ORDINANCE NO. 3939
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 11,
ARTICLE 6 OF DIVISION 9, BY AMENDING SECT¡ON
911.6.100 PERTAINING TO PROHIBITED SIGNS;
REPEALTNG ARTTCLE t0 ENFORCEMENï ADDTNG
ARTICLE 10 - ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL BILLBOARDS; AND
ADDING ARTICLE 11 - ENFORCEMENT
NOW THEREFORE, THE C|TY COUNCTL OF THE C|TY OF TORRANCE DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1
That Section 911.6.100 entitled 'PROHIBITED SIGNS" of Chapter 11, Article 6, of Division 9 of the Torrance Municipal Code to read in its entirety as follows:
91 1.6.100 PROHIBITED SIGNS.
The following signs, sign types and locations are inconsistent with the purposes and standards of this Chapter and are, therefore, prohibited in the City:
a) Abandoned and/or dilapidated sign structures.
b) lnflatable devices.
c) Lightbulb strings or tube lighting, unless approved as part of the building design. d) Flashing signs.
e) Snipe signs.
f) Obscene or unlawful signs.
g) Portable signs, including A-frame, T-stand, rolling signs, sandwich boards, bow banners or signs held or supported by human beings.
h) Signs emitting audible sounds, odors or particulate matter. i) Rotating, moving, changing or blinking signs.
j) Signs emulating traffic signals or devices.
k) Mylar balloons.
SECTION 2
Article 10 of Chapter 11 of Division 9 is hereby repealed in its entirety.
SECTION 3
Article 10 of Chapter 11 of Division 9 is added "Electronic/Digital Billboards" to read in its entirety as follows:
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.,ARTICLE IO . ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL BILLBOARDS
911.1 O.O1O ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
a) The term "electronic/digital billboard" shall be defined here as any electronic billboard consisting of digital display such as an LED panel mounted adjacent to a freeway, at least 40' minimum above the nearest freeway lane and within 100 feet from the edge of the nearest freeway right of way should circumstances warrant.
b) The electronic/digital billboard shall be included as part of a development agreement, lease agreement or other agreement with the City or its related agencies. Such agreement shall contain performance standards, one-time fees, public benefits, and ongoing revenue provisions that allow the city or related agencies to undertake projects, programs, or other activities that improve the visual environment.
91 1.1 O.O2O DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
a) Electronic/digital billboards shall be allowed only on City-owned property zoned C "Commercial" or M "Manufacturing".
b) Minimum of half mile spacing between electronic/digital billboards shall be observed, except as may be approved in a development agreement.
c) Electronic/digital billboards shall be a minimum 200'from residential property lines. d) Electronic/digital billboards shall be a maximum height of 80'with a 40' minimum above the nearest freeway lane.
e) No one face of a double-faced or V-shaped billboard shall exceed '1,000 square feet in area and shall include screen face and all decorative elements. f) No electronic/digital billboard shall have more than two faces. A face shall be considered the display surface upon which an advertising message is displayed. g) No advertising display may be placed that is so illuminated or contains a digital display that it interferes with the effectiveness of or obscures any official trafiic sign, device, or signal or violates any applicable law; nor shall any advertising display include any digital display or be illuminated in a manner that includes flashing, intermittent, or moving lights as further prohibited by the provisions of the Business and Professions Code; nor shall any advertising display cause beams or rays of light to be directed at the traveled ways if the light is of an intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or to impair the vision of any driver, or to interfere with any driver's operation of a motor vehicle.
h) No advertising display shall be placed or maintained in violation of the outdoor advertising act, Chapter 2 (commencing with section 5200) of Division 3 of the California Business and Professions Code, or any other applicable state, federal, or local law. i) Unless otherwise specified in this section, the general sign requirements set forth in the Business and Professions Code shall apply to plans and materials for and to design, construction, street address numbers, identification and maintenance of outdoor advertising displays approved under this section.
j) All back or rear portions of single-faced and V-type billboards visible from a public right-of-way or other public or private property shall be screened. The screening shall cover all structural members of the sign, not including the pole supports, and shall additionally cover all electrical or electronic display equipment, and any associated antennas, cables, and other appurtenances. t :li
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2 k) The following restrictions also shall apply:
1. The duration of each message displayed shall be at least eight seconds;
2. No message shall move, flash, shimmer, glitter, or give the appearance of moving, flashing, shimmering or glittering;
3. There shall be a direct change from each message to the next, with no blank or dark interval in between, to avoid a flashing or blinking effect;
4. Display of any form of motion or apparent motion within the message, and any form of video, are prohibited;
5. The brightness of the display surface shall be limited as follows:
i. Dawn to dusk: unlimited;ii. Dusk to dawn: the display surface shall not produce luminance in excess of 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light conditions, or the level recommended by the llluminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) for the specific size and location of the billboard, whichever is less. Measurement of luminance shall be carried out in accordance with established scientific methods and industry standards, specifically IESNA TM-11-00, or a successive IESNA technical publication.
6. The display brightness shall be controlled by a photocell or light sensor that adjusts the brightness to the required dusk-to-dawn level based on ambient light conditions without the need for human input. Use of other brightness adjustment methods, such as timer- or calendar-based systems, shall only be used as a backup system;
7. The display shall be factory certified as capable of complying with the above brightness standards. Such certification shall be provided to the satisfaction of the Community Development Director;
8. The electronic/digital billboard owner shall provide to the City, upon request, certification by an independent contractor that the brightness levels of the electronic billboard are in compliance with the requirements of this Section;
9. All electronic/digital billboards shall be oriented, and adequately shielded if necessary so as to prevent the trespass of light and glare upon any residential land uses, including those in mixed-use districts, as existed on the date of building permit issuance; and
10. Allelectronic/digital billboards shall be equipped with a controlsystem that, in the event of a display or control malfunction, "freezes" the display on either a single, unchanging message, or a blank screen.
l) Minimum of 1}%of ad space shall be dedicated to civic and non-profit advertisements. m) When an advertising display is defaced with graffiti, the display owner shall remove the graffiti within 48-hours after telephonic notice by city.
n) Prior to issuance of a building permit for any billboard pro¡ect subject to the requirements of this Chapter, the applicant shall provide the following:
1. The telephone number of a maintenance service, to be available 24-hours a day and an e-mail address, to be contacted in the event that a billboard becomes dilapidated or damaged, or malfunctions in the case of electronic billboards; and 3 2. Proof of lease demonstrating a right to install the billboard on the subject property. o) All billboard structures shall be maintained in a neat, clean, and orderly condition. Any structure which is highly rusted, has peeling paint or sign copy, or in any other way appears unattractive or in disrepair shall be deemed in violation of this Chapter and shall be removed or repaired in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter. Any structure which the City Engineer, Building Official or designee, identifies as an immediate threat to public safety may be removed by the City Engineer or Building Official, or his designee, without notice to the property owner and at the property owner's expense. Mandatory refurbishment shall be performed every 25 years at cost to the owner."
sEcTtoN 4
Article 11 of Chapter 11 of Division 9 is added "Enforcement" to read in its entirety as follows:
.ARTICLE 11 . ENFORCEMENT
91I.I1.010 ENFORCEMENT.
It shall be the duty of the Community Development Director to enforce the provisions of this Chapter. The Chief of Police and all officers charged with the enforcement of the law shall assist the Community Development Director in the enforcement of this Chapter. 911.11.020 Repealed by Ordinance No. 3939.
911.II.030 ABATEMENT OF NONCONFORMING SIGNS.
a) A period of 10 years subsequent to the date of the adoption of this Chapter is hereby established for the abatement of signs legally existing prior to said date but which signs become nonconforming as a result of regulations contained herein. This provision applies to signs previously permitted by variance or other zoning exception as well as to signs otherwise established. lllegally erected signs are subject to immediate abatement. b) Nonconforming, painted, wall signs are subject, in addition to the abatement procedures set forth, to immediate abatement when the business occupying the premises changes to a different business or different owner necessitating repainting of the signs. c) Abatement periods established herein are subject to appeal before the Planning Commission and City Council.
911.11.040 UNSAFE AND UNLAWFUL SIGNS.
a) Signs and sign structures shall be maintained at all times in a state of good repair, safe and secure with all braces, bolts, clips, supporting frame and fastenings free from deterioration, termite infestation, rot, rust or loosening, able to withstand at all times the wind pressure for which they were originally designed.
b) No person maintaining any sign, sign structure or billboard shallfail to keep the ground space within eight feet from the base of said sign, signboard, billboard or advertising structure free and clear of weeds, rubbish and other flammable waste material. l.*?,rì
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4 c) lf the Community Development Director shall find that any sign or other advertising structure regulated herein is unsafe or insecure, or has been constructed or erected or is being maintained in violation of the provisions of this Section, the permittee or owner thereof shall be given written notice. lf the permittee or owner fails to remove or alter the structure so as to comply with the standards herein set forth within 30 days after such notice, such sign or advertising structure may be removed or altered to comply by the Community Development Director at the expense of the permittee or owner of the property upon which it is located. The Community Development Director shall refuse to issue any subsequent building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits for the property on which the offending sign was located if any owner or permittee shall refuse to pay costs so assessed. The Community Development Director may cause any sign or other advertising structure which is an immediate peril to persons or property to be removed summarily and without notice.
d) The Community Development Director may cause any illegal temporary sign in the public right-of-way or public property, including flags, pennants, banners and temporary window signs to be removed within a24-hour period."
SECTION 5
Any provisions of the Torrance Municipal Code or its appendices, or any other ordinances of the City inconsistent with this ordinance to the extent of the inconsistencies and no furthe¡ are repealed.
sEcTtoN 6
lf any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason deemed or held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance.
The City Council of the City of Torrance hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or other portions might subsequently be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 6
Any person violating any of the provisions of this Ordinance will be guilty of an infraction, and upon conviction will be subject to a fine as provided for in Section 36900 of the California Government Code.
5 sEcTtoN 7
This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after the date of its adoption. Within fifteen (15) days following adoption, this Ordinance or a summary of this ordinance if authorized by the City Council, will be published at least once in the Daily Breeze, a newspaper of general circulation, published and circulated in the City of Torrance.
INTRODUCED and APPROVED this 29th day of Odober 2024
ADOPTED and PASSED this 19th day of November 2024.
Mayo K. Chen
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN, CityAttorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF TORRANCE
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS
ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS
RECUSED: COUNCILMEMBERS
ABSENT COUNCILMEMBERS
Poirier, MMC
ATTESÏ
by
Y. Strader,nt CityAttorney Poirier, MM City Clerk
TORRANCE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 3939
ss
Gerson, Kaji, Kalani, Lewis, Mattucci and Mayor Chen.
)
)
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l, Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk of the City of Torrance, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was duly introduced and approved by the City Council of the City of Torrance at a regular meeting held on the 29th day of October 2024 and adopted and passed by said Council at a regular meeting held on the 19th day of November 2024 by the following roll call vote:
None.
None.
None.
Sheikh.t.irì'ìl1I.\- ,,
6 Date City Clerk of the City of Torrance