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Article 6: Development Standards <br /> Section 6.12: Signs <br /> <br /> <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-82 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />The “golden arches” at McDonald’s are ‘symbols’ integral to the sign message and would be included in the <br />computation of the sign area. <br /> <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;12 <br />(B)(A) Legal notices, warnings, regulatory or informational signsSigns erected by a public <br />government agency including those regulating, controlling, or directing vehicular or <br />pedestrian traffic;13 <br />(C)(B) Signs erected within a public right-of-way maintained by the North Carolina Department <br />of Transportation (NC DOT);14 <br />(D)(C) Signs required by law; <br />(E) “No trespassing” signs, not exceeding six square feet in area; 15 <br />(F) Real estate signs, not exceeding four square feet in area;15 <br />(G)(D) United State, State of North Carolina, or Orange County Flags, emblems or insignia of <br />any national, state or political subdivision; <br />(H)(E) Property number signs not exceeding two four square foot in area with no more than 2 <br />individual signs allowed per propertya and bearing only address numbers of premises or <br />other identification of premises not having commercial connotations;15 <br />(I)(F) Holiday decorations in season that do not contain or display a commercial message;15 <br />(J)(G) Signs on trash receptacles, indicating the owner or party responsible for maintenance; <br />(K)(H) Hazardous chemical identification/notification signs on residential and non-residential <br />structures;16 <br />(L)(I) Signs on newspaper boxes; <br />(M)(J) Private drive signs, one per drive entrance, not exceeding two square feet in area, with <br />the message content limited to the words "Private Drive" and the address of any <br />residences utilizing the private roadway;15 <br /> <br />13 We do not use the term ‘public agency’ within this section of the UDO.  We make reference to a ‘government  <br />agency’.  The amendment is necessary to ensure consistency.  The Attorney’s office also recommended deleting  <br />unnecessary language trying to ‘qualify’ the types of signs a government agency can erect.  As a result staff is  <br />eliminating subsection (A) altogether and exempting any sign erected by a government agency from permit review.   <br />14 NC DOT has their own rules/procedures with respect to signs erected within public rights‐of‐way.  <br />15 Again, language is being eliminated to ensure compliance with the recent Reed versus Town of Gilbert US  <br />Supreme Court decision  <br />16 Language eliminated after being deemed redundant.  <br /> <br /> 36