Bellingham Municipal Code, City of Bellingham, WA

City of Bellingham Municipal Code

Title 20 LAND USE DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 12 GENERAL STANDARDS

20.12.040 - SIGNS

A. Development Handbooks. The following represents a compilation of the sign regulations found in the development handbooks.

1. General Provisions. No sign shall be permitted unless it complies with the provisions of this Chapter.

2. Exemptions. The following signs shall be exempt from the provisions of tis Title:

a. Traffic signs installed by a government agency.

b. Directional, wayfinding program signs installed by a government agency if the signs are consistent with the provisions of the applicable Neighborhood Plan.

Public General Use Type

Residential Single General Use Type

Generally

b. Regulations by Use

Use: Subdivision.

ii. Use: Residential and Home Occupation.

iii. Use: Non-residential (conditional use and mixed uses).

iv. Temporary Building Sign.

v. Real Estate Sign

(a)

(b)

(c)

Residential Multi General Use Type

Generally

b. Regulation by Use

i. Use: Duplex/Multi Family Dwelling Unit

ii. Use: Home Occupation

iii. Use: Non-Residential (Conditional or Mixed Use)

iv. Use: Temporary Building Sign

v. Use: Real Estate Sign

(a)

(b)

(6)

Commercial General Use Type.

a. Neighborhood

ii.

iii.

iv.

vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

b. Auto.

ii.

iii.

iv.

vi.

vii.

viii.

c. Waterfront.

ii.

iii.

iv.

vi.

vii.

d. Central.

ii.

iii

Industrial General Use Type.

a. Light and Heavy

ii.

iii.

iv.

vi.

vii.

b. Marine.

ii.

iii.

iv.

vi.

8. Planned Use Qualifier

a. Planned Multi.

b. Planned Commercial.

ii.

iii.

iv.

vi.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

vii.

viii.

ix.

c. Planned Industrial.

ii.

iii.

iv.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

vi.

viii

ix.

B. Off-Premise Signs.

C. Nonconforming Signs.

D. Non-commercial Messages. Any sign, display, device or other message permitted, but not required, under this code or ordinances of the City may contain, in lieu of any other copy, any otherwise lawful non-commercial message that does not direct attention to a business operated for profit or to a commodity, service or property for sale or rent, and that complies with all other requirements of this code and other ordinances of the City.

E. Billboard Standards.

1. A billboard may be relocated or replaced under the following provisions:

a. Owners or relocated or replaced billboards shall obtain a transferable Billboard Relocation Permit at the time of the release of a demolition permit for a billboard structure. This permit shall include the site, number, and size of the billboard. The permit is valid for 5 years from the date of issuance.

b. Relocated or replaced billboards require a building permit. Building permit applications shall be accompanied by a Billboard Relocation Permit. One-time only registration fees and yearly tracking fee is required.

c. A holder of a Billboard Relocation Permit may combine multiple small billboard faces to make larger boards of up to the maximum size (300 square feet).

2. A billboard may be relocated provided:

a. If a billboard structure is eliminated in the relocation process, such as by combining multiple structures, the eliminated structure may not be recreated.

b. A relocated billboard face will not exceed the size of the original face or 300 square feet, whichever is smaller. A holder of multiple Billboard Relocation Permits may trade billboard face areas between permits. For instance, two 140 square foot billboard faces may be relocated as one 280 square foot billboard face. If a billboard face is eliminated in the relocation process, such as by combining multiple faces, the eliminated face may not be recreated.

c. A back-to-back, a side-by-side, or a "V" billboard may not be relocated to two separate billboards. A back-to-back, a side-by-side, or a "V" billboard may relocate as a back-to-back, a side-by-side, or a "V" billboard, if it meets the standards of this code.

3. Performance Standards.

a. Billboards which do not meet the standards of this ordinance are nonconforming.

b. Landscaping shall be provided as follows:

i. Provide a new street tree if none exists within 50'.

ii. No removal of street trees and code-required landscaping. Maintenance and trimming in and around the base of the billboard structure is allowed.

iii. Landscaping (defined in Bellingham Municipal Code 20.08) of evergreen plants at the billboard base in Industrial designations.

iv. In Planned and Commercial designations provide substantial screening of the billboard base by placing 6' tall evergreen plants in the area below the billboard face. These plants shall, at maturity, grow as tall as the bottom of the billboard face, but may be less than 6' tall if the billboard face is less than 6' off the ground.

v. Landscaping shall be of native vegetation and low-water using.

c. Signage shall not be a hologram or appear to move. Three-dimensional extensions from billboard faces are allowed if they do not appear to be three-dimensional from the front. Lighting shall be indirect and glare shielded from traffic and nearby residences. Lighting shall not be within the billboard graphic, move, flash, or blink.

d. A billboard shall not be located within 300' of a residential zone unless it can be demonstrated the structure will not have a significant negative visual impact on adjacent residences. This determination shall be made by the Director at least 10 days after written notice is mailed to residential property owners within 300' of the proposed structure.

e. Billboards in Planned designations under development may remain only if included in the new Planned Contract. The billboard must be compatible in terms of scale, use and location. A Planned Contract is required if a billboard is proposed on a vacant Planned site. Conditions of the Planned Contract shall only address the impacts created by the billboard.

f. The minimum spacing between billboards on the same side of the street facing traffic in Commercial and Planned Designations is 300' and in Heavy and Light Industrial Designations is 150'.

g. All billboards are subject to the technical approval of the Public Works Department.

h. Billboards are not allowed in required setbacks from Residential and Public Designations or in the right-of-way, as measured from the vertical extension of any portion of the billboard.

i. "V" boards are allowed if the angle between the billboard faces is no more than 30 degrees.

j. No more than two billboard structures may be located within 100' of all the property corners of an intersection. See Bellingham Municipal Code, Figure 17.

k. The maximum number of billboards on both sides of a street shall be 4 within any 1,320'.

l. Maintenance: All damaged or disfigured billboards, including posters, shall be repaired within 20 days of the occurrence of damage or disfigurement.

m. Billboard height shall not exceed the allowed height for signs in the underlying Land Use Designation, and in no case shall exceed 35' in height.

F. Signs Prohibited in Median Strips and Roundabouts

1. Signs are prohibited citywide within any median strip or roundabout located within the City right-of-way, regardless of use type, zoning, or neighborhood.

2. Traffic signs installed by a government agency, and directional, wayfinding program signs installed by a government agency, are exempt from this provision if the signs are consistent with the provisions of any applicable neighborhood plan.

[Ord. 2011-08-042; Ord. 2001-04-019; Ord. 10674, �� 7 - 16, 1995; Ord. 10592 ��1, 2, 1994; Ord. 10039 �2(part), 1990; Ord. 9908 �2, 1989; Ord. 9652 �2 and 3, 1987; Ord. 9582 �6, 1986 Ord. 9545 �2, 1986; Ord. 9333 �1 (part), 1984; Ord. 9024 (part), 1982]