Sign Permit in Poncha Springs, Colorado

Poncha Springs requires a sign permit for: Land Use Code Sec. 5.13.1 (Sign Liability), verbatim: 'Signs encroaching on the public right of way are the liability of the owner of the building to which the sign is attached. The sign permit specifically waives all liability for the Town and requires the owner to accept all liability. Where applicable a building permit or structural engineer stamped design may be required.'; Sec. 5.13.2.1: existing signs may continue in use and placement until the type of business on the property changes, at which point the signage must be brought into compliance with the Code (the Code's own worked example: a hamburger stand sold to become another restaurant may keep its existing sign size/placement with new lettering; but if it becomes a different use entirely, e.g. a gift shop, the signage must meet current Code requirements); Sec. 5.13.2.2: signs must comply with Tables A, B & C of Article 5.12; any sign type not listed in those tables is prohibited unless authorized by a W1 Warrant; Sec. 5.13.2.3: signs must be designed to prevent bird nesting/perching, mounted permanently with sufficient strength to withstand 80 mph winds (or meet applicable building codes); the Town may require a structural analysis/design for any sign it determines to be a potential hazard; Type-specific standards apply per sign category (Sec. 5.13.3-5.13.16): Address Signs (durable, contrasting materials); Awning Signs (business name/logo/address only, no internal illumination/backlighting); Band Signs (one per business per first-story facade, no wider than 90% of facade width, no internal lighting except neon by W1 Warrant); Blade Signs (one per business with a first-story Principal Entrance, may encroach 4 ft into the Public Frontage with 8 ft sidewalk clearance); Shingle Signs (same standard as Blade Signs, may encroach 2 ft with 7 ft clearance, name/logo/suite number only); Sidewalk Signs (one per business, max 42 in. tall x 26 in. wide, removed daily at close of business); Window Signs (specific allowed types only — vinyl appliques, painted letters, hanging signs, neon, door signs — max 25% of window area, letters no taller than 8 in.); Yard Signs (one per business by W1 Warrant, max 6 sq ft/6 ft tall, 6 ft setback from Frontage Line); Temporary Signs/Banners (one per business, 30-day maximum); Political Campaign Signs (prohibited in public right-of-way or on civic property, must be removed within 10 days after an election); Temporary Sale Signs (yard-sale/vehicle/equipment sale signs, placed only for the duration of the sale); Sec. 5.1.3: building and site plans (which include Signage Standards as a required review element) require Town staff review and approval, except where Town Board (W1 Warrant) approval is specifically required. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208 before starting work.

A flat $50.00, per the Town of Poncha Springs' own Land Use Application Fees schedule.

Poncha Springs does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Town of Poncha Springs Land Use Application (Sign Permit). Depending on your project, Poncha Springs may also ask for: Sign Design/Structural Details. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at Town of Poncha Springs Town Hall: 333 Burnett Avenue, PO Box 190, Poncha Springs, CO 81242. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 104 Crestone Ave., Room 125 (2nd Floor), Salida, CO 81201 (mailing: P.O. Box 699, Salida, CO 81201). Phone: Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208, email: Town of Poncha Springs: mail@ponchasprings.us. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: bdepartment@chaffeecounty.org (electronic plan submittals: eplans@chaffeecounty.org). Office hours: Town of Poncha Springs Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Fridays 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., closed weekends and major holidays, per the Town's own site footer. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: operates on a 4-day work week (Monday-Thursday), inspections performed Monday-Thursday excluding federal holidays; inspection requests must arrive by 4:00 p.m. the business day before the desired inspection date.. Official information: https://www.ponchasprings.us/planning-zoning and https://www.chaffeecounty.org/departments/building_department/index.php.

Poncha Springs, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — enforced county-wide by the Chaffee County Building Safety Department per the County's own Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; the Town of Poncha Springs' own Land Use Code (Section 6.13.5.9) explicitly confirms IBC compliance is 'administered by the Chaffee County Building Department' for construction within Town limits; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70 / NEC) — per Chaffee County Building Safety Department's Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page, the agency that actually issues and enforces electrical permits county-wide including Poncha Springs; 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (effective July 1, 2026) — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page, BOCC Ordinance 2026-02 with local amendments; Colorado Model Electric Ready & Solar Ready Code — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; Town of Poncha Springs Land Use Code (adopted December 9, 2013, amended on an ongoing basis, most recently by Ordinance No. 2025-04) — governs zoning districts, setbacks, dimensional standards, ADU eligibility/design standards (Section 6.13), home occupations (Section 6.12), lighting standards (Section 5.15), and site work required before Certificate of Occupancy; reviewed by Town Staff (John Armstrong, Town Planner, per the Town's own Building Permit Coversheet) as the mandatory first step before the County's building-permit review begins; Town of Poncha Springs Ordinance #2008-11 (Building Construction Materials Use Tax) and CRS 29-2-105 — imposes a 2% Town use tax on building materials for any building-permit project, collected as part of the Town's own permit intake process, verified verbatim on the Town's own Exemption Certificate / Use Tax acknowledgment form. Local amendments apply — see the Poncha Springs overview page for the full list.

It depends. Per Land Use Code Sec. 5.13.2.1, if a business is sold or leased to a similar type of business, the existing sign may continue with new lettering/logo only. But if the property's use genuinely changes (the Code's example: a hamburger stand becoming a gift shop), the signage must be brought into full compliance with the current Sign Standards (Article 5.13).