§ 23.42.120. Permitted signs.
(Note: The following provisions apply throughout the Olympia UGA unless modified by zone district restrictions.)
A.
Awning Signs. Any sign on awnings is limited to business name, logo, and address only. Awning signs shall be considered wall signs for purposes of this chapter. Awning signs may not be backlit, except that area containing a sign band (sign letters and/or logo). All awnings which are illuminated must meet state energy code requirements.
B.
Commercial Parking Lots. Commercial parking lots may be allowed one flush-mounted or pole sign per street frontage, each sign not exceeding twenty-four square feet in sign surface area.
C.
Development Signs (Commercial). A sign not exceeding fifty square feet in sign surface area and not over forty-two inches in height and located at the entry to the development (one per entry). The sign will be allowed to have the name of the business within the development plus a directory of the business within the development. The business names shall be limited to one-tenth of the total sign size and shall be small enough to allow all present and future businesses to be installed or none shall be installed. The total directory shall not exceed sixty percent of the total sign surface area.
D.
Development Signs (Residential). A sign not exceeding fifty square feet in sign surface area not over forty-two inches in height and located at the entry to the development (one per entry). The sign will be allowed to have the name of the development only.
E.
Directional Signs. Directional signs or informational signs of a public or quasi-public nature not exceeding sixteen square feet in sign surface area may be erected or maintained by an official or civic body.
F.
Driveway Entrances. Driveway entrance/exit signs are allowed a maximum area four square feet. No advertising permitted. Maximum forty-two inches above grade.
G.
Entrance Signs. Entrance signs shall be flush-mounted and shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Individual uses within a shopping center which do not have a marquee may have one entrance sign over each exterior entrance, not to exceed six square feet in area. Exception: If the floor area for the use exceeds twenty thousand square feet, a shopping center may have one additional entrance sign per exterior entrance with a maximum sign surface less than thirty-two square feet.
2.
In a single building situation such as a hotel with a dining room, coffee shop, barber shop, etc., each business use shall be allowed one entrance sign not exceeding ten square feet in area in addition to the signs allowed at the hotel as a whole.
3.
Individual uses without a marquee may have one additional entrance sign over each exterior entrance not exceeding six square feet in area.
H.
Flush-Mounted Signs. Flush-mounted signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Individual businesses within a shopping center may have one flush-mounted sign per exterior entrance.
2.
Signs shall not project more than twelve inches away from the wall to which they are attached nor extend beyond either end of such wall, or above the roof line.
3.
Flush-mounted signs shall not exceed one square foot of sign surface area per one foot of length of the wall on which it is mounted, or two hundred square feet, whichever is less.
4.
Each individual use having frontage or exposure to a street, court or other public way (not including alleys) may have one flush-mounted sign for each frontage or exposure.
I.
Ground Signs. Ground signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Uses Permitted Ground Signs. Any use not located within a shopping center may install a ground sign in lieu of a permitted pole or flush-mounted sign.
2.
Ground signs shall not be more than forty-two inches from grade to the top of the sign.
J.
Marquee Signs. Marquee signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Any individual use with a marquee may have one marquee sign per exterior entrance.
2.
Individual users within a shopping center may have one additional marquee sign per exterior entrance in addition to the flush-mounted sign subject to the following requirements:
a.
The floor area for the use exceeds twenty thousand square feet.
b.
The maximum sign surface area does not exceed thirty-two square feet.
3.
Marquee signs shall be located under the marquee, or on the top or on any face of the marquee.
4.
The vertical measurement of the sign shall not exceed twelve inches.
5.
If located under the marquee, the sign shall not have less than an eight-foot minimum clearance nor exceed four feet in length.
6.
If located on the top of the marquee, the sign shall be parallel to the plane of the wall to which the marquee is attached.
7.
No portion of the sign may project out beyond the marquee.
8.
Marquee signs are exempt from the aggregate sign surface area requirements.
K.
Noncommercial Signs. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, noncommercial signs shall meet the following requirements:
1.
Temporary Noncommercial Signs on Private Property.
a.
Such signs shall meet the general requirements of Section 23.42.060, except as specified in this section.
b.
Such signs shall not require a sign permit if less than six square feet in sign surface area and less than forty-two inches in height.
c.
In residential zones, such signs shall be, not exceed five square feet in sign area per side, placed wholly on private property, and not to exceed a height of eight feet.
d.
In commercial and industrial zones, not to exceed thirty-two square feet in sign area per side, placed wholly on private property, and not to exceed a height of eight feet.
e.
No noncommercial sign shall be placed within, encroach into, or protrude over the edge of traveled way, the vision clearance triangle at intersections, deceleration lanes, auxiliary lanes, parking lanes, shoulders, medians, islands, roadway and street clear zones, bridges, and other areas of a public street right-of-way which may constitute a public safety hazard. Noncommercial speech signs should be placed as far outside of these locations as possible to ensure public safety.
f.
Signs visible from the public right-of-way shall remain in good repair and shall be removed, repaired, or replaced if in a damaged or deteriorated condition if it constitutes a hazard to public safety. Examples of damaged or deteriorated condition includes but is not limited to holes, rips and separation from support posts, and broken supports and posts.
2.
Temporary Noncommercial Signs in the County Right-of-Way.
a.
Such signs shall meet the general requirements of Section 20.40.020 except as specified in this section. This section applies to county right-of-way, and does not apply to private access easements or rights-of-way owned by a governmental jurisdiction other than Thurston County. The sign owner is responsible for compliance with any applicable laws on the use of rights-of-way outside of the ownership of Thurston County.
b.
No noncommercial sign shall be placed within, encroach into, or protrude over the edge of traveled way, the vision clearance triangle at intersections, deceleration lanes, auxiliary lanes, parking lanes, bike lanes, shoulders, medians, islands, bridges, and other areas of a public street right-of-way which may interfere with normal use of the travel way including creating a public safety hazard. Noncommercial speech signs should be placed as far outside of these locations as possible to ensure public safety.
c.
No noncommercial sign shall not interfere with or obstruct the view of any traffic control device.
d.
Where no sidewalk or curb is present, signs shall be a minimum of ten feet from the edge of the shoulder to maintain a minimum roadway clear zone. If ten feet is not available, the sign should be placed at edge of the right-of-way so long as it complies with other locational restrictions in this section.
e.
Signs shall be a breakaway design as defined in the Thurston County Road Standards, as amended.
f.
Where sidewalks are present at the back of curb with no planting strip, signs shall be located at the back of sidewalk away from the roadway. Where a planting strip is present, signs maybe placed in the planting strip, but shall not encroach or protrude over the edge of the back of curb or the sidewalk except as otherwise specified in this chapter.
g.
Signs shall remain in good repair and shall be removed, repaired, or replaced if in a damaged or deteriorated condition, or if it constitutes a hazard to public safety. Damaged or deteriorated condition includes but is not limited to holes, cracking, rips, peeling, fading, broken supports and posts, or otherwise showing need of general maintenance.
h.
Noncommercial signs shall not be attached to any traffic control device, county owned or maintained such as signs or posts, utility boxes, traffic signal, signal control box, street lights, street light poles, or any utility poles. Please see Section 12.100.005 TCC and RCW 47.36.130.
i.
The owner of a noncommercial sign placed in the public right-of-way may be required to remove the sign, or the sign may be removed by the county at any time if the sign constitutes a public safety hazard, interferes with the function of drainage facilities, road construction, repair, regular maintenance, or because it is in a location not permitted by code.
j.
No sign shall cause a public safety hazard. The sign owner must ensure against any potential detriment to public safety by inspecting the site specific sign location for hazardous conditions, including but not limited to any view obstruction from all known or obvious vantage points that may compromise pedestrian or vehicular safety. Owners of signs shall solely assume all rise and liability for accidents and damages that may occur to persons, property, or natural resources by reason of the placement of signs in the right-of-way.
k.
Temporary noncommercial signs placed in the public right-of-way related to a specific event should be removed within fifteen days after the conclusion of the event. The individual, committee or organization for which the sign is displayed shall be responsible for its removal.
l.
Temporary noncommercial signs in the public right-of-way shall be limited to thirty inches above grade, and have a sign face with no more than four square feet in area.
3.
Property Owner Permission. Property owner permission is required prior to placing temporary noncommercial signs, which includes placement in adjacent county right-of-way.
a.
To the extent that the desired location for the placement of a temporary sign is within a portion of right-of-way which directly abuts a piece of private property, the sign owner must obtain permission from that abutting property owner before placing the sign in the right-of-way. Permission must be in a form sufficient to establish the grant of permission at a later date should permission be questioned. The permission must define the permitted location, number of signs, and duration in order to be effective. This requirement only applies to that property which is closest to the proposed sign location and directly abutting that portion of right-of-way. This requirement does not extend to both sides of the right-of-way for a single sign.
b.
If no private property abuts the right-of-way where the sign is proposed to be located then no adjacent property owner permission is required. However, under no circumstances may a temporary sign be allowed on government property outside of a right-of-way unless placed by the city or property owner.
c.
In every circumstance a sign owner must obtain complete and full approval from the property owner when placing a sign on private property. Whether the sign belongs to the property owner or is placed with permission, the sign allowance for both the property owner and the sign owner will be reduced to account for the sign's placement.
4.
Permanent Noncommercial Signs.
a.
Such signs shall meet the general requirements of Section 23.42.060.
b.
Such signs shall require a sign permit.
c.
If located on the premises of the business or residence of the owner, such signs shall meet the size and location requirements of the underlying zoning district for commercial signs.
d.
If not located on the premises of the business or residence or the owner, permanent noncommercial signs shall meet the size, height and location requirements for temporary noncommercial signs.
e.
The scale of a sign shall be in proportion to the building and site.
f.
Design elements, such as the size, shape, materials, and lighting, shall be harmonious.
g.
Sign area is computed per side.
L.
Pole Signs. Pole-mounted signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Single occupancy buildings are allowed one pole sign.
2.
The use may have one-pole sign per frontage street, but in no case shall there be more than two-pole signs. Exception: Service stations may have one pole sign only.
3.
The maximum height of pole signs shall be thirty-five feet unless restricted by individual use districts.
4.
Pole signs shall not exceed two and one-half square feet in sign surface area per one foot of maximum lot length, or two hundred square feet, whichever is less (noting any restrictions of individual use districts).
5.
Pole signs erected after passage of these standards shall be placed in a planter box, or otherwise landscaped, with the area of the landscaping a minimum of one-half of the sign surface area of the sign.
6.
See design guidelines, Section 23.06A.360, Freeway corridor—Street signs—City street frontages.
M.
Reserved.
N.
Projecting Signs. Projecting signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Each single occupancy building not located in a shopping center may have one projecting sign if the building does not have a pole sign and if projecting signs are not specifically prohibited in the individual use district, except that, if a use is contiguous to two parallel streets which are at least two hundred feet apart, a projecting sign is allowed on each of those streets or a projecting sign may be on one street and a pole sign on the other.
2.
Projecting signs shall not exceed fifty square feet in sign surface area.
3.
Projecting signs shall be installed in accordance with the following table:
Clearance from Grade Maximum Sign Projection from Face of Building Less than eight feet Not permitted Eight to ten feet Under marquee only Over ten feet Three feet O.
Real Estate Signs. No sign permit is required, except as provided in subsection O6 below. All exterior real estate signs must be of wood or plastic or other durable material. The permitted signs with applicable limits are as follows:
1.
Residential "For Sale" and "Sold" Signs. Such signs shall be limited to one sign per street frontage not to exceed five square feet in sign area per side, placed wholly on the property for sale, and not to exceed a height of seven feet.
2.
Residential Directional "Open House" Signs. Such signs shall be limited to one sign per street frontage on the premises for sale and three off-premises signs. However, if a broker/agent has more than one house open for inspection in a single development or subdivision, s/he is limited to four off-premises "open house" signs in the entire development or subdivision. Such signs are permitted only during daylight hours and when the broker/agent or seller or an agent is in attendance at the property for sale. No such sign shall exceed five square feet in sign area per side. The sign may be placed along the periphery of a public right-of-way, provided it does not interfere with traffic safety, but it may not be attached to a utility pole or traffic safety device.
3.
Undeveloped Commercial and Industrial Property "For Sale or Rent" Signs. One sign per street frontage advertising undeveloped commercial and industrial property for sale or for rent is permitted while the property is actually for sale or rent. The sign shall not exceed thirty-two square feet in sign area per side and eight feet in height.
4.
Developed Commercial and Industrial Property "For Sale or Rent" Signs. One sign per street frontage advertising a commercial or industrial building for rent or sale is permitted while the building is actually for rent or sale. If one face of the building is less than ten feet from the building line, the sign shall be placed on the building or in a window. The sign shall not exceed eight feet in height; if free-standing, it shall be located more than fifteen feet from any abutting property line and a public right-of-way line. Such sign shall not exceed thirty-two square feet in sign area per side.
5.
Undeveloped Residential Property "For Sale" Signs. One sign per street frontage advertising undeveloped residential property for sale is permitted not exceeding thirty-two square feet in area per side, nor exceeding a height of eight feet. If the sign is greater than five square feet in area, it must be placed more than thirty feet from the abutting owner's property line.
6.
Additional Signs. The department may grant a permit to allow temporary off-premises signs in addition to those permitted above, not to exceed five square feet in size per side, or forty-two inches in height. Notice of adjacent property owners shall not be required. Such additional signs may be used to advertise open houses, to provide directions to new developments, or for similar purposes. Such signs may be placed along the periphery of the public right-of-way, provided they do not interfere with traffic safety, but they may not be attached to utility poles or traffic safety devices. The department shall determine the number and locations of such signs, and the period during which they may be displayed. The department shall take into account the number of existing signs in any proposed location, and shall limit or prohibit new ones so as to prevent a traffic safety hazard or a detrimental effect on neighboring property.
P.
Residential Signs—Generally. Nonresidential uses within residential districts are permitted one flush-mounted or ground sign having a maximum sign area of twenty-four square feet for each use. (See design guidelines, Section 23.04A.170.)
Exceptions:
1.
Income Producing Uses in Co-Housing Developments. One flat unlighted flush-mounted sign on the building containing such uses is permitted. Such sign shall not exceed two square feet in sign surface area, nor shall any side exceed two linear feet. This sign shall state only the name of the occupant and the type of occupation. In co-housing developments a structure containing multiple businesses may contain up to ten square feet of signage, at the rate of two square feet of signage per business;
2.
Academic Schools. In addition to the flush or ground sign permitted, a pole sign not to exceed twenty feet in height and seventy-five square feet in sign surface area is permitted;
3.
Co-housing developments.
Q.
Roof Signs. Roof signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Each individual use may have one roof sign provided the use of roof signs is not prohibited in the individual use district and the use has no other sign on the building.
2.
Individual businesses within a shopping center may have one roof sign in lieu of any allowed flush-mounted signs.
3.
Roof signs shall not be more than six feet in height (including supporting structure), nor shall they be more than thirty-five feet above ground level, nor extend beyond the edge of the roof level upon which they are supported.
4.
Roof signs shall not exceed one square foot of sign surface area per foot of length of the main entrance wall of the use occupancy.
5.
The sign may only identify the building or occupant. No product advertising is allowed.
R.
Shopping Center Signs. Major and minor shopping center signs shall be installed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Shopping centers may have one major identification sign per major arterial frontage and one minor identification sign per secondary or local street frontage, but in no case shall there be more than two major and two minor identification signs.
2.
The maximum height of a major or minor identification sign shall be thirty-five feet unless restricted by the individual use district.
3.
Major identification signs shall not exceed three hundred square feet in sign surface area.
4.
Minor identification signs shall not exceed one hundred fifty square feet in sign surface area.
5.
Identification signs shall be placed in a planter box or otherwise landscaped with the area of the landscaping a minimum of one-half of the sign surface area of the sign.
S.
Sidewalk Signs. One sidewalk or sandwich board sign per business shall be permitted subject to the following:
1.
Signs shall be located next to the curb edge of a sidewalk in such a manner so as not to interfere with the opening of car doors, bus stops, loading zones, or pedestrian traffic. An unobstructed passageway of forty-eight inches shall be maintained for wheelchair travel on all public and private right-of-ways.
2.
Signs shall be located directly in front of the sponsoring business during business hours only.
3.
Only uses within the neighborhood retail (NR), expand to include arterial commercial (AC), neighborhood village (NV), urban village (UV), etc., professional office/ residential multifamily (PO/RM), or general commercial (GC) districts are permitted sidewalk or sandwich board signs.
4.
Owners of such signs shall assume liability for damage resulting from their use and shall provide the county with an appropriate legal document holding the county harmless for such resulting loss.
5.
No such sign shall be located so as to create a traffic safety hazard by interfering with the vision of drivers entering or leaving the premises.
T.
Temperature Signs. Time and temperature signs, public service signs and community bulletin boards are allowed.
U.
Temporary Signs. Temporary signs are allowed, provided that:
1.
Permits for such signs may be issued by the department not to exceed sixty days.
2.
No more than one such permit shall be issued at any one time per business occupancy, nor shall more than four such permits be issued to any one business during any twelve-month period.
V.
Theaters. Existing movie theaters are allowed to retain their traditional type of marquee sign without animated lighting.
(Ord. 12577 § 23, 2001; Ord. 11274 § 3 (part), 1996)
(Ord. No. 15637 , § 1(Att. D, § III), 6-26-2018)