21.16.290 Residential signs.
Only the following signs are permitted:
A. Occupant Identification, Home Occupation and Child Day-Care Center Signs. A sign identifying the occupants of a residence or home occupation on which premises the sign is located, providing:
1. There shall not be more than one sign per dwelling unit;
2. The maximum size of a child day-care sign shall be six square feet for a sign placed flat against the wall of a building, or six square feet and not more than 42 inches high for a freestanding sign. The maximum size of an occupant identification sign or a home occupation sign shall be two square feet for a sign placed against the wall of a building, or two square feet and not more than 24 inches high for a freestanding sign;
3. Freestanding signs shall be permanently installed and shall be set back a minimum of five feet from a right-of-way;
4. There shall be no internal illumination of, nor external illumination directed at, the sign; and
5. The components of the sign shall not be temporary or removable.
B. Restrictions or Danger in Use of Premises. Signs no larger than two square feet referring to the restrictions or danger in use of premises on which the sign is located, including, but not limited to, “no trespassing,” “beware of dog,” and “electrified fence” signs.
C. On-Site Sale of Household Goods. Signs advertising sale of household goods, for example, garage and yard sales, providing such signs:
1. Do not exceed four square feet in area per side;
2. Are attached to a wall or mounted in the ground on the site where the sale would occur;
3. Are placed no more than one day prior to sale and removed within one day following sale;
4. Shall only be used for the sale of household goods and shall not be used for home occupations or any other residential or commercial purpose;
5. Portable off-premises sale of household goods signs are allowed providing such signs:
a. No more than three off-premises signs for sale of household goods are allowed. These signs may be located along the edge of street rights-of-way; however, they shall not be located on or overhang street pavement, street medians, sidewalks or any area where people walk, ride bicycles, drive or park vehicles;
b. May be located on property other than that where household goods are for sale with the permission of the property owner where sign is placed. These signs shall not be fastened to any telephone or utility pole, fence, traffic control device, public structure, rock, tree or shrub;
6. Shall not be located on city park property or within public rights-of-way adjacent to city park property.
D. Real Estate Signs.
1. Signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of property, providing such signs:
a. Do not exceed 10 square feet per side, do not exceed five feet in height and are attached to a wall or mounted in the ground on the site for sale, rent or lease only so as to prevent such signs from becoming a hazard to pedestrians or motorists for individual developed single-family lots;
b. Do not exceed 32 square feet in area per side and subject to the location, number and height regulations of LMC 21.16.310(I) for the following: tracts of undeveloped land; tracts of partially developed land which may be developed at a higher density; and subdivisions; and
c. Are removed once the property and/or buildings being advertised are sold, rented or leased.
2. Portable off-premises real estate open house and directional signs are allowed providing such signs:
a. Shall only be used for sale, lease or rental of real property and shall not be used for home occupations or any other residential or commercial purpose;
b. May be within the public right-of-way located along the edge; however, they shall not be located on or overhang street pavement, street medians, sidewalks or any area where people walk, ride bicycles, drive or park vehicles;
c. In number are no more than the minimum necessary to direct the public from principal and minor arterials in the city to property for sale, lease or rent and no more than one sign per agent, property manager or seller shall be placed per street intersection;
d. May be located on property other than that for sale, lease or rent with permission of property owner where the sign is located. These signs shall not be fastened to any telephone or utility pole, street light, traffic control device, public structure, fence, rock, tree or shrub;
e. Shall not exceed four square feet per side;
f. Shall only be placed when agent, seller or property manager is at the property for sale, lease or rent and only on Saturday and Sunday during daylight hours, and only on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.;
g. Shall not be located on city park property or within public rights-of-way adjacent to city park property.
The above described signs do not require a sign permit, but this exemption shall not relieve the owner of the sign from the responsibility for its conformance with this section.
E. Construction Signs. Construction signs providing such signs:
1. Do not exceed 10 square feet per side, and do not exceed five feet in height for individual developed single-family lots. Such signs may be attached to a wall or mounted in the ground on the site of construction so that such signs are not a hazard to pedestrians, bicyclists or motorists for individual developed single-family lots. Such signs shall be removed at the time permitted construction receives final approval by the city;
2. Do not exceed 32 square feet per side and comply with the regulations of LMC 21.16.280 for the following: tracts of undeveloped land; tracts of partially developed land that may be developed at a higher density; subdivisions and development in multiple-family zones.
The above signs do not require a sign permit, but this exemption shall not relieve the owner of such signs from the responsibility for compliance with this section.
F. Residential Development or Institution Identification Signs. Ground signs which identify residential developments such as subdivisions and apartment complexes or institutional uses such as places of worship and schools providing such signs:
1. Are located within the development or site so identified;
2. Do not exceed one per street frontage;
3. Comply with the ground sign regulations in LMC 21.16.310 except for the regulation prohibiting removable letters; and
G. Signs for Offices in Multiple-Family Zones. There shall be no signs allowed except wall signs, ground signs, and building directories. All wall and ground signs shall conform to the requirements and criteria of LMC 21.16.310. All wall signs shall be noninternally illuminated, except for individual letter signs and signs with opaque sign face backgrounds that only allow letters and/or business logos or graphics to be visible at night. Wall signs on building facades oriented toward nearby residential zones shall not be illuminated. (Ord. 3415 § 18, 2022; Ord. 2883 § 3, 2011; Ord. 2449 § 3, 2003; Ord. 2310 § 42, 2000)