SAN CLEMENTE : City Seeking to Limit Portable Signs

Numerous signs and banners that have sprung up in the city in recent years may dwindle soon under a revised sign ordinance before the Planning Commission.

“We’ve got banners everywhere,” said Bob Goldin, principal planner. “They’re strung between palm trees and city light fixtures, nailed to trees, put on city benches. We need to have a criteria to regulate them.”

With the help of a citizens advisory committee, the commission is rewriting its outdated sign ordinance, which regulates the number of banners, real estate signs, portable A-frame signs and signs on school property. For two years, the city has not restricted the number of banners and portable signs that businesses use to attract customers, mainly because of the impact of the recession on store owners, Goldin said.

Under a plan approved Tuesday by the commission, portable signs such as sandwich boards would not be allowed on sidewalks and would be limited to one per business or two per building shared by store owners. Real estate signs giving directions to open houses would be limited to one per street corner. And businesses using banners would be restricted to four permits a year for a total of 120 days.

“Banners shouldn’t be used as a substitute for a good business sign,” said commissioner Lew Elia.

The commission will hold a public hearing on the issue Sept. 5. If approved at the hearing, the sign ordinance will go to the City Council. With council approval the ordinance would go into effect Jan. 1.