“A-frame sign (aka sandwich-board sign)” means a temporary, portable, and freestanding sign composed of two panels hinged at the top and capable of standing on its own without external support or attachment.

“ARC” or “architectural review commission” means the commission with the jurisdiction to perform architectural review, per Chapter 2.48. When these sign regulations refer specifically to the ARC or architectural review commission, review by the commission is required.

“Architectural review” refers to the architectural review process authorized by Section 2.48.090.

“Attention-getting sign” means any sign with moving parts, flashing lights, and/or neon colors, or signs incorporating pennants, streamers, large helium balloons or any similar visual device used for the purpose of drawing attention.

“Backlit (halo letters)” means the letters or graphics have an opaque face with where only the back of the sign is illuminated. These signs are also often referred to as “reverse channel letters.”

“Banner sign” means a flexible sign including feather banners and pennants of lightweight fabric or similar material typically supported at two or more points and hung on a building or otherwise suspended down or across its face, or across a public right-of-way. This definition does not include flags as defined by this article.

“Blade sign” means a double-sided sign oriented perpendicular to the building wall on which it is mounted. (See “Projecting sign.”)

“Building face” means the whole of a building visible in an elevation view, excluding sloped roof surfaces.

“Building frontage” means the linear measurement of exterior walls enclosing interior spaces which are oriented to and most nearly parallel to public streets, public alleys, parking lots, malls or freeways.

“Cabinet sign” means an internally illuminated sign consisting of frame and face(s), with a translucent message panel in an enclosed case; also referred to as a panel sign. Cabinet signs are typically internally illuminated with a plastic or plexi-glass face.

“Changeable copy sign” means a sign displaying a message that is changed by means of moveable letters, slats, lights, light emitting diodes, or moveable background material.

“Channel letter sign” means a sign with multiple components, each built in the shape of an individual dimensional letter or symbol, each of which may be independently illuminated, with a separate translucent panel over the letter source for each element.

“Channel letters” means three-dimensional individual letters or figures typically made of formed metal, usually with an acrylic face, with an open back or front, illuminated or nonilluminated, that are affixed to a building or to a freestanding sign structure by sliding the letters into channels.

“Commercial speech or commercial message” means a message on a sign which identifies, advertises, or directs attention to a business or is intended to induce a purchase of a good, property, or service, including, without limitation, any sign naming a brand of good or service.

“Commercial zone” refers to all nonresidential zones, regardless of how the property is actually used.

“Digital display” means a display method utilizing light emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display, projected images, or any functionally equivalent technology, and which is capable of automated, remote or computer control to change the image, either in a “slide show” manner (series of still images), or full motion animation, or any combination of them.

“Directory sign” means a freestanding or wall sign that identifies all businesses and other establishments located within a commercial or industrial complex or an institutional establishment.

“Electronic message center or electronic message display” means a sign that uses digital display to present variable messages displayed by projecting an electronically controlled pattern and which can be programmed to periodically change the message display.

“Feather banner” means a type of vertical banner made of flexible materials, (e.g., cloth, paper, or plastic), the longer dimension of which is typically attached to a pole or rod that is driven into the ground or supported by an individual stand. Also called a “swooper” or “teardrop” banner. Also known as quill signs or quill banners.

“Flag” means a piece of fabric or other flexible material, usually rectangular, of distinctive design, used as a symbol, which is capable of movement, or fluttering in moving air or wind.

“Freestanding sign” means a sign supported by structures or supports that are placed on, or anchored in, the ground and which are structurally independent from any building including “monument signs,” “pole signs,” and “pylon signs.” (Also called ground signs.)

“Frontage” is the horizontal distance along a lot line adjacent to a public street, or the side of a lot adjacent to a public street. (See “Building frontage.”)

Halo-Lit. (See “Backlit” definition.)

“Height” of a sign is the vertical distance from average grade (ground level) immediately below the sign to the top of the sign—including the support structure and any projecting design elements.

“Illegal sign” is any sign which does not meet the requirements of this code and which has not received legal, nonconforming status.

“Illuminated sign” means a sign that is illuminated with an artificial source of light incorporated internally or externally. Also called a lighted sign.

“Major street frontage” is any arterial road shown in the city’s circulation element.

“Mobile billboard advertising display” means an advertising display that is attached to a mobile, nonmotorized vehicle, device, or bicycle, that carries, pulls, or transports a sign or billboard, and is for the primary purpose of advertising, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 395.5. See Section 15.40.300, Prohibited signs.

“Monument sign” means a low-profile freestanding sign erected upon or supported solely by a planter, pedestal base, or similar ground structure approximately the same width as the sign and which is designed to incorporate the architectural theme and building material of the building on the premises. Internal supports, poles or pylons, if any, are enclosed by decorative covers or otherwise not exposed to view.

“Mural” means a one-of-kind, hand-painted, hand-tiled, or digitally printed image on the exterior of a building that does not contain any commercial message advertising a business, services rendered, or goods produced or sold. Murals are not regulated under this chapter but may be subject to the city’s public art program.

“Nonconforming sign” is a sign which was erected legally, but which does not now comply with these subsequently enacted sign regulations.

“Nonresidential zone” is any zone other than the R-1, R-2, R-3, or R-4 zone, regardless of how the property is actually used.

“Off-premises sign” means a sign that advertises commercial products, accommodations, services or activities not provided in or on the property or premises upon which it is located.

“Outdoor advertising display” is a sign, such as a billboard, that advertises a product or display.

“Pennant” means an attention-seeking device made of flexible materials, (e.g., cloth, paper, or plastic) that is typically triangular or swallow-tail in shape and may or may not contain copy.

“Permanent sign” means a sign that is solidly attached to a building, structure, or the ground by means of mounting brackets, bolts, welds, or other combination of attachment methods, thereby rendering the sign nonmoveable or difficult to reposition without the use of machinery, cutting devices, or mechanical devices. Contrast: temporary sign.

“Pole sign” means a freestanding sign that is supported by one or more exposed poles that are permanently attached directly into or upon the ground.

“Post sign” means a low-profile freestanding sign supported by posts that has a single sign face and is generally oriented parallel to the public right-of-way.

“Premises” means a lot or series of lots under common ownership and/or developed together as a single development site, regardless of how many uses occupy the site.

“Projecting sign” means a building wall sign, the surface of which is not parallel to the face of the supporting wall and which is supported wholly by the wall. See “Blade sign.”

“Public entrance” means one or more places of entry to a premises that are accessible to the general public.

“Pylon sign” means a freestanding sign that is supported and in direct contact with the ground or one or more solid, monumental structures or pylons and which typically has a sign face with a vertical dimension that is greater than its horizontal dimension.

Reverse Channel Letters. (See “Backlit” definition.)

“Roof sign” is any sign where any part of the sign is on or over any portion of any roof, eave, or parapet of a building or structure.

Sandwich-Board Sign. (See “A-frame sign” definition.)

“Shopping (or multi-tenant) center identification sign” means a freestanding sign that identifies the name of the shopping center and lists its tenants.

“Sign” means a structure, device, figure, display, message placard or other contrivance, or any part thereof, situated outdoors or indoors, which is designed, constructed, intended or used to advertise, provide information in the nature of advertising, ideological, political, or social information, or direct or attract attention to an object, person, institution, business, product, service, message, event, or location by any means, including words, letters, figures, designs, symbols, fixtures, colors, or illumination.

“Sign area” or “area of sign” is the number of square feet within which an individual sign face can be enclosed, as defined by Section 15.40.400.

“Sign face” is the visible portion of the sign, including all characters, symbols, and structural or nonstructural background (e.g., cabinet frame or painted border), but not including the base of a pole sign, monument sign, or freestanding sign.

“Storefront” is a distinct architectural feature that is immediately accessible from a public sidewalk and consisting of window displays and entry doors to one or more uses.

“Street right-of-way” means any road or other public place, including but not limited to a highway, alley, street, avenue, place, sidewalk, parkway (i.e., planted or landscaped area between a curb and the edge of a sidewalk), path, walk, park, plaza, boulevard, right-of-way or any other public place in the city whether or not currently improved.

“Temporary sign” is a sign that is temporary in nature and that is displayed for no more than one hundred twenty days within any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period.

“Tenant’s building face” is that portion of the building face enclosing the area of the building occupied by the tenant. In multi-tenant buildings with interior tenant spaces, each tenant’s building face shall be the proportionate share of the building face enclosing the area occupied by all tenants.

“V sign” is a sign consisting of two, essentially equal, sign faces positioned at an angle less than one hundred eighty degrees rather than parallel to each other.

“Window display” is a sign, window display, merchandise display, graphics and text, or lifestyle graphics that are painted on, hung, or attached to a window, or displayed visibly in any way so as to be viewed or legible from outside the window or structure. (Ord. 1667 § 3(2) (Exh. A (part)), 2019)