"School"means any child care facility, or an institution of learning for minors, whether public or private, which offers instruction in those courses of study required by the
California Education Code or which is maintained pursuant to standards set by the State Board of Education. This definition includes, but is not limited to, a nursery school, kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school or middle school, senior high school or any special institution of education within the city.
"Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation"means the guidelines prepared by the National Park Service for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and the Standards for Historic Preservation Projects prepared by the National Park Service with Guidelines for Applying the Standards.
"Semi-nude"means a state of dress in which clothing, including supporting straps or devices, covers no more than the genitals, pubic region, and areolae of the female breasts.
"Sex supermarket/sex mini-mall"means the establishment or operation of more than one type of sexually oriented business or use, as defined in this title, within the same building.
"Sexual encounter establishment"means a business or commercial enterprise that, as one of its primary business purposes, offers for any form of consideration, a place where two or more persons may congregate, associate or consort in connection with "specified sexual activities" and/or the exposure of "specified anatomical areas." This definition does not include an establishment where a medical practitioner, psychologist, psychiatrist or similar professional person licensed by the state engages in sexual therapy.
"Sexually oriented business"means a business which is conducted exclusively for the patronage of adults and as to which minors are specifically excluded from patronage, either by law and/or by the operators of such business, and which is characterized by an emphasis on "specified sexual activities" and/or "specified anatomical areas." "Sexually oriented business" also means and includes any adult motion picture theater, adult bookstore/adult video store/adult novelty store, adult cabaret, adult dance studio, adult hotel or motel, adult theater, sexual encounter establishment, nude modeling studio, adult tanning salon, sex supermarket/sex mini-mall, and any other business or establishment that, on a regular and substantial basis, offers its patrons entertainment or services which involve, depict, describe or relate to "specified sexual activities" and/or "specified anatomical areas."
"Shared parking"means a situation where the same parking spaces can be utilized by two or more different uses due to the differing peak hours of operation of the uses involved.
"Sign"means any medium for visual communication, including copy, structure and component parts, which is used or intended to be used to attract attention to, identify, or advertise an establishment, product, service, activity or location, or to provide information. This definition shall not include the display of the American flag or the flag of the state.
"Sign (business identifications)"means a sign whose copy is limited to the name, type of business, and the address of the building, business, office, establishment, person or activity on the premises where the sign is located.
"Sign (construction)"means a sign containing information pertaining to a future development on the site where the sign is located, including the name of the product, the developer, contractor, architect, financing source, future occupants and other information directly related to the development.
"Sign copy"means any words, letters, numbers, figures, designs or other symbolic representations incorporated onto the face of a sign.
"Sign (directional)"means a sign directing motorists or pedestrians to parking or building facilities, or providing similar directional information.
"Sign face"shall mean the exterior surface of a sign, exclusive of structural supports, on which is placed the sign copy.
"Sign height (freestanding sign)"means the greatest vertical distance between the top of the sign, including any accompanying architectural features of the sign, and the elevation measured at the roadbed of the nearest street. However, if the sign is constructed upon an artificial berm, the height of the sign, as measured from the toe of the slope or berm, shall not exceed the maximum height permitted by this title.
"Sign height (wall sign)"means the distance between the top of the sign panel inserted into or placed on the wall and the roadbed of the nearest street.
"Sign (off-premises)"means any sign referring to any person, establishment, merchandise, service, event or entertainment which is not located, sold, produced, manufactured, provided or furnished on the premises where the sign is located.
"Sign (on-premises)"means a sign referring to a person, establishment, merchandise, service, event or entertainment which is located, sold, produced, manufactured, provided or furnished on the premises where the sign is located.
"Sign permit"shall mean an entitlement from the city to place or erect a sign.
"Sign (political)"means a sign whose text indicates any one or a combination of the following: (1) the name and/or picture of an individual seeking election or appointment to public office; or (2) relates to a forthcoming public election, initiative or referendum.
"Sign (portable)"means any sign designated to be moved easily and which is not permanently affixed to either the ground, structure or a building.
"Sign (real estate)"means a sign indicating that the premises on which the sign is located is for sale, lease or rent.
"Sign size or area"shall generally mean the entire area of the sign face, including nonstructural perimeter trim but excluding structures or uprights on which the sign is supported.
"Sign (special event)"means a temporary sign which advertises special events and activities such as grand openings, special sales, charitable events, Christmas trees, fireworks and other commercial and noncommercial events. Such signs are limited to the provisions listed in this title.
"Sign structure"shall mean the structural supports, uprights, and bracing for a sign.
"Sign (subdivision)"means an on-site or off-site sign advertising the original sale, leasing or renting of units within a subdivision.
"Sign (temporary)"means a sign utilized to identify a business or other activity for an interim period.
"Sign (under canopy)"means a sign suspended beneath a projecting canopy, walkway cover, awning, ceiling or marquee.
"Sign (window)"means any written representation, emblem, or other figure or similar character painted on or otherwise affixed or oriented to a window and that is visible from off the subject building's site.
"Significant feature"means the natural or manmade elements embodying style or type of cultural resource, design, or general arrangement and components of an improvement, including, but not limited to, the kind, color, and texture of the building materials, and the type and style of all windows, doors, lights, signs, and other fixtures appurtenant to such improvement.
"Single ownership"means holding record title, possession under a contract to purchase or possession under a lease, by a person, firm, corporation or partnership, individually, jointly, in common or in any other manner where the property is or will be under unitary or unified control.
"Site"means a lot or group of contiguous lots not divided by an alley, street, other right-of-way or city limit that is proposed for development in accord with the provisions of this title, and is in a single ownership or has multiple owners, all of whom join in an application for development.
"Special event sign"shall mean a temporary sign which advertises special events and activities such as grand openings, special sales, charitable events, Christmas trees, fireworks and other commercial and noncommercial events. Such signs are limited to the provisions listed in Chapter
16.56 HMC.
"Specified anatomical areas"includes any of the following:
1.ย Less than completely and opaquely covered human genitals, pubic region, buttocks, anus, or female breasts below a point immediately above the top of the areolae;
2.ย Human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered;
3.ย Any device, costume or covering that simulates any of the body parts included in subsection 1 or 2 of this definition.
"Specified sexual activities"includes any of the following:
1.ย The fondling or other intentional touching of human genitals for purpose of sexual arousal, or fondling or other intentional touching of human genitals, pubic region, anus, or female breasts;
2.ย Sex acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, including intercourse, oral/anal copulation, bestiality, flagellation or torture in the context of a sexual relationship, and any of the following depicted sexually oriented acts or conduct: anilingus, cunnilingus, fellatio, necrophilia, pederasty, pedophilia, piquirism, sapphism, zooerasty;
3.ย Masturbation, sodomy, oral copulation, coitus or ejaculation of human or animal, actual or simulated;
4.ย Human genitals in a state of sexual stimulation, arousal or tumescence; or
5.ย Excretory functions, urination, or vaginal or anal irrigation as part of or in connection with any of the activities described in subsections 1 through 4 of this definition.
"Stable (commercial)"means a stable for horses, mules or ponies which are rented, used or boarded on a commercial basis for compensation.
"State Geologist"means the individual holding office as provided in the California Public Resources Code, Section
677, Article 3, Chapter 2, Division 1.
"Stealth facility"means any wire telecommunication facility which is designed to blend into the surrounding environment, typically one that is located architecturally within a building or other concealing structure, and shall include any concealed antenna.
"Story"means that portion of a building included between the upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above, except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building included between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the ceiling above. The basement or cellar shall not be considered a story unless the upper surface of the floor above is more than six feet above the average level of the highest and lowest points of the ground surface immediately adjacent to the exterior walls of the building.
"Street, highway, or public right-of-way"means a public thoroughfare, avenue, road, highway, boulevard, parkway, way, drive, lane, court or private easement providing the primary roadway to and egress from the property abutting thereon.
"Street (private)"means a private reciprocal easement providing the primary roadway to and egress from the property abutting thereon.
"Structural alteration"means any change in or alteration to a structure involving a bearing wall, column, beam or girder, floor or ceiling joists, roof rafters, roof diaphragms, foundations, piles, retaining walls, or similar components.
"Structure"means anything constructed or erected that requires a location on the ground, including a building or a swimming pool, but not including a fence, or a wall used as a fence if the height does not exceed six feet, or access drives or walks.
"Structure (accessory)"means a subordinate building or portion of a main building, the use of which is incidental, appropriate and subordinate to that of the main building.
"Structure (main)"means a structure housing the principal use of a site or functioning as the principal use.
"Subdivider"means a person, firm, corporation, partnership or association who proposes to divide, divides or causes to be divided real property into a subdivision for himself or for others, except that employees and consultants of such persons or entities, acting in such capacity, are not subdividers.
"Subdivision"means the division, by any subdivider, of any unit or units of improved or unimproved land, or any portion thereof, shown on the latest equalized county assessment roll as a unit or as contiguous units, for the purpose of sale, lease or financing, whether immediate or future, except for leases of agricultural land for agricultural purposes. Property shall be considered as contiguous units even if it is separated by roads, streets, utility easements or railroad rights-of-way. "Subdivision" includes a condominium project, as defined in Section
1350 of the Civil Code, a community apartment project, as defined in Section
11004 of the Business and Professions Code, or the conversion of five or more existing dwelling units to a stock cooperative, as defined in Section
11003.2 of the Business and Professions Code. As used in this section, "agricultural purposes" means the cultivation of food or fiber or the grazing or pasturing of livestock.
"Subdivision design"means: (1) street alignments, grades and widths; (2) drainage and sanitary facilities and utilities, including alignments and grades thereof; (3) location and size of all required easements and rights-of-way; (4) fire roads and firebreaks; (5) lot size and configuration; (6) traffic access; (7) grading; (8) land to be dedicated for park or recreational purposes; and (9) such other specific physical requirements in the plan and configuration of the entire subdivision as may be necessary to ensure consistency with, or implementation of, the general plan or any applicable specific plan.
"Subdivision improvement"means:
1.ย Any street work and utilities to be installed, or agreed to be installed, by the subdivider on the land to be used for public or private streets, highways, ways, and easements, as are necessary for the general use of the lot owners in the subdivision and local neighborhood traffic and drainage needs as a condition precedent to the approval and acceptance of the final map thereof; and
2.ย Any other specific improvements or types of improvements, the installation of which, either by the subdivider, by public agencies, by private utilities, by any other entity approved by the local agency, or by a combination thereof, is necessary to ensure consistency with, or implementation of, the general plan, the Subdivision Map Act, Government Code Section
66410 et seq., or any applicable specific plan.
"Subdivision sign"shall mean an on-site or off-site sign advertising the original sale, leasing, or renting of units within a subdivision.
"Substantial change"means a revision to an adopted or proposed application or permit which would increase the intensity of site use or project-related traffic, increase the environmental impacts of the development, require a modification of approval findings, or modify conditions of approval specifically imposed by the approving body.
"Substantial enlargement of a sexually oriented business"means an increase or expansion, over the lifetime of a sexually oriented business, of more than 10 percent or 100 square feet, whichever is less, in the portion of the floor area of the business which is devoted to products, services or entertainment with an emphasis on material depicting, describing or relating to "specified anatomical areas" and/or "specified sexual activities."
"Substantial improvement"means any repair, reconstruction, or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure either:
1.ย Before the improvement or repair is started; or
2.ย If the structure has been damaged and is being restored, before the damage occurred. For the purposes of this definition, "substantial improvement" is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the structure.
"Substantial rehabilitation" or "substantially rehabilitated"means the rehabilitation of a dwelling unit(s) that has substantial building and code violations, and/or has been vacant for at least six months, such that the unit is returned to the city's housing supply as decent, safe and sanitary housing, and the cost of such work exceeds 25 percent of the altered value of the unit, including land value, as that amount may be adjusted for inflation pursuant to the regulations.
"Surface area"shall mean the area of a sign as measured by the smallest geometric form, such as a square, rectangle, triangle, or circle, or combination thereof, which will encompass the face of the sign on which the message is displayed.
"Surface mining operations"means all, or any part of, the process involved in the mining of minerals on mined lands by removing overburden and mining directly from the mineral deposits, open-pit mining of minerals naturally exposed, mining by the auger method, dredging and quarrying, or surface work incidental to an underground mine. Surface mining operations shall include, but are not limited to:
1.ย In-place distillation, retorting or leaching;
2.ย Production and disposal of mining waste;
3.ย Prospecting and exploratory activities.
(Ord. 171 ยงย 1.180, 1994; Ord. 253 ยงย 3, 2000; Ord. 267 ยงย 2, 2001; Ord. 306 ยงย 1, 2006; Ord. 331 ยงย 9, 2008; Ord. 376 ยงย 2, 2013; Ord. 470 ยงย 7, 2025)