The following signs are exempt from the requirements of this chapter; however, in some instances building permits may be required, such as an electrical permit for wiring, and a zoning permit is a prerequisite to a building permit:
(A) Warning and security signs, including signs placed by a public utility for the safety, welfare or convenience of the public, including, but not limited to, signs identifying fire department connections or high voltage, public telephone, or underground cables and/or gas pipelines;
(B) Government signs and signs for non-profit organizations sponsored by governments including insignia; statutorily required legal notices; and informational, directional, wayfinding, and traffic safety signs. This exemption shall not include permanent and temporary signs covered in § 155.203(G) of this subchapter but may include signs or flags erected on public property or private property immediately proximate to public property to commemorate public holidays;
(C) Warning and security signs, including signs placed by private property owners restricting activity such as “No Dumping”, “No Hunting” and “No Trespassing” signs containing less than two square feet in copy area per sign face;
(D) Signs placed inside ball fields and outdoor amphitheaters that face toward the interior of the field or amphitheater and are primarily visible for viewing by persons attending events and/or performances;
(E) Signs associated with events of short duration for a nonprofit or charitable organization posted for 14 days or less, provided that not more than a total of 24 square feet of signage is posted per property per street frontage and they are removed within two days after the event;
(F) Incidental signs affixed to windows containing no more than two square feet in copy area provided that not more than a total of six square feet of incidental signage is displayed per occupancy. An incidental sign may flash provided they are located within a building and no more than one such sign is displayed per occupancy;
Example of Incidental Signs
(G) Machine signs containing no more than eight square feet in copy area, except drive-through menu and/or kiosk machine signs may contain up to 12 square feet in copy area provided the portion of the signs devoted to a logo or business name contains no more than six square feet of the total sign copy area;
Example of Machine Signs
(H) Menus and kiosks displayed outdoors at restaurants provided they contain no more than six square feet in copy area;
(I) Signs attached to collection bins, provided they contain no more than six square feet in copy area;
(J) Any sign, public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state or local law, regulation, approved development plan or ordinance, including traffic control signs on private property;
(K) Address signs no greater than four square feet in copy area;
(L) Retail store window displays of merchandise;
(M) Signs attached to licensed roadworthy vehicles, provided the vehicles are not parked unattended and in such a manner as to create the effect of additional signage, whether on-premises or off-premises (see § 155.203 Prohibited Signs);
(N) Signs attached to umbrellas provided no more than 25% of the total surface area of the umbrella is devoted to signage;
(O) One temporary sign per property street frontage containing no more than four square feet in copy area in R-6, R-10, R-20 and NB Districts; no more than 16 square feet in copy area in the CC and GC Districts; and, no more than 32 square feet in the HC-I District. Temporary signs are limited to duration of not more than 60 days up to six times a year. See § 155.206 for temporary signs requiring a permit;
(P) Flags of the United States, the State of North Carolina, Rutherford County or the Town of Spindale if they do not exceed 50 square feet in area, that they are displayed on flagpoles not exceeding 48 feet in height, that no more than three flags are displayed on a lot of less than one acre in size and not more than five flags are displayed on zone lots of one acre or more in size. Flagpoles may be roof or wall-mounted provided size, height and setback requirements are met;
(Q) Holiday, sports and good-will decorations with non-promotional message if lights are not illuminated and decorations are not displayed for longer than a total of 60 days per calendar year on nonresidential property;
(R) Signs for “special event vendors” that shall operate for a specified time, not to exceed seven days; and
(T) Fence wraps displaying signage when affixed to perimeter fencing at a construction site until the certificate of occupancy is issued for the final portion of any construction site or 24 months from the time the fence wrap was installed provided it contains only advertising sponsored by parties directly involved in the construction project in accordance with G.S. § 160D-907.
(Ord. passed 2-20-2012; Ord. passed 3-17-2014; Ord. passed - -2022)