(A) All signs shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with this article and the North Carolina State Building Codes, as amended. In the event of conflicting provisions of this article and the North Carolina State Building Codes, the more restrictive shall apply.
(B) No sign shall be erected or allowed to remain erected that is structurally unsafe, hazardous and in the opinion of the Building Inspector, constitutes a danger to the public safety. If, in the opinion of the Building Inspector, any sign should become insecure or in danger of falling or otherwise unsafe, the owner thereof or the person or firm maintaining the same shall, upon written notice from the Building Inspector, immediately secure the sign in a manner to be approved by the Building Inspector in conformity with the provisions of this article or remove the sign at the expense of the owner. Any freestanding sign that is not permanently attached to the ground in a manner approved by the Building Inspector shall be considered a danger to public safety.
(C) To ensure that signs are maintained in a safe and aesthetic manner, the following maintenance requirements must be observed for all signs visible from any public street.
(1) No sign shall have more than 20% of its display surface area covered with disfigured, chipped, peeling, cracked, ripped or frayed material of any description for a period of more than 30 successive days.
(2) No sign shall be allowed to remain with bent or broken display area(s), broken supports, loose appendages or struts, or allowed to stand more than 15 degrees away from the perpendicular for a period of more than 30 successive days.
(3) No sign shall be allowed to have weeds, trees, vines or other vegetation growing upon it for a period of more than 30 successive days.
(4) No indirect or internally illuminated sign shall be allowed with only partial illumination for a period of more than 30 successive days.
(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 99-4, § 1, passed 1-14-1999; Ord. No. 02-94, § 1, passed 9-12-2002)
(D) Signs and sign support structures that are abandoned for a period of 12 months shall be removed regardless of compliance with subsections (A), (B) and (C) above. For purposes of this section, when an establishment, building or use that is the beneficiary of any on-premises sign has been vacated and is otherwise no longer in operation, all signs and sign support structures associated with the vacated establishment, building or use shall be deemed to be abandoned.
(Ord. No. 06-35, § 1, passed 4-13-2006)