(A) Except as further provided, no portion of any sign shall extend beyond any property boundary line of street right-of- way line.
(B) Additional wall sign standards.
(1) No wall sign shall extend above the top of any exterior wall line of the building to which it is attached, except as provided under subsection (B)(2) below.
(2) Wall signage may be permitted on the front (outside) edge of a decorative roof structure (i.e., canopies, awnings and the like), provided the top of the signage does not extend above the decorative roof structure and does not extend more than five feet above the exterior wall to which the decorative roof structure is attached. Also, wall signage may be permitted on top of a decorative roof structure (i.e., canopies, awnings and the like), provided the top of the signage does not extend above the exterior wall to which the structure is attached and provided the signage does not extend past the front (outside) edge of the decorative roof structure.
(3) No wall sign shall project more than 12 inches from the building, except as provided under subsection (B)(4) and (5) below.
(4) Except as further provided, wall signage may be located on a sign support frame provided the sign and support frame shall not project more than three total feet from the building and provided the depth of the sign, as measured perpendicular from the outside surface of the front face to the outside surface or plane of the rear (building side) of the sign, is not more than 12 inches.
(a) No wall sign, including any sign support frame, erected on a decorative roof structure (i.e., canopies, awning and the like) shall project more than 12 inches from the front (outside) edge of the decorative roof structure.
(b) When a wall sign is erected on a sign support frame and when the sign and support frame projects more than 12 total inches from the building, the message portion of the sign, including any letters and/or graphics, shall be parallel in orientation to the building wall.
(c) When a sign and/or support frame projects more than 12 inches from a building the lowest part of the sign, display shall be not less than eight feet above the adjacent finished ground surface elevation.
(5) Wall projection signs.
(a) For purposes of this section, wall projection signs shall be any wall sign that projects more than 12 inches from the building and does not qualify under subsection (4).
(b) Wall projection signs shall be allowed only in the CD (downtown commercial) district and such signs shall be subject to compliance with all of the following requirements:
1. Shall be permanently attached to an exterior wall of a building in a manner approved by the Building Inspector.
2. Shall not be attached to the outside edge of a canopy or extend beyond any outside edge of a canopy.
3. May project horizontally from the building wall not more than four feet.
4. There shall not be more than 12 inches between the sign display areas (faces) of a double-sided sign. Three-dimensional projection wall signs not composed of flat sign display surfaces shall not be permitted.
5. Projection wall signs shall be located on private property, provided however, a projection wall sign may encroach into the street right-of-way in accordance with an encroachment agreement approved by the city, and where applicable, the State Department of Transportation.
6. One projection wall sign is allowed for each side of a building that fronts a public street or public alley.
7. Projection wall signs for individual principal use establishments located in a common building shall not be located closer than eight feet from any other projection wall sign located on the same building.
8. All projection wall signs for individual principal use establishments located on a common building facade shall be of equal dimension, including but not limited to, individual sign display area, width, height, horizontal projection. Sign height above grade may vary provided compliance with subsection (m) below.
9. Projection wall signs shall be considered part of the total wall sign allowance.
10. Properties with frontage having 100 feet or less may have a maximum projection wall sign area of 15 square feet and properties with frontage having more than 100 feet may have a maximum projection wall sign area of 30 square feet.
11. Properties with frontage having more than 100 feet and with at least a three-story building located on the property with a height of at least 40 feet and the building lot coverage area of at least 80% of the property may have a maximum projection wall sign area of 50 square feet.
12. Minimum height of a projection wall sign, as measured from the finished grade directly below the sign to the lowest point of the sign, shall be not less than eight feet, except as further provided. Projection wall signs subject to street right-of-way encroachment agreement approval shall have a minimum height of not less than ten feet, or per encroachment agreement condition, whichever is greater.
13. If required, all right-of-way encroachment agreement(s) must be granted by the approval authority prior to sign permit application. A copy of any encroachment agreement and any conditions shall be attached to the sign permit application.
(6) (a) To qualify as a permanent wall sign, displays made from non-self-supporting materials, including flex-face type signs, shall be permanently affixed to the building or other structure by a method approved by the Building Inspector, and the display (sign face) shall be enclosed and/or attached:
1. By a two-inch or wider raised frame that supports the sign face; or
2. Within a two-inch or wider raised sign cabinet specifically designed for support of the sign.
(b) The intent of subsections (B)(6)(a)1. and 2. is to prohibit direct contact attachment of non-self-supporting material signs on a supporting wall or qualified structure and to require that the display (sign face) is separated from the supporting wall or qualified structure by not less than two inches.
(7) Banner flags.
(a) Banner flag signs shall be allowed only in office and commercial districts and such signs shall be subject to compliance with all of the following requirements:
1. Shall be permanently attached to an exterior wall of a building in a manner approved by the Building Inspector.
2. Banner flag fixtures shall project a minimum of 18 inches from a building.
3. Shall not be attached to the outside edge of a canopy or extend beyond any outside edge of a canopy.
4. May project horizontally from the building wall not more than four feet.
5. Banner flags shall be located on private property, provided however, a banner flag sign may encroach into the street right-of-way in accordance with an encroachment agreement approved by the city, and where applicable, the State Department of Transportation.
6. One banner flag shall be allowed per 25 feet of building frontage along a public right of way or one per individual principal use establishment, whichever is greater.
7. A banner flag may only be located on the side of a building which provided the frontage to allow it.
8. There shall be no minimum spacing between banner flags.
9. Banner flags signs for individual principal use establishments located in a common building shall not be located closer than eight feet along a horizontal plane from any projection wall sign located on the same building.
10. All banner flags signs for individual principal use establishments located on a common building facade shall be of equal dimension, including but not limited to, individual sign display area, width, height, horizontal projection. Sign height above grade may vary provided compliance with subsection (c) below.
11. Non-commercial banner flags shall not be considered part of the total wall sign allowance.
12. Minimum height of a banner flag, as measured from the finished grade directly below the sign to the lowest point of the sign, shall be not less than eight feet, except as further provided. Banner flags subject to street right-of-way encroachment agreement approval shall have a minimum height of not less than ten feet, or per encroachment agreement condition, whichever is greater.
13. If required, all right-of-way encroachment agreement(s) must be granted by the approval authority prior to sign permit application. A copy of any encroachment agreement and any conditions shall be attached to the sign permit application.
14. The banner flag and pole or mast shall be maintained in good repair. A flagpole with broken halyards shall not be used and banner flags which are torn and frayed shall not be displayed.
(C) No freestanding sign may exceed five feet in height above the average centerline grade of the public street toward which the sign is oriented, except as provided below:
(1) Within any MI, MS, MO, MCG, MCH and/or CD Zoning District, no freestanding sign may exceed 15 feet in height above the average centerline grade of the public street toward which the sign is oriented, provided the sign is set back not less than ten feet from the right-of-way of the public street; or
(2) Within any CDF, CG, CN, CH, IU, PIU, I, PI, OR and/or O Zoning District, no freestanding sign may exceed 25 feet in height above the average centerline grade of the public street toward which the sign is oriented, provided the sign is set back not less than ten feet from the right-of-way of the public street.
(D) No sign shall be erected, maintained, painted or drawn on any tree, rock, natural feature or utility pole. “Utility pole” shall include but not be limited to any traffic-control, lighting, power, telephone or other similar utility pole.
(E) No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape or any window or door or opening used as a required means of egress or so as to prevent free passage from one part of a roof to any other part thereof. No sign shall be attached in any form, shape or manner to a fire escape or be placed in such a manner as to interfere with any opening required for ventilation.
(F) No sign shall be erected or maintained which simulates or closely resembles an official traffic-control or warning sign in such a manner as to, or could in any way, confuse or mislead the traffic.
(G) No freestanding sign shall be permitted in sight distance areas as defined in Title 6, Chapter 2 of the Greenville City Code.
(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 97-85, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-14-1997; Ord. No. 98-34, § 1, passed 3-12-1998; Ord. No. 06-76, § 2, passed 8-10-2006; Ord. No. 10-44, §§ 1-4, 5-13-2010; Ord. No. 11-022, § 1, passed 5-12-2011; Ord. 15-010, § 1, passed 2-12-2015; Ord. No. 20-016, § 5, passed 3-12-2020)