HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-10-98 Amend Ch 17.36 Sign Regulations for Major Commercial CentersORDINANCE NO. 10-
98 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF ORANGE AMENDING
CHAPTER 17.36 OF THE ORANGE MUNICIPAL
CODE PERTAINING TO SIGN REGULATIONS
FOR MAJOR COMMERCIAL
CENTERS.WHEREAS, the City regulates the number and size of signs to promote
traffic safety and aesthetics;
and WHEREAS, existing sign regulations do not differentiate between lot sizes, i.
e.,the same regulations apply to a one acre lot as to a 25-acre
lot; and WHEREAS, major commercial centers differ from smaller
commercial strips because development is typically situated on parcels that are much larger and
deeper and buildings and signs at major commercial centers are often buffered from arterial
streets and residential neighborhoods by vast parking lots, thereby increasing the
distance between structures, arterial streets and residential
neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, generally such major commercial centers do not have
signage for every establishment which is visible from arterial streets and depend on larger
signs to attract customers to the development
itself; and WHEREAS, due to surrounding uses, architectural design,
greater setback distances, sign orientation and other factors, larger signs at major commercial
centers may be permissible if it can be shown that the larger signs do not significantly impact
the safety of public streets or the aesthetics of surrounding uses, especially
residential neighborhoods,to any greater degree than otherwise
allowed; and WHEREAS, greater spaces associated with major commercial centers of
25 acres or more provide greater land area to install outdoor signs and to increase
the distance between signs and arterial streets and surrounding uses, thereby reducing
safety concems and the harmful environmental consequences caused by clutter and proximi1yof
si!,'
Ils.NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Orange does
hereby ordain as
follows:SECTION
I:Section 17.36.060A is amended to add the
following:3. Major Commercial Centers. Sign programs for commercial centers
may include criteria that differ from the limitations contained in this Chapter on sites which
located in the C-TR, C-R, C-2 or C-3 zones and are larger than 25 acres.
Such a proposal is subject to the review and approval of a Conditional Use
Permit by the Planning Commission who shall review the proposal based
on the following criteria:a. The applicant will prepare and submit
a detailed proposal that includes architectural plans, a site plan and building elevations.
The proposal will delineate and allocate display
area for each tenant.b. Sign programs for such developments
will specify construction and finish materials, fabrication methods, letter styles, proposed use
oflogos or other corporate icons, color and
lighting for all signs.c. Display area for wall signs shall be calculated
based upon the length of building elevations according to the limitsestablished by Section
17.36.080. However,sigrl area may be redistributed among portions of building elevations
as specified within the sign program, or permitted to increase
to the following ratio:i. Two square feet per lineal foot of
tenant building frontage, for building elevations situated more than 200 feet from a property
line or public street.ii. Three square feet per lineal foot of
tenant building frontage, for building elevations situated more than 300 feet from a property
line or public street.d. When installed on the same wall of a
building which includes an entrance that is accessible to the public, blade signs,
sculpted signs or three-dimensional wall signs may extend more than 12 inches from the surface
of a wall without being considered a Projecting Sign. The depth of projection for a wall
sign will not be
considered when calculating display area.e. Signs affixed to the face of a wall
may extend upward beyond the roof of a building withou1 being considered a Roof
Sign, provided: (I) the vertical ext(,nsion beyond the roof line is limited to 25 percent of the overall
height of that wall; or 2) the sign does not include flat display area, but
is instead
constructed of three-dimensional elements.f. A singular roof sign may be permitted
if constructed as a singular architectural element which displays only
the name of a development.g. Any wall signs proposed on
building elevations that are arranged arOlmd a central courtyard or open-air pedestrian space which
are not visible from a public right-of-way
are not subject to regulations of this Chapter.h. When presented as
part of a comprehensive sign program on any development with more than 200 feet of frontage
on an arterial highway, the height of a free standing sign may exceed 15 feet, but is limited
to 32 feet, or the maximum height to the roof of any building that is part
of the same development,
any sign higher than 15 feet is subject to the setback for all structures in that same zone,
and a landscaped planter must be provided around the base of the sign.
i. The mmtber and spacing of freestanding signs may differ from those
othefllvise permitted by this Chapter, so long as sign proposals do not exceed limits for
aggregate display area, maximum display area, and stmctural height.
j. Where developments have an internal circulation system of private
two-way streets and more than 40 tenants, on-site directional signs may be permitted
to a maximum display area of 220 square feet and maximum height of 20 feet,
when located more than 100 feet from an arterial street or residential development. Directional
signs are intended to assist motorists and keep traffic flowing through large parking
facilities, and should therefore be limited to directional instructions and simple
graphics, including sec1ion area titles, left or right turn arrows, and tenant names (if desired by
the applicant)using a uniform or consistent size and
style text.k. Any sign program is subject to initial review
and recommendation by Design Review Board (DRB). Sign applications for individual tenants will be
subject to final approval by DRB unless the sign program is specific in describing the
height, width,and design components of signs for each
tenant space.I. Sign programs for sites located in Old Towne will comply
with sign regulations for
Old Towne.m. The aforementioned criteria are intended as maximum
limits that should not be exceeded. However, an applicant may propose sign programs
with elements that exceed such limits if the applicant prepares a study justifYing why deviation
from the criteria is desirable from a land use perspective and will not result in aesthetic
and safety impacts significantly greater than those otherwise allowed. The study mustaddress
and/or include the following as
a minimum:i. A discussion of the unique planning and physical features
of the project site which justify deviation from the criteria S(:t forth in subsections
a-I above.ii. A discussion of how the proposed
signage incorporates unique architectural style and special design features such as logos, emblems,
murals and pictures that are integrated
with the development.iii. A sight-distance analysis to demonstrate
why extra height or display area is needed
to promote the development.iv. An analysis of the range of sign
visibility and potential impacts including impacts caused by lighting) upon surrounding
properties or public streets.v. Scaled and dimensioned plans that provide
an
adequate basis of evaluation.
vi. A concluding statement containing an empirical analysis
evidencing that the proposed sign program, due to setbacks from arterial streets which
exct:ed the requirements of this section, setbacks from residential areas which exceed the
requirements of this section, sign orientation toward 1he development and other relevant
factors, will not impact residential areas or public streets significantly more than otherwise
allowed by this section.
vii. The City shall approve such a sign program if it finds that the
applicant's study contains the requisite empirical analysis.
n. Any sign which has been approved under this section may contain
non-commercial copy in lieu of any commercial
copy."SECTION
II:If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for
any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of
competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of
this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance,
and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase not declared invalid
or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would
be subsequently declared invalid or
unconstitutional.SECTION
III:A summary ofthis Ordinance shall be published and a certified copy of the full
text of this Ordinance shall be posted in the Office of the City Clerk at least five days prior
to the City Council meeting at which this Ordinance is to be adopted. A summary of
this Ordinance shall also be published once within 15 days after its passage in a newspaper
of gen.eral circulation in the City of Orange. The City Clerk shall post in the Office of
the City Clerk a certified copy of the full text of the adopted Ordinance along with the
names of those City Council members voting for and against the Ordinance in accordance
with Government Code Section
36933.Adopted this 14th day of July
1998.1
Yl-;<: ~{'_
J6Jnne Coontz, Mayor
t" -'
7
j;C?" >
2/;Y ATTEST:
11
Cassandra
J.
Cat c rt, City Clerk Ord. No.
10-98 4
STATE OF CALIFORNIA)
COUNTY OF ORANGE )
CITY OF ORANGE )
I, CASSANDRA J. CATHCART, City Clerk of the City of Orange,
California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was introduced at the
regular meeting of the City Council held on the 23rd day of
JUnE> , 1998, and thereafter at a regular meeting of said City
Council duly held on the 14th day of -----"illY- ' 1998, was duly passed and
adopted by the following vote, to wit:AYES:
COUNCIL MEMBERS: MURPHY, SLATER, COONTZ, SPURGEON ALVAREZ
NOES:
COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE ABSENT:
COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE ABSTAIN:
COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE DAD:
ail 5
Ord. No. 10-98