§ 17.58.030. Business signs.

The following regulations shall apply to all signs relating to business, commercial, industrial, institutional and service provider activities:

A.

On-premises business signs shall be regulated as follows:

1.

One (1) or more signs may be placed on the premises of a business, commercial, industrial, institutional, or service provider activity; however, the cumulative total of sign face computed for all signs on each of the premises shall not exceed five hundred (500) square feet;

2.

For each freestanding sign, the sign face shall not exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet per sign;

3.

Wall signs, window signs and building mounted signs shall be included in the computation of sign face; however, the cumulative total may be increased if granted a variance in accordance with the Belen zoning ordinance;

4.

Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of thirty (30) feet and building-mounted signs shall not exceed the height of the building unless granted a variance in accordance with the Belen zoning ordinance.

B.

On-premises interstate signs shall be regulated as follows:

1.

One (1) or more signs may be placed on the premises of a business, commercial, industrial, institutional, or service provider activity; however, the cumulative total of sign face computed for all signs on each of the premises shall not exceed two thousand (2,000) square feet;

2.

Wall signs, window signs and building mounted signs shall be included in the computation of sign face; however, the cumulative total may be increased if granted a variance in accordance with the Belen zoning ordinance;

3.

Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of forty (40) feet above the highest ground level at the interstate in either traffic direction.

4.

Exceptions may be granted to the forgoing that would require an approval of a variance by the planning and zoning commission.

C.

New billboard signs shall be prohibited and existing billboard signs shall be regulated as nonconforming signs:

1.

The nonconforming billboard signs shall be allowed to remain but may not be enlarged, expanded, modified, extended or relocated;

2.

A nonconforming billboard when destroyed by natural causes, may be reconstructed within the following thirty (30) days subject to current city standards;

3.

Whenever a nonconforming billboard has been discontinued as an outdoor advertising device for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days, the city shall cause the billboard to be removed at the expense of the property owner. Any advertising structure support shall also be removed at the expense of the property owner; and

4.

Structural maintenance of nonconforming billboards shall be continued until the sign is removed by the property owner.

D.

For the purpose of regulating outdoor night lighting fixtures to preserve and enhance the community's natural resource of dark skies while promoting safety, conserving energy and preserving the environment for astronomy, all direct external lighting fixtures shall be effectively shielded to prevent direct or reflected light into the sky and onto highways or residential areas. All outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices shall be installed in conformance with the provisions of the New Mexico Electrical Code and under appropriate permit and inspection. The following signs are exempt from these lighting regulations:

1.

Signs lighted by means of internal indirect light;

2.

Signs with outdoor lighting fixtures used on land or facilities under the control of the federal government; and

3.

Signs with lighting fixtures legally installed prior to the effective date of the regulations codified in this subsection; however, when lighting fixtures on existing signs become inoperable or are replaced or structurally altered, such lighting fixtures must conform to this subsection.

(Ord. No. 2016-07, 11-7-2016)