“Sign” means and includes every message, announcement, device, declaration, demonstration, display, illustration, insignia, advertising statuary, surface or space, including the supporting structure and component parts, erected or maintained for attraction of, attention to, identification of or advertisement of a business, profession, product or service. Exemptions to this definition are listed in Section 17.60.080. Specific sign definitions are identified as follows:

“Abandoned sign” means a sign that includes copy that remains in place or is not maintained, for a period of ninety days or more, which no longer advertises or identifies an on-going business, product or service available on the premises where the sign is located.

“Advertising statuary” means a three-dimensional imitation, representation or similitude of a person, animal or object which is sculptured, molded or cast in any solid or plastic substance, materials or fabric and is used for advertising purposes.

“A-frame” means any sign with two or more faces or surfaces usable for advertising display, not attached to the wall of a building or structure, whether portable or affixed to the ground and commonly known as A-frame, T-frame and sandwich board.

“Animated sign” means any sign which uses movement or change of lighting to depict action, or to create a special effect or scene.

“Awning, canopy or marquee sign” means a sign that is mounted on or painted on, or attached to an awning, canopy, marquee, or other such overhang. Such signs shall be considered wall signs for the purpose of calculating allowable sign area.

“Banner, flag, pennant, streamer or balloon ” means any fabric, bunting, plastic, paper, or similar nonrigid material used for advertising purposes attached to or pinned on or from any structure, staff, pole, line, framing or vehicle, including captive balloons and other such inflatable signs, but not including official flags of the United States, state of California and other states of the nation, counties, municipalities, foreign nations and national/international nonprofit organizations.

“Bench sign” means a bench located outdoors with advertising matter thereon.

“Building identification sign” means a sign which serves to identify individual buildings on a site to assist in providing direction to the public. Such sign does not contain commercial advertisement or business identification.

“Business identification sign” means any sign which is used to identify or advertise the occupant of a commercial or industrial business.

“Center identification sign” means any sign which is used to identify or advertise a shopping or business center as defined in this title.

“Commercial sign” means a sign which advertises a product or service for profit or for a business purpose.

“Construction or home improvement sign” means a temporary sign stating the names of those individuals, firms or corporations connected with the construction project and which is placed upon the premises where construction, repair or renovation is in progress. Said sign may include the name of the city in which their business is located and emergency telephone numbers.

“Copy” means any words, letters, numbers, figures, designs, or other symbolic representations incorporated into a sign.

“Directional sign” means an on-premises, incidental sign designed to guide or direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

“Directory” means any sign listing the names, and/or use, and/or location of the various businesses or activities conducted within a building or group of buildings.

“Electric message display” means a sign displaying words, symbols, figures, images or video that is automatically controlled by mechanical, electronic, or computerized means.

“Flashing sign” means any sign which contains or is illuminated by lights which flash, scintillate, blink, travel, go on and off intermittently, change in intensity or color or is illuminated by light not providing constant illumination, also including flashing beacons or flashing arrows and parts of attachments to signs which are illuminated by such lights.

“Freestanding sign” means a sign which is supported by one or more columns, uprights, or braces in or upon the ground and not attached to a building. Monument, pylon and pole signs are considered freestanding signs.

“Freeway-oriented sign” means any pylon sign identifying premises where food, lodging and places of business engaged in supplying goods and services essential to the normal operation of motor vehicles and which are directly dependent upon an adjacent freeway.

“Future facility sign” means a temporary sign which identifies the future use or tenant, consistent with what use is permitted by the existing zoning of the site.

“Garage sale sign” means a temporary sign which announces the sale of personal used goods, furniture, or clothing at a residence by the occupant for a limited period of time. Sign may also be referred to as a yard sale or estate sale.

“Indirectly illuminated sign” means a sign whose illumination is derived entirely from a light source which is arranged so that no direct rays of light are projected from such light source into adjacent properties or public streets.

“Logo” means a symbol, design, or graphic representation which may or may not include text, which identifies a business, activity or company.

“Menuboard” means a sign similar to a readerboard which is a permanent structure upon which is displayed a menu of items for sale and may or may not include prices, of which the copy is of a temporary or changeable nature. Advertisement or copy shall not be displayed on materials constructed of cloth, fabric, paper, cardboard, placards, or similar such materials.

“Monument sign” means a low profile freestanding sign supported from grade to the bottom of the sign face with or having the appearance of a solid base. The width of the base shall be at least seventy-five percent of the dimension of the width of the sign face, and the area of said base shall not exceed fifty percent of the allowable area of the sign face.

“Moving sign” means any sign which has any visible moving part, visible revolving parts or visible mechanical movement of any description or other apparent visible movement achieved by electrical, electronic or kinetic means, including intermittent electrical pulsations, or by action of wind currents.

“Nameplate” means a small sign that contains the name and/or address of the occupant of a residence or building, and is located near or on the door of the entrance.

“Neighborhood/subdivision identification sign” means a sign which identifies a single-family development, condominium development, or apartment complex. This type of sign also includes signs identifying public parks.

“Nonconforming sign” means a sign which was legally installed under laws or ordinances in effect prior to the effective date of this title or subsequent revisions as they pertain to signage, but which is currently in conflict with those provisions. This definition does not include signs illegally installed contrary to the laws or ordinances in effect when it was established.

“Off-premises or off-site sign” means a sign that directs attention to a business, profession, product, commodity, or service that is not the primary business, profession, product, commodity or service conducted, sold, manufactured or offered on the site on which the sign is located.

“On-premises or on-site sign” means a sign that directs attention to a business, profession, product, commodity, or service that is the primary business, profession, product, commodity or service conducted, sold, manufactured or offered on the site on which the sign is located.

“Outdoor advertising sign (billboard)” means a sign that is rented or leased for limited durations as specified by Section 17.60.070(E), has temporary or changeable copy, and is not to be used as permanent off-premises identification sign for a business or activity, and directs attention to a business, profession, product, commodity or service that is not the primary business, profession, product, commodity or service conducted, sold, manufactured or offered on the site on which the sign is located.

“Outlining of a building” means the placing and maintaining of neon tubing, fluorescent lighting, or incandescent lighting in a line marking the outer limits or edges of a building or window or roof of a building. Such definition shall not apply to any customary Christmas lighting placed and maintained for a reasonable time during the holiday season.

“Pole banner” means a sign on a rectangular piece of lightweight fabric or similar non-rigid material that is attached on the longest side to a vertical pole, and is framed along the top and/or bottom by a solid structural unit attached to the pole to ensure that it hangs flat.

“Portable sign” means a sign not permanently affixed to the ground or a building or structure on the premises it is intended to occupy.

“Projecting sign” means an identification sign other than a wall sign, which projects more than twelve inches from and is supported by, a wall of a building or structure.

“Promotional sign” means a temporary sign that promotes an individual business’s merchandise, services or products on sale, but does not include the business’s name.

“Public service sign” means any sign or portion thereof intended to promote items of general interest to the community such as public events or public messages, time, temperature, atmospheric conditions.

“Pylon sign” means a freestanding sign that is supported by pylons, pillars, poles, columns, or similar structures, and that the area between grade and the bottom of the sign face is more than fifty percent open. Such sign may also be referred to as a pole sign.

“Readerboard” means a sign which is a permanent structure upon which is displayed advertising material or copy of a temporary or changeable nature. Advertisement or copy shall not be displayed on materials constructed of cloth, fabric, paper, cardboard, placards, or similar such materials.

“Real estate sign” means a temporary sign offering real property, personal property, or a business, or any combination thereof, for sale, lease or exchange and includes signs pertinent to open houses and property management. It does not include merchandise sold in the usual course of business.

“Residential subdivision/project directional kiosk” means an off-site sign structure with individual name panels identifying subdivisions where new home sales are taking place. Each panel informs the viewer as to the specific project and the route or change of direction of travel for potential buyers to visit the project.

“Roof sign” means an identification sign or portion thereof located on, or extending over the roof line of a building and either supported by the roof of a building or by independent structural frame. A sign which is attached flat against the wall of a penthouse or other similar roof structure which is a part of the enclosed floor area of the building shall be considered a roof sign. Mansard type roof signs or any single-faced sign attached to or mounted upon a roof which has a slope which exceeds forty-five degrees from the horizontal plane and which does not project above the highest sight line of such roof, shall be deemed a wall sign for the purposes of this chapter.

“Rotating sign” means any sign that moves or that portion of any sign which moves or rotates in any manner.

“Shingle sign” means a sign that is suspended from a marquee, canopy, awning, or similar overhang, and is oriented to be viewed by pedestrians.

“Skyline building sign” means a wall sign comprised solely of individual letters or logo that provides long distance visual identification of a building or its primary tenant. Such sign shall only be permitted for a building that is three or more stories and shall be located on the top story or between the top story and top of the building.

“Special event sign” means a temporary sign publicizing a unique happening, action, purpose or occasion. These signs may be promotional; however, the event occurs infrequently or one time such as grand openings, clearance sales, seasonal sales, carnivals, and fund raising events.

“Temporary sign” means a sign usually constructed of cloth or fabric, cardboard, wallboard, wood, aluminum, or other light material intended to be displayed for a limited period of time.

“Vehicle sign” means an advertising display or sign that is exposed to public view, attached to, painted on, or supported from a parked or mobile automobile, truck trailer or other mobile vehicle, for the purpose of advertising a business, service or products, or directing people to a business activity, located on any private or public property, but shall not refer to standard advertising or identification practices where such sign is painted on or permanently attached to a commercial or business vehicle used in the conduct of such business.

“Wall sign” means a sign attached to, embedded in, painted on or erected against the exterior wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of the sign in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of the wall, and does not project more than twelve inches from the wall that is attached. Signs attached to or painted on an awning, canopy, marquee, or other such overhang shall be considered wall signs for the purpose of calculating allowable sign area.

“Window sign” means any sign painted, attached, glued or otherwise affixed to, and visibly displayed on the inside or outside of a ground floor window and facing a public street, walkway, mall or parking lot available for public use. If a window is painted or otherwise covered in that it resembles the building wall or no longer functions to provide a view within or outside the building, then any signs within or on that space shall be considered as and subject to the minimum area permitted for wall signs. (Ord. 4953 § 1, 2018; Ord. 4489 § 1, 2008; Ord. 3755 § 1, 1997; Ord. 3586 § 1, 1994)