Spokane Municipal Code

Title 17C Land Use Standards

Chapter 17C.240 Signs

Section 17C.240.070 Prohibitions

The following are prohibited and existing ones must be removed:

1. Flashing signs or lights.  A sign that contains an intermittent or flashing light source, or a sign that includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light by means of animation, or an externally mounted intermittent light source, except as consistent with the standards contained in Table 17C.240.247-1.

2. Abandoned signs and abandoned sign structures.

3. Signs placed on or painted on a motor vehicle or trailer parked with the primary purpose of providing signs not otherwise allowed by the code.

4. Permanent balloon signs.

5. Hazardous signs.  Any sign that is dangerous or confusing to motorists on the public right-  of-way, including any sign which by its color, wording, design, location or illumination resembles, conflicts, imitates or interferes with the effectiveness of any official traffic control device or which otherwise impedes the safe and efficient flow of traffic.

6. Signs which are located upon or projecting over public streets, sidewalks, or rights of way except as provided for awnings and marquees in SMC 17F.040.140, sandwich board signs in SMC17C.240.220,signs extending into the right-of-way allowed in SMC17C.240.180(B), and temporary signs in SMC 17C.240.244 (E).

7. Off premises signs (except as expressly allowed in other sections of this chapter). No off-premises sign shall be located on a vacant lot, parcel or easement.  No off-premises sign shall be located on a lot, parcel or easement as the principal use of that lot, parcel or easement.  Signs may only be established as an accessory use to a principally permitted use.

8. Signs erected, constructed or structurally altered that are required to have a permit that were erected, constructed, or altered without a permit.

9. Except as otherwise allowed under this chapter or other ordinances, laws, or regulations of the City of Spokane, it shall be unlawful for any person, except a public officer or employee in the performance of his public duty, to affix, post, paint, nail, fasten, place, or locate any sign, card, banner, handbill, poster, advertisement or notice of any kind, or cause the same to be done, upon any City owned or maintained structure located in the public right of way, including but not limited to, any building, curbstone, traffic control device, street sign, utility pole, hydrant, fence, lamp post, guardrail, tree or shrubbery or any other structure situated within any such areas or to affix the same to a wire or appurtenance thereof. City-owned or maintained structures include, but are not limited to, bridges, overpasses, street medians, retaining walls, fences, street furniture, and shelters, among other structures located upon public streets, highways, public right-of-way or other public property.

10. No sign may impede free ingress and egress from any door, window or exit way required by building and/or fire code regulations.

Date Passed: Monday, January 29, 2018

Effective Date: Saturday, March 17, 2018

ORD C35577 Section 6