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A. These signage standards are comprised of eight subsections that address the purpose and intent of these regulations, the types of signage subject to or excluded from these regulations, the prohibited forms of signage, a subsection on general standards applied to all forms of signage subject to these regulations, a subsection on removal of dilapidated or obsolete signage, and a subsection that sets out a series of standards applied to each specific type of sign.
B. The subsection on general standards applied to all forms of signage (see Section 5.11.6, General Standards Applicable to All Signs) addresses the following topics:
1. Sign permit requirements;
2. Distinctions for public art and murals;
3. Allowance for signs in the right-of-way;
4. Prohibited sign locations;
5. How signage is measured;
6. Changeable copy;
7. Sign illumination;
8. Structural configuration; and
9. Maintenance of signage.
C. The subsection on standards applied to specific types of signs (see Section 5.11.9, Sign Standards by Sign Type) is organized into standardized tables that establish the standards for the following types of signs:
1. Awning Signs;
2. Banners;
3. Electronic Message Boards;
4. Flags;
5. Ground (or monument or pedestal) Signs;
6. Incidental Signs;
7. Political Signs;
8. Projecting Signs;
9. Sidewalk Signs;
10. Subdivision Signs;
11. Supplemental Signs;
12. Suspended Signs;
13. Wall Signs; and
14. Window Signs.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
This section provides guidance and standards for signage across the Town's planning jurisdiction. The erection and maintenance of signs is controlled and regulated in order to promote the health, safety, welfare, convenience, and enjoyment of travel on streets and sidewalks. These provisions are also intended to balance between the promotion of beneficial commerce and the protection of community character. More specifically, these standards are intended to:
A. Promote traffic safety;
B. Avoid interference with protected free speech;
C. Regulate the content of signs to the least extent possible and only when absolutely necessary to protect health and safety;
D. Regulate off-premise signage in accordance with federal jurisprudence;
E. Ensure that any content-based signage standards serve a compelling public purpose and are as narrowly-tailored as possible;
F. Promote economic development and beneficial commerce;
G. Ensure residents and visitors can locate desired goods, services, and destinations;
H. Avoid conflicts between advertising and public safety signage;
I. Reflect the aesthetic character and design quality anticipated in the Town's adopted policy guidance; and
J. Minimize any detrimental effects of signage on adjacent properties.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
Except for the sign types exempted from these standards identified in Section 5.11.4, Exclusions, all signs shall be constructed, erected, affixed, placed, posted, painted, repainted, hung, or otherwise established only in accordance with the standards in this section and Section 2.2.16, Sign Permit.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
The following forms of signage shall not be subject to these signage standards, but may be subject to other applicable standards in this Ordinance, such as the requirement to obtain a building permit. Applicants shall be responsible for securing all required permits prior to erecting or modifying any of the following forms of excluded signage:
A. Fence-wrap signs affixed to fences surrounding a construction site in accordance with the standards in Section 160D-908 of the North Carolina General Statutes;
B. Legal notices required by governmental bodies, public utilities, or civic associations;
C. Governmental signage, including flags, street signs, traffic warning signs, and other signage provided solely for public health and safety;
D. Building cornerstones, historical plaques, or grave markers;
E. Signage associated with public transit stops;
F. Holiday displays on lots within all zoning districts;
G. Signage that is not visible from any off-site areas (e.g., entirely enclosed by opaque walls that prevent the visibility of signage from any off-site areas); and
H. Signage associated with off-street parking spaces or the prohibition of parking in certain locations like fire lanes, bus lanes, or loading zones.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019; Ord. 2021-65, passed 5-3-2021)
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