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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0839 ~ '" . . . RESOLUTION NO. 839 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA RECOMMENPING AMENDMENT TO THE SIGN AREA REGULATIONS OF THE ARCADIA MUNICIPAL CODE. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission on its own motion held .a public hearing on December 11, 1973, to consider amending the sign area regulations of the Arcadia Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, all interested persons were given full opportunity to be heard and to present evidence; NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA RECOMMENDS TO THE CITY COUNCIL: SECTION 1. That Section 9262.4.3 A.l of the Arcadia . Municipal Code be amended to read as follows: "1. Area, Sign: The area of a sign shall, be considered to be the area encompassed by a maximum of four connected straight line segments drawn around the extremities of the si5Jn frame or can (if a frame or can is used to sup~ort or define the copy back- ground area), or the sign copy background area (if no sign, frame or can is used), or the sign copy (if no copy background area or frame or can has been used) ." SECTION 2. The Planning Commission finds that the public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice justify the above recommendations. SECTION 3. The Secretary shall certify to the adoption . of this resolution and shall cause a copy to be forwarded to the City Council of the City of Arcadia. -1- 839 . ' . . . . . I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Arcadia held on the 22nd day of January , 1974, by the following vote: AYES,: Commissioners Clark, Coghlan, Hegg, Perlis, Reiter, Huddy NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioner Erickson "7?~~f.~ ATTEST: !tdat%111/<<_ctL Secretary -2- 839 .. .... ~ . . . ,. December II, 1973 . <J?:>q TO: PLANNING COMMISSION FROM: PLANNING DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: TEXT AMENDMENT LA. 73-10 SIGN AREA This text amendment has been prompted by recent sign permit applications involving irregular shaped signs. Section 9262.4.3 A.l. of the zoning or.dinance defines sign area as follows: "Area, Sign: The area of a sign is, the entire back- ground of a sign upon which ,advertising eQuId be placed, including the framEl' except th~t the area of advertising affixed directly to a builging without any background, other than the building, shall be the area within a line drawn around the extremities of the advertising." This section leaves open the exact method of drawing the line around the extremities of a sign (i.e., straight lines, curved lines anq how many lines). , The Building Department reviews all sign permit appli- cations prior to the issuance of sign permits, and has interpreted sign area as being the area.o-included within a rec tangle cons tructed around the extremities of the sign. From time to time conflicts between sign permit appli- cants anq City Departments arise over ,the Building Depart- ment's interpretation of sign area. It would be beneficial for both the applicant and the City to have a 'clear sign area definition in the code. The Planning Department has revie~ed sign ordinances from thirteen other jurisdictions and material from the California Electric Sign Association. Most of the ordi- nances areas vague as our existing ordinance. Howev.er, three of the cities spell out. their sign area as ~eing the ~~~"' " . . . . . . T.A. 73-10 2 area incl~d~d within a rectangle constructed around the sign's extremities, similar to the current policy. The Planning Department has also examined other methods of determining the sign area, including using various num- bers of straight line segments to define the sign's peri- meter. In,all cases the sign area would be allowed to be increased over what is permitted by the existing code. The percentage increase was a function of the sign t s ,configura- tion and in examples tested ranged between 1 and .37 percent. Adopting an area calculation method which could permit new signs to be 37 percent over wha,t is currently permitted would not be equitable to those businesses which have attempted to comply with existing code. Therefore, the Planning Department has attempted to define and clarify the existing policy in. its following recommendation.' , The Planning Department recommends" that ,Section 9262.4.3 A.I be revised to read as follows: "1. Area, Sign: The area of a sign shall be con- sidered to be the area.encompassed'by a maximum of four cOlll1ected ~traight,line segments drawn around the extremities Qf the sign frame or can (if a frame or can is used to support or define the copy background area), or the sign copy background area (if no sign, frame or can is used) or the sign copy (if no copy background area or frame or can has been used)." Thus, the area of a triangular sign would be based on the area encompass.ed by a. triangle around its extremities, all other signs would probably be based on the ar~a encom- passed by the four shortest straight line segments around its extremities. (i.e., square, rectangle, trapizoid, or truncated tr~angle). . Attached is a copy of an information bulletin which, could be distributed to sign companies and other applicants for sign permits in order to assfs't them in their understanding of the method of sign area computati,on. PLANNING DEPARTMENT I'R,REG:-JJ k,-J-R.., WILLIAM WOOLARD DIRECTOR OF PLANNING WW:db -/ Xllf . . .. CITY OF ARCADIA INFORMATION BULLETIN SIGN AREA COMPUTATION METHOD . This Bulletin has been prepared to assist applicants for Sign Permits in their determination of the area of their signs. The following method of calculating the sign area shall be used to determine compliance with the Area Regu- lations contained in the Arcadia Municipal Code. ' The area of a sign shall be considered to be the area encompassed by a maximum of four connected straight line segments drawn around the extremities of the sign frame or can (if a frame or can is used to support or ~e- fine the copy background area), or the sign copy back- ground area (if no sign, frame or can is used) or the sign copy (if no copy background area or frame or can has been used). ' The applicant shall provide a scaled drawing of the sign with its area computations ~llustrated and calcula- ted in the manner explained in the above. Sign supports shall be structural members necessary for the support ~f the sign and shall be devoid of adver- tising or attention attracting devices. . . . . -' ~ . etJPII . EXAMPLES The example in the upper left illustrates a sign with background. The area of this sign would be the area encompassed by four con- nec,ting straight line segments drawn around the ext,remities of the background (dotted line). The example in the upper right illustrates a sign with background and a fIame. The area of this sign would be the aTea encompassed by four connecting straight line segments drawn around the extrem- ities of the frame (dotted line). The example in the lower left illustrates a sign without background or frame. The area of this sign would be the area encompassed by four connecting straight line segments drawn around the extremities of the copy (dotted line). .