HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-03-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - SIGN COMPLIANCE REPORT (2)CITY OF SANTA CLA,RITA
AGENDA REPORT
NEW BUSINESS
City Manager Approval:
Item to be presented b , *iw..
DATE: March 13, 2001
SUBJECT: PROGRESS REPORT ON SIGN COMPLIANCE
DEPARTMENT: Planning & Building Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive and file.
CANT
This report will serve as an update to the City Council on the sign
Staff continues to work with both business and property ownersandaand ii81curre t the code
enforcement stage of the sign city-wide
compliance effort.
The City has compiled a photographic database of all the businesses in the City with signage.
The total number of businesses in the database is approximately 2,400.
businesses, only 160 are currently out of compliance with the code. Staff estimates that moe
than 300 non-com 1 n signsOf the 2,400
on October 2, 2000, on average,ae men removed. Since the last update to the Cit
every month. approximately 20 non -complying signs have been removed
Out of the 160 businesses that remain out of compliance with the Sign Ordinance, 120 of those
businesses are currently working with the City to resolve their non -complying sign
includes obtaining a permit to construct a new sign; review or sign submittal of an applicatn for a This
only 40 variance; or to
to submit a proposal for review by the City. There are
Y remaining businesses that are not actively seeking compliance with the Sign Ordinance.
Originally, approximately 600 businesses were identified out of compliance with the sign
ordinance. Approximately 100 of the 600
administrative) buass were brought into compliance
were allowed to These were businesses that had signs just ust slightly out of compliance and
remain. Of the remaining 500 businesses only 160 are out of compliance. This
represents approximately 74 %compliance of the original 600 non complying signs.
Citywide there are approximately 2,400 businesses with signs and only 160 are currently out
of compliance with the Sign Ordinance. Therefore, approximately 94 percent of all the
businesses with signage in the Cit
1). Y are now in compliance with the Sign Ordinance (see Table
RECEIVED Benda Item:.L.3
TABLE 1. Sign Compliance
Non -Complying Businesses (600 total)
PercentCompliance (600total)
77 %
City -Wide Compliance (29400 businesses)
Since the original adoption of the Sign Ordinance on November 13, 1990 there have been two
(2) revisions to the Unified Development Code (UDC) in order to make it more flexible for
businesses to comply. The City established a Sign Task Force which represented a diverse
cross-section of the business community. closely with staff and acted in an
This group worked
advisory role during public outreach and with revisions to the Sign Ordinance.
The City has conducted an extensive sign outreach effort throughout the entire business
community with information about the sign amortization which included mail notification,
hand distribution of flyers & brochures, newspaper ads, and one-on-one meetings with business
and property owners. Staff has mailed a series of warning letters and code enforcement
violation notices to non -complying business and property owners The first violation notice was
mailed out on September 14, 2000, to approximately 300 businesses.
In an effort to help facilitate the compliance process the City Council helped to subsidize the
Permit fees associated with signs coming into compliance. Between 25 to 50 percent of the
Permit fees were waived for businesses coming into compliance during a specified time period.
In addition, the City worked with local banks to offer low interest loans to assist small
businesses with Sign Ordinance compliance.
Igroups that have assisted in the City's n addition to the compliance efforts put forth by staff, there have been several community
inclde the Newhall
Redevelopment Committee, Canyon Country Better than Ever Co. Thoseummittee, and the Saugus
Spirit Committee. Along with members of the Newhall Redevelopment Committee, staff
distributed sign compliance information to every business in the Newhall Special Standards
District. In addition, the Canyon Country Better than Ever Committee placed an ad in a local
newspaper thanking all those businesses in Canyon Country which have complied with the
Sign Ordinance.
Staff will present a slide show with photographs of businesses throughout the City in
compliance with the Sign Ordinance at the City Council meeting. This presentation will focua
on the compliance efforts on some of the City's major thoroughfares and shopping centers.
FISC— `AI -- T
None at this time.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other actions as determined by Council.
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