20.960.040 Lower Density Residential Districts.
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In the lower density residential districts, permitted signs include signs exempted by Section 20.960.020 Scope for uses within Central Park for which design guidelines apply, and for nonconforming uses with existing legal signs. Nonconforming signs advertising existing businesses may remain or be replaced in kind, as long as the business remains in operation, but may not be increased in size. In all Lower Density Residential Districts, the regulations of this section shall apply:
A. Billboards. Billboards are prohibited.
B. Off-premises signs. Not allowed except as provided in 20.960.090.
C. Free-standing signs.
1. Allowable Area: 32 square feet per face.
2. Number of Signs: 1 (There shall be no more than one free-standing sign per frontage, and no more than one fascia sign. If both are used, they must be on different frontages).
3. Height of Sign: Maximum 8 feet to be measured from grade.
4. Encroachment: No part of the freestanding sign shall project into any public right-of-way.
5. No freestanding sign shall project or extend into any vision clearance area unless approved by the Planning Official.
6. Any freestanding sign must be integrated. That is, all supports or sign elements shall be an integral part of the design. Auxiliary projections or attachments not a part of a single design are prohibited.
D. Fascia signs.
1. Allowable Area: 5 percent of buildings’ elevation with a maximum of 32 square feet.
2. Number of Signs: 1 per business. (There shall be no more than one free-standing sign per frontage, and no more than one fascia sign. If both are used, they must be on different frontages).
3. Height of Sign: Not to extend above parapet or eave line.
E. Projecting signs. Projecting signs are prohibited.
F. Rooftop signs. Rooftop signs are prohibited.
G. For sale/lease/rent signs. As specified in Section 20.960.090.
1. Allowable Area: Maximum 6 square feet per face side and as specified in Section 20.960.020.C.
2. Number of Signs: 1 per frontage.
3. Encroachment: For sale/lease/rent signs may not encroach on the property line of the subject property.
H. Rotating signs. Rotating signs are prohibited.
I. Electronic Message Center signs. Allowed subject to the following standards:
1. Allowed in association with nonresidential uses only which meet the following criteria:
a. The site has frontage on a major or minor arterial; or
b. The site has frontage on a collector arterial and is at least 2 acres in size
2. Number of signs: 1 per use
3. Type: Fascia or monument-style sign only
4. Maximum size: 16 square feet (50% of allowed area of fascia or monument sign); such sign shall not be in addition to allowable area of fascia or monument sign
5. Maximum height: 8 feet measured from grade if monument sign; fascia signs shall not extend above the parapet or eave line
6. Location: The EMC sign shall either face or be located adjacent to the arterial street
7. Hours of operation: The EMC sign shall be completely turned off between the hours of 9:00 pm and 7:00 am, seven days a week
8. Additional performance standards of VMC 20.960.060, I, 2-9 shall apply to EMC signs in residential districts
9. Signs with an electronic message center which meet all of the above standards may also provide internal illumination to the remainder of the sign.
J. Directional signs. Are regulated as specified in Section 20.960.090.
K. Business complex signs (free-standing signs only). Free standing business complex signs are prohibited. .
L. Allowable combinations of sign types. No combination of sign types is allowed. .
M. Lighting of signs. Only indirect lighting is allowed, except as otherwise allowed by VMC 20.960.040, subsection I, 9. (Ord. M-3868 § 6, 02/25/2008; Ord. M-3730 § 33, 12/19/2005; Ord. M-3643, 01/26/2004)