CC SR 20211207 L - Temp Banner Signs
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 12/07/2021
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to institute a City Council Policy establishing a
Temporary Banner Program to allow the advertising of non-commercial events in the
public rights-of-way (Case No. PLCA2021-0010.)
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Adopt City Council Policy No. __ thereby instituting a policy establishing a
Temporary Banner Program to allow signs advertising non-commercial events in
the public rights of-way.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Amy Seeraty, Senior Planner
REVIEWED BY: Ken Rukavina, P.E., Director of Community Development
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Draft City Council Policy No. __ (page A-1)
B. Sections 17.76.050(D)(4) and (5) of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code
– Temporary Banners (page B-1)
BACKGROUND:
The City approval process and regulations that allow certain organizations (i.e. non-
profits, a school or school district or other public agency, a church, a sports league
including youth sports, a local chamber of commerce) to place signs advertising special
non-commercial events in the public right-of-way is contained in Section 17.76.050(D)(4)
of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code (RPVMC). Such organizations seeking to
install a temporary banner in the public right-of-way must submit a Temporary Sign Permit
to the Community Development Department. The Community Development Department
currently maintains a reservation system and issues the Temporary Sign Permit for two
spaces at each of the following three locations in the City:
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CITYOF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
• Hawthorne Boulevard and Indian Peak Road
• Crenshaw Boulevard and Indian Peak Road
• Palos Verdes Drive East and Miraleste Drive
On November 2, 2021, the City Council introduced code amendments to the City’s sign
regulations consisting of repealing Section 17.76.050 (Sign Permit) and adding of Chapter
17.75 (Sign Code) to Article VII (Development Application and Review) of Title 17
(Zoning) of the RPVMC. These code amendments were approved and adopted upon
second reading by the City Council on November 16, 2021 and will go into effect on
December 17, 2021.
The new Sign Code primarily focuses on regulations for private property; therefore,
provisions for temporary banner signs advertising non -commercial events in the public
rights-of-way were not included in the sign code update.
To prevent any interruption to this popular program, Staff recommends the City Council
consider instituting a policy, instead of being codified in the RPVMC, regulating the
installation of temporary banner signs advertising noncommercial events in the public
rights-of-way.
DISCUSSION:
Staff recommends instituting a Temporary Banner Program via City Council policy rather
than amending the sign code language because municipal codes typically govern the
conduct of citizens and visitors to the City, while the conduct of the City is typically
addressed through policies. As the Temporary Banner Program is run by the City, Staff
and the City Attorney’s Office believes a policy is most appropriate.
The attached draft City Council Policy (Attachment A) outlines recommended criteria in
considering a permit for temporary banner signs advertising non-commercial events in
the public rights-of-way, as summarized below:
• The events advertised by the temporary banners are limited in terms of locations
and specific date or dates, and shall not advertise the sale of goods or services for
profit.
• Each advertiser shall be limited to the placement of one banner at any one time
per event.
• Temporary Banners can only be placed at specific locations where support
structures have been erected by the City.
• Temporary Banners must be designed to certain aesthetic standards.
With the new policy in place, Staff believes the City’s program to permit temporary banner
signs advertising non-commercial events in the public rights-of-way will continue to be a
benefit to local organizations and the community in promoting noteworthy events.
Organizations seeking to install a temporary banner in the public right -of-way must still
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continue to submit a Temporary Sign Permit application to the Community Development
Department, who will continue to implement the policy. Similar to the current Code
requirements, the application fee for a Temporary Sign Permit will continue to be waived
for Temporary Banners permitted under the proposed City Council Policy because of the
community benefit.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Approve the proposed City Council Policy with further changes to Staff's
recommended language, and read the amended policy language into the record
of tonight's meeting.
2. Direct Staff to make further changes to the recommended language of the
proposed City Council Policy and continue this matter to a future City Council
meeting for review and approval.
3. Do not approve the proposed City Council Policy.
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01107.0005/753225.1
CITY COUNCIL POLICY
NUMBER: X X
DATE ADOPTED: December 7, 2021
SUBJECT: Temporary Banner Program in the Public Right of Way
POLICY:
It shall be the policy of the City Council to establish a Temporary Banner Program to allow
temporary banners advertising special noncommercial events to be placed in the public
rights-of-way,. The purpose of the Temporary Banner Program is to allow advertising of
local events, but not to serve as a means of commercial advertising for goods or services.
The following requirements shall apply: .
1) Temporary Banners shall advertise any the following types of events:
a) Non-profit, or community based, or artistic/cultural events, organized by entities
such as, but not limited to, a non-profit, a school or school district or other public
agency, a church, a sports league including youth sports, a local chamber of
commerce, or similar entity.
b) Events must take place within the City or within one of its adjacent communities,
or benefit residents of the City.
2) Events shall commence within 30 days of the posting of the banner.
3) Events must occur on a specific date or date range.
4) Banners shall not advertise the sale of goods or services for profit.
5) The advertiser shall submit a Temporary Banner Permit Application to the director on
the form provided by the City. The application fee will be waived. The application shall
be filed with the director no sooner than 90 days prior to the first date when the banner
will be posted. Applications shall be processed and approved on a first come, first
served basis. The director shall approve the application for a particular location if it
complies with the requirements set forth in this policy.
6) Banners shall only be placed at the following locations where support structures have
been erected by the City:
a) The intersection of Hawthorne Boulevard and Indian Peak Road;
b) The intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Indian Peak Road; and
c) The intersection of Palos Verdes Drive East and Miraleste Drive.
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01107.0005/753225.1
7) Banners shall be securely attached to the structures that have been erected by the
City for this purpose in the manner prescribed by the director so as not to pose a traffic
hazard and/or impede pedestrian or vehicular access or visibility within the City's
street rights-of-way.
8) Each advertiser shall be limited to the placement of one banner at any one time per
event.
9) Each advertiser shall be limited to the placement of two banners per calendar year,
commencing on January 1 of each year.
10) Each banner shall be displayed for a maximum period of 30 days.
11) A banner shall be removed within 24 hours of the conclusion of the event that the
banner is advertising or at the end of the banner display period, whichever occurs first.
12) Each banner shall be 4 feet in height by 8 feet in width and shall be made only of vinyl
with a #2 grommet in each corner, which will allow for the banner to be securely affixed
to the structure.
13) Each banner must have a light background with dark letters so as to be clearly legible.
14) Only one logo and one graphic shall be allowed on each banner, with no color
restriction.
15) Banners must be clean and in good repair at all times.
BACKGROUND:
On November 16, 2021, the City Council adopted code amendments to the City’s sign
regulations consisting of repealing Section 17.76.050 (Sign Permit) and adding of Chapter
17.75 (Sign Code) to Article VII (Development Application and Review) of Title 17
(Zoning) of the RPVMC. As the new Sign Code primarily focuses on regulations for
private property, provisions for temporary banner signs advertising non -commercial
events in the public rights-of-way previously in Section 17.76.050 were not included in the
sign code update. The Temporary Banner Program is a program run by the City;
therefore, this policy was established.
A-2
4. Temporary banners advertising special noncommercial events may be placed in the public rights -of-
way, pursuant to the following requirements:
a. For purposes of this section, a temporary banner shall be permitted only to advertise a specific
non-commercial event occurring on a specific date(s);
b. The advertiser of a special noncommercial event shall submit an application to the director on
the form provided by the city for this purpose. The application shall be filed with the director no
sooner than 90 days prior to the first date when the banner will be posted. Applications shall be
processed and approved on a first come, first served basis. The director shall approve the
application for a particular location if it complies with the criteria set forth in this section, and
shall not deny an application based on the content of the noncommercial event that is being
advertised or the content of the banner advertising the noncommercial event;
c. The temporary banner shall be installed by the applicant only at one of the locations in the city's
street rights-of-way that have been approved previously by the city council;
d. Banners shall be securely attached to the structures that have been erected by the city for this
purpose in the manner prescribed by the director so as not to pose a traffic hazard and/or
impede pedestrian or vehicular access or visibility within the city's street rights -of-way;
e. Each noncommercial advertiser shall be limited to the placement of one temporary banner
within the city's street rights-of-way for each noncommercial special event;
f. Each advertiser of a noncommercial event shall be limited to the placement of two specia l event
banners within the city's street rights-of-way during each calendar year, commencing on January
1 of each year;
g. Each banner shall be displayed for a maximum period of 30 days;
h. The special event banner shall be removed by the applicant withi n 24 hours after the conclusion
of the event that the banner is advertising or of the end of the banner display period, whichever
occurs first;
i. Each banner shall be four feet in height by eight feet in width and shall be made only of vinyl with
a #2 grommet in each corner, which will allow for the banner to be securely affixed to the
structure at the council-approved banner site location;
j. Each banner must have a solid white background with blue or green letters;
k. Only one logo or graphic design shall be allowed on each banner, with no color restriction; and
l. Banners must be clean and in good repair at all times.
5. Temporary signs allowed by this subsection shall be removed upon the completion of the campaign,
the culmination of any of the above activities, or the expiration of any other time frame specified by
this section.
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