§ 30-6.2. Definitions.

As used in this section:

Abandoned sign shall mean a sign, or part of a sign, or any structure that does or once had supported a sign, which has not, for a period over thirty (30) days, displayed the identity of a business, lessor, owner, product, service or activity on the premises where the sign and/or structure is located.

Affiliation sign shall mean any sign whose sole purpose is to identify membership in an association of businesses, such as credit card companies, association membership, trading stamps.

Auto dealership 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 adjacent parcels contiguous to ones with frontage on Park Street under ownership or lease to auto dealers, and including adjacent portions of Blanding Avenue, Buena Vista Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Tilden Way and Lincoln Avenue which abut parcels under ownership or lease to auto dealers.

Awning shall mean a hood or cover which projects from a wall of a building, which is primarily intended to provide shade and shelter, and which is typically made of canvas or aluminum or similar materials, and may be fixed in place or retractable.

Balloon shall mean an inflated is filled with hot air or a gas lighter than air.

Banner shall mean a sign not made of rigid material either enclosed or not enclosed in a rigid frame, which is temporarily mounted or attached to either poles, trees or buildings, and may be placed as to allow movement of the sign by the wind.

Borderless sign shall mean a sign composed of parts of a message without a single border enclosing any of the parts.

Building frontage shall mean the portion of an exterior building wall which faces a public street, walkway or parking lot. When separated by interior walls, more than one (1) kind of business may be considered a separate place of business although operated within the same building by the same owner.

Bulletin board sign shall mean a sign used to display announcements relative to a public, charitable, religious or fraternal institution.

Business shall mean an organization involved in the provision of goods or services, including transitory residential uses such as motels and hotels but excluding multiple residential uses.

Business complex shall mean five (5) or more businesses located on one (1) or more parcels of land sharing common pedestrian or vehicular access or parking facilities.

Business park shall mean industrial or commercial development in all industrial, manufacturing zones designated in part by the letter M, which contain at least five (5) different businesses with a combined gross floor area of at least fifty thousand (50,000) square feet.

Commemorative plaques shall mean memorial signs and tablets, building name and erection date, symbols and similar emblems that are a permanent design element of a building or other structure.

Construction sign shall mean a sign which identifies the persons, firms or businesses directly connected with a construction project.

Dilapidated sign shall mean a sign that is no longer in a good state of repair, and is not visually attractive and functional, or has become a health or safety hazard.

Directional sign shall mean an on-site sign which is designed and erected solely for the purposes of directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic within a project. Such a sign shall contain no advertising copy.

District shall mean any zoning district designated in the zoning regulations of the City.

Directory sign shall mean an identification sign listing the tenants of a building, complex or multi-tenant space. Directory signs shall not include any logos or advertising.

Double-faced sign shall mean a sign constructed to display its message on the outer surfaces of two (2) identical and/or opposite parallel planes.

Exterior display wall shall mean a colonnade or a wall with openings designed as an architectural feature at the front edge of an automobile dealership's display lot, designed to provide continuity with adjacent buildings and to improve appearance at the sidewalk.

Externally illuminated shall mean illumination by a light source located outside of and not attached to the surface of the sign. Illuminated tubing and strings of lights outlining portions of buildings shall be considered externally illuminated signs.

Erected shall mean attached, altered, built, constructed, reconstructed, enclosed or moved, and shall include the painting of wall signs.

Face of sign shall mean the entire surface of a sign upon which copy can be placed.

Flag shall mean any fabric, banner, or bunting containing distinctive colors, patterns, or symbols, used as a symbol.

Flashing sign shall mean any sign which is perceived as an intermittent or flashing light.

Fraternal organization shall mean a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest or pleasure, which shall include lodges, social halls, and union halls.

Freestanding sign shall mean a sign fixed in an upright position on the ground not attached to a building or any structure other than a framework or device, erected primarily to support the sign.

Fundraising event sign shall mean a temporary sign announcing a fundraising drive or event of a civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organization. Political campaign signs are not included under this category.

Garage sale sign shall mean a sign with a message advertising the resale of personal property that has been used by the resident.

Governmental buildings . For the purpose of this article, shall mean and include: City, County, State and Federal buildings.

Grand opening sign shall mean a temporary sign or banner erected one (1) time only for a limited period of time to announce the opening of a new business.

Height shall mean the vertical distance from the uppermost point used in measuring the area of a sign to the ground immediately below such point or the level of the upper surface of the nearest curb of the street upon which the sign fronts, whichever measurement is the greatest.

Historic sign shall mean any signs that have been determined by the Historic Advisory Board to have historic merit.

Identification sign shall mean a sign which serves to tell only the name, address, business and/or profession of the occupant, or use of the building upon which the sign is located, and which may include an emblem, insignia or logo.

Illegal sign shall mean a sign erected in violation of the laws in effect at that time, and not in conformance with the regulations of the Alameda Municipal Code at the time of adoption of this article.

Informational sign shall mean any sign which is designed and erected solely for the purpose of communicating information for the safety or convenience of the public, such as telephone, danger, rest rooms.

Institutional uses shall mean uses such as schools, churches, fraternal organizations, community, governmental, and public recreational facilities, hospitals and convalescent homes.

Internally illuminated shall mean a sign whose light source is located in the interior of the sign so that the rays go through the face of the sign.

Light source shall mean a bulb or tube from which light is emitted when it is activated, including but not limited to incandescent filament bulb, electric discharge bulb, neon tube, and fluorescent tube.

Marquee shall mean a permanent structure extending over the entrance to a building, attached to and supported by the building or freestanding and self supporting.

Menu reader board shall mean any sign intended to provide information to patrons while using a drive-through facility.

Menu, window sample shall mean a copy of a restaurant's regular tableside or take out menu(s), placed in the window for the intent of allowing pedestrians to view such information as the restaurant's food items, hours of availability and prices.

Moving sign shall mean a sign which has any actual or apparent moving parts, activated in any way by mechanical or electrical devices or by wind currents. Signs which change or appear to change color or intensity of lighting shall be included.

Multiple-faced sign shall mean a sign constructed to display its message on a curbed surface or on two (2) or more planar surfaces.

Nonconforming sign shall mean any advertising structure or sign which was lawfully erected and maintained prior to the adoption of this article, and which has subsequently come under the requirements of this article, with which it does not completely comply.

Nonilluminated shall mean neither directly nor indirectly lighted and containing no material that is made for the purpose of being reflective or fluorescent.

Official sign shall mean a sign or signs required by governmental body to discharge its legally required function.

Off-premises directional sign shall mean a sign identifying a publicly owned facility, emergency facility, tenants within a business park, temporary subdivision signs, which are no greater than thirty (30) square feet in area. Such facilities and business parks may have no more than two (2) off-premises directional signs. Real estate signs are not included in this definition.

Off-premises sign shall mean any sign identifying a use, facility, service or product which is not located, sold, or manufactured on the same premises as the sign or which identifies a use, service or product by a brand name which, although sold or manufactured on the premises, does not constitute the principal item for sale or manufactured on the premises.

On-premises sign shall mean any sign identifying a use, facility, service or product which is located, sold, or manufactured on the same premises as the sign.

Parking lot shall mean an area of land which is accessible and usable for the off-street parking of motor vehicles, except for land designated for product display by new and used automobile dealers.

Pennant shall mean a long, narrow, usually triangular flag.

Permanent sign shall mean any sign for which a sign permit is issued with no time limit in accordance with the provisions of this article. Any mention of signs in this article shall be considered to mean permanent signs unless there is a specified time limit or reference to temporary (e.g., promotional) signs.

Political campaign sign shall mean a sign designed for the purpose of advertising support of or opposition to a candidate or proposition for a public election.

Portable freestanding sign shall mean a sign that is designed to be movable and is not structurally attached to the ground, a building, structure, or any other sign. Included are signs built in the configuration of an "A" or an "I" frame, and signs mounted on rollers or slides.

Privilege sign shall mean a standardized sign supplied at nominal cost or free to a retailer where a portion of the sign face identifies the products of a regional or national distributor or manufacturer available only incidentally on the premises, and a portion of the sign identifies the local retailer. Signs identifying the primary commodity, service or activity available on the premises, such as signs for auto dealerships, gasoline stations and chain stores and businesses, shall not be included in this category.

Promotional sign shall mean any temporary sign or device (other than permanent signs used to identify the business' or organization's name) used for advertising, examples of which include but is not limited to the promotion of limited time offers of gifts, products or sale prices.

Projecting sign shall mean any sign which is suspended from or supported by a building or wall and which projects outward therefrom. Signs suspended under a porch or permanent walkway covering shall be included.

Real estate sign shall mean a type of temporary sign indicating that a property or any portion thereof is open for inspection, for sale, for rent, or otherwise available or directing people to such a property. Temporary subdivision signs are not included under this definition.

Recreational facilities for the purposes of this article, shall mean and include public parks, and facilities for physical recreation such as golf, tennis, swimming and boating.

Reflective sign shall mean a sign which is not electrically illuminated, but which responds to light, such as from passing auto headlights by shining or glowing.

Roof sign shall mean any sign erected upon or above the roof or parapet of any building, including any porch, marquee, walkway covering, or similar roof like structure.

Seasonal decorations shall mean temporarily erected greetings, ornamentation and displays that relate to an established and recognized holiday, such as July 4 or Christmas, which contain no advertising.

Seasonal sales sign shall mean a temporary sign or banner erected for a limited period of time to identify a seasonal business such as Christmas tree lots.

Sign structure shall mean any device whose primary function is to support a sign.

Single-faced sign shall mean a sign constructed so that its message is displayed on a single plane, and is viewable from only one (1) side of the plane.

Streamer shall mean any, ribbon-like flag or banner that relies on wind motion to attract attention.

Subdivision sign shall mean a sign containing the name, location, or directions to a builder, developer, and pertinent information about a subdivision for which there is a properly approved and recorded map, and in which homes or units in a building remain to be constructed, completed or initially sold.

Temporary sign shall mean any sign or advertising display, including all forms of "promotional signs" as defined by this section, which is typically but not necessarily either made of paper, poster board, cardboard, cloth, canvas, fabric, plywood or other light materials, or painted directly onto windows, and is designed or intended to be displayed for a short period of time.

Vehicular sign shall mean a vehicle which has a sign mounted or painted thereon which is used primarily as the sign structure and not as a vehicle.

Wall sign shall mean any outward-facing sign affixed to a building or fence, at no point projecting more than six (6″) inches horizontally from the surface upon which it is attached.

Window display shall mean any collection of merchandise or artifacts, arranged in a three-dimensional display behind a window, typically intended to provide pedestrians with a visual display of the items available for sale. The term "window display" excludes "window sign" as defined by this section, but may include incidental price labels on the items being displayed.

Window sign shall mean any sign: (a) painted on, affixed to, or placed adjacent to, a window, door or opening or located inside within a distance of three (3') feet or less from a window, door or opening, or any sign located behind a window or door or within an opening; and (b) designed to be viewed from the outside of the building. The term "window sign" excludes "window display" as defined by this section.

(Ord. No. 2938 N.S. § 3)