AgdaPkt 2000-01-10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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�,�l 1�EPC�RT - To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager December 13, 1999 Subject Sign Ordinance Revisions Recommendation Introduce an ordinance amending Article II, Chapter 3 of the Code of the City of Redwood City relating to Signs Background On June 28, 1999, the City Council adopted a comprehensive revision on the City's (then) 35 year old sign ordinance. The new sign ordinance was both an economic development initiative to support businesses as well as incorporating measures to beautify the City. The update process began in the Spring of 1998 with a focus group of 13 members representing the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Business Group, business and commercial property owners, the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), the grocer's association and a local resident. A Citywide meeting was held in May 1998 followed by a joint Study Session of the City Council, Planning Commission and Architectural Review Committee. During the following year, the ordinance went through many public review meetings held by the Architectural Review Committee and Planning Commission and was finally adopted by the City Council in June 1999. Since the ordinance adoption, City staff has been working toward its implementation. The ordinance required an inventory of existing signage to serve as a base line prior to implementing the amortization provisions. The results of the inventory are the subject of a companion report and information item on the agenda. Additionally, in working with the ordinance, the staff has identified some errors, which need modification for the ordinance to be enforceable and internally consistent. The proposed modifications are described below: Issues 1) Sign Area Signs displayed on a building fa�ade are regulated proportional to the wall area of a building. Therefore, the number of square feet of sign area allowed per square feet is related to the fa�ade area of a given building. Three sections of the ordinance; Section 3.79.b.1.iii, Section 3.85.a and Section 3.110.a refer to a graphic, Table 1, attached to the ordinance. In publication of the ordinance, this table was inadvertently excluded from publication. The attached ordinance amendment re-instates Table 1 into the Sign Ordinance. 2) Unauthorized Locations (for signs) Section 3.114 of the Sign Ordinance defines locations where signs are prohibited. Among the list of prohibited locations, signs are not intended to be permitted on parking meters, utility poles, light standards, hydrants, bridges, drinking fountains, traffic signs, __. .__ _ ... __._.� ......____ �. .__ . _ _