(A) The following types of signs are exempt from permit requirements of § 155.150 of this chapter and may be placed in any zoning district subject to § 155.146(D) of this chapter. Such signs shall otherwise be in conformance with all applicable requirements contained in this chapter. There shall be no limit as to the number of such signs on any lot, except as herein prescribed. All such signs (except government signs) shall be located outside a road right-of-way.
(B) Except where specifically provided for, portable signs shall be prohibited:
(1) Government signs;
(2) Memorial signs, plaques or grave markers which are non-commercial in nature;
(3) Flags, pennants, insignia or religious symbols of any government, non-profit or not- for-profit organization when not displayed in connection with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device;
(4) Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings; works of art; so long as such features or works do not contain letters, trademarks, moving parts or lights;
(5) Public interest signs;
(6) On-premises directional and instructional signs not exceeding six square feet in area apiece;
(7) Identification signs for residential uses not exceeding four square feet in area (one only per premises);
(8) Incidental signs, however, in no case shall a drive-in service window menu board be oriented to a public right-of-way or exceed 32 square feet in area. Any such drive-in service window menu board containing a loud speaker shall be located at least 50 feet from any pre-existing residential structure (as defined in § 155.146 of this chapter) located in a residential (R-A, R-20, R-10) district;
(9) Campaign and election signs; provided that:
(a) Each sign shall not exceed 32 square feet in area;
(b) All such signs shall be removed within seven days after the election for which they were made; and
(c) Property owner shall be held responsible for violations.
(10) Temporary real estate signs advertising a specific property for sale, lease, rent or development shall be located as follows.
(a) One sign per street frontage advertising real estate “For Sale”, “For Rent”, “For Lease” or “For Development” not greater than ten square feet in area in a residential (R-A, R-20, R-10) district and 64 square feet in area in non-residential districts may be located on the property being advertised so long as said sign is located behind the street right-of-way line. If the property so advertised lies on a corner lot or double frontage lot, then a second sign may be oriented along the second street so long as the two signs are at least 100 feet apart as measured by the shortest straight line.
(b) In addition to the on-site real estate sign(s), a maximum of three directional signs, each not exceeding four square feet in area, shall be permitted off the subject premises. The message of said signs shall be limited to the name of the property or development being advertised, an address, a telephone number, a directional arrow, mileage to the subject property and the terms “Lot/Home For Sale”, “For Rent”, “For Lease”, “For Development” and the like.
(c) No more than three temporary directional signs advertising a specific planned commercial or mixed use development, subdivision, multi-family development and the like may also be permitted off-site. Each such sign may have a maximum area of three square feet.
(d) All such temporary signs shall be removed within seven days after the property has been sold, rented, leased and the like.
(e) No sign allowed under this division (B)(10) shall be lighted.
(11) Permanent subdivision or planned residential development identification signs not exceeding 32 square feet;
(12) Temporary construction signs; provided that:
(a) Signs in conjunction with any residential use shall not exceed ten square feet each;
(b) Signs in conjunction with all other uses shall have a maximum area of 50 square feet each;
(c) Only one such sign oriented per street front per premises shall be erected. Any two such signs located on the same premises shall be located at least 100 feet apart as measured by using a straight line;
(d) Such signs shall not be illuminated;
(e) Such signs shall only appear at the construction site; and
(f) Such signs shall be removed within seven days after a completion of the project.
(13) Temporary farm product signs; provided that:
(a) One on-premises sign may be used. Said sign shall be located off the street right-of-way and at least ten feet away from any side lot line. Such sign shall have a maximum area of nine square feet and may not be illuminated;
(b) A maximum of two off-premises signs shall be permitted. Said off-premises signs may be no greater than four square feet apiece and shall not be illuminated. No such sign shall be allowed in the street right-of-way, nor within ten feet of a side lot line; and
(c) Portable signs shall not be used for any sign allowed under this section.
(14) Temporary special event signs for religious, charitable, civic, fraternal or similar non-profit or not-for-profit organizations; provided that:
(a) Signs shall be erected no sooner than 30 days prior and removed no later than two days after the event;
(b) Portable signs for such uses may be allowed;
(c) No such sign shall exceed 32 square feet;
(d) No such sign shall be illuminated; and
(e) All such signs shall be located off the street right-of-way, unless otherwise granted permission for such location by the town or NCDOT. In no case may any such sign extend onto or over a street pavement or impede the view of any motorists or pedestrians as per § 155.105 of this chapter. Location of such signs within a road right-of-way shall be limited to the day of the event.
(15) Temporary displays as part of a Christmas, holiday or civic event so long as any such displays are not located within a street right-of-way unless permission for such is first granted by the town or NCDOT;
(16) One on-premises and three off-premises yard sale signs per yard sale. All such signs shall be removed within 24 hours after the yard sale has been terminated. No such sign shall be greater than four square feet in area. All such signs shall be located off the street right-of-way;
(17) Bulletin boards and signs which contains information of a non-commercial nature. Such bulletin boards and signs may have a maximum area of 75 square feet;
(18) Directional signs (for public and semi/public uses only); provided that:
(a) No more than three directional signs per principal use may be erected. No two directional signs advertising the same principal use shall be located within 1,000 feet of each other as measured using the straightest short line distance;
(b) All such signs shall be located off the road right-of-way;
(c) All such signs greater than three feet in height as measured from the grade of the road upon which it fronts shall be located outside the required sight triangle as indicated in § 155.105 of this chapter;
(d) All such signs shall not be illuminated;
(e) All directional signs shall be free-standing signs. Portable signs shall be prohibited;
(f) There shall be no greater than four directional signs on separate supports at the intersection of any two roads;
(g) More than one sign may be placed on the same supports;
(h) No two directional signs hung from separate supports shall be located within five feet of each other; and
(i) The maximum area of any directional sign shall be six square feet.
(19) Other signs containing non-commercial copy messages; provided that:
(a) Such signs have an area of no greater than 32 square feet;
(c) Such signs shall not be illuminated.
(20) Directory signs; provided that:
(a) No sign is located in a road right-of-way;
(b) The maximum sign area shall be 40 square feet or one-half the area of the largest free-standing sign permitted for said use, whichever is less;
(c) Letters do not exceed six inches in height; and
(d) Height of sign does not exceed six feet.
(21) Window signs;
(22) “Warning”, “No Trespassing” and similar informational signs;
(23) Signs located within a stadium intended to be read only by persons seated within the stadium;
(24) Permanent municipal, school, recreational signs, schedule of events, rules and regulations signs. Such signs shall not include identification signs;
(25) Any sign inside a building, not attached to or placed within an external window or piece of glass that is not legible more than three feet beyond the building in which it is located;
(26) Signs placed on newspaper boxes designed for placement of delivered newspaper to a particular location;
(27) Signs advertising the price of gasoline or designating self service or full service pumps, so long as such signs are attached to the pump island or a permitted free-standing sign; and
(28) A state vehicle inspections sign, so long as such sign is not located in any right-of-way.
(Ord. passed - -, § 8.7)