Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 3445I OR.fGINAL ORDINANCE NO. 3445 ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE-CITY OF PAI.O ALTO AMENDING THE PROVISIONS OF THE BUILDING F.EGULAT!ONS REGARDING ELECTION SIGNS The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as foll.ows: SEC'riON i.. Section 16.20.195 tElection Si9ns] of the Palo J\lto rv'luni c ipc\lCode is hereby amended to read: i1 l6 .. 20 .. 195 El<ect.i.on Signs. sign may be erected without a permit with this section. An election in conformity (a) Specific purposes. The regula.tions re­ q ard ing e.lect ion .signs are adopted for the follow­ ing purposes: ( 1) To avoid signs inte1~fering with the normal and primary use of City objects, many of which are closely connected with public safetyJ ( 2) To minimize traffic hazards a.nd visual clutter by regulating the size and placement of election signs; ( 3) To promotr~ environment and lo reduce City's residential zoneso a pleasing, aesthetic ?isual clutter in the . (b) Electh·m sign defined. An ele~t ion sign is a sign of a political nature which. directly re­ l~tes to a candidate or to a ballot issue in an election conducted by a governmental entity and which is erected em property with in the j u1: i sd i c­ tional boundat·ies of such election. (c) Public property. No election sign shall be erected on the following public property: ( 1 ) Any publ i.e property in any res iden­ tial ~one, including but not limited to, any public street, sidewalk, parking lot. v fence. post v tree, utility guy line or any other public .y or place~ (2) Any fire hydrant. (3) Any city or governmental agency sign, including but not limited to, traffic signs. t (4) Any utility pole. (5) Any city equipment, pole, t.raff ic signal pole or traffic troller. streetlight signal con- (6) Any city building, park, tree or shrub. (7} Any other public wavr object or f ac i 1 it y ~rhere a sign would obstruct a motor. i st 1 s 1 ine of sight or: ere ate a dang<:?ro u~!j condition on the public property. (d) Private pt:ope:rty. An eJection sigr'l may be erected on private property only if the owner: consents to having the elaction sign erected. (e) Sign restr.ictions. An election s.ign may b;~ er:ected only in accordance vh.th the following restrictions: { 1) Illumination,, No election sign be illuminated in any manner other than by viously existing lighting fixturea normally for illumination of the site or the sign. may pre­ used (2) Wall signs. A •n~all sign or combina­ tion of wall signs shall not exceed one squar.e foot tor every forty square feet of the build i.ng face upon which t.he sign is erected, except that, re­ gardlt;ss of the si1.e of the building face, (1) any such sign or combination of signs may have an area of at least six square feet and (2) no such sign or combination of signs shall have an area greater than one hundred fifty square feet. ( 3} Freestanding or. suspended signs. l\ freestanding or suspended sign shall not have an area exc:eeding six square feet and shall not be more than three feet high. (f) Post-Elect ion Removal. An election sign shall be completely removed no later than six days following the day of the election to which it re­ lates. Each elect ion sign shall be removed by the per son who erect.ed it or by the owner of the prop­ erty upon which the sign is erected. (g) Violation and enforcement. 2. ' • (1) A violation of any provision of this section is subject to penalties and enforcement set forth in Sections 16.20.322 and 16.20.323. (2) If an election sign is erect.ed in violation of any provision of this section, the chief building official or his designee shall attempt to notify the sign owner of the City's intent ion to remove the sign, giving the owner an oppo:ctuni ty t:o respond and/or to correct t.he problem within five days. ( 3) If the 0\mr~r of an allegedly illegal sign does not respond v/ i thin five days, the sign may be deemed to be abandoned and may be removed by the chief building official or his designee. ( 4) If an election sign is not removed on the seventh day following the day of the eJ ec­ t..ion to which it .t'elates, it. shall be deemed to be abandoned and may be removed by the chief building official or his designee. ( 5} rrhe r-hief building official or his designee may removE! any sign which poses a haz:at"d to per.sons or property without notice. SECTION 2. Se11erability. If any p·covJ.SlOn or clause of this section or the appl icat.ion thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be unconst i. t ut ional or to be otherwise invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect other section provisions, and clauses of this section are declared to bf~ severable. SECTION 3. The Council hereby finds that these changes will have no sf9r1Tficant adverse environmeot"l impact. SEC'J.liON 4. This ordinance shall become effective upon the com­ mence'ment otthe thirty-first day after the day of its passage~ INTRODUCED: June 20, 1983 PASSED: J U 1 y 11 , 1 9 8 3 AYES~ Bechtel) Cobb, Eyerly, Fazzino, Fletcher, Klein, Levy, Renzel, Witherspoon NOES: None ABS~1ENTIONS: Cit 3. • 4.