Title
An ordinance amending Chapter 64, Signs, of the Zoning Code. (Public hearing continued from December 7)
Body
WHEREAS, the City Council requested that the Planning Commission study zoning standards and regulations pertaining to measurement of double-faced and V-shaped sign area, permitted sign illumination level, regulation of window signs, number and size of exterior banners, and permitted exemptions for signs of city, county, state, and federal governments that provide public information; and
WHEREAS, on March 4, 2011, the Planning Commission, following a public hearing, submitted its report and recommendations pertaining to these sign regulation issues; and
WHEREAS, the current provision in Chapter 64, Signs, of the Zoning Code pertaining to measurement of double-faced and V-shaped sign area is in accord with what most communities do; and
WHEREAS, the current standard for maximum permitted light trespass (for all types of lighting, including signs) is 3.0 footcandles measured at the residence district boundary; and
WHEREAS, a 0.5 footcandle above ambient light level standard for illumination of signs in residential districts is commonly used in other cities; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 64, Signs, does not currently regulate signs inside of buildings; and
WHEREAS, based on studies related to the use of dynamic signs and driver distraction, the City finds that dynamic signs, as defined by the zoning ordinance, have a unique potential to create driver distraction, a major cause of accidents. The City currently regulates dynamic signs on the exterior of buildings, however, drivers have an equal opportunity to be distracted by dynamic display signs placed just inside a window and oriented toward the street; and
WHEREAS, studies conducted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Research Review of Potential Safety Effects of Electronic Billboards on Driver Attention and Distraction, September 11, 2001, and The Role of Driver Inattention in Crashes; New...
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