HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 01 (2026)ORDINANCE NO. 01 (2026)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR AMENDING
SECTIONS 22.10.030, 22.36.0801 22.36.1201 AND 22.80.020 OF THE
DIAMOND BAR CITY CODE PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION
OF BILLBOARDS,
WHEREAS, WVUSD and Evergreen have submitted an application with the City
for approval of: the Development Agreement governing the operation and community
benefits for the electronic billboard; a Development Code Amendment to allow billboards
in the I (Light Industry) zone by Conditional Use Permit, and to establish development
standards for billboards; a Conditional Use Permit to authorize the billboard on the
property; and Development Review for sign architecture, materials, and placement of the
billboard on the property; and
WHEREAS, on November 25, 2025, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed
public hearing regarding proposed amendments to Title 22 ("Development Code") of the
Diamond Bar City Code pertaining to billboards, Planning Case No. PL 202440, and
adopted Resolution No. 2025-19 recommending City Council approval of said
Development Code Amendment; and
WHEREAS, on December 5, 2025, notification of the City Council public hearing
for this project was published in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Public hearing notices
were mailed to property owners within a 1000400t radius of the project site and notices
were posted at the City's designated community posting sites; and
WHEREAS, on December 16, 2025, the City Council held a duly noticed public
hearing regarding the proposed Development Code Amendment; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that this Ordinance is subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (because it can be seen with certainty that the
proposed Development Code Amendment will result in a project that has the potential for
causing a significant effect on the environment (Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA
Guidelines). Environmental review for the proposed project has been conducted pursuant
to CEQA, and a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared, circulated,
and reviewed in accordance with CEQA Section 15070 and the CEQA Guidelines Section
15105. The MND determined that, with implementation of the identified mitigation
measures, the project will not have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, the
City Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is consistent with the conclusions of the
MND; and
WHEREAS, the documents and materials constituting the administrative record of
the proceedings upon which the City's decision is based are located at the City of
Diamond Bar, Community Development Department, Planning Division, 21810 Copley
Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765; and
WHEREAS, the City Council hereby adopts the facts and reasons stated in
Ordinance No. 01 (2026)
Planning Commission Resolution No. 2025-19 recommending City Council approval of
said Development Code Amendments, a copy of which is on file with the City Clerk and
which is incorporated herein by reference with the same force and effect as if set forth in
full.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Diamond Bar does hereby find,
determine and ordains as follows:
SECTION 1: Table 2-6 of Section 22.10.030 (Commercial/Industrial district
land uses and permit requirements) of Title 22, Chapter 22.10 of the Diamond Bar City
Code is amended as follows (deletions in strikethrougI4 text and additions shown in double
underline):
TABLE 2-6
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
Permit Requirement by District
LAND USE (1)
C-1
C-2
C-3
I
See Standards in
Section:
TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATION USES
Billboards
CUP
224364120
SECTION 2: Subsection (11) of Section 22.36.080 (Prohibited Signs) of
Title 22, Chapter 22.36 of the Diamond Bar City Code is amended as follows (deletions
in strikethrew9 text and additions shown in double underline):
(11) Off -site signs not specifically allowed by the provisions of this chapter,
SECTION 3: Subsection (b) of Section 22.36.120 (Standards for Specific
Types of Signs) of Title 22, Chapter 22.36 of the Diamond Bar City Code is amended as
follows to add a new subsection that provides development standards for billboards
(deletions in strikethrgwgI text and additions shown in double underline):
�b Billboards. Billboards may be permitted by conditional use permit and a
development agreement on properties located within the I zone. subject to
the following limitations:
Ordinance No. 01 (2026)
1 No billboard shall be located more than 400 feet from the edge of a
freeway right-of-wav, measured from the nearest point of the sign
structure to the nearest point of the right-of-way boundary.
2 No billboard shall be located within 800 feet of any existing static
billboard, regardless of whether the proposed billboard is static or
digital. In addition, no digital billboard shall be located within 2.000 feet
of any existing digital billboard. Distance shall be measured in a straight
line between the bases of the respective billboard structures.
3� No billboard shall be located within 400 feet of any parcel that is zoned
or used for residential purposes. Distance shall be measured in a
straight line from the closest point of the residentially -zoned or
residentially -used parcel boundary to the base of the proposed
billboard.
4� The maximum height of a billboard shall not exceed 75 feet. measured
as the vertical distance from the highest point of the sign structure to
the finished surface elevation at the edge of the nearest freeway travel
lane. This measurement shall be taken along a line drawn
perpendicularly from the base of the sign structure to the tangent of the
nearest freeway lane. A decorative or architectural element may extend
up to 10 feet above the maximum height, provided it does not contain
any additional display area or advertising content.
The maximum area of any individual sign face shall not exceed 672
square feet. Each sign face shall be limited to a maximum length of 48
feet and a maximum height of 14 feet. No billboard shall contain more
than one sign face per direction of travel, and vertical stacking of sign
faces on the same side of a structure is prohibited.
6� Architectural features such as framing. decorative borders. or structural
shrouds that do not contain any advertising content shall be permitted
above, below, or around the sign face and shall not count toward the
maximum allowable sign area, provided they are designed as integral
components of the sian structure and do not function as additional sian
faces.
�7 No billboard shall contain more than two sign faces. Where two sign
faces are configured in a V-shaped or angled arrangement. the angle
between the faces shall not exceed 45 degrees as measured between
the planes of the two sign faces.
�8 All illuminated billboards shall be equipped with automatic light -sensing
technology to adjust brightness in response to ambient lighting
conditions. Maximum luminance shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candles
above ambient levels, measured at a distance of 250 feet perpendicular
Ordinance No. 01 (2026)
to the center of the sign face.
All luminance measurements shall be verified at a horizontal distance
of 250 feet perpendicular to the sign face. A photometric analysis shall
be submitted with the permit application and shall include certification
by a qualified lighting professional or electrical engineer confirming
compliance with these standards.
All illumination shall be directed to avoid light spillover onto adjacent
properties, roadways, or into the night sky. Sign lighting shall not cause
glare or impair visibility for motorists, and shall remain static, without
flashing, strobina, or rapidly changing brightness.
9� Digital billboards shall display static images only. Each image shall
remain on the screen for a minimum duration of eight (8) seconds.
Transitions between images shall be instantaneous, without any
motion animation, flashing, or other visual effects
The Section 22.36.120 standards for specific signs beginning with freestanding
monument signs and ending with window signs are consecutively renumbered beginning
at subsection (c) and ending at subsection (i).
SECTION 4: Subsection (b) and Subsection (s) of Section 22.80.020
(Definitions of specialized terms and phrases) of Title 22, Chapter 22.80 of the Diamond
Bar City Code is amended as follows to add a new definition for "billboard" as well as a
definition for the subcategories "digital billboard" and "static billboard" (deletions in
�trikethrough text and additions shown in double underline).
(a) Definitions, "B." The following definitions are in alphabetical order:
Billboard. See Sian/Billboard
(e) Definitions, "S." The following definitions are in alphabetical order:
8� Billboard. A freestanding sign structure designed and used to display off -
site advertising copy, including commercial or non-commercial messages
that direct attention to a business, product, service, activity event or
location not located on the same premises as the sign. A billboard may be
either a static billboard or a digital billboard as defined below. Billboards do
not include on -site business identification signs, civic information signs, or
temporary political signs,
a. Digital Billboard. A billboard that displays off -site advertising copy using
electronic changeable copy technology. such as light -emitting diodes
Ordinance No. 01 (2026)
LEDsI
or similar
digital
display
methods.
The
content may chance
remotely and at programmed intervals but shall comply with limitations on
message duration and visual effects as set forth in this Title.
b. Static Billboard. A billboard that displays a fixed image or message.
typically through printed or painted panels. The copy does not change
electronically and remains static until physically replaced
The subsection (s) definitions beginning with Business identification sign and
ending with Window sign are consecutively renumbered beginning at subsection (9) and
ending at subsection (47).
SECTION 5: If any section, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or
phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City
Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each section,
subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that
any one (or more) section, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase had been
declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 6: The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of
this Ordinance and shall cause a certified copy of this Ordinance to be posted within
fifteen (15) days after this Ordinance is passed and adopted, in the Office of the City
Clerk and two additional public places, together with the vote for and against the same,
and forthwith transmit a certified copy of this Ordinance, by certified mail, to: Walnut
Valley Unified School District, 880 South Lemon Avenue, Walnut, CA 91789.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of January, 2026, by the City Council
oI the City of Diamond Bar.
CITY OF DIAMOND BAR
Steve Tye, M
Ordinance No. 01 (2026)
I, Kristina Santana, City Clerk of the City of Diamond Bar, do hereby certify that the
foregoing Ordinance was duly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the
City of Diamond Bar held on the 16th day of December, 2025, and was finally passed at
a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Diamond Bar held on the 20th day of
January, 2026, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers:Ghou, Liu, Teng, M/Tye
NOES: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: MPT/Low
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers: None
Kristina Santana, City Clerk
C