NOTICE OF EXEMPTION
To: ____ Office of Planning and Research From: (Public Agency) P.O. Box 3044 City of Merced
Sacramento, CA 95812-3044 678 West 18th St.
Merced, CA 95340
X County Clerk
County of Merced
2222 M Street
Merced, CA 95340
Project Title: Zoning/Sign Ordinance Amendment #23-04/Environmental Review #23-27
Project Applicant: City of Merced
Project Location (Specific): City of Merced (City wide)
Project Location - City: Merced Project Location - County: Merced
Description of Nature, Purpose, and Beneficiaries of Project: This application involves repealing Chapter 17.36 – Signs from the Merced Municipal Code and replacing Chapter 20.62 – Signs in its entirety with a comprehensive update to the ordinance that would place all sign regulations in one chapter, bring the Sign Ordinance into compliance with recent court rulings, and make the sign requirements consistent throughout the City. The new ordinance would include new definitions, new regulations for sign area, temporary signs, digital/LED signs, signs in the public right-of-way, billboards, regional signs, freeway signs, and various other sign regulations. The proposed sign ordinance would categorize signs into four main types: permanent building signs, permanent freestanding signs, temporary building signs, and temporary freestanding signs. Each type of sign would be regulated by quantity, size, shape, type of illumination and location.
Name of Public Agency Approving Project: City of Merced
Name of Person or Agency Carrying Out Project: City of Merced
Exempt Status: (check one)
___ Ministerial (Sec. 21080(b)(1); 15268);
___ Declared Emergency (Sec. 21080(b)(3); 15269(a));
___ Emergency Project (Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c));
___Categorical Exemption. State Type and Section Number: __________________ ___ Statutory Exemptions. State Code Number: ____________________.
X General Rule (Sec. 15061 (b)(3))
Reasons why Project is Exempt: The proposed Ordinance has been reviewed by City staff in accordance with the Environmental Checklist Form (Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines) to determine if there would be any possibility that the proposed ordinance would create any significant environmental impacts, and City staff has determined that the amendment of regulations for signs do not meet any of the thresholds contained in the Checklist that would trigger a significant environmental impact, and thus according to the “general ru le exemption” (Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines), projects which have no potential for causing a significant effect on the environment are not subject to CEQA, no further environmental analysis is required.
Lead Agency: City of Merced
Contact Person: Julie Nelson Area Code/Telephone: (209) 385-6858
Signature: _________________________ Date: August 11, 2023 Title: Acting Planning Manager
X Signed by Lead Agency Date Received for Filing at OPR:_____n/a________________(If applicable) Authority Cited: Sections 21083 and 21110. Public Resources Code Reference: Sections 21108, 21152, and 21152.1. Public Resources Code ATTACHMENT 4