HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 928 ORDINANCE NO. 928
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
AZUSA AMENDING THE AZUSA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING
TO SIGNS IN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.
The City Council of the City of Azusa does ordain as
follows :
SECTION 1. Upon recommendation of the Planning Commission,
Section 9230.70 of the Azusa Municipal Code is hereby amended to
read as follows :
"SECTION 9230.70 SIGNS.
The objectives of and justification for the various
regulations, relative to signs and outdoor advertising signs,
as contained in this Section and elsewhere in this Chapter
are, among others : to provide a reasonable system of control
of signs, integrated within and as a part of the comprehensive
zoning plan set forth by this Code, and not as a distinct
police power exercise separate and apart from zoning power;
to encourage signs which are well designed and pleasing in
appearance and to provide incentive and latitude for variety,
good design, relationship and spacing; to encourage a desirable
urban character which has a minimum of overhead clutter; to
enhance the economic value of the community and each area
thereof through the regulation of such things as size, location,
design, and illumination of signs; to attract and direct persons
to various activities and enterprises in order to provide for
the maximum public convenience; to encourage signs which are
compatible with adjacent land uses; and to reduce possible
traffic and safety hazards.
This section is intended to control the construction,
erection, alteration, repair and maintenance of all signs
and their supports as defined in this section, provided,
however, that except as otherwise specified in this Chapter,
and except as to regulations pertaining in general to location
of signs with reference to street intersections and to free-
ways, the following shall not be deemed to be included within
the definition of sign" .
( 1) Signs of a duly-constituted Governmental body;
including traffic or similar regulatory devices, legal devices,
or warnings at railroad crossings.
(2) Memorial tablets or signs.
(3) Signs required to be maintained by law or governmen-
tal order, rule or regulation, with a total surface area not
exceeding ten square feet on any lot or parcel.
(4) Signs which are within a ball park or other similar
private recreational use and which cannot be seen from a
public street or adjacent properties.
(5) Flags or emblems of a civic philanthrppiq,educational,
or religious organization, temporary in nature. ,
(6) Political signs, provided that these are temporary
in nature.
(7) Small signs displayed for the direction or con-
venience of the public, including signs which identify
location of public telephones, freight entrances, or the
like, with a total surface area not exceeding six square
feet per sign on any lot or parcel.
(8) Signs placed by a public utility showing the
location of underground facilities.
Pursuant to said objectives and justifications, the
following regulations shall govern signs, outdoor advertising
signs and other structures and devices set forth herein:
(a) In R Zones :
1. Dwellings - one name plate not exceeding one square foot in
area for each dwelling unit, indicating the
name of the occupant.
(b) In P Zones : One (1) unlighted or non-flashing
lighted sign not exceeding thirty-two (32)
square feet in area referring to the avail-
ability and changes for parking spaces on the
parking lot and any sign permitted in an R-3
Zone.
(c) In the C-2 Zone: permitted signs shall be subject
to the following conditions :
1. Any exterior sign displayed shall only pertain
to the use conducted within the building or
name of occupant, proprietor, or business.
2. The sign area for any single building frontage
shall not exceed the equivalent of three (3)
square feet per lineal foot of said frontage.
The total sign area shall not exceed a maximum
of 150 square feet, except when the sign is
placed parallel with the building surface, the
sign area of a building frontage may be in-
creased by ten (10) per cent fur each fifty (50)
lineal feet of building setback from the property
line, with a maximum allowable sign area of 1,000
square feet.
3. One sign on the front and rear bearing the name
of the occupants of the buildings and conforming
to a maximum size of six square feet shall be
permitted in addition to the other signs allowed
herein.
4. One parcel identification sign shall be permitted
to identify a shopping center. IP the shopping center
fronts two streets, an additional sign shall be
allowed. The allowable area shall not exceed one
square foot for each lineal foot of building
frontage or one square foot for each 1,000 square
feet of developed parcel, whichever is greater,
but not to exceed the maximum sign area allowance
of 150 square feet for parcels of 25,000 square
feet or less, and a maximum sign allowance of 300
square feet for parcels greater than 25,000 square
feet. No parcel sign may project over the public
right-of-way.
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(d) In the C-3 Zone : all signs permitted in the C-2 Zone
are allowed, except that :
1. The total area of enterprise identification signs
displayed shall not be larger than one square
foot per 50 square feet of building floor area or
one square foot of lot area, whichever is greater
with a maximum sign area of 500 square feet.
2. Roof signs are permitted and shall be no higher
than 45 feet from ground level and shall not
reflect on a residential zone or public right-of-
way.
3. Parcel identification or other signs identifying
shopping centers on parcels of ten acres or more
having floor space of 80,000 square feet or more
shall have a maximum size of 750 square feet.
4. Height shall not exceed maximum allowable building
height limit.
(e) In V - 1 and M-2 Zones : Unlighted or lighted signs.
(f) Types of Signs Prohibited:
1. Any advertising sign that contains red, yellow or
green lights will not be permitted within a dis-
tance of 100 feet from where STOP and 00 traffic
signals are in operation. Such signs that would
create a potential distraction or hazard to high-
way users will not be permitted.
2. No exposed light bulb used as a part of a sign
display shall exceed a rating of fifteen watts .
3. No lighted sign or beacon shall flash more than
fifteen times a minute. This provision does not
apply to and is not intended to prohibit animated
neon signs or scintillating signs that do not
appear to flash.
4. No sign or portion of a sign shall rotate at a
speed greater than eight revolutions per minute.
The outdoor display of merchandise and temporary
signs relating thereto during special promotional
events may be permitted for commercial use provided
such activity does not exceed seven (7) days in a
calendar month and further provided that such
activity is conducted wholly upon private property.
Temporary carnivals, circuses, recreational, educa-
tional, amusement and entertainment activities, the
sale of fireworks and temporary signs pertaining to
such uses may be permitted in any commercial or
industrial zone for not to exceed seven (7) days in
any calendar month.
The sale of Christmas trees and "going out of
business" signs are exempt from these restrictions.
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5. No signs shall be supported in whole or in part
from any public utility installation or on any
tree on private premises .
(g) Other Advertising:
1. New tract identification signs of a temporary
nature will be allowed, subject to precise plan
of design approval for a period of six months;
upon good cause the Planning Commission may grant
a time extension for not more than one additional
six months period.
2. Signs shall not be placed on the public right-of-
way. Those projecting over the existing or pro-
posed public right-of-way shall meet the State of
California Encroachment requirements.
(h) Sign Materials :
1. No paper, cardboard, cotton or linen signs shall
be permitted on building exteriors for a period
of time in excess of 30 days. All exterior wall
signs must meet with building and fire code regu-
lations .
(i) Height shall not exceed maximum allowable building
height limit.
( j) For the purpose of this Section, signs are defined as
follows :
1. Enterprise sign shall mean a sign relating only to
goods sold or services rendered from, or relating
to occupants of the lot or parcel upon which sign
is erected or maintained, but shall not include the
advertisement of products or trade names incidental
to predominant sales or services .
2. Area of a sign shall mean, and be computed as, the
entire area within a sinle continuous rectilinear
perimeter of not more than eight straight lines
enclosing the extreme limits of writing, representa-
tion, emblem, or any figure of similar character,
together with any material or color forming an
integral part of the display or used to differentiate
such sign from the background against which it is
placed, provided that in the case of a sign designed
with more than one exterior surface, the area shall
be computed as including only the maximum single
display surface which is visible from any ground
position. The supports, uprights or structures on
which any sign is supported shall not be included
in determining the sign area unless such supports,
uprights, or structure are or is designed in such
a manner as to form an integral background of the
display.
3. Building frontage when used in connection with
sign regulations, shall mean those frontages or
portions of enterprises which abut a circulation
area open to the general public and have an
entrance/exit to the structure open to the general
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public. Loading area and service drives shall
be excluded from the calculation of building front-
age and no building shall be credited with more
than three, or less than one, building frontage(s) .
4. _ Courtesy sign shall mean a sign identifying the
individual or group which contributes to the
maintenance of the publicly-owned landscaped area
on which it is erected.
5. Flashing sign: A flashing sign is any sign which
is intermittently on and off or which revolves
in a manner to create the illusion of being on
and off, excepting, however, time and temperature
signs.
6. Integral with the building: A sign integral with
a building shall mean a sign which is either a
part of or attached flat against a building and
receiving its immediate and sole support from a
structural element of the building, and which sign
does not exceed the height of the building. A
sign may be considered integral with a building if
it is a part of or attached flat to a canopy,
arcade, marquee or other similar building projec-
tion provided such sign does not exceed the height
thereof.
7. Marquee (changeable copy) sign: A sign which is
characterized -by changeable copy whether said sign
is free-standing or wall sign or whether said sign
projects from and is supported by a building.
8. Outdoor advertising sign shall mean any sign other
than an enterprise sign, an off-site tract sign or
a courtesy sign.
9. Parcel identification sign shall mean a free-stand-
ing appurtenant sfgn whose allowable sign area is
related to building frontage dimensions or the
size of the legal parcel on which it stands. Parcel
identification signs may include both permanent
messages and/or reader boards whose messages change
periodically, but shall not include the advertisement
of products or trade names incidental to the predom-
inant sales or service.
10. Rotating or revolving signs : A rotating or revolving
sign is any sign all, or a portion of which moves
in some manner, excepting, however, time and tempera-
ture signs.
11. Shopping Center: A group of businesses which com-
prise at least four stores as shown on a common
Precise Plan of Design, functioning as a unit, with
common off-street parking provided on the property
as an integral part of the unit and having more
than 25,000 square feet of gross parcel area in the
development.
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i
I
12. Sign shall mean any writing (including letter,
worst, or numeral), pictorial presentation
including illustration or decoration) , emblem
including device, symbol or trade mark), flag
including banner or pennant) , or any other
device, figure or similar character which:
(1) Is a structure or any part thereof or is
attached to, painted on, or in any other
manner represented on a building or other
structure or device, or is in any way
attached thereto; and
(ii) Is used to announce, direct attention to
or advertise; and
(iii) Is visible from outside the building or
structure.
13. Tract Sign shall mean a temporary sign, either
appurtenant or non-appurtenant, advertising the
original sale of property in a subdivision. A
tract shall be defined as any approved tentative
map including any contiguous area. Tentative
maps using the same name with contiguity shall be
considered a single tract for purposes of comput-
ing sign area and number."
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of
this ordinance and shall publish the same as required by law.
Passed and approved this 6th day of May , 1968.
,,,f_ �� - /ice ,;
M yor
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS .
CITY OF AZUSA )
I, JAMES MILLER, City Clerk of the City of Azusa, do hereby
certify that the foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced and
placed upon its first reading at a regular meeting of the City Council
on the 15th day of April , 1968.
James Miller, ty Clerk
.
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS .
CITY OF AZUSA )
I, DEAN F. KLARR, City Clerk of the City of Azusa, do hereby
certify that thereafter, said Ordinance, denominated No. 928 ,
was duly adopted and passed at a regular meeting of the City Council on
the 6th day of May , 1968, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES : Councilmen: Rubio, Decker, Cooney, Calvert, Solem
NOES : Councilmen: None
ABSENT: Councilmen : None
°e'r-7 ' *:(Al\--
Dean F. la , City Clerk
I do further certify that I caused said ordinance to be
published prior to the expiration of fifteen days from the passage
thereof in the Azusa Herald and Pomotropic, a newspaper of general
circulation, printed, published and circulated in the City of
Azusa, on the 12th day of my , 1968, and that the same
was published in accordance illth law.
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yy
Dean F. Klarr, City Clerk
Publish Azusa Herald & Pomotropic, May 12, 1968.
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