| Sign Ordinance (Title 23) |
As described in the general provision of Title 23 of the San Jose Municipal Code, the Sign Ordinance is intended to promote an aesthetically pleasing environment. Signs are an important and necessary means of communication. When properly regulated, signs can serve as a great economic and aesthetic asset. They can be lively, colorful and exciting. In enacting the Sign Ordinance, it is the City's intent to promote attractive signage and streetscapes, facilitate way-finding and traffic safety, promote commerce, and to comprehensively address community aesthetic concerns about visual clutter and visual blight in the environment. The City's sign regulation shall be consistent with land use patterns, and signs shall add to rather than detract from the architecture of the buildings where they are located. Signs shall be well maintained and, in addition, shall not create traffic safety hazards. The regulation of signs in the City of San José is also intended to be content-neutral wherever required and to provide adequate opportunity for the presentation of messages of many varieties.
To file a Sign Permit Application, please access the application form here.
Given the inherent complexity of terms and calculations used in the regulation of signs, the City has prepared a Visual Guide illustrating methods for sign measurement, and including definitions and an extensive photo gallery of various sign types.
(NOTE: for a comprehensive list of Sign Ordinance amendments approved since December 2002, please click here).
For ease of review, the following summary of San Jose's multi-year Sign Code Update process is presented in reverse chronological order, with the most recent events at the top.
Third Ordinance
Staff is currently working on a third ordinance implementing the Preferred Strategy. Upcoming meetings to discuss this ordinance are as follows:
Community meeting
June 4, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
City Hall, 3rd floor tower, Room 332
and
City Council hearing
June 12, 2012
City Hall, Council Chambers
The ordinance would address the following objectives for the Downtown Sign Zone:
- Revise the boundary of the Downtown Sign Zone to be coterminous with the Downtown Core Area;
- Allow additional Programmable Electronic Signs for ground floor uses; and,
- Increase the allowable height of flat-mounted signs on buildings adjacent to freeways.
In addition, the ordinance would address the following objectives for various zones citywide, in some cases including the Downtown Sign Zone:
- Allow Programmable Electronic Signs for large assembly spaces;
- Allow Skyline Signs for residential and mixed-use buildings;
- Allow Arcade Signs in the Urban Mixed Use Sign Zone;
- Allow Vertical Projecting Signs in the Commercial and Industrial Zoning Districts on buildings 50 feet or more in height;
- Add and modify signage provisions for public parking garages;
- Allow additional signage for non-residential uses in Residential Zoning Districts;
- Allow non-illuminated Skyline Signs on buildings within 1,000 feet of a creek or river;
- Revise the General Regulations to facilitate the relocation of Historic Signs;
and,
- Make other related and clerical modifications.
Please direct questions or comments on the Sign Code Update to Richard Buikema, Senior Planner, at Rich.Buikema@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 535-7835.
Second Ordinance
On December 13, 2011, the City Council approved a second ordinance implementing changes to the Sign Ordinance consistent with the Preferred Strategy. The ordinance (Ordinance No. 29013) became effective on February 10, 2012. The ordinance did the following:
- Created and established a three-year pilot program in the Stevens Creek Urban Village Signage Area and an Oakridge/Blossom Hill Urban Village Signage Area to allow for Programmable Electronic Signs as components of freestanding signs on properties characterized by existing, large-scale commercial development;
- Amended the minimum height requirement for buildings as relates to Skyline Signs and eliminated restrictions on Skyline or Roof Signs adjacent to a park;
- Increased the allowed area and allowable display height for Fin Signs, and allowed greater flexibility for their location; and,
- Increased the allowable signage area for Freeway Signs, and provided greater flexibility for the use of height exceptions to address grade differential.
First Ordinance
On June 22, 2010, the City Council approved a first ordinance implementing changes to the Sign Ordinance consistent with the Preferred Strategy. The ordinance (Ordinance No. 28754) became effective on July 23, 2010. The ordinance addressed the following:
- Freeway Signs for large shopping centers;
- Architectural Sign Clusters for large parcels;
- Projecting Vertical Signs, Fin Signs, and Arcade Signs in the Downtown Sign Zone;
- San Pedro Square Sign Zone; and,
- Signs with on-site commercial messages.
City Council Direction
On numerous occasions over the January-May, 2010 time period, the City Council considered staff recommendations for the Sign Code Update, and then provided the following direction regarding specific aspects of a Draft Preferred Strategy:
Proposed Minor Sign Ordinance Amendments for the Downtown Sign Zone:
- Allow flat-mounted attached signs on buildings adjacent to a freeway to be display higher than 30 feet above grade.
- Identify additional provisions for temporary signage to accommodate art or other temporary displays.
- Explore creation of a San Pedro Square Sign zone with regulations that reflect the area’s unique character.
- Retain current sign area regulations: 2.5 square feet per linear foot of occupancy frontage (Skyline Signs, Roof Signs and Marquees are allowed in addition to this signage).
- Allow Fin Signs to project above the top of a building. Allow Vertical Projecting Signs to extend higher and lower on a building (between 15 feet and 70 feet above grade) and allow to project above the top of a building.
- Allow small animated sign components as part of a larger sign.
- Allow "architectural roof signs” as an integral element of the design of a one- or two-story building.
- Make the Downtown Sign Zone coterminous with the Downtown Core Area.
Proposed Minor Sign Ordinance Amendments for Specific Areas or Citywide:
- Allow Skyline Signs or Roof Signs on buildings 80 feet or more in height. Allow Skyline Signs on buildings 50 feet or more in height.
- Increase the allowed area of Fin Signs from 10 feet to 20 feet. Increase the maximum display height from 12 feet to 20 feet, and eliminate requirement that Fin Signs be located near an entrance.
- Allow large parcels to integrate signage with architectural landscape features such as a wall or fountain.
- Allow greater flexibility in the number of signs allow for a multi-tenant occupancy.
- Allow greater flexibility for relocating attached historic signs.
- Eliminate restrictions on Skyline or Roof Signs visible from a park or creek.
- Staff was directed to return with provisions to allow temporary A-Frame Signs on public sidewalks in all Neighborhood Business Districts and with a mechanism to more proactively enforce regulations for Temporary Signs.
Supergraphic Signs in the North San Jose and Edenvale Industrial Areas and in the Airport Sign Zone:
Supergraphic Signs in the Downtown Sign Zone:
- Supergraphic Signs On Blank Walls. Allow Supergraphic Signs on the blank walls of buildings (not covering windows or doors) in the Downtown Sign Zone subject to a maximum sign area of 5,000 square feet. Consider increasing the proposed number of signs allowed at any one time to something greater than the 5-sign maximum proposed by staff, and consider a longer sign display period than the proposed 60-day maximum. Exempt large public assembly venues from the limitations on the number and duration of signs. Limit signs to on-site or non-commercial messages only. Within 24 months of the effective date of the ordinance, return to the Council for reconsideration of the maximum number of signs allowed at any one time.
- Supergraphic Signs In Lieu of Skyline Signs. Allow Supergraphic Signs on buildings in the Downtown Sign Zone that are less than 75% occupied in lieu of allowed Skyline Signs. Allow such signs to cover windows of unoccupied building space (provided the windows are located above the 50-foot fire rescue height) and limit signs to on-site or non-commercial messages. Reduce the minimum building height required to qualify for such a Supergraphic Sign to something less than the 15 stories proposed by staff.
Electronic Digital Signs for Large Ground-Floor Spaces in the Downtown:
- Allow one attached Digital Sign component for each ground floor occupancy frontage of 100+ linear feet (to a maximum of two signs); or one attached sign for any ground floor occupancy with a total frontage of 150+ linear feet on two or more streets. Allow the area of the Digital Sign component to be up to 50 square feet and up to 50% of the total sign area. Allow on-site or non-commercial messages only. Develop parameters to address driver distraction and sensitive uses.
- Provide a sign exception that allows the Digital Sign component to exceed 50% of the total sign area if the sign achieves specific criteria intended to reflect a high quality of design. Include a presumption that the exception should not be granted to emphasize the importance of the criteria.
Electronic Digital Signs for Assembly Uses:
- Allow Digital Signs for assembly uses with a maximum building occupancy of 500 or more. Link sign area to size of assembly use. Develop regulations to address traffic safety and compatibility with sensitive uses. Allow on-site or non-commercial messages only.
- Explore options for allowing off-site messages for very large assembly uses.
Electronic Digital Signs for Specific Commercial Areas (Stevens Creek Boulevard Signage Area, Capitol Expressway Auto Mall Signage Area, Proposed Blossom Hill Road Signage Area):
- Establish a 3-year pilot program to allow digital sign components on freestanding signs within a subarea of the Stevens Creek Boulevard Signage Area. Explore ways to allow signs for large auto dealerships with narrow frontages. Allow Digital Sign component to comprise up to 60% of the total area of a sign. Allow on-site or non-commercial messages only. Develop regulations to address traffic safety and compatibility with sensitive uses.
- Continue to explore provisions for Digital Signs in the Capitol Expressway Auto Mall Signage Area, the proposed Blossom Hill Signage Area, along Capitol Corridor near Eastridge and in other appropriate commercial areas.
Freeway Signs:
- Allow Freeway Signs for shopping centers of 15 acres or more in size that are located within 200 feet of a freeway.
- Eliminate existing restriction on signs facing freeways.
- Revise the recommended height limit of 60 feet to ensure that the height regulations take into consideration the elevation of the adjacent freeway.
- Allow a maximum sign area of 400 square feet. Allow a Digital Sign component to comprise up to 60% of the total sign area.
- Develop regulations to address traffic safety and compatibility with sensitive uses.
- Allow on-site or non-commercial messages only.
- Explore the ability to have off-site messages for nearby large businesses.
- Explore alternatives for a design review process with a community meeting for freeway signs that exceed the height and area parameters.
Billboards:
- Retain the existing billboard ban.
- Explore revisions to current regulations for the relocation of existing legal nonconforming billboards to ensure that they allow for and encourage relocation of billboards from residential areas to more appropriate commercial locations.
- Explore measures to ensure better maintenance of existing billboards.
Background Staff Reports
Billboards Photo Inventory
In 1985, the City Council adopted an ordinance banning new billboards in San Jose. Since that time, new billboards have not been allowed except through a relocation process for existing, legal nonconforming billboards. As part of the Sign Code Update, staff looked closely at the issue of billboards, and prepared the following photo inventory (in PowerPoint) by City Council District, as well as a review of billboards in two specific San Jose census tracts.
All Council Districts
Billboards Review in Two San Jose Census Tracts
Visual Preference Internet Survey
Visual Preference Survey Results
Community Outreach
The following is a summary of Sign Code Update community meetings held by the Planning Division over a five month period, beginning in March 2009.
Phase IV Community Meetings
Meetings were held on July 8-9, 2009 to seek input on alternative signage strategies for billboards and supergraphics in the downtown, freeway signs for large shopping centers and digital (LED) signs.
Phase III Community Meetings
Meetings were held on June 3-4, 2009 to seek additional community feedback regarding billboards, supergraphics and other signage in the downtown; freeways signs for large shopping centers; and digital (LED) signs.
Phase II Community Meetings
Meetings were held on June 3-4, 2009 and staff met with various Neighborhood Action Coalition (NAC) groups throughout the month of June. These meetings sought community feedback regarding billboards, supergraphics and other signage in the downtown; freeways signs for large shopping centers; and digital (LED) signs.
Phase I Community Meetings
Meetings were held on March 25-26, 2009 to discuss the issues that should be addressed in the Sign Code Update.
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