Section 20.56.090 Standards, limitations and requirments for all signs.
A. Consent of owner. No sign shall be placed on any lot without the express permission of the owner of the lot.
B. No resemblance or interference with official or warning signs. No sign may resemble, simulate or conflict with the proper functioning of any official sign, or use yellow or red blinking or intermittent lights resembling danger or warning signals;
C. No sound or emissions. Signs which produce odor, sound, smoke, flame or other emissions are prohibited.
D. No obstruction or interference. No sign shall:
1. obstruct or impair access to a public sidewalk, public or private street or driveway, traffic control sign, bus stop, fire hydrant, or any other type of street furniture;
2. block the light and ventilation of any residence on any adjoining property which is zoned for residential use; or
3. mislead or confuse users of the roadway.
E. Stacked signs. Stacked signs are allowed if (i) the other requirements in this chapter are satisfied and (ii) the sign is integrated with the structure, (iii) all signs on the same structure are similar in shape and material with one another, except for channel lettering.
F. Compliance with codes. All signs shall comply with applicable provisions of all codes adopted pursuant to Title 15 of the Sparks Municipal Code, and with all other ordinances and provisions of Sparks Municipal Code.
G. Permanent. Except for residential signs, election period signs, two-day signs, ten day temporary signs, window signs, and special monument signs, all signs shall be permanently attached to the ground, a building, or another structure by direct attachment to a rigid wall, frame, or structure.
H. Maintenance, Repair and appearance. All signs and sign structures shall be maintained in good safe structural condition and repair. All signs and display surfaces shall be neat in appearance, and neatly painted or posted. Premises immediately surrounding free standing signs shall be kept clean and free of rubbish, weeds and debris.
K. Illumination standards.
1. Types of illumination allowed. The following types of illumination are allowed in the following zoning districts.
Table 56.090-1
Illumination types allowed
Zone
& use
Illumination
type allowed *
A-5
Agriculture
Indirect only
A-40
Agriculture
Indirect only
R 1 (all)
Residential
Indirect only
R2 - R5
Multifamily
Indirect, internal and Halo only
R5
Nonresidential
Indirect, internal and Halo only
Bus Stop in any zoning district
No illumination allowed in or adjacent to R-1 or R-2 except if the sign is located within 20 feet of an arterial roadway. Elsewhere, only internal illumination is allowed. Safety lighting for a shelter is not considered illumination.
PO
Office
All types
PF
Public Facility
All types
C1
Commercial
All types
C2
Commercial
All types
TC
Commercial
All types
I
Industrial
All types
PD
Planned
Development
As provided in approving ordinance. If approving ordinance does not make provisions, each site shall be governed by this table as if it were zoned in accordance with its actual use. If there is more than one use in the site, the more restrictive zone classification shall be used.
* See definitions under “Illumination” in Section 20.56.030 above.
2. Illumination standards.
a. Direction of light The light source for all indirect illumination signs shall be effectively shielded to prevent beams or rays from being directed at any roadway or abutting property.
b. Intensity. The intensity and brilliance of light shall not be so great as to interfere with the effectiveness of any official sign, or impair the vision of or distract any person on any roadway.
c. Prohibited light sources. No sign shall use a beacon, strobe light, or (in an exposed bulb sign) an individual light bulb which exceeds seventy five watts.
d. Freestanding signs. See subsection 20.56.170.E.8 for special standards for internally lit freestanding signs.
(Ord. 2417, Amended, 11/10/2008, Prior Text; Ord. 2188, Amended, 09/08/2003, Prior Text; Ord. 2120, Add, 01/14/2002)