectangles or other simple geometric shapes within which the individual words, letters, illustrations or other elements comprising the sign could be enclosed shall be the sign area.

e.

Clocks and Thermometers—Time and temperature devices without advertising copy will not be included in determining the sign area.

Tract Sign—An off-site sign relating to the original sale of property other than that on which the sign is constructed.

Window Sign—A sign or combination of signs painted on, attached to, or designed or placed so as to be read principally through the windows from outside the structure.