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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01 CC Ordinance ORDINANCE NO.2025-01 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA AMENDING SECTION 17.28.290 OF TITLE 17 OF THE TEMECULA MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR OFF-SITE WAYFINDING SIGNS IN THE AUTO MALL, AND FINDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15061 (B)(3) THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Procedural Findings. The City Council of the City of Temecula does hereby find, determine and declare that: A. City staff identified the need to make revisions and clarifications to portions of Title 17 (Zoning) of the Temecula Municipal Code ("Municipal Code"). B. The Municipal Code amendments are being made to allow and to set standards for 111 off-site wayfinding signs in commercial districts within the Auto Mall. C. The Planning Commission considered the proposed amendments to Title 17 (Zoning) of the Temecula Municipal Code ("Ordinance") on January 15, 2025, at a duly noticed public hearing as prescribed by law, at which time the City staff and interested persons had an opportunity to and did testify either in support of or opposition to this matter. At the conclusion of the Planning Commission hearing and after due consideration of the testimony, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 2025-01, recommending that the City Council approve the Title 17 amendments. E. The City Council, at a regular meeting, considered the Ordinance on February 11, 2025, at a duly noticed public hearing, as prescribed by law, at which time the City Staff and interested persons had an opportunity to and did testify either in support or opposition to this matter. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the City Council closed the public hearing and considered the entire record of information received at the public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. Section 2. Further Findings. The City Council, in approving the proposed Ordinance, hereby makes the following additional findings: 1. The Auto Mall, an area along Ynez Road, DLR Drive and Solana Way on which a concentration of automobile dealerships are located,provides customers the opportunity to quickly and conveniently visit multiple dealerships in a single visit to the area. While each dealership located within the Auto Mall may have its own Freestanding Building or Single-Tenant Identification Sign to identify its location, the high concentration of dealerships and the proliferation of such signage, and three roads comprising the Auto Mall, make it difficult for visitors to the Auto Mall to locate and navigate to any particular vendor, a difficulty which is exacerbated by the large size of the land parcels on which the dealerships are situated and the many access driveways on such parcels. The Auto Mall's location along a busy thoroughfare with secondary roads and the multiple driveway entrances dedicated to different business services offered on site and hundreds of yards apart result in: (1) congested roads caused by drivers of motor vehicles slowing down and searching for particular dealerships, entrances, or signs giving directions thereto delaying traffic in the area, (2) congested roads caused by drivers of motor vehicles having to slow or stop abruptly to turn into properties or make U-turns along the major thoroughfare to access individual dealerships delaying traffic in the area, and(3)a proliferation of confusing directional signage erected by individual dealerships for the purpose of directing drivers of motor vehicles onto their properties. 2. "Wayfinding" or "Directional" Government Signs are needed by dealerships in the Auto Mall to a greater degree than other businesses because(1)visitors to the Auto Mall frequently visit multiple dealerships during a single visit to the area and need to safely navigate between each dealership property and (2) Auto Mall dealerships are located on large parcels of land on either side of a major thoroughfare,making it difficult for drivers moving through the Auto Mall area to visually locate and navigate to any particular dealership property while safely traveling with the normal flow of traffic. Thus, despite the availability of maps and other digital navigation technology, the most efficient method of directing drivers of motor vehicles in the Auto Mall is the use of Government Signs posted at the entrances to the Auto Mall area and at other critical locations. 3. Businesses outside of the Auto Mall that do not occupy such large parcels of land with multiple access points along major thoroughfares and without retail clientele who commonly visit multiple neighboring vendors during a single visit have less need for such Government Signs. 4. Businesses within the Auto Mall require the installation of uniform Government Signs to avoid confusion among drivers of motor vehicles, promote traffic safety, and reduce the visual blight caused by the proliferation of directional signs in the Auto Mall. To that end, other wayfinding signs, including travel direction signs, are prohibited except as provided in this Ordinance. Section 3. A new Subsection F.2 is added to Section 17.28.050 (Exempt Signs) of Chapter 17.28 (Sign Standards) of Title 17 (Zoning)to read as follows: "2. Offsite Wayfinding Signs for Vehicle Dealerships at Temecula Auto Mall. a. Findings. i. Vehicle dealerships in the Auto Mall are highly visible from the I-15 Freeway, however,these dealership entrances are difficult to locate once vehicles have exited the freeway. ii. The dealerships attract a constant influx of new visitors to the area of the Auto Mall. Adequate Wayfinding Signage is necessary to ensure the safety of the community by providing 2 guidance to nonresidents or the general public unfamiliar with the area thereby reducing congestions and illegal turns. The Wayfinding Signs will help ensure that the general public can safely and easily find the dealerships. iii. The Wayfinding Signs for the dealerships shall not advertise or highlight any brand or product and shall not show the logos of or any information for the dealerships or the products they sell. The signs must merely provide the names of the dealerships in a visible,uniform font in colors that do not reflect any brands or logos. iv. The Wayfinding Signs are intended to serve public purpose and conform to the intent and language of the City's General Plan. b. General Requirements. i. The provisions of this Subsection 17.28.050.F.2 shall apply to businesses selling vehicles in the Temecula Auto Mall as shown on Exhibit 17.04.020 Area B ("Auto Mall") of this Code. ii. A comprehensive signage program for off-site Wayfinding Signs, a type of Government Sign, for the Auto Mall shall conform to the provisions of this Subsection F.2 and be approved by resolution of the City Council. Wayfinding Signs are directional signs,maps,or other graphics used to convey location and directions to travelers. The signage program shall include the number, location, dimensions, sign area, colors, and design of the directional signs. Such signage shall comply with all the provisions of Chapter 17.28 (Signs). iii. The City shall install the Wayfinding Signs as part of the signage program after 111 receipt of payment from automobile dealerships located in the Auto Mall. iv. Sign structure installations shall include "breakaway" design features where required in right-of-way areas. v. The Wayfinding Signs shall only show the name of the dealership and an arrow providing direction to the dealership. The Wayfinding Signs for the dealerships shall not be illuminated and not advertise or highlight any brand, logo or product or show the logos of or any information about the dealerships or their products. vi. The maximum height of the Wayfinding Signs shall not exceed twelve (12) feet, and the maximum width shall not exceed six feet. vii. Wayfinding Signs shall not obstruct the use of sidewalks, walkways, bike and hiking trails; the visibility of vehicles, pedestrians, or traffic control signs; or be placed in the immediate vicinity of street intersections." Section 3. Environmental Findings. The City Council hereby finds that this Ordinance is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA")pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations,Section 15061(b)(3)because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed ordinance would have a significant impact on the environment pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). The proposed Municipal Code amendments are minor policy changes, which do not result in any increase in the intensity or density of any land use above what is currently allowed. A Notice of Exemption has been prepared and will be filed in accordance with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines. 3 Section 4. Severability. If any section or provision of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, or contravened by reason of any preemptive legislation, the remaining sections or provisions of this Ordinance shall remain valid. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance, and each section or provision thereof, regardless of the fact that any one or more section(s) or provision(s)may be declared invalid or unconstitutional or contravened via legislation. Section 5. Certification. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause the same or a summary thereof to be published and posted in the manner required by law. Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Temecula this 25th day of February, 2025. Brenden Kalfus, Mayor ATTE Randi , ity Clerk [SEAL] 4 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss CITY OF TEMECULA ) I, Randi Johl, City Clerk of the City of Temecula, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 2025-01 was duly introduced and placed upon its first reading at a meeting of the City Council of the City of Temecula on the 11th day of February, 2025, and that thereafter, said Ordinance was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Temecula at a meeting thereof held on the 25th day of February, 2025,by the following vote: AYES: 4 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Alexander, Kalfus, Schwank, Stewart NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 1 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Rahn )---- Randi Johl, City Clerk I I