§ 19.620.110 — Sign programs

19.620.110 - Sign programs.

A. Purpose. The purpose of a sign program is to provide a unified record of signs and to promote coordinated signage for all development subject to discretionary review. The sign program shall demonstrate how it: 1. Improves the safety and welfare of the general public by minimizing distractions, hazards, and obstructions from sign design or placement; 2. Provides for sign design or placement appropriate for the area; 3. Incorporates sign design and placement related to architectural and landscape features on site; 4. Incorporates sign design, scale, and placement oriented to pedestrian traffic; and, 5. Incorporates sign design, scale, and placement oriented to vehicular traffic. 6. Contributes to and maintains a consistent visual theme for the development. B. Applicability. Sign program required. A sign program is required for multi-occupancy nonresidential or mixed-use developments with three or more separate lease spaces or establishments for which an application for a sign program was not deemed complete on the effective date of the adoption of this section. A sign program may be required for any existing nonresidential or mixed-use development with three or more separate lease spaces or establishments for which an application for renovation has been submitted after the effective date of this chapter. The Community & Economic Development Department Director, or his/her designee, may require that a renovation project be subject to sign program to ensure that signage is designed to maintain a consistent visual theme coordinated with the design of the development. C. General requirements. 1. The lot or lots involved must be contiguous and constitute a single cohesive development, and all signs to which the program applies shall be contained within the development. 2. All signs must be designed to conform to the Design Principles in Section 19.620.060 of this chapter and the Citywide Design Guidelines for Signs. 3. All signs shall comply with the requirements of this chapter regarding the maximum number of signs based on road frontage, maximum sign area, illumination, and materials. Deviations from sign design standards shall only be permitted pursuant to Section 19.620.110.H of this chapter. D. Required submittals. Applications for a sign program shall include all plans, drawings and other documentation specified in requirements issued by the Director of Community & Economic Development or his/her designee. Sign programs shall be processed pursuant to Section 19.620.100. E. Findings. The Community & Economic Development Department Director, or his/her designee, or the Planning Commission as required by this chapter will only approve a sign program if the following findings are made: 1. That the proposed signs are in harmony and visually related to: a. Other signs included in the sign program. This shall be accomplished by incorporating several common design elements such as materials, letter style, colors, illumination, sign type or sign shape. b. The buildings they identify. This may be accomplished by utilizing materials, colors or design motifs included in the building being identified. c. The surrounding development. Approval of a planned sign program shall not adversely affect surrounding land uses or obscure adjacent conforming signs. 2. That the sign program provides adequate guidance to business owners and sign contractors to ensure conformance with the Design Principles in Section 19.620.060 of this chapter and the Citywide Design Guidelines for Signs 3. That the sign program ensures that future signs will comply with all provision of this chapter, including development standards, such as but not limited to, number of signs, location of signs and sign size, as well as any approvals granting deviating from the sign standards. F. Phased developments. Application for a sign program for a phased development must be submitted prior to issuance of any building permits for a first phase of development and approved prior to building occupancy for the first phase of development. Where the initial sign program for a first phase of development does not address future phases of development, an application for amendments to the initial sign program must be submitted prior to issuance of any building permits for subsequent phases and approved prior to building occupancy of each phase for which the sign program is amended. G. Addition, removal, replacement or modification of signs within a previously approved sign program. On a development site subject to Section 19.620.100 B, the following shall apply: 1. Whenever the total number of signs to be added, removed, modified or replaced totals less than 25 percent of the number of permitted signs presently on the site, the signs shall be reviewed pursuant to the existing sign program. If the site does not have an approved sign program, then each individual sign shall be reviewed pursuant to the standards of this chapter. 2. When the total number of signs to be added, removed, modified or replaced totals 25 percent or more of the number of permitted signs presently on the site, a standard sign program application shall be required and all signs shall comply with the development standards of this chapter. 3. Sign designs may be approved without a Planning Division sign application or further Planning Division design review if the Community & Economic Development Director or his/her designee determines that the design complies in all respects with an approved sign program. This authorization shall not relieve applicants from obtaining other necessary permits or approvals, including but not limited to temporary sign permits, building permits and encroachment permits. H. Sign program standards. Sign programs provide a comprehensive approach to design that considers a site's unique shape, topography, surrounding conditions and building architecture. As a comprehensive document, adjustments in sign standards may be appropriate to facilitate coherent messaging while not impacting the community. In recognition of the benefits of a cohesive, well thought out sign program, the following modifications of this chapter's development standards may be granted as part of a new sign program: 1. Signage on building facades by establishments that do not have frontage on that building façade. 2. Increase in allowable sign area for an individual sign(s) by up to 15 percent. Where there are circumstances for a sign modification, and where findings to support a sign modification can be made pursuant to the Section 19.620.100. Procedures for sign review and approval an additional ten percent increase (25 percent total) may be granted by the Community & Economic Development Director or his/her designee. 3. Allows the transfer of sign area limits from underutilized sign areas to areas that are more practical, through the use of a "sign budget". The sign budget would equal the total allowable sign area of all signs in the development that are of a similar type (building, monument, pilaster, directional, freeway, etc.), as defined by Chapter 19.910.

(Ord. 7717, § 9, 2025; Ord. 7552 §22, 2021; Ord. 7331 §96, 2016; Ord. 7300 §2, 2015; Ord. 7184 §3, 2012; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)