Hercules, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

302(7) defines a freestanding pylon sign as one attached to columns erected directly into the ground and limits any property to one such sign per 1,000 feet of lot frontage. New pylon signs are otherwise prohibited citywide unless three conditions are all met: the property must be zoned General Commercial (CG), the sign must be built within 100 feet of the Interstate 80 right-of-way or easement, and it must be approved as part of a master sign program that undergoes environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

The sign must also serve an on-site commercial development intended to draw from a market area beyond Hercules' city limits, a determination the Planning Commission makes. Structurally, the sign needs at least two enclosed supports or a monolithic base, single-pole designs are barred, and if there is open area below the message panel, that open area must be at least as tall as the message panel itself. 103(2) also routes the application straight to the Planning Commission for a public hearing rather than allowing staff-level approval, distinguishing it from most other sign types the Community Development Director can act on directly within 30 days.