City Council
Citywide Sign Regulations
Update to the Pomona Zoning & Development Code to Section .1310. “Signs” Zoning Code Amendment (CODE-001403-2024)
City Council
Request
Code Amendment (CODE-001403-2024)
Request to amend the Pomona Zoning & Development
Code to remove Section .1310. “Signs” and incorporate new sign regulations in Pomona Zoning and Development Code
Section 630. “Signs”.
City Council
+ Citywide
+ Excludes:
• Downtown Pomona Specific Plan
• Pomona Corridors Specific Plan
• Phillips Ranch Specific Plan
• Mission 71 Business Park
Location
City Council
Replace
Euclidean zoning sign regulations with content neutral sign regulations that align with the adopted modular zoning framework
Establish
objective design standards and incorporate diagrams
Improve
legal and procedural use of the sign code
Amendment
City Council
Previous Action
On February 12, 2024, the Planning Commission approved on a 7-0-0-0 vote, a request to update Section .1310 “Signs” and replace it with new sign regulations Section 630. “Signs” , Zoning Code Amendment (CODE- 001403-2024) with the following conditions:
1) Remove all permanent sign allowances in the Neighborhood Y ard frontage module with the exception of Suspended Signs (originally proposed with special exemptions based on use for sign permissions). This revision would address concerns related to constitutional free speech protections. 2) Based on feedback from the City Attorney’s office, the Planning Commission directs Staff to revise the definitions for “Building Signs, ” “Street and T raffic Control Signs, ” and “Original Artwork Murals” to ensure that these terms are not unconstitutionally vague.
City Council
The new Signs regulations will be
located in the SITE chapter with sign
permissions to be determined by the
FRONTAGE module type assigned
to each Zoning District.
Aligning sign types to frontage
modules is a strategic approach to
assure consistency with the goals &
policies of the general plan by
maintaining the desired relationship
to the public right-of-way.
City Council
Signage allowance will be regulated
similarly to that of the existing code
and include definitions, regulations
on dimension, number of signs, and
location of both temporary and
permanent signage.
City Council
Like our existing sign code, our new
sign code will include definitions and
contain similar prohibitions on sign
types.
It will carry over prohibitions on
items like aerial signs, animated
signs, balloons, inflatable signs, and
portable signs and updates
definitions to capture more modern
signs.
It also defines and prohibits new
types of signs that are not seen in
today’s code like aerial roof signs,
and digital signs.
City Council
The new sign code alters some of these
definitions to be content neutral to
reduce free speech concerns of
unconstitutionally vague terminology.
City Council
The new sign code also includes new
regulations on sign removal,
installation, and maintenance, where
the existing code is silent.
City Council
Additionally, the new sign regulation
has some updates, including new
types of signage.
City Council
Code Amendment (CODE-00698-2024)
+ A public hearing notice in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the local paper of circulation.
+ All notification for the processing of a Code Amendment was completed as required by law.
Noticing
City Council
+ The City of Pomona, as lead agency, has conducted an
environmental review on the proposed project per the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
+ In compliance with Section 15061(b)(3), the proposed
project is covered by the general rule exemption which
exempts activities that can be seen with certainty to have no possibility for causing a significant effect on the
environment. The project may be considered for the
general rule exemption in that the proposed project only includes the amendment of text of an adopted document
previously studied in the 2014 Pomona GPU Final EIR. The proposed project described above hereby meets the
guidelines. Therefore, no further environmental review is required.
Environmental
Review
City Council
Staff recommends that City Council move to approve first reading and draft Ordinance No. 4357 for recommend
Zoning Code Amendment (CODE-001403-2024) with the
recommended revisions.
Staff Recommendation
City Council
City
Council
Effective
Date
2nd Reading
APRIL 7
30 days from Adoption
Next Steps
City
Council
1st Reading
MARCH 17