Orange County NC Website
Orange County ordinance requirements. <br /> <br />a. Planning Board Review: <br />January 26, 2015 – Planning Board members were e-mailed the amendment <br />packet for initial review and comment. <br />April 1, 2015 – ORC. During this meeting the following comment(s) were made: <br />• A Board member asked if digital signs were dangerous? <br />STAFF COMMENT: Staff believes digital signs pose several issues for <br />motorists due to the frequency of the sign’s message being changed as <br />well as the incorporation of a scrolling message. We believe they <br />represent a distraction as motorists are frequently looking at the sign to <br />see the next advertisement. <br />• A Board member asked how portable signs are addressed. <br />STAFF COMMENT: Portable signage is addressed in Section 6.12.6 of <br />the UDO and are specifically banned. <br />• A Board member asked what constituted a snipe sign. <br />STAFF COMMENT: As detailed in Article 10 Definitions of the UDO a <br />snipe sign is a small sign advertising services (i.e. ‘We Buy Houses’) or <br />off-site signage advertising homes for sale. <br />December 2, 2015 – ORC. During the meeting the following comment(s) were <br />made: <br />• A Board member indicated freestanding and wall signs should be larger <br />than currently allowed or proposed. <br />• A Board member asked for clarification on the impact of the recent US <br />Supreme Court case Reed versus Gilbert. <br />STAFF COMMENT: Local governments cannot allow/disallow a sign <br />based on its content. For example, Orange County currently prohibits <br />off-premise advertising and directional signage with the exception of <br />churches. This ‘allowance’ is content based in that we allow signage <br />advertising the name and location of a church while prohibiting same <br />for other land uses. <br />Staff is recommending eliminating the allowance for off-site church <br />directional signage to ensure compliance with Reed versus Gilbert. <br />• A Board member asked if existing off-premise signage for churches could <br />remain in place. <br />STAFF COMMENT: Such signage would be allowed to remain in place <br />in accordance with the provisions of the Nonconformities section of the <br />UDO. No new signage would be allowed. <br />January 6, 2016 – Recommendation. <br /> 64