Title
Sage Hill School Comprehensive Sign Program and Modification Permit (PA2026-0034)
Site Location: 20402 Newport Coast Drive
Recommendation
Project Summary
A request for a comprehensive sign program (CSP) to establish design parameters for all signage at Sage Hill School that are visible from the public right of way. Also included is a request for a modification permit to authorize increased sign area for four sign types, as they exceed the maximum sign area allowed by Chapter 20.42 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code (NBMC) by more than 30%. If approved, the project will supersede all previous approvals related to signage.
The CSP requests the following deviations:
a. Sign Type A and B - Placement of wall signs outside of the middle 50% of building frontages, where the NBMC requires wall signs to be located within the middle 50% of the building frontage;
b. Sign Type D - Retention of two existing monument signs originally approved by the County of Orange (County), which are located at the intersection of Newport Coast Drive and the school’s entrance road, where the NBMC allows for one freestanding sign;
c. Sign Type D - Retention of two existing 40-feet-wide monument signs where the Zoning Code allows a maximum width of 9 feet and;
d. Sign Type D - Retention of one existing monument sign without an address plate identifying the subject property, where the NBMC requires all monuments signs to have an address plate.
The Modification Permit proposes the following:
a. Sign Type A - Installation of a 375-square-foot, internally illuminated, wall sign located on the primary frontage of the middle school gymnasium building, where the NBMC allows a maximum of 50 square feet;
b. Sign Type B - Installation of a 36-square-foot, internally illuminated, wall sign located on the secondary frontage of the middle school gymnasium bulding, where the NBMC allows only 50% of the primary frontage allowance, in this case a maximum of 25 square feet;
c. Sign Type C - Installation of a 196-square-foot, internally illuminated, wall sign located on the rear of the baseball field scoreboard, where the NBMC allows a maximum of 50 square feet and;
d. Sign Type D - Retention of two existing 240-square-foot monument signs, originally approved by the County, where the NBMC allows for a maximum of 75 square feet;
Recommended Action
1. Conduct a public hearing;
2. Find this project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15311 under Class 11 (Accessory Structures) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, because it has no potential to have a significant effect on the environment; and
3. Adopt Draft Zoning Administrator Resolution No. _ approving Comprehensive Sign Program and Modification Permit filed as PA2026-0034 (Attachment No. ZA 1).