Chapter 17.445
SIGNS

Sections:

17.445.010    Permit required.

17.445.020    Permit application.

17.445.030    Waiver of application requirements.

17.445.040    Review by director.

17.445.050    Sign criteria.

17.445.055    Measurement of sign area.

17.445.060    Conditions to enhance compatibility.

17.445.070    Prohibitions.

17.445.080    Exempt signs.

17.445.090    Conditionally exempt signs.

17.445.095    Master sign district.

17.445.100    Landscaping.

17.445.010 Permit required.

No sign shall be placed, erected or displayed without first obtaining a sign permit from the director except as provided for in this chapter.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.020 Permit application.

An application for a sign permit, which must be signed by the owner, contract vendee, lessee or tenant of the property or building for which the permit is sought, shall contain:

A.    A site plan, drawn at a scale designated by the director, showing the property or building for which the sign is proposed which shall depict existing and proposed signs;

B.    Textual material or drawings showing structural details, material specifications, means of attachment (if applicable), and means of illumination (if applicable); and

C.    Photographs showing the subject property or building marked to indicate the location of the proposed sign.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.030 Waiver of application requirements.

Notwithstanding the application requirements set forth in Section 17.445.020, the director may waive one or more requirements when it is obvious from the size, nature or location of the proposed sign that the information sought through the required item would not be significant, relevant or helpful to an informed decision.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.040 Review by director.

Upon receipt of a sign permit application, the director shall review the application and shall issue the sign permit if he/she finds one of the following:

A.    If the proposed sign is in any residential zone, is not illuminated, is not more than four square feet and is in connection with a home business or conditional use which has already been approved; or

B.    If the proposed sign is in a commercial, industrial, airport or mineral resource zone, is not illuminated and is not more than twelve square feet; or

C.    That the proposed sign will meet the criteria which follow in Section 17.445.050 and will be compatible or can be made compatible with surrounding properties and uses through the imposition of conditions such as those mentioned in Section 17.445.060, provided, if no amount of reasonable conditions can be imposed which will make the proposed sign compatible, the director shall deny the sign permit.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.050 Sign criteria.

For the purpose of determining if a proposed sign permit should be issued pursuant to Section 17.445.040(C), the following criteria shall apply:

A.    Sign scale is appropriate for the size of use it serves, viewer distance and typical observation time;

B.    Sign size, shape, and placement serves to define or enhance, and not interrupt or detract from, such architectural elements of the building such as columns, sill lines, cornices and roof edges;

C.    Sign design provides continuity with signage on the same or adjacent properties with respect to mounting location and height, proportions, materials and other significant qualities;

D.    Sign directs attention to products or services to which the majority of the floor or lot area on the premises is devoted;

E.    Sign does not exceed ninety square feet per face;

F.    Total signage for the use or building does not exceed two hundred square feet;

G.    Signage not to exceed seventy-five percent (lineal feet) of occupancy’s building frontage;

H.    Sign is placed below proposed or existing roof of building; in the event of a monument sign, sign shall not exceed twelve feet in height from average grade at the base of the sign;

I.    The various components of the sign shall be integrated into a single design and shall not have auxiliary projections or attachments; and

J.    Sign requirements for the business park (BP) zone must meet Section 17.360.050.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.055 Measurement of sign area.

The allowed area of a sign made up of letters, words or symbols within a frame shall be determined from the outside edge of the frame itself. The allowed area of a sign composed of only letters, words or symbols shall be determined from imaginary straight lines drawn around the entire copy or grouping of such letters, words or symbols.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.060 Conditions to enhance compatibility.

In order to enhance compatibility, the director may impose conditions when a sign permit is issued pursuant to Section 17.445.040(C). Such conditions may include, but are not limited to screening, buffering, setbacks, and limitations upon the size or hours and methods of operation. The sign permit shall be revoked if the permittee fails to comply with the conditions imposed.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.070 Prohibitions.

A.    No use or combination of uses on a single lot, or building shall have more than two freestanding or projecting signs nor more than one sign for any street frontage;

B.    Signs shall not be animated, audible or illuminated by any intermittent, flashing or scintillating light, which includes electronic reader boards, provided, this shall not apply to time and temperature display;

C.    Billboards and signs not directing attention to products or services available on the premises where the sign is situated are prohibited;

D    Signs attached to vehicles or trailers are prohibited unless the vehicle or trailer is routinely used to transport or provide goods or services, provided, signs advertising that a vehicle or trailer is for sale are not prohibited;

E.    No sign including exempt and conditionally exempt shall be placed on a utility pole, or any state or county regulatory or informational sign or post, or within a public road right-of-way except for official signs placed by a governmental entity;

F.    Portable signs are prohibited unless exempt pursuant to Section 17.445.080 or conditionally exempt pursuant to Section 17.445.090; and

G.    Service station/business with canopies shall not have more than one monument (not to exceed ninety square feet per face) per street frontage, with a maximum of two; and one sign on building face (not to exceed ninety square feet or seventy-five percent lineal feet of store frontage); total square footage of all signs not to exceed two hundred square feet. No advertising or signage will be permitted on spandrels or on canopy.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.080 Exempt signs.

The following signs are not regulated by this title:

A.    Traffic signs;

B.    Street signs;

C.    Legal notices;

D.    “For sale” or “for rent” signs located on the premises for sale or for rent not to exceed four square feet in size;

E.    Signs advertising officially sanctioned community festivals; and

F.    Official signs placed by a governmental agency for recreational, educational or regulatory purposes.

(Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.090 Conditionally exempt signs.

The following signs are not regulated by this title provided the following conditions are met:

A.    Signs indicating the location of restrooms, addresses, signs indicating hours of operation, building entrance and exit signs, signs indicating locations of public telephones, building directories and “help wanted,” “no hunting” and “no trespassing” signs; provided, no such sign shall exceed four square feet;

B.    Signs advertising sales of farm products grown or raised on the premises to which the sign pertains, provided, such signs shall not exceed four in number for each farm and, provided further, such signs shall be dated and shall contain the name and telephone number of the seller and, provided further, such signs shall be removed within ten days after the sale of products ceases;

C.    Signs advertising single- or multi-family garage or yard sales, provided, such signs shall not exceed four square feet, shall bear the date when first displayed and shall be placed up to five days prior to removed within five days after the sale is completed;

D.    Political campaign signs shall be subject to the following:

1.    Political campaign signs must be removed fourteen days following an election with the exception that candidates or issues which will remain on the ballot for the general election following a primary election may remain until fourteen days following the general election;

2.    Any political campaign signs located within county right-of-way are subject to the following requirements:

a.    Use of metal signs, metal supports, metal frames, or wire frames is prohibited,

b.    Political campaign signs placed within a county right-of-way are limited to a size no greater than four square feet and may not extend higher than thirty-six inches measured from the point in which they are placed in the ground to the top of the sign;

3.    A political campaign sign may not be placed on a utility pole, or on any state or county regulatory or informational sign or post;

4.    Any political campaign sign found to be inconsistent with the requirements contained within this subsection is subject to removal and disposal by the county, and the candidate or campaign may be held responsible for the cost of removal;

E.    Upon written approval by the director a temporary sign advertising a special event, sale, the opening of a new business or opening of a business under new management, provided, such signs shall not be unreasonable incompatible with surrounding uses or properties and shall not disrupt vehicular or pedestrian traffic and, provided further, no such sign shall be displayed for more than fourteen consecutive days nor may any business use a sign conditionally permitted by this subsection more than twice in a calendar year;

F.    Upon written approval by the director a temporary sign advertising a holiday bazaar, provided, that they meet the following criteria:

1.    Letter of intent to the county which include:

(a)    the name of the event;

(b)    dates and times of the event;

(c)    name of the person responsible for the event and the signs;

(d)    letter of consent from property owner, where the sign is placed; and

(e)    a map showing the approximate location where signs are to be placed;

2.    No more than twenty total signs may be placed for any one event and no one sign may exceed four square feet in size;

3.    Signs may be placed up to twenty days prior to and removed within five days of the event; and

4.    No sandwich or “A” board signs are allowed off premise for holiday bazaars;

G.    “A” board signs; provided, that they meet the following criteria:

1.    Signs shall not exceed twenty-four inches by thirty inches;

2.    Signs shall be placed on and directly in front of premises being advertised;

3.    Signs are placed only during hours the business is open;

4.    Signs shall not be placed within the road right-of-way; and

5.    Signs limited to one per road frontage;

H.    Signs advertising subdivisions placed by real estate companies; provided off-site signs require a sign permit. A letter of consent from the property owner shall be required as part of sign permit approval.

(Ord. 281 (2002) § 10, 2002: Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)

17.445.095 Master sign district.

A.    To achieve a more consistent and coordinated signage pattern in areas with high-traffic commercial and/or employment center zones, a property(s) meeting the following criteria may establish a master sign district:

1.    Located in the regional commercial (RC) zone, Rural Employment Center Zone (REC), or 12 Trees Employment Center Zone (TTEC);

2.    A minimum of twenty acres based upon net developable acreage of the property(s); and

3.    Located abutting a public arterial, collector and/or sub-collector.

B.    In addition to the other standards prescribed in this chapter, a master sign district may include one monument sign per main access not to exceed one per roadway and/or two in total. To include this additional signage, the district must meet the following criteria:

1.    Each monument sign may not exceed two hundred square feet per face and may not have more than two faces;

2.    No one business may comprise more than fifty square feet of each sign face;

3.    Each face must include aesthetic features (masonry, tile or other components) which include no individual business advertising and constitute a minimum of twenty percent of the total square footage of the face;

4.    No additional monument signs may be allowed within the master sign district regardless of additional existing or proposed accesses;

5.    Such a monument sign(s) shall not be calculated toward the total square footage limitations prescribed by Section 17.445.050;

6.    Such a monument sign(s) shall not be limited by the height requirements of Section 17.445.050(H), but shall not exceed twenty-five feet in height.

C.    An application for master sign district must include the following submittals:

1.    Signature of all property owners within the district boundaries;

2.    A master signage plan is required including the size, location and configuration of all proposed and/or previously approved signage.

D.    A master signage district must be approved through a Type III process consistent with the requirements of Title 21 of this code. All signage approved through a previous performance based development, conditional use permit, variance or other approval that allowed greater signage quantities, square footage or configurations than allowed by this chapter must be amended as follows:

1.    The approval shall be amended by the same review authority and process as the original approval;

2.    As a condition of such amendment, all future redevelopment that includes a change in signage (excluding sign refacing) must meet the prescriptive requirements of this chapter.

E.    To ensure compatibility with surrounding properties and existing or future traffic conditions, the director may require/recommend additional landscaping, screening or architectural features as a condition of master sign district approval.

(Ord. 467 (2010) § 8 (Appx. B (part)), 2010: Ord. 415 (2008) § 211, 2008)

17.445.100 Landscaping.

Freestanding signs shall be landscaped in accordance with Chapter 17.385.

(Ord. 467 (2010) § 8 (Appx. B (part)), 2010: Ord. 415 (2008) § 212, 2008: Ord. 216 (1998) § 4 (part), 1998)