CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

ORDINANCE NO. 4745

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT CODE (TITLE 21 OF THE GRAND JUNCTION MUNICIPAL CODE) REGARDING SIGNAGE

Recitals:

The City Council desires to maintain effective zoning and development regulations that implement the vision and goals of the Comprehensive Plan while being flexible and responsive to the community’s desires and market conditions. The City Council has developed an Economic Development Plan and desires that the zoning and development code be reviewed and amended where necessary and possible to facilitate economic development.

Signage is an important part of the economic engine of the community and an important means of communication of political, religious, educational, ideological, recreational, public service, and other messages. The Council also recognizes that the proliferation and disrepair of signs can deter the effectiveness of signs, cause dangerous conflicts with traffic control signs and signals, create safety hazards and contribute to visual pollution to the detriment of the general public.

As a matter of practice the City has allowed sign face changes to existing signs to occur without a sign permit.

The City Council finds that the amendments to the City’s sign regulations strike an appropriate and careful balance between protecting First Amendment rights and community aesthetics.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION THAT:

Section 21.06.070 Sign regulation is amended as follows (additions underlined, deletions struck through):

(e) Nonconforming Signs.

(1) All signage on site shall be brought into conformance with this code prior to approval of any new sign permit on the property.

(2) Any nonconforming sign that has been damaged in excess of 50 percent of its replacement cost by fire, wind or other cause except vandalism shall not be restored without conformance with the provisions of this regulation.

(3) Sign face changes are allowed without a permit, including converting from static display to digital/electronic display, if no other changes are made to the sign size, height or structure. Digital and Electronic signs must comply with regulations governing such.

All other parts of Section 21.06.070 shall remain in effect and are not modified by this text amendment.

INTRODUCED on first reading the 5^th day of April, 2017 and ordered published in pamphlet form.

PASSED and ADOPTED on second reading the 19^th day of April, 2017 and ordered published in pamphlet form.

 ____________________________

 President of the Council

ATTEST:

____________________________

City Clerk