17.38.080 General provisions for permanent signs.
A. Change or Vacation of Business. When the name of a business or the location changes, or upon vacating a business location, the business or property owner shall remove the sign copy that advertised the previous business. At no time shall a sign cabinet remain empty and without a copy panel so that the internal lighting and electrical fixtures are exposed. During any period when a sign cabinet is not being utilized for identification of a business, a blank opaque copy panel (face) shall be installed in the sign cabinet structure.
B. Frontage Allocation Not Transferable. No sign or sign area allowed on one frontage shall be transferred to another frontage.
C. Vintage Signs. A sign designated as a vintage sign (see Section 17.38.120) shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter as to height, illumination, location, movement, and sign area and may be maintained as a legally conforming sign subject to the provisions outlined in Section 17.38.120.
D. Illumination of Signs. The artificial illumination of signs, either from an internal or external source, shall be designed to eliminate negative impacts on surrounding rights-of-way and properties. The following standards shall apply to all illuminated signs:
1. External light sources shall be directed and shielded to limit direct illumination of any object other than the sign.
2. Signs shall not have exposed fluorescent tubes or incandescent bulbs exceeding fifteen watts.
3. Light sources (e.g., light bulbs) used for externally illuminated signs shall not be visible within one hundred feet of any residential zoning district. Internally illuminated signs visible from any residential zoning district shall not be illuminated between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless they identify an establishment open for business during those hours.
4. Electrical raceways and conduits shall be placed so that they are not within public view. Where this is physically impractical or doing so would damage significant architectural features or materials, the community development director may grant a waiver of this requirement, provided all conduits, raceways, and similar devices are kept as small as possible and are painted the same colors as adjacent wall surfaces.
5. Signs with electrical components shall be constructed, inspected, and approved by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL), or equal, and a label of approval from the laboratory shall be affixed to the sign in plain view.
6. The use of neon signs and lighting is regulated by Section 17.38.090(D), Neon Signs and Architectural Lighting.
E. Maintenance, Alteration, and Removal.
1. All signs and sign structures including those otherwise specifically exempt from the provisions of this chapter, including all parts, portions, and materials, shall be maintained in good repair and structurally sound. The display surface of all signs shall be kept clean, neatly painted, and free from rust and corrosion. Banners shall be replaced if tattered or worn. Any cracks, broken surfaces, malfunctioning lights, missing sign copy, or other unmaintained or damaged portion of a sign shall be repaired or replaced within thirty calendar days following notification by the city. Noncompliance with the notification shall constitute a public nuisance.
2. Existing signs shall not be physically altered (except for routine general maintenance and repair), moved, or relocated unless the sign complies with all provisions of this chapter. Legal, nonconforming signs shall comply with the requirements of Section 17.38.130, Nonconforming Signs.
3. When a sign is removed or replaced, all brackets, poles, and other structural elements that supported the sign shall also be removed. Affected building surfaces shall be restored to match the adjacent portion of the structure.
F. Measurement of Sign Height. The height of a sign shall be measured as the vertical distance from the uppermost point used in measuring the area of the sign to the lowest elevation of the existing grade immediately below and adjoining the sign. See Figure 3-7 (Sign Height).
Figure 3-7. Sign Height
G. Measurement of Sign Area.
1. The surface area of a sign shall be calculated by enclosing the extreme limits of all lettering, background, emblem, logo, corporate branding, representation, or other display within a single continuous perimeter composed of squares or rectangles with no more than eight lines drawn at right angles. See Figure 3-8 (Sign Area Measurement).
Figure 3-8. Sign Area Measurement
Lettering with No Sign Board
Lettering with Sign Board
2. Supporting framework or bracing that is clearly incidental to the display itself shall not be computed as sign area.
3. Double-faced signs with back-to-back sign faces shall be regarded as a single-faced sign if the distance between each sign face does not exceed two feet at any point.
4. Where a sign contains three-dimensional objects (e.g., balls, cubes, clusters of objects, sculpture, or statue-like objects), the sign area shall be measured as the maximum projection of the objects upon a single vertical plane. (Ord. 706 §3 (Exh. A), 2019).