Ordinance 2718CITY OF ALAMEDA ORDINANCE NO.
New Series
2718
AMENDING THE ALAMEDA MUNICIPAL CODE BY AMENDING SECTION
30-(SIGN REGU ATIONS) OF ARTICLE I (ZONING DISTRICTS
AND REGULATIONS) OF CHAPTER XXX (DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS)
AND BY ADDING A NEW SUBSECTION 30-17 (SPECIAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTO ROW SIGNS)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Alameda that:
Section 1 The Alameda Municipal Code is hereby amended by
amending subsection 30-(Definitions) of section 30-(Sign
Regulations) of Chapter XXX (Development Regulations) thereof , by
adding the following definitions:
Automobile Dealer shall mean an establishment whose principal
activity is the sale of new or used motor vehicles.
Auto Row shall mean the parcels fronting on both sides of Park
Street between the Park Street Bridge on the north and the north
side of Lincoln Avenue on the south, including adj acent parcels
contiguous to ones with frontage on Park Street under ownership or
lease to auto dealers, and including adj acent portions of Blanding
Avenue, Buena Vista Avenue, F cific Avenue Tilden Way, and Lincoln
Avenue which abut parcels under ownership or lease to auto dealers.
Balloon shall meaD an airtight bag that will rise and fall
when filled with hot air or a gas lighter than air.
Flag shall mean ::my fabric, banner or bunting containing
distinctive colors patterns, or symbols, used as a symbol.
Parking lot shall mean an area of land which is accessible andusable for the off -street parking of motor vehicles, except for
land designated for product display by new and used automobile
dealers.
Pennan t shall mean a long, narrow , usually triangular flag.
Streamer shall mean a long ribbonlike flag or banner.
Exterior Display Wall shall mean a colonnade or a wall with
openings designed as an architectural feature at the front edge ofan automobile dealership'display lot, designed to provide
continuity with adjacent buildings and to improve appearance at the
sidewalk.
Section 2 The Alameda Municipal Code is hereby amended by
adding subsection 30-17 (Special Requirements for Auto Row Signs)
to section 30-(Sign Regulations) of Chapter XXX (Development
Regulations) thereof, to read:
30-Special Requirements for Auto Row Signs.
All other sign regulations shall apply to automobile row signs
except as provided in this subsection:
Number of Signs Allowed
1. The maximum number of on-premises signs shall be
six per business , exclusive of directional signs, and a
maximum of three signs per building side. Signs may be
posted on the street facade of a building or a building
facade facing a parking lot, provided that the lot is
used by the same dealer.
2. An exterior display wall shall be considered a
building frontage for purposes of sign placement. All
exterior display walls shall be subject to Design Review.
3. The signs may be multiple-faced and
combination except that a business may not have:
in any
More than one (1 )freestanding sign perlot.
business.
More than One (1)proj ecting sign per
and one
A combination of one(1) freestanding sign.(1) projecting sign
4. Directional Signs: Each business may have a
maximum of three vehicle oriented safety and directional
signs solely for the purpose of guiding traffic, parking,
and loading or private parking inside the property, andnot bearing advertising materials or business
identification. Maximum sign area shall be four squarefeet. Maximum height for freestanding signs shall be
four feet. Additional directional signs may be permittedby Design Review , based on a finding of necessity.Directional signs shall not be included in the
computation of total number of signs nor total signage
allowed.
Sign Area Allowed
1. The maximum total sign area shall be determined
by measuring the building frontage of the business.
(a) The' total allowable sign area. for business shall be one (1) square foot of sign area
per linear foot of building frontage with a minimum
of twenty-five (25) square feet and a maximum of twohundred (200) square feet.
(b) component or department of
automobile dealership, such as service and repair
which is on a separate parcel from the dealership
shall be considered a separate business but shall
comply with all sign regulations of Section 30-
and the additional provisions of Subsection 30-
shall not apply.
(c) The maximum area for any sign shall be
one hundred fifty (150) square feet.
Window Signs
1. Signs shall not occupy more than twenty-five
(25) percent of the window area, except that a larger
percentage may be covered in conjunction with a special
event for a maximum of four (4) periods per calendar
year , but in no case is the time period to exceed twenty
(20) days per year subj ect to approval of the Planning
Director, upon submission of a written request. Time
periods during which such larger window displays are
allowed shall be included in the total time for specialevents as specified under point (e-l) below.
Freestanding Signs1. The maximum height of freestanding
identification signs shall be twelve (12) feet.
2. Freestanding signs are not subject to the
foot separation requirement set out in subsection 30-
4 (f) 2 but shall be placed to assure no view blockage of
existing signs.
Special Events Decorations
1. Special events decorations, including banners
and flags except balloons, pennants and streamers , may
be permitted in conjunction with a special event for a
maximum of four (4) periods per calendar year but in no
case is the time period to exceed twenty (20) days per
year subj ect to approval of the Planning Director upon
submission of a written request. Time periods during
which window displays covering more than 25 percent of
the window area are allowed as specified under point (c-
1) above, shall be included in the total time for specialevents.
2. Balloons pennants and streamers may not be used
at any time.
Section 3 The Alameda Municipal Code is hereby amended by
renumbering the existing subsection 30-17 (Variances) to 30-18.
Section 4 Severability Clause. It is the declared intent
of the City Council of Alameda that if any section subsection
sentence clause phrase or provision of this ordinance is held
invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction
such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not be so construed as
to render invalid or unconstitutional the remaining provisions of
this ordinance.
Section 5 This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect
from and after the expiration of thirty (30) days from the date of
its final passage.
Attest:
1ie Yldl
C ty Clerk
I, the undersigned hereby certified that the foregoing Ordinance
was duly and regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the
City of Alameda in regular meeting assembled on the 6th day ofFebruary1996 by the following vote to wit:
AYES:(5 )Councilmembers Arnerich Dewitt
Lucas, Mannix and President Appezzato
NOES:None.
ABSENT:None.
ABSTENTIONS:None.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
the official seal of said City this 7th day of Februarv1996.
lane B. Felsch City
Ci ty of Alameda
Clerk