City of L.A. Proposes Sweeping Sign Ordinance Revisions That Could Adversely Affect Your Property

On January 22, 2009, the City of Los Angeles ("City") Planning Commission heard a City Planning Department recommendation to restrict the size and location of signage citywide. If the revisions are approved, removing an existing sign from your property could terminate your current signage rights. To assess how your property may be affected by the proposed ordinance, you should ask yourself the following questions.

How much signage does your property display?

The Planning Department proposes to limit a property's signage to 1 square foot for every linear foot of street frontage. This square footage can be allocated amongst various signage types. All signs, including tenant and directional signs, are proposed to count towards this square footage maximum. Each premises on a property will also be allowed an additional 25 square feet of signage for use by that premises ("Premises Signage"). With minor exceptions, landlords may not reallocate unused Premises Signage from one premises to supplement the signage of another premises. While existing signage exceeding these limits can remain, such signage would be considered nonconforming.

Does one of your tenants currently display a sign at a height greater than 35 feet? Is that tenant's lease expiring soon?

The revisions will restrict the height of most signs, including those on high-rise buildings, to 35 feet. Under the proposed revisions, removing an existing sign exceeding 35 feet in height would forfeit your right to replace that sign for a new tenant at the same height. Accordingly, your property could lose signage rights that attract tenants and generate income.

How much income could you lose under the proposed ordinance?

Calculate your property's linear street frontage. Does your property currently display over a 1 to 1 ratio of square feet of signage to linear feet of street frontage, plus 25 square feet for each premises? Does your property generate any income from exterior or "eyebrow" signs displayed at a height exceeding 35 feet? Does your property display any signs that do not comply with the following:

• Wall Signs – No single Wall Sign can exceed 100 square feet, and the total area of all Wall Signs cannot cover more than 40 percent of the building face used to display the signs.
• Projecting Signs – Projecting Signs are limited to 50 square feet for all the sign faces.
• Pole Signs – Pole Signs are limited to 80 square feet for all the sign faces.
• Monument Signs – Monument Signs are limited to 60 square feet for all the sign faces.
• Illuminated Architectural Canopy Signs – Illuminated Architectural Canopy Signs are limited to 50 square feet for all the sign faces.

Allen Matkins is at the forefront of protecting your interests.

If you answered affirmatively to any of the questions above, email one of the Allen Matkins Land Use and Governmental Advocacy Attorneys listed besides this article regarding your concerns with the proposed revisions. Allen Matkins will be lobbying the City to ensure that the sign ordinance revisions account for our clients' needs.
Please feel free to give us a call if we can be of assistance in understanding how the proposed sign ordinance revisions may affect you.