Santa Fe County

Animated or Moving Sign

A sign that uses movement, lighting, or special materials to depict action or create a special effect to imitate movements. Also see Sign, Animated or Moving.

Banner or Pennant

A cloth, bunting, plastic, paper, or similar non-rigid material used for advertising purposes attached to any structure, staff, pole, line, framing, or vehicle.

Copy

When related to a sign, words, letters, numbers, figures, designs, or other symbolic representations incorporated into a sign.

Double-Faced Sign

A sign constructed to display its message on the outer surfaces of two identical and opposite parallel planes. Also see Sign, Double-Faced.

Flag

A cloth, bunting, plastic, paper, or similar non-rigid material attached to any structure, staff, pole, line, or framing.

Height - Signs and Other Structures

Sign and other structures height shall be measured from the adjacent grade to the highest point of the sign or structure.

Maintenance, Sign

The painting of signs and/or the replacement of sign parts of a nonstructural nature (e.g., lights, trim pieces, panels, etc.). Also see Sign Maintenance.

Monument Sign

A permanent freestanding sign where the entire supporting base of the sign is affixed to the ground and is not attached to or supported by a building or structure. Also see Sign, Monument.

Nonconforming Sign

A sign that was lawfully constructed or installed prior to the adoption or amendment of the SLDC, which was in compliance with any land development requirements or regulations then in effect but which does not presently comply with the land development requirements established by this Code. Also see Sign, Nonconforming.

Pennant

A cloth, bunting, plastic, paper, or similar non-rigid material used for advertising purposes attached to any structure, staff, pole, line, framing, or vehicle. Also see Banner.

Projecting Sign

A sign, other than a wall sign, that is suspended from or supported by a structure attached to a building and projecting outward beyond the facade of the building. Also see Sign, Projecting.

Sign

A device, fixture, surface, or structure of any kind, made of any material, displaying letters, numbers, words, text, illustrations, symbols, forms, patterns, colors, textures, shadows, merchandise or lights; or any other illustrative or graphic display designed, constructed, or placed on the ground, on a building, architectural projection, wall, post, or structure of any kind, in a window, or on any other object for the purpose of advertising, identifying or calling visual attention to any place, structure, firm, enterprise, profession, business, service, product, commodity, person, or activity whether located on the site, in any structure on the site or in any other location. The term "placed" includes constructing, erecting, posting, painting, printing, tacking, nailing, gluing, sticking, sculpting, casting, or otherwise fastening, affixing, or making visible in any manner. The term does not include a religious symbol on a place of worship.

Sign Area

The net geometric area of a sign, as calculated in accordance with § 7.915 Measurement which relates to signs and their measurement.

Figure 7.1: Measurement of Sign Area
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Figure 7.2: Measurement of Area: Multi-faced Signs
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Sign Height

See Height, signs and other structures.

Sign Maintenance

The painting of signs and/or the replacement of sign parts of a nonstructural nature (e.g., lights, trim pieces, panels, etc.).

Sign, Double-Faced

A sign constructed to display its message on the outer surfaces of two identical and opposite parallel planes.

Sign, Freestanding

A sign that is supported by a base structure that rests on the ground and is not supported by or attached to a building, including pole-mounted and pedestal signs that are permanently affixed to the ground, supported by uprights or braces and are not attached to any building or structure.

Sign, Monument

A permanent freestanding sign where the entire supporting base of the sign is affixed to the ground and is not attached to or supported by a building or structure.

Sign, Nonconforming

Sign, Projecting

A sign, other than a wall sign, that is suspended from or supported by a structure attached to a building and projecting outward generally at right angles to a building.

Sign, Temporary

A sign not intended or designed for permanent display that relates to an event, function or activity of a specific, limited duration. Signs which are posters, balloons, pennants, banners, or displays constructed of paper, cloth, canvas, plastic sheet, cardboard, wallboard, plywood, or other like materials and that appear to be intended for a limited period of time. Also, includes ground mounted, which extend from the ground, or has a support that places the bottom of the sign less than two (2) feet from the ground.

Sign, Vehicle

A sign that is attached to or painted on a vehicle that is parked on or adjacent to any property, the principal purpose of which is to attract attention to a product sold or business located on a property.

Sign, Wall

A sign attached to, painted on, or incised into the wall of a building or structure in such a manner that the wall is the supporting structure for, or forms the background surface of, the sign and which does not project more than one foot from the wall on which it is/are mounted.

Sign, Window

A sign posted, painted, placed, or affixed in or on a window exposed to public view. An interior sign that faces a window exposed to public view that is located within three feet of the window is considered a window sign for the purpose of calculating the total area of all window signs.

Vehicle Sign

Wall Sign

Window Sign

Placement.
Signs may not be placed on or over public roads or rights-of-way without approval from the Administrator, who shall ensure that traffic safety is maintained. Signs may not be placed in road or access easements, except for traffic signs and safety warning signs. On private property, signs may be placed in private utility easements.

Illumination.
Illumination may be indirect with the source of light concealed from view, direct, emanating through translucent materials of the sign itself, or by electrically activated gas tubing such as neon. LED signs and electronic message boards are not prohibited, but shall comply with all requirements of this Section. Indirect and reflected illumination shall not exceed ten (10) vertical footcandles in residential and mixed-use districts and twenty-five (25) footcandles in nonresidential districts. Indirect and reflected illumination readings shall be taken from the property line. Direct or interior illumination shall not exceed one hundred fifty (150) footcandles in residential and mixed-use districts and two hundred fifty (250) footcandles in nonresidential districts.

Permanence.
All signs shall be permanently affixed or attached to the ground or to a structure, except for temporary signs allowed under this Section.

Electrical.
All electrical service to a freestanding sign shall be underground.

Additional requirements.
Signs and sign structures may be subject to additional requirements of the county or the state, including building permit requirements and structural requirements of the New Mexico Building Code.

Sign Maintenance.
All signs shall be maintained in good condition at all times. All signs shall be kept neatly finished and repaired, including all parts and supports. The Administrator may inspect any sign governed by the SLDC at any time to ensure compliance with this Section.

Measurement.
The following standards apply to the measurement of all signs.

Sign area for individual signs.
The area of the sign face shall be computed as shown in Figure 7.1 by means of drawing the smallest rectangle that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background. If the sign is a cabinet sign (a sign that contains all the text, artwork, logos and/or other information displayed within an enclosed cabinet), then the sign area shall be determined by the outer edge of the sign frame or cabinet that encompasses all text, decorative artwork, logos, or other information displayed.

Figure 7.1: Measurement of Sign Area

Sign area for multi-faced signs.
Sign area of multi-faced signs is calculated based on the principle that all sign elements that can be seen at one time or from one vantage point will be considered in measuring that side of the sign. Figure 7.2 illustrates the following two standards:

Where the sign faces of a double-faced sign are parallel or the interior angle formed by the faces is 60 degrees or less, only one display face shall be measured in computing sign area. If the two faces of a double-faced sign are of unequal area, the area of the sign shall be the area of the larger face.

Where the sign faces of a double-faced sign are parallel or the interior angle formed by the faces is 60 degrees or more, the areas of all faces of a multi-faced sign shall be added together to compute the area of the sign.

Figure 7.2: Measurement of Area: Multi-faced Signs

The height of a freestanding sign shall be measured as the vertical distance from the average finished grade of the ground below the sign excluding any filling, berming, mounding or excavating solely for the purposes of increasing the height of the sign, to the top edge of the highest portion of the sign including any architectural appurtenances.

The required setback for freestanding signs shall be the distance between the nearest edge of the sign and the road right-of-way or lot line.

Building frontage.
For purposes of this Section, the building frontage shall mean the horizontal length of a building on the side with its principal public entrance, measured as the shortest distance between two lines projecting from the two front corners of the building (regardless of concave or convex characteristics of the building), with the lines parallel to each other and as close as practicable to the perpendicular front of the building. Figure 7.3 illustrates this concept:

Figure 7.3: Measurement of Building Frontage

Prohibited Signs.
The following signs are not allowed in any zoning district:

Rooftop signs and signs that extend above the roof of any building.

Signs which contain any flashing, rotating, animated or otherwise moving features. The appearance of electronic or changeable message signs cannot change more frequently than once every minute. Exempted from this provision are electronic signs used specifically for the purpose of enhancing traffic safety during a traffic event, such as roadway construction project, or permitted special event.

Strings of light bulbs used for commercial purposes other than decorations for designated holidays.

Searchlights, beacons or other similar devices, whether stationary or revolving, used for the purpose of advertising or attracting attention to a property.

Signs with any obscene matter.
Off-site advertising.
Oversized signs or billboards.

Removal of Obsolete Signs.
A sign and related sign structure shall be removed from a property in the event that the sign is blank or displays obsolete material for a period six (6) consecutive months. Whenever a sign is removed from a building or structure, the building or structure shall be cleaned, painted or otherwise altered, and all supports, brackets, mounts and utilities shall be removed so that there is no visible trace of the removed sign or supports, brackets, mounts and utilities.

Nonconforming Signs.
In order for a nonconforming sign to preserve it’s nonconforming status, the sign shall not be structurally or physically changed, except the copy and/or text may be changed.

All nonconforming signs on a property shall be brought into conformance with this Section when:

a change to any sign, except in the content of a sign, occurs;

a change of use, as defined in the SLDC, occurs on the property; or

a new sign is added to the property.

A nonconforming sign shall not be re-established after damage if the estimated cost of repair exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the appraised replacement cost of the sign.

Purpose.
All signage shall comply with the requirements of this Section in order to:

improve pedestrian and motorist safety by minimizing distractions and obstacles to clear views of the road and of directional or warning signs used for traffic safety;

provide businesses with effective and efficient opportunities for identification by reducing competing demands for visual attention;

protect and enhance economic viability by assuring that Santa Fe County will be a visually pleasant place in which to live or to visit;

protect views of the natural landscape and sky;

allow for expression by signage required by state and federal law; and

protect the community by ensuring emergency vehicles are able to identify and respond to emergency situations by having all structures in Santa Fe County identified with numerical street address markings that are easily identifiable.

Applicability.
The requirements of this Section shall apply to all signs. All signs requiring a permit shall apply for a Development Permit pursuant to CHAPTER 4: PROCEDURES AND PERMITS.

Traffic and Safety Signage.
Every property owner must mark their property using numerals that identify the address of the property so that the public safety department can easily identify the address from the street. All roadways, highways, and byways must have the name of the road, highway, and/or byway, the speed limit, warning signs regarding conditions that may be hazardous, roadway signs for identification and safety, and other signs required by federal, state, and local laws.

MapLink™ | Signs