Developmental Information Guide 14
- Sign Permit Guidelines
When is a sign permit required?-
A sign permit is required
whenever you are constructing, moving, altering,
establishing, painting or creating a temporary or permanent
sign in any area of the City. It applies to signs on the
interior of windows, but not to areas located more than
three feet from any window or visible opening. Any public
notice or warning signs required by applicable local, state
or federal regulations or laws are exempt from the sign
regulations. Certain building name, open house and real
estate signs which comply with the sign regulations
concerning size, design, location and posting requirements,
and window signs not exceeding 20% of the window area or up
to maximum of twenty square feet are allowed without a sign
permit. Please refer to the Sign Ordinance, Chapter 25.54 of
the Code, for details concerning the sign regulations.
Who reviews and approves sign permits?-
Most signs require
the review and approval of the Design Review Board, but
signs in conformance with an approved sign program or
business name signs that have a letter height not exceeding
eight inches, which are in conformance with the standards
and do not exceed ten square feet or 50% of the maximum
allowable sign area for the site may receive administrative
approval by the Community Development Director. City staff
will be able to advise you on the applicable review process,
and applications must be submitted on forms provided by the
Community Development Department.
What information is required?-
Prepare and submit a complete
set of plans and an application for each sign. A complete
set of plans includes:
- A colored graphic drawing of the proposed sign, drawn to
scale. Indicate the dimensions and area of the proposed
sign, including the dimensions of the letters.
- A site plan showing lot, structure and sign dimensions and
locations. Indicate the total business area.
- Elevation(s) of building, including existing and proposed
signage with dimensions.
- Color chips and/or color brochure samples of all sign
materials, including fabric, on an 8-1/2" X 11" sheet.
(Material samples, poster board, cardboard or foam core will
not be accepted.)
- All lighting specifications and/or brochures of fixtures
and bulbs including lumens.
- Colored photographs of the site and any existing signs.
- A complete building permit application is required for any
monument (ground) sign or new awning sign.
How is sign area computed?-
Sign area is computed by
establishing and measuring the simplest geometric shapes)
that will encompass the outer limits of the sign, including
any material or color forming an integral part of the
background, but not including any supporting framework or
bracing. A background panel of not more than two inches,
painted the same color as the wall or structure to which it
is attached, will not be considered part of the sign. The
sign area for a sign with more than one face shall be
computed by adding together the area of all sign faces. All
individual signs on a lot are added together and compared to
the maximum allowable total.
Lots fronting on two or more streets may be permitted the
maximum allowable sign area for each street frontage.
Properties having secondary frontage on a public alley may
be permitted a wall sign at the entrance to the building
from the alley. The basic rule for calculating the maximum
allowable sign area is one square foot for each linear foot
of street frontage, up to a maximum of 150 square feet per
site.
How is the height of a sign computed?-
The height of a sign
is computed as the distance from the base of the sign at
normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of
the sign. Normal grade is the lower of the existing grade
prior to construction or the newly established grade after
construction, exclusive of any filling, berming or
excavating solely for the purpose of locating the sign. In
cases where the normal grade cannot be reasonably
determined, the normal grade shall be equated to the nearest
street curb elevation or street centerline elevation. if
there is no curb.
Are some signs prohibited?-
Yes, all signs not expressly
permitted or exempt from regulation are prohibited. Such
signs include, but are not limited to:
- Animated or moving signs
- A sign for a non-existing or closed business
- Permanent banners or beacons. (Temporary banners, which
are a maximum of 15 square feet, are permitted for UD to 30
days with a temporary permit. Earth-tone colors should be
used.)
- Directly lighted signs, including neon or fiberoptics
- Inflatable signs and tethered balloons, except as allowed
by temporary permit
- Portable and pole signs
- Outlining of the outside of buildings with gaseous tubing,
fluorescent or incandescent lights
What sign materials and illumination techniques are
appropriate to incorporate in sign design?-
Signs should incorporate materials reflective of the village
atmosphere of Laguna Beach, such as wood and brass. The
style, materials and colors should be compatible with the
building architecture and streetscape.
Special attention should be given to signs in the downtown
and other pedestrian-oriented areas. For businesses open
only during the day, lighting is generally discouraged. Any
proposed illumination is limited to: indirect, incandescent
or fluorescent lighting; one, 100-watt bulb or 1740 lumens
per sign face; and, lighting must be placed in a screened,
reflector bowl or similar feature to eliminate glare to the
public.
For more information contact:
-
Department of Community Development
505 Forest Avenue
Laguna Beach, California 92651
(949) 497-0713
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