Previously, unpermitted awnings or those without a recorded building permit could be subject to enforcement actions.

The ordinance amends the Building and Planning Codes to create a temporary amnesty program for unpermitted awnings, streamline the legalization process, waive applicable fees, and confer legal nonconforming status to certain awnings and signs.

Property owners with unpermitted awnings can legalize their structures without penalty and the need for retrofitting to current code standards, promoting the diverse character of the city's commercial corridors.

The legislation recognizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses and the valuable contribution that business awnings and signs provide to the identity of the city's commercial areas.

A streamlined application process is developed to review the awning permits during the amnesty program, which only requires essential information for compliance verification.

The ordinance includes a sunset clause where it will expire on June 1, 2024, unless extended by the Board of Supervisors. Afterward, the City Attorney will remove it from the Building Code.