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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNS-1986 - Division 7 to Article XI of Chapter 41 of Santa Ana Municipal Code to Regulate On-Premise Commercial Advertising Displays in the Downtown DistrictREL:mb(20) 9/28/88 Rev. 11/9/88 025 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ADDING SECTIONS 41-865.5, 41-869.5, 41-870.5 AND 41- 1001.5 AND DIVISION 7 TO ARTICLE XI OF CHAP- TER 41 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE TO REGULATE ON-PREMISE COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING DISPLAYS IN THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1: That the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding a section, to be numbered 41-865.5, which said section reads as follows: Sec. 41-865.5. Downtown district. "Downtown district" means that area of the City of Santa Ana bounded by Civic Center Drive on the north, French Street on the east, First Street on the south, and Ross Street on the west. SECTION 2: That the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding a section, to be numbered 41-869.5, which said section reads as follows: Sec. 41-869.5. Primary sign. "Primary sign" means the principal and dominant sign identifying a Ground-level business and located on or attached to the building in which such business is located. SECTION 3: That the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding a section, to be numbered 41-870.5, which said section reads as follows: Sec. 41-870.5. Secondary signaGe. "Secondary siGnage" means signs, other than a primary sign for a business, which identify or draw attention to such business or advertise the goods or services offered by such business. SECTION 4: That the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding a section, to be numbered 41-1001.5, which said section reads as follows: 026 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE TWO Sec. 41-1001.5. Downtown district signs. Sections 41-1002 through 41-1010 of this Chapter shall not apply to signs in the downtown district. SECTION 5: That the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding a division, to be numbered 7, which said division con- sists of sections 41-1020 through 41-1038 and reads as follows: DIVISION 7. DOWNTOWN DISTRICT SIGNS Sec. 41-1020. Application of division. The provisions of this division apply only to signs located in the downtown district. No person shall install or display any sign in the downtown district which does not comply with the standards set forth in this division, and no permit shall be issued for any such sign. Sec. 41-1021. Primary signs - general standards. Primary signs shall comply with the following standards: Primary signs shall announce the name of the busi- ness using letters, graphics, symbols, logos or trademarks. The advertising of goods and services offered for sale is not allowed. e Signage shall be consistent with the architectural design and proportions of the building and may not be placed over transoms, prismatic glass, insignias or any other architectural ornamentation. Lettering on signs on historic buildings shall be appropriate to the period when the building was built (with the exception of awning signs). Lettering styles which are similar in character to historic styles are allowed. Colors shall be harmonious with the colors used on the building facade and adjacent signs, and shall not be synthetic or luminescent. 5. Ail signs must be of a professional quality and must be produced by a professional sign contractor. ORDINANCE NO. NS-1986 PAGE THREE Signage for new structures must have a planned sign program for the entire development project, includ- ing signage for the development as a whole and for all individual businesses included within it. Roof signs, flashing, rotating, animated, automatic changing, digital, inflatable display signs and back-lit signs are not permitted. 8. Only one primary sign per business shall be allowed. Sec. 41-1022. Primary wall signs. Primary signs which are wall signs shall comply with the following standards: The sign shall not extend more than 6" from the building plane. The sign area shall not exceed two square feet per linear foot of business frontage, to a maximum of 100 square feet. 3. The area of the sign shall not exceed 50% of the signable area. No sign shall have a horizontal dimension that exceeds seventy-five (75) per cent of the hori- zontal dimension of the portion of the building occupied by the activity identified by the sign, measured on the side of the building on which the sign is located. The top of the sign must be placed below the level of the lowest cornice or strongest hori- zontal architectural element above the ground story only, but in no event higher than three feet above the ceiling level of the ground story or above the roofline of the building. Illumination of signs by incandescent bulbs is allowed only if done by projecting light fixtures of historic character. ORDINANCE NO. NS-1986 PAGE FOUR Sign materials and design shall be one of the following: (a) Individual letters of wood, metal, glass or any other natural material. (b) Hand-painted wood or metal. (c) Raised wood letters on a wood back face; letters of gold leaf, painted in contrasting color to the back face or with painted shadow. (d) Sandblasted or carved wood. (e) Neon sign materials. Sec. 41-1023. Primary projecting signs. Primary signs which are projecting signs shall comply with the following standards: Horizontal projecting signs may not extend more than six feet beyond the property line or be more than 16 square feet in size. Vertical projecting signs are permitted only on corner buildings. They must be located above the cornice line of the first floor and may not extend beyond the top of the roofline unless re- creating a historic sign. Projecting signs may not incorporate both hori- zontal and vertical elements. Exposed guy wires must be painted black. All projecting signs must be constructed of metal or wood and can be illuminated in one of the following ways: (a) Neon; but only if it is in keeping with the age and character of the facade; (b) Incandescent bulbs; 029 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE FIVE (c) wall mounted external illumination; provided that back lighting of projecting signs is not permitted. Sec. 41-1024. Secondary signage - general standards. Secondary signage shall comply with the following standards: Except for signs and other advertising displays allowed under sections 41-1028 through 41-1038, each building shall be limited to one type of secondary signage, which shall be either painted window signs conforming to section 41-1025, neon signs conforming to section 41-1026, or hanging signs conforming to section 41-1027. e Logos may be used, but purely decorative graphics are prohibited. Only one secondary sign per street front window or entry is allowed, and no more than two window faces, including the entry area, may be signed. 4e Secondary signage may occur only below the tran- soms or, if none is present, below the uppermost portion of the display windows. The use of neon signs to advertise products by brand name is not permitted. Where space limitations prohibit any primary sign- age, secondary sign requirements may be expanded upon special review and approval of the Planning Director. Approval shall be granted only if it is found that the standard secondary sign require- ments do not adequately meet the signage need of the business. Secondary signage on levels above the ground floor may be used only to announce the names of busi- nesses on the upper floors and such signage shall conform to the following criteria: (a) The sign shall consist of individual letters painted directly on the inside window surface. 030 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE SIX (b) Letters must be no higher than six inches in height and total signage may not exceed 30% of the window pane. (c) Letters must be gold leaf or painted black. (d) Trademarks of logos for recognized pro- fessional organizations may be used if they conform to the above criteria for size and area. (e) Only two window signs per tenant above the ground floor are permitted. Sec. 41-1025. Painted window signs. Signs painted directly on the window surface, inclu- ding showcase windows and glass-paned doors, shall comply with the following standards. Letters shall not exceed six inches in height or cover more than 25% of a window area. ® Signage is limited to no more than two window areas, including street facing windows and windows in entry doors. Prismatic glass or glass block may not have sign- age painted on it. window painted signage above the ground floor shall be according to the specifications set forth in section 41-102~, item 7. The sign shall consist of individually painted letters or gold leaf letters. 6. No sign shall be synthetic or luminescent. Sec. 41-1026. Neon signs. Any vacuum tube sign lit by neon gas shall comply with the following standards: 1. Letters shall not exceed eight inches in height -'. 03J. ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE SEVEN and sign area is limited to four square feet. ® Any letter style is permitted as long as letters are continuous. Painted out spaces between letters are not permitted. 3. Neon bands may be used to frame the sign but must be contained within the allowable sign area. Sec. 41-1027. Hanging signs. Any sign which is suspended by wire, chain, or cable from the underside of a roof or canopy structure or is hanging from a window shall comply with the following standards: 1. Signs shall not exceed four square feet in size. 2. The sign must be behind the glass pane if used as a window sign. Only one hanging sign per street facing window or entry area allowed, not to exceed two hanging signs per business. Hanging signs in storefront windows shall not interfere with eye level views to the interior. 5 Signs shall be made of wood or metal with raised letters, or letters painted directly on a wood or metal base, or shall be carved or sandblasted wood signs. Sec. 41-1028. Awning signs. Signs on awnings shall comply with the following standards. 1. The main face of the awning may announce the name of the business only. 2. Only three colors may be used, including the color(s) of the awning fabric. The awning skirt may be treated as secondary sign- age and used to announce goods and services, but logos or decorative graphics are not permitted. 032 ORDINANCE NO. PAGE EIGHT NS- 1986 If the business name is printed on the face of the awning, it shall constitute primary signage and no other primary signs are permitted. The allowable area of signage on an awning may not exceed two square feet per linear foot for a maxi- mum of 100 square feet. The maximum amount of sign area on the awning shall not exceed 30% of the available awning space. The maximum letter height for the skirt shall be six inches. Awnings must project at a minimum 15 degree angle from the face of the building. 8. Awnings may not cover transom windows. No curved awnings are allowed except over arched windows. Sec. 41-1029 Freestanding signs. Freestanding signs (other than portable signs) shall comply with the following standards: No freestanding sign shall be permitted on any site which does not have street frontage and vehicular access between such street frontage and parking facilities on the site. In addition, no more than one free standing sign shall be per- mitted for each building side having frontage on a public street. There shall be a minimum of 100 feet of separation between any freestanding signs. A freestanding sign shall be located either in a landscaped planter, in a public space, on a decorative wall separating a parking lot from the public right-of-way, or immediately adjacent to the business, but not in the public right-of-way. No freestanding sign shall be located in the triangular area(s) measured by a fifteen-foot diagonal cutoff where a driveway enters onto 033 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE NINE a street so as to create a safety hazard. ® No freestanding sign structure shall exceed five (5) feet in height and forty (40) square feet in area. 6. The size of one face of the sign shall not ex- ceed 90% of the sign structure. 7. The copy area of the sign shall not exceed 75% of the face of the sign. 8. The sign copy shall be limited to the business name, address, and/or identification logo. 9e Style must be consistent with the architecture of the main building and compatible with the surrounding historical structures. 10. The sign must be designed to maximize the ratio between the sign body and the base (eg. land- scaped planter) in which it is located. 11. Pole signs are not permitted. 12. Illumination may be provided by direct or in- direct means from fixtures mounted directly on the sign housing, the ground or via neon tubing. 13. Internally illuminated signs are not permitted. 14. The sign must be constructed of similar or com- patible materials to those used in the structure in which the business is located. 15. Exposed metal sign structure shall not be permitted. Sec. 41-1030. Portable freestanding signs. Portable freestanding signs shall comply with the following standards: Such signs are permitted only in the entryway of a business, outside of the public right-of-way, and located so as not to present a hazard to persons exiting the premises. ORDINANCE NO. NS-1986 PAGE TEN e Such signs shall comply with such design standards as may be adopted by resolution of the City Council. Sec. 41-1031. Signs for theaters, churches and houses. Signage for theaters, churches and residential develop- ments shall comply with the following standards: Signage must be appropriate to the building archi- tecture. Signage for residential developments shall comply with section 41-1009. Signage for churches shall be in keeping with secondary sign standards. Signs are permitted on a theater building used as a theater only pursuant to a planned signed program approved pursuant to Division 5 of this Article. Such a planned sign program shall allow theater signage on a marquee at the ground level. Sec. 41-1032. Painted wall signs. Signs consisting of lettering or non-verbal graphics painted directly onto a building face shall comply with the following standards: Re-creation of historic wall painted signage is permitted. New wall painted signs for present business are allowed only on the side and/or rear facades of an historically significant building and only if historically compatible with the building. ® New painted wall signs shall not exceed fifteen percent of the wall area on which they are painted. 4. New painted wall signs shall be hand printed only, with both graphics and background painted. · -035 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE ELEVEN Sec. 41-1033. Special sale signs. Temporary signs announcing special sales shall comply with the following standards: No more than two temporary signs per business are permitted. Each sign shall not exceed three square feet in- dividually, nor more than six square feet collec- tively. 3. Such signs must be confined to lower corners of windows. Sec. 41-1034. Real estate signs. Signs advertising the sale or lease of buildings or building space shall comply with the following standards: 1. Such signs shall not exceed 16 square feet in size. No more than one such sign is allowed for each face of the building. Such a sign may be located above the ground floor of a building only if it is a window sign con- sisting of individually painted letters or a placard placed in a window. Such signs must be removed within thirty days after the building or building space to which they pertain has been sold or leased. Sec. 41-1035. Construction signs. Signs pertaining to construction activity shall comply with the following standards: 1. Such signs shall not exceed 50 square feet in size. 2. Lettering shall be contemporary to the period of the building. ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE TWELVE Such signs must be removed within 30 days after issuance of an occupancy permit for the building. Sec. 41-1036. Credit card and trading stamp signs. Signs announcing credit card acceptance or trading stamps shall comply with the following standards: No more than three such signs are allowed for each business. Such signs shall not exceed one square foot individually nor three square feet collectively. Such signs are permitted only in ground level windows. Sec. 41-1037. Preservation of existing historic signs. (a) Historically significant painted wall signs shall be retained or recreated if possible. (b) Mounted signs announcing the name of a busi- ness no longer in existence at the sign's location and having historical significance may be salvaged and relocated. (c) Ail architectural signage in place on the building announcing the original or historic name of the building, year of construction, or insignias, shall remain in place and shall not be removed, altered, or covered, under any circumstances. Sec. 41-1038. Banners, pennants, flags, streamers and holiday decorations. No person shall install or display banners, pennants, flags, streamers or holiday decorations designed to attract the attention of the public to a business activity, except in accordance with the following requirements: Such items are allowed only to provide a festival environment for special events or holidays. 2. Such items, other than holiday decorations, may not be displayed longer than 30 days for any one -037 ORDINANCE NO. NS- 1986 PAGE THIRTEEN event nor more than 90 days in the aggregate in any one calendar year for any one business. Holiday decorations may not be displayed more than 45 days before or 7 days after the holiday to which they pertain. ® Holiday decorations may include painted window signage. ADOPTED this ]9th day of December , ATTEST: /~/a~;-~. Guy /("~ / ¥Clerk of the Coun~cil/ D~'niel H. Y~ Mayor COUNCILMEMBERS: Young Aye McGuigan -~ Acosta -A~ Griset -~ May Aye Pulido Aye APPROVED AS TO FORM: 1988.