TO: PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: APRIL 7, 2026
SUBJECT:
Title
AMENDMENT TO THE CLAREMONT MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO PROHIBITED FORMS OF SIGNS TO PERMIT ROTATING AUTO DISPLAY PLATFORMS IN THE COMMERCIAL FREEWAY (CF) ZONE WITH APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL USE AND DEVELOPMENT PERMIT (FILE #25-CA02). CITY INITIATED.
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SUMMARY
The City Planning Division initiated an amendment to Claremont Municipal Code (CMC) Chapter 18.010.010 (B) that would create an exception to the existing prohibition against rotating, revolving, or otherwise moving signs designed to attract attention by visual means to allow businesses in the Commercial Freeway (CF) zone to use car carousels (raised, rotating platforms) to display a passenger vehicle for sale. The amendment also includes modifying CMC Chapter 16.306.010.S to require car carousel displays to receive approval of a Special Use and Development Permit (SUDP).
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on December 2, 2025, and suggested modifications regarding limits on the height and number of carousels to add detail and clarity to the proposed code amendment (ordinance) and voted unanimously (6-0-1) to recommend that the City Council approve the ordinance as amended by the Planning Commission. The City Council then held a public hearing on February 10, 2026 for the first reading of the code amendment and, after extensive discussion, referred the item back to the Planning Commission to determine the maximum number of car carousel displays to be allowed per property in the Commercial Freeway Zone and suggested the maximum number of car carousels to be between three and six across the entirety of the CF zone.
Approval of the amendment would not result in the actual approval of any car carousels; rather, it would provide the appropriate regulation needed for a business (likely, an auto dealership) to submit an application for design review subject to approval by City staff. The review process required to allow car carousels includes both sign review and approval of a SUDP. Any approval will include notifying surrounding neighbors, ensuring the site can adequately accommodate the car carousel, and minimizing potential impacts to neighbors with the intent of ensuring that surrounding commercial and residential properties, as well as passing motorists, are not negatively impacted.
While the proposed amendments respond to the immediate needs of the businesses, staff believes that they also align with the City’s long-term interest in promoting economic development, and more specifically, it will potentially provide a catalyst for the increase in commercial activity in the area by attracting potential customers for the existing and future auto dealerships within the Claremont Auto Center.
CMC Chapter 16.315.060 requires the Planning Commission to hold a public hearing and render a written recommendation regarding all proposed Municipal Code Amendments. A draft resolution recommending City Council approval of the Ordinance is Attachment A to this report. The proposed ordinance that is being recommended is attached to the Planning Commission resolution. In that ordinance, the final Planning Commission action, including the maximum number of carousels to be allowed are left blank and will be inserted by staff once the Planning Commission has completed its review and made its recommendation.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Planning Commission adopt a RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 16 - ZONING, SECTION 16.306.010 OF THE CLAREMONT MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCLUDE CAR CAROUSEL DISPLAYS AS A PERMITTED SPECIAL USE AND TITLE 18 - SIGNS, SECTION 18.010.010(B) OF THE CLAREMONT MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION TO PROHIBITED FORMS OF SIGNS TO ALLOW BUSINESSES IN THE COMMERCIAL FREEWAY (CF) ZONE TO PROPOSE ROTATING VEHICLE CAROUSELS TO DISPLAY PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR SALE (FILE #25-CA02). CITY INITIATED.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Continue this item, request additional information, and instruct staff to revise the ordinance before they are considered again by the City Council.
B. Deny the proposed amendment to Title 16 - Zoning and Title 18 - Signs, of the Claremont Municipal Code.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Planning Division staff have worked on the research and preparation of this report and draft ordinance for a total of thirty-five (35) hours. The cost is included in the operating budget of the Community Development Department as a City initiated code amendment. By adding a new form of auto dealership visibility, this amendment is expected to increase sales activity and therefore sales tax receipts from the dealerships to the City.
ANALYSIS
Background
The area affected by the proposed Sign Code Amendment is the Commercial Freeway (CF) zone, which has a General Plan designation of Commercial. Generally, The CF Zone is located south of Interstate 10, and includes the commercial properties north of American Avenue. The table below describes the existing uses of properties surrounding the CF Zone.
Table 1
|
|
Zoning |
Land Use (GP) |
Use Description |
|
North |
_ |
_ |
I-10 freeway |
|
South |
_ |
City of Pomona |
Single and Multi-Family Residential located in the City of Pomona |
|
East |
RS 8,000 |
Residential |
Single-Family Residential |
|
West |
_ |
City of Pomona |
Single-Family Residential |
Claremont’s Existing Auto Center
Auto Dealerships in Claremont have generally performed well due to their location near the Interstate 10 Freeway. Visibility has been constrained slightly over the years with the addition of sound walls and Type K rails (barriers). The Freeway is raised approximately 6 to 11 feet above the adjacent grade of the dealerships. Over the years, the dealerships and other businesses have requested Code Amendments to allow more visible signage, lighting, and banners to stay competitive with other freeway adjacent dealerships in the region. Past changes have included the need for electronic reader boards, larger freeway-oriented signs, increased heights of lights, higher color temperature and intensity of lighting in vehicle display areas, and relaxation of banner policies. The City has denied requests for strings of pennants, inflatable signs, and human sign spinners. The City's planning staff believes the request to clarify that car carousel displays are permitted is reasonable, in that it would help to make up for the grade change and new railings. The City's planning staff has concerns that some of the sample photos show bright lights and visually distracting banners that wrap all parts of the rotating car carousel. Staff is concerned these kinds of car carousels would conflict with the City's long focus on minimizing distractions and glare for drivers and trespass light for nearby residential uses. For this reason, the proposed Sign Code Amendment would specify that City approval of a SUDP is required for car carousel displays.
In the General Plan and many other past policies, the City Council has strongly supported the Claremont Auto Center, as auto sales are an important source of tax revenue. Staff believes the proposal to allow sign carousels/spinners can be supported, but that they should not be covered by large banners or have bright lights that shine into the freeway right-of-way. Those elements should remain subject to current City regulations to ensure they do not create unsafe glare or distractions for drivers or light impacts for neighbors. As such, staff has proposed inserting an exception to the prohibition on rotating or moving signs with special lighting (CMC Section 18.010.B) to clarify that the requested car displays can be allowed in the CF zone for auto dealerships selling primarily new automobiles.
Project Description
The proposed amendment would create regulations to accommodate businesses that wish to use car carousels featuring a passenger vehicle on a raised platform that spins in 360-degree rotations at a limited number of revolutions-per-hour.
Proposed Amendments
The proposed amendment would make the following changes to the CMC. All new language is indicated below in bold italics.
CMC Section 18.010.010.B (current)
B. Rotating, revolving, or otherwise moving signs designed to attract attention by visual means through the movement or semblance of movement of the whole or any part of the sign, including rotation, special lighting or wind actuated devices.
CMC Section 18.025.050.G.1 (amended to read as follows):
B. Rotating, revolving, or otherwise moving signs designed to attract attention by visual means through the movement or semblance of movement of the whole or any part of the sign, including rotation, special lighting or wind actuated devices, except carousel displays that feature a passenger vehicle on a rotating platform in the CF District as specifically permitted in this title.
CMC Section 16.306.010.S. (a new section S added and the current section S to re-lettered as section T):
S. Car carousel displays within the Commercial Freeway (CF) zoning district.
1. Car carousels are limited to a maximum of two per business or property, whichever is less. The City shall not approve more than [INSERT NUMBER BETWEEN THREE AND SIX] car carousels in the Commercial Freeway zoning district.
2. Car carousels shall not exceed 30 feet in height.
3. Car carousel displays shall comply with all City regulations for lighting, banner signs, and off-site advertising.
T. Other special or temporary uses listed as permitted uses subject to a special use and development permit pursuant to District Development Standards of this title.
The Planning Commission must determine the appropriate number to set as the maximum number of car carousel displays that may be permitted in the Commercial Freeway zone.
BASIS FOR RECOMMENDATION
From a long-range land use planning perspective, the proposed amendment would allow Commercial Freeway businesses to utilize car carousels to assist in promoting sales and, in particular, to allow dealerships to stay competitive in the auto sales market and bolster their long-term financial success in Claremont. The proposed amendment would also provide appropriate regulatory requirements to ensure the character of the CF Zone and adjacent uses are not unduly impacted by requiring design review and approval of a Special Use and Development Permit, which requires staff to make specific findings on any application, requires compliance with all applicable development standards, and requires notice neighboring property owners prior to approval. The amendment furthers the goals of the Economic Development/Fiscal Element of the City’s General Plan, specifically Goal 3-1: Maintain a strong, diversified economic base, Policy 3-1.5: Continue to maintain the strength of the automobile sales establishments while promoting a diversified tax base so that the municipal budget does not over-rely on consistently strong vehicle sales, Policy 3-2.6: Enhance the Claremont Auto Center to ensure uses the area continue to contribute to the City's tax base, and Goal 3-6: Provide for the fiscal stability of the City.
CEQA REVIEW
The proposed Code Amendment is not a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) sections 15061(b)(2) and 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines. The proposed code amendment will not result in a direct physical change to the environment, but the change to sign regulations may result in a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment as it would allow for additional signage in the form of a small number of car carousels. However, new structures would require separate analysis under CEQA and are generally categorically exempt from CEQA Guidelines under section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) and section 15311 (Accessory Structures). Car carousel displays are minor, portable equipment that is clearly ancillary to the existing primary uses (typically auto dealerships). Car carousel displays would require approval of a Special Use and Development Permit (SUDP) and full compliance with the City’s sign, banner, and nuisance light standards to ensure they do not unduly impact the character of the existing Commercial Freeway (CF) zone. Accordingly, the proposed Municipal Code Amendment will not result in direct physical changes nor will it indirectly result in a significant effect on the environment and is not subject to further environmental review.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact Nhi Atienza at natienza@claremontca.gov.
Notice of this meeting was published in the Claremont Courier on March 13, 2026 and mailed to property owners and occupants in and within a 300-foot radius of the Commercial Freeway zoning district on March 12, 2026.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Daniel Kim
Community Development Director Assistant Planner
Reviewed by:
Christopher Veirs
City Planner
Attachment:
Draft Resolution Recommending City Council Approval of Code Amendment