30.27.080 Billboards.
(1) In no case shall any portion of a billboard structure be located closer than 15 feet to the rear and front property lines or five feet from the side property lines.
(2) No billboard shall be located within a 1,000-foot radius of any other billboard structure, to be measured from the main support of the billboard structure. The billboards or billboard structures for which a permit was first issued shall be used to establish the initial point from which minimum distances are measured.
(3) For an example of billboard sign area, see Figure 30.27.090(2). For examples of v-type and back-to-back billboard structure types, see SCC 30.27.095.
(4) Billboards shall only be located on sites as allowed in chapter 30.22 SCC.
(5) Billboards are prohibited in all shoreline environment designations.
(6) Applicants proposing a billboard shall comply with the State Environmental Policy Act requirements of chapter 30.61 SCC.
(7) Non-digital billboards shall have a total sign area not to exceed 1,344 square feet per sign structure, and are subject to the following conditions:
(a) Billboards may be single-faced, back-to-back, or v-type. For the purposes of this subsection sign structures with single-faced, back-to-back and v-type signs are considered one structure. The maximum sign area for a single sign face shall not exceed 672 square feet.
(b) New or replacement sign faces of a billboard shall be consistent with the dimensions of the other face of that billboard unless otherwise prohibited.
(c) New or replacement sign faces allowed under this subsection shall only contain static images that are not projected by any electronic or digital means.
(d) The support structure (pole) and footing (base) must be demonstrated or modified to have the physical structural support and the capacity to carry the proposed sign face(s) and comply with applicable county building codes.
(8) Digital billboards shall have a maximum sign area not to exceed a total of 500 square feet per sign structure and are subject to the following:
(a) For the purposes of this subsection sign structures with single-faced, back-to-back and v-type signs are considered one structure. The maximum sign area for a single sign face shall not exceed 500 square feet.
(b) The minimum message display time shall not be less than eight seconds during all hours of operation, unless the director or hearing examiner specifies a longer display time.
(c) The transition time between messages shall be completed in no more than one second.
(d) The maximum brightness levels shall not exceed 5,000 nits when measured from the sign’s face at its maximum brightness, during daylight hours.
(e) The maximum brightness levels shall not exceed 500 nits when measured from the sign’s face at its maximum brightness, between sunset and sunrise, as those times are determined by the National Weather Service.
(f) A digital billboard shall not be located within 300 feet of an inadequate road condition, as determined pursuant to SCC 30.66B.210, that exists at the time of sign permit issuance unless the county engineer determines that the existing site conditions attributed to the inadequate road condition are such that the presence of a digital billboard will not present or create a public safety concern.
(g) A digital billboard shall be rendered inoperable if an inadequate road condition is designated within 300 feet of the digital billboard, and the digital billboard is determined by the county engineer to be either the cause of, or a contributing factor to, the inadequate road condition designation, and shall remain inoperable until the inadequate road condition has been removed.
(h) A digital billboard shall not be located closer than 300 feet from any residential unit, on the date the sign is installed, unless the residential unit is a nonconforming unit. The distance shall be measured from the edge of the sign to the closest wall of the residential structure.
(i) A digital billboard shall be operated with systems and monitoring in place to either turn the display off or show a “full black” image on the display in the event of a malfunction that affects more than 50 percent of the sign area.
(j) A digital billboard shall be turned off between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. when located within 500 feet of any residential unit.
(k) Owners of digital billboards may, in the event of a regional public emergency, coordinate with law enforcement and emergency management authorities to display, when appropriate, regional emergency information important to the traveling public including, but not limited to, Amber Alerts or emergency management information. (Added by Amended Ord. 02-064, Dec. 9, 2002, Eff date Feb. 1, 2003; Amended by Ord. 13-073, Dec. 11, 2013, Eff date Dec. 26, 2013; Amended by Ord. 13-074, Dec. 11, 2013, Eff date Dec. 26, 2013).