The following signs shall not require a zoning compliance permit under this article; provided, however, any such signs shall comply with all other requirements of this article and chapter except that the signs shall not be included in or count towards the total allowable sign surface area or total number of allowable freestanding signs.
(A) Signs not exceeding three square feet in total sign surface area that are associated with residential use and that are not of a commercial nature. The sign surface area shall contain only property identification names or numbers or names of occupants or warnings to the public;
(B) Memorial plaques, cornerstones, historical tablets and similar devices;
(C) Signs erected by or on behalf of or pursuant to the authorization of a governmental body, including legal notices, identification and information signs and traffic directional or regulatory signs;
(D) On-premises flags, balloons, insignia of nonprofit or governmental organizations shall be allowed subject to all of the following requirements:
(1) Flags and wind blades are permitted as follows:
(a) Temporary freestanding flags and wind blades are not permitted.
(b) Flags with or without commercial messages that are located on functioning light poles internal to the business lot shall be no more than 50 square feet in area. There is no limitation on the number permitted per lot.
(c) Flags attached to permanent poles shall be permitted as follows:
1. In nonresidential zoning districts, flagpoles shall not exceed the maximum height allowed in the zoning district or 70 feet, whichever is less.
2. In residential districts, flagpoles shall not exceed 25 feet in height.
3. The maximum dimensions of any flagpole mounted flag shall be proportional to the flagpole height. The hoist side of the flag shall not exceed 20% of the vertical height of the pole. In addition flags are subject to the dimensional limits found in the following table:
Pole Height (feet) | Max. Non-Commercial Flag Size (square feet) | Max. Commercial Flag Size (square feet) |
Pole Height (feet) | Max. Non-Commercial Flag Size (square feet) | Max. Commercial Flag Size (square feet) |
Up to 25 | 24 | 24 |
25 to 29 | 28 | 28 |
30 to 34 | 40 | 40 |
35 to 39 | 60 | 50 |
40 to 49 | 96 | 50 |
50 to 59 | 150 | 50 |
60 to 70 | 216 | 50 |
4. Each property shall be allowed a maximum of three flagpoles.
5. A maximum of three flags shall be allowed per flagpole.
6. The flag and flagpole shall be maintained in good repair. A flagpole with broken halyards shall not be used and flags which are torn and frayed shall not be displayed.
7. On United States and North Carolina holidays, there shall be no maximum flag size or number or other limitations on manner of display.
8. Flags shall not be mounted directly on a building wall.
(2) Balloons, except as qualified and regulated under section 9-4-233(K) of this article, shall comply with all of the following requirements:
(a) Balloons shall be removed each day for the period extending between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise provided herein;
(b) Balloons shall be maintained in accordance with section 9-4-224 of this article;
(c) No balloon shall exceed a maximum height of 125 feet above grade, as measured from the point of ground attachment to the highest balloon surface;
(d) Any balloon that exceeds 25 feet in height shall be set back from all street right-of-way lines and overhead public utility transmission and/or distribution lines a ground distance equal to the display height of the balloon plus 25 feet, as measured from the ground attachment point to the right-of-way line or to all ground points determined by a 90-degree vertical line extending from the closest overhead public utility transmission and/or distribution line as projected upon the ground, whichever is closer. The purpose of this requirement is to provide a 25-foot clear fall zone in the event of the balloons descent due to deflation or weather conditions;
(e) All balloons shall comply with the maximum height limitations set forth under Title 9, Chapter 3, Airport Zoning, of the Greenville City Code; and
(f) No individual balloon regulated under this section shall exceed a dimension of 20 feet as measured by diameter in the case of spherical balloons, or as measured by the greatest length in the case of oblong or tubular balloons, including blimps and the like.
(3) Insignia of nonprofit or governmental organizations shall not be displayed in connection with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device.
(E) Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings or works of art, provided the features or works of art do not contain advertisements, trademarks, moving parts or lights;
(F) Signs erected for the purpose of directing traffic on private property, identifying restrooms and parking area entrances or exits, provided the signs shall not exceed three square feet. The signs shall not contain any advertising, business name or logo;
(G) Signs painted on or otherwise permanently attached to current licensed motor vehicles that are not primarily used as signs; and
(H) Certain temporary signs:
(1) Temporary signs erected in connection with elections or political campaigns. Such signs shall be subject to section 12-1-5 of the Greenville City Code.
(2) Displays, including lighting, erected in connection with the observance of holidays. Such displays shall be removed within ten days following the holiday.
(3) Construction site identification signs shall be removed within ten days after the issuance of the occupancy permit.
(4) Signs attached temporarily to the interior of a building’s window or glass door. Such signs may not cover more than 25% of the transparent surface area of the window or door to which they are attached. Signs painted on a window or glass door shall not be considered as temporary.
(5) Temporary unilluminated real estate signs shall be subject to the following.
(a) Within any residential zoning district, the total sign display area of any real estate sign(s) erected on any lot shall not exceed 12 square feet, unless otherwise provided herein.
(b) Within any nonresidential zoning district, the total sign display area of any real estate sign(s) erected on any lot shall not exceed 50 square feet, unless otherwise provided herein.
(c) The total sign display area of all temporary real estate sign(s) located on any multi-family lot that contains not less than 20 attached dwelling units, in one or several structures, shall not exceed 50 square feet.
(d) For purposes of this section, the term “real estate sign” shall include both “for sale” and “lease occupancy advertising” signs.
(e) Real estate “for sale” signs erected under this section shall be removed within 14 days following the transfer of title of the lot, tract or unit associated with the signs.
(f) Real estate “lease occupancy advertising” signs erected under this section shall be removed within 14 days following the occupancy of all leasehold units associated with the signs.
(g) Temporary real estate signs that are attached to a building, fence, wall or other structure shall meet the requirements for a permanent wall sign included under section 9-4-234(B).
(h) Temporary real estate signs that are freestanding shall meet the requirements for a permanent freestanding sign included under section 9-4-234(C); provided, however, no freestanding real estate sign located in a residential district shall exceed four feet in height and no real estate sign located in a nonresidential district shall exceed eight feet in height.
(6) Temporary signs not covered in the foregoing categories, so long as the signs meet the following restrictions.
(a) Not more than one sign may be located on any lot.
(b) No such sign shall exceed six square feet in area.
(c) The sign shall be restricted to nonresidential uses only.
(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 95-61, §§ 2–4, passed 6-8-1995; Ord. No. 99-4, § 2, passed 1-14-1999; Ord. No. 05-15, §§ 1-2, passed 3-10-2005; Ord. No. 06-76, § 2, passed 8-10-2006; Ord. 12-017, § 2, passed 4-12-2012; Ord. No. 20-016, § 4, passed 3-12-2020)