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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND <br />PLANNING BOARD <br />QUARTERLY PUBLIC HEARING ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: November 23, 2009 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. _C1,9 <br />SUBJECT: Zoning Text Amendment — Article Nine (9) Signs — Outdoor Advertising <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) Yes <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Ordinance Amendment <br />2. Abstract from September 10, 2009 BOCC <br />Work Session <br />3. Minutes from September 10, 2009 Work <br />Session <br />4. Memo Detailing Adoption of Major <br />Transportation Corridor (MTC) <br />regulations <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Name <br />Craig Benedict, Director <br />Michael D. Harvey, Planner <br />Phone Number <br />245 -2592 <br />245 -2607 <br />PURPOSE: To hold a public hearing on a staff initiated zoning text amendment to Article Nine <br />(9) Signs of the Orange County Zoning Ordinance relating to the regulation of outdoor <br />advertising (i.e. billboards). <br />BACKGROUND: At the September 10, 2009 BOCC work session, the County Attorney and the <br />Planning Director presented an abstract providing information on the current regulation of `billboard <br />lighting' (Attachment Two). Staff requested guidance on how to address an existing billboard <br />dispute, specifically the ability for Mr. Ben Lloyd to re- energize lights on two (2) existing billboards <br />along the 1 -40/85 corridor. <br />The Board voted six (6) to one (1) to direct staff to: <br />1. Prepare an amendment to the applicable portion of the County zoning ordinance to <br />eliminate certain types of regulation of lighting of billboards where the regulation is in <br />conflict with State or Federal Law, and <br />2. Provide a historical synopsis of the review and adoption of the Major Transportation <br />Corridor (MTC) Overlay District, with specific focus on the rationale behind the County's <br />approach to billboard regulations. <br />The Board then voted unanimously to direct staff to request, in writing, from the NC Department <br />of Transportation (NC DOT) information concerning the digital lighting of signs and how the <br />County's regulations could be modified to address concerns over digital billboards. Staff is in <br />the process of submitting this request to NC DOT for review and anticipates sending out the <br />request by November 13, 2009. <br />