4.06.1 PURPOSE AND INTENT
The sign regulations of this article are adopted under the zoning authority of the town in furtherance of the general purposes set forth in the Unified Development Ordinance. The purpose of this article is as follows:
A. To encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communications in the town and its extraterritorial jurisdiction;
B. To maintain and enhance the aesthetic environment and the town’s ability to attract sources of economic development and growth;
C. To improve pedestrian and traffic safety;
D. To minimize the possible adverse effect of signs on nearby public and private property; and
E. To enable the fair and consistent enforcement of these sign regulations.
4.06.2 APPLICABILITY
All signs within the town’s jurisdiction shall be covered by these regulations and be erected, constructed or maintained in accordance with the provisions of this section.
4.06.3 PERMITS REQUIRED
A. Except as provided otherwise in this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct, enlarge, move or replace any sign without first obtaining a permit, in accordance with this ordinance, from the Administrator to ensure compliance with the provisions of this ordinance.
B. Additional permits may be necessary pursuant to the regulations in the State Building Code or other sections of this ordinance.
4.06.4 ALTERATION OF SIGN FACE
Cleaning, electrical repair, resurfacing and other maintenance of a sign shall not require a permit. The changing of tenant name panels on multiple-tenant development signage and the change of copy on other signs specifically designed for changeable copy shall not require a permit.
A. The area of a sign face shall be deemed to be the entire area within the smallest polygon that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, representation, emblem or other display on the sign that can be reasonably calculated.
B. The area shall also include any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the display or used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed.
C. Frames or structural members not bearing informational or representational matter shall not be included in computation of the area of a sign face. Computations of sign area shall include only one side of a double-faced sign structure. If a sign has two sides joined at an angle greater than 60 degrees, the surface of both sides shall be included in the computation of area.
4.06.6 COMPUTATION OF HEIGHT
A. Attached signs. The sign height for attached signs shall be computed as the distance from the finished grade at the base of the building to which the sign is attached to the top of the highest component of the sign.
B. Ground (freestanding) signs. As illustrated below, the sign height for ground signs shall be computed as the lesser of:
1. The distance from the base of the sign at the finished grade to the top of the highest component of the sign; or
2. The distance from the nearest adjacent street grade to which the sign is oriented, and on which the lot has frontage, to the top of the highest component of the sign.
4.06.7 LOCATION AND ENCROACHMENT
A. Permitted signs shall be located outside of the street right-of-way, behind sidewalk areas and outside of required site triangles.
B. All attached signs shall be mounted and attached to buildings in a secure manner, shall not include wire or turnbuckle guy and shall be maintained in good repair for safety and appearance.
C. No non-governmental sign shall be attached to or painted on power poles, light poles, telephone poles, traffic signs or other objects not intended to support a sign.
4.06.8 MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS
A. All attached signs and sign support frames shall be mounted and attached to building or ground in a secure manner, shall not include wire or turnbuckle guy and shall be maintained in good repair for safety and appearance.
B. All permanently installed signs shall be able to resist normal loads from positive and negative wind pressure, snow and other conditions as required by the current edition of the North Carolina version of the International Building Code.
C. The Administrator reserves the right to require sign load calculations and attachment design from a state licensed structural engineer, and to require same engineer to certify the sign installation in writing.
4.06.9 NONCONFORMING SIGNS
See Section 8.07.
4.06.10 SIGNAGE TYPES
Signage types illustrated below are approved for usage in the town:
4.06.11 ATTACHED SIGNAGE STANDARDS
Sign Type | Zoning District | Square Footage | Height | Total Number |
Wall Signs | CB, GB, NB, NMX, O/S, LI, HI | 10% of the gross square footage on any one side of the building. | No sign shall extend above the roofline. | 4 signs per building wall. |
Awning / Canopy / Window / Door Signs | CB, GB, NB, NMX | 25% of the gross glass area on any one side of the building (windows/doors), 50% of area for awnings/ canopies). | No sign shall extend above the roofline. | N/A |
Projecting / Suspended Signs | CB, GB, NB, NMX | 6 square feet | Shall be at least 7 feet from the ground measured from the bottom of the sign. | One per tenant. |
Notes: Wall signs shall have a max. protrusion of 12 inches, may only be placed on walls facing a public right-of-way. No illumination for awning/canopy/window/door signs or projecting/suspended signs is permitted. | ||||
4.06.12 RESIDENTIAL GROUND SIGNAGE STANDARDS
Zoning District | Square Footage | Height | Total Number |
RR, RS-20, RS-15, RS-10, RMF, RMX | 20 square feet | 6 feet | 1 per entrance |
Notes: 1) Signs are permitted on decorative or retaining walls at entrances to residential developments without limitations to the size of the wall. 2) 5-foot minimum setback from all property lines is required for all ground signs. | |||
4.06.13 NONRESIDENTIAL GROUND SIGNAGE STANDARDS
Zoning District | *Square Footage | *Height | Sign Base | Total Number of Signs |
CB | 20 square feet | 6 feet | Monument | 1 sign per site |
O/S | 20 square feet | 6 feet | Monument | 1 sign per site |
NB | 20 square feet | 12 feet | Monument or column | 1 sign per street frontage |
GB, LI, HI | 40 square feet | 12 feet | Monument or column | 1 sign per street frontage |
Notes: 1) Column signs may be single or double mounted and must have a diameter greater than 24 inches. 2) Monument signs must have a base that is at least 75% of the width of the total sign. 3) Monument signs must have a base material of brick, stone or like imitation material. 4) 5-foot min. setback from all property lines is require for all ground signs. *Square footage & height may exceed minimum square footage and height if located in the Highway Overlay District. See Section 4.06.15 for ground sign standards located within the Highway Overlay District. |
4.06.14 PERMITTED SIGNAGE ILLUMINATION BY DISTRICT
Zoning District | External Illumination | Internal Illumination |
RR, RS-15, RS-10, RS-20, RMX, RMF | Permitted | Not Permitted. |
O/S, NMX, CB, NC, GB, LI, HI | Permitted | Permitted |
Notes: 1) Prohibited lighting: no flashing or intermittent illumination shall be permitted on any adverting sign or structure. 2) Shielding required: any indirect lighting or spot lighting shall require complete shielding of all light sources so as to illuminate only the face of the sign and prevent off-site glare. 3) White light only is permitted. | ||
4.06.15 STANDARDS FOR SIGNAGE IN THE HIGHWAY OVERLAY DISTRICT
A. Signs located within the Highway Overlay District shall meet the following criteria:
Development Type | Maximum Sign Area | Maximum Height |
• Single-family residential developments • Multi-family developments • All other developments with less than 200 feet of road frontage | 40 sq ft | 12 feet |
• All developments with 200 feet or more of road frontage | 72 sq ft | 20 feet |
B. The following regulations shall be met in addition to the guidelines in the chart above:
1. All ground signs shall be placed immediately adjacent to the right-of-way boundary, as long as they do not encroach on sight lines.
2. All monument signs shall be double-sided and internally lit.
3. All ground signs shall be free-standing monuments style.
4.06.16 OTHER SIGNAGE REQUIRING PERMITS
A. Construction project signs:
1. Permitted districts: all districts.
2. Surface area: 32 square feet maximum.
3. Time limit: these signs are intended to be temporary and must be removed after completion of construction.
B. Sales office signs:
1. Permitted districts: all residential districts, only on model home lots used as sales offices for single-family residential subdivisions.
2. Surface area: 32 square feet maximum.
3. Time limit: these signs are intended to be temporary and must be removed after 50% of the lots in the current phase of the development are sold.
C. Electronic message boards:
1. Permitted districts: RMX, NMX, O/S, NB, GB, LI & HI.
2. Surface area: electronic message boards may be incorporated into a permitted wall or ground sign only, and shall not comprise more than 50% of the primary sign area.
3. Message variation: the electronic message shall not change in increments of less than seven seconds and shall not scroll. New messages shall be timed to fade in and out slowly.
D. Drive-thru menu boards:
1. Permitted districts: GB, NB, CB.
2. Location/placement: menu boards shall be allowed only as an accessory use to a restaurant having a drive-through window.
3. Surface area: 35 square feet maximum.
4. Height: six feet maximum.
4.06.17 GROUND SIGNAGE STANDARDS FOR SITES WITH MULTIPLE BUILDINGS
All ground signage for developments with multiple buildings are subject to these provisions:
A. Ground signs may be a maximum of 12 feet in height and 100 square feet in sign area.
B. Planned developments may have one ground sign per road frontage.
C. Outparcels for planned developments may have one ground sign that is a maximum of four feet in height and 35 square feet in sign area.
4.06.18 SIGNS EXEMPT FROM PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
A. Governmental signs. Signs posted by various local, state and federal agencies in the performance of their duties such as regulatory signs, welcome signs, government regulatory and direction information and traffic signs. Signs installed under governmental authority which note the donation of buildings, structures or streetscape materials (such as, but not limited to benches, park facilities and the like).
B. Flags and the like. Flags or insignia of any nation, organization of nations, state, county or municipality provided the height of any pole shall not exceed the maximum building height for the district. Refer also to the United States Flag Code for usage of the United States flag.
C. Temporary holiday decorations. Temporary decorations or displays, when such are clearly incidental to and are customarily and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday/celebration.
D. Building marker signs. A sign cut or etched into masonry, bronze or similar material on a building which denotes only the building name, date of erection or street number.
E. Legal and warning signs. Signs erected to warn of danger or hazardous conditions such as signs erected by public utility companies or construction companies.
1. Signs required for or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or ordinance.
2. Signs that display information pertinent to the safety or legal responsibilities of the general public with regard to a particular piece of property shall be located on the premises to which the information pertains. No advertising may be affixed to such a sign.
F. Occupant/street number signs. Signs not exceeding two square feet and not illuminated, bearing property numbers, post office box numbers, names of occupants or other identification of premises not having commercial connotations.
1. All such signs must be placed in such a manner as to be visible from the street.
2. Unit identification numbers shall be located on the front wall within 18 inches of the entrance, or if not feasible architecturally, prominently displayed on the building. Unit numbers for residential dwellings only may, in lieu of being located on the front wall, be located on the mail boxes or similar-sized surface attached thereto. Multi-family and other residential facilities which are comprised of courts or units not fronting a public street must be located on identification signs containing the name of the court, street or way and the unit numbers on each private entrance.
G. Vending machine/automatic teller and gasoline pump signs. Signs attached to and made an integral part of a vending machine, automatic teller machine or gasoline pump if advertising or giving information about the products or services dispensed or vended by that machine.
H. Directional signs on private property. Directional signs must be located on the premises to which directions are indicated.
1. Such signs may not exceed three feet in height if freestanding.
2. Directional signs may not exceed four square feet per face.
3. Such signs may contain no copy (such as, company name or logo) other than directional information.
4. Illumination of such signs shall be as permitted for on-premises signs in the land development district where the sign is located.
5. No more than two signs per entrance or exit shall be permitted.
I. Gas pump island signs. Portable signs associated with gasoline stations, specifically those denoting gasoline prices, gas types and other petroleum related signage. Such signs must be located at the pump island.
J. Incidental signs. Signs containing information necessary or convenient for persons coming onto a premises shall be located on the premises to which the information pertains.
1. No advertising may be affixed to such a sign.
2. Such signs must be single-faced only and wholly attached to a building (may be located on windows or doors).
K. Real estate signs. Only one sign is allowed per street frontage.
1. Such signs may not be illuminated.
2. Such signs may be no greater than four square feet in area (all types of signs) and four feet in height (if freestanding) when located on a residential property less than two acres.
3. Such signs may be no greater than 16 square feet in area (all types of signs) and eight feet in height (if freestanding) for non-residential properties or residential properties exceeding two acres.
4. Real estate signs shall be removed within one day after the closing of the sale, rental or lease of the property.
L. Political signs. Political signs shall not be located on any trees, utility poles, publicly-owned property or within a public street right-of-way, except within NCDOT right-of-way according to the standards of G.S. § 136-32.
M. Temporary signs; special event signs. Signs may be erected for promoting special events as follows:
1. Signs for public events may be displayed for a period of 30 days and may be allowed on- or off-premises. Such signs shall be removed within seven days of the end of the special event.
2. Such signs shall not be illuminated.
3. Such signs are limited to 32 square feet in area per display surface and four feet in height.
N. Yard sale signs. Such signs may be located on-premises only and may not be located within a public right-of-way nor placed on a tree, street sign or utility pole.
1. Such signs may not be illuminated.
2. Yard sale signs are limited to four square feet in area and four feet in height.
3. One yard sale sign is allowed per street frontage.
4. Such signs must be removed within seven days of erection.
O. Grand Opening Signs. Temporary or portable grand opening signs may be permitted in the NB, CB, GB and O/S Districts for a period of not over 30 days per calendar year to any person(s) or corporation that has opened a new business. Grand opening signs include pennants, ribbons, streamers, balloons and/or spinners.
P. One “open” sign per tenant.
1. May have a neon light source.
2. Permitted districts: CB, NB & GB.
3. Not exceeding 15 watts and two square feet.
Q. Fence Wrapping. Fence wraps displaying signage when affixed to perimeter fencing on construction sites, as described by G.S. § 160A-381(j), shall be exempt from the requirements of this ordinance and allowed to remain until:
1. A final certificate of occupancy is issued, or
2. 24 months has elapsed from when the signage was installed, whichever is shorter.
4.06.19 PROHIBITED SIGNS
A. Off-premises signs. All off-premises signs unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this ordinance are prohibited.
B. Animated/flashing signs or signs of illusion. Except for otherwise approved time and temperature signs, signs displaying blinking, flashing or intermittent lights, animation, and moving parts or signs giving the illusion of movement are prohibited. Time and temperature signs that rotate or move are not permitted.
C. Signs resembling official signs. Any sign that imitates an official governmental sign, or violates the law of the state relating to outdoor advertising, is prohibited.
D. Signs resembling traffic signals. Any sign which by color, location or nature may be confused with official highway signs, warning signs, traffic signals or other regulatory devices are prohibited.
1. Any sign that uses the word “stop”, “slow”, “caution”, “danger”, or any other word which is likely to be confused with traffic directional and regulatory signs is prohibited.
2. Any sign located in a manner or place which might constitute a traffic hazard is prohibited.
E. Signs on roadside appurtenances. Signs attached to or painted on utility poles, telephone poles, trees, parking meters, bridges and overpasses, rocks, other signs, benches and refuse containers, and the like are prohibited unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this ordinance.
F. Abandoned signs or sign structures. Signs that advertise an activity or business no longer conducted on the property on which the sign is located are prohibited. Conforming signs designed for changeable copy may be covered instead of removed.
1. Sign structures on which no sign is erected are prohibited.
2. Such signs or sign structures must be removed within 30 days of becoming an abandoned sign or sign structure.
G. Signs obstructing access. Any sign that obstructs free ingress or egress from a driveway or a required window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder or other required opening is prohibited.
H. Signs with exposed electrical wiring. All wiring shall be contained in conduit or enclosed in poles or raceways. In no case shall the wiring be exposed to the public.
I. Signs on public property. Any sign installed or placed on public property or within a public right-of-way, including any sign held by or otherwise displayed upon a person. Such sign shall be forfeited to the public and is subject to confiscation and disposal. In addition to other remedies hereunder, the Administrator shall have the right to recover from the owner or person placing such a sign the full costs of removal and disposal of such sign.
4.06.20 MAINTENANCE OF SIGNS
Signs shall be kept in proper repair. The following maintenance requirements must be observed for all signs visible from any public street or highway within the jurisdiction of the town.
A. Surface appearance. No sign shall have more than 20% of its surface area covered with disfigured, cracked, ripped or peeling paint or poster paper for a period of more than 30 successive days.
B. Broken displays. No sign shall remain with a bent or broken display area, broken supports, loose appendages or struts or stand more than 15 degrees from the perpendicular for a period of more than 30 successive days.
C. Illuminated signs. No indirect or internally illuminated sign shall have only partial illumination for a period of more than 30 successive days.
4.06.21 INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
All signs for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the town. A representative of the town shall be authorized to enter at all reasonable times upon any property or premises to ascertain whether the provisions of the code are being obeyed. The town may order the removal of any sign that is not in accordance with the provisions of the code.
4.06.22 SUBSTANDARD SIGNS
A. The owners of any sign judged substandard by the Administrator shall be notified in writing and the said owner shall have 30 days in which to make repairs. If the said order is not complied with within 30 days, the Administrator shall remove such sign at the expense of the owner or lessee thereof plus all legal and administrative fees.
B. Any sign installed or placed on public property or within a public right-of-way shall be forfeited to the public and is subject to confiscation and disposal. In addition to other remedies hereunder, the Administrator shall have the right to recover from the owner or person placing such a sign the full costs of removal and disposal of such sign.
4.06.23 SIGNS PERMITTED IN ALLOWANCE, REMOVAL, RELOCATION, RECONSTRUCTION OF NONCONFORMING OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING SIGNS
A. New signs limited. No new outdoor advertising signs shall be permitted in the town except for outdoor advertising signs that are removed, relocated, or reconstructed pursuant to the requirements of this section.
B. Qualified signs. A sign with an existing valid permit from the State Department of Transportation and the town. A sign may also qualify if erected prior to applicable zoning regulations.
C. Removal/replacement/reconstruction. Any relocated and/or reconstructed qualified sign shall comply with the following standards:
1. The total number of relocated and/or reconstructed signs shall not exceed the number of qualified sign structures and sign faces that are registered as qualified signs.
2. No outdoor advertising sign shall exhibit a face panel size greater than 300 square feet per side or the size of the face panel being relocated and/or reconstructed, whichever is smaller.
3. A relocated and/or reconstructed qualified sign shall be set back no less than ten feet from the edge of the right-of-way.
4. A relocated and/or reconstructed qualified sign shall not exceed 40 feet in height or the existing height, whichever is shorter.
5. A relocated and/or reconstructed qualified sign shall be a column sign. Replaced signs shall not be attached to any building. A relocated and/or reconstructed sign is limited to only have one face per side.
6. Light emitted from any reconstructed qualified sign shall be confined to the sign area and in no case shall light emitted from a billboard be allowed to shine directly onto or into a residentially zoned or used property.
(Ord. passed 2-14-2017; Ord. 2020-05, passed 8-10-2019; Ord. 2022-06, passed 7-13-2021; Ord. passed 3-15-2022)