AgdaPkt 2008-11-10 Clsd and Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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7C Page 2 area. This position has been staffed for eight months by Steven Solorio and provides proactive code enforcement services to the downtown area. Downtown code enforcement has been developed as a "business friendly" approach and consists largely of educating and assisting downtown business owners. (Please see Attachment 1) Downtown code enforcement efforts have addressed signage, property maintenance, sidewalk cafe permits, and refuse issues. SiGn Code Enforcement - The City's sign ordinance was adopted over 40 years ago and has been periodically revised, most significantly in 1999 and 2007. The 1999 revisions increased the area of temporary signs from 16 to 32 square feet, reduced the maximum height of freestanding signs to 15 feet, reduced the area of window signs from 50% to 25% of the storefront window area, clarified requirements for portable signs (which are allowed in the Broadway Mall), added a master sign program feature, and incorporated a time schedule for the compliance of non-conforming signs (amortization program). Non-conforming signs are those signs which complied with the regulations when installed, but no longer comply with a revised sign regulation. The amortization chart provides time periods for these non-conforming signs to be brought into compliance by removal, modification, or replacement with complying signs. The revisions made in 2007 created separate rules for signs located on private property and signs located on public property, eliminated content-based sign regulations. made a distinction between commercial and non-commercial messages, confirmed the updated inventory of non- conforming signs, and extended the amortization periods to 2, 4, or 8 years depending on the type of non-conforming sign. The sign code is enforced by both the Planning Division and the Building and Inspection Division. Planning reviews signs for compliance to allowable area and location of signage via the Architectural Sign Permit process. Building and Inspection reviews signs for compliance to structural and electrical safety of sign age via the Building Sign Permit process. In the past, the City had employed a sign code enforcement specialist and supported an enforcement program that reviewed all businesses for illegal and non- conforming signage. Many illegal signs and approximately 60% of the documented non-conforming signs had been removed prior to the elimination of the sign code enforcement specialist in 2002. With the elimination of staff. code enforcement of signage became secondary to complaints involving health and safety issues. The amortization program was not completed. Currently, there are 144 addresses with non-conforming pole and roof signs, the most difficult type of signs to bring into compliance. Council had been apprised of the emerging resource gap in spring of 2007 when Council acted to revise the sign ordinance and extend the amortization period. (Please see Attachment 2) Sign age in the downtown area continues to be addressed as a result of the recently budgeted new position. Staff has also implemented the same approach in other areas of the City that has generated positive results in downtown. Code enforcement staff surveyed signage on EI Camino Real, Veterans Boulevard, and Woodside Road. Code enforcement staff then met with business owners to suggest signage improvements. From March through September 2008, three code enforcement officers conducted the surveys and have dealt with sign violations on nearly 100 properties. .