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Article 6: Development Standards <br /> Section 6.12: Signs <br /> <br /> <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-81 <br /> <br />6.12.4 Determination of Sign Area <br />(A) For the purposes of this Ordinance, the area of display surface of a sign shall be <br />computed as including the entire area visible from any one point, within a regular <br />geometric from or combination or forms, comprising all of the display area of the surface <br />and including all of the elements within the display area and the sign frame, including the <br />lattice work, frame, border molding, lettering and display area incidental to the sign’s <br />decoration. This does not include structural members or other support mechanisms not <br />bearing advertisement material. <br />(B) In the case of wall-mounted signs without a border or frame, the surface area shall <br />include such reasonable and proportionate space as would be required if a border or <br />frame were used: <br />(C) Examples: <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 6.12.4: Sign Size Measurement <br /> <br /> <br />All three of these signs would have the same size sign face, as measured by the smallest rectangle <br />encompassing the outer limits <br />6.12.5 Exempt Signs <br />The following permitted signs are considered exempt and do not require the issuance of a Zoning <br />Compliance Permit: <br />(A) Signs erected by a governmental agency to regulate, control, or direct vehicular or <br />pedestrian traffic; <br />(B) Legal notices, warnings, regulatory or informational signs erected by a public government <br />agency;6 <br />(C) Signs erected within a public right-of-way maintained by the North Carolina Department <br />of Transportation (NC DOT);7 <br />(D) Signs required by law; <br />(E) “No trespassing” signs, not exceeding six square feet in area; 8 <br />(F) Real estate signs, not exceeding four square feet in area;8 <br />(G)(E) Flags, emblems or insignia of any national, state or political subdivision;8 <br /> <br />6 We do not use the term ‘public agency’ within this section of the UDO.  We make reference to ‘government  <br />agency’.  The amendment is necessary to ensure consistency.  <br />7 As we have no enforcement capability within NC DOT rights‐of‐way we cannot require a Zoning Compliance  <br />Permit for signage erected within same.  <br />8 Language is being eliminated as this could be construed as establishing regulations based on the ‘content’ of the  <br />sign, which is no longer allowed per the recent Reed versus Town of Gilbert US Supreme Court decision.  <br /> 24 24