Orange County NC Website
Article 6: Development Standards <br />Section 6.12: Signs <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-79 <br />6.12.12 Signs Permitted in Specific Zoning Districts <br />The following signs shall be permitted in the zoning districts indicated, in accordance with all <br />other provisions of this Section and specific standards for each sign established herein: <br />(A) On-Premise Commercial Signs <br />(1) These signs shall comply with all state and county building codes and the <br />National Electric Code. Clearance of signs is required from high voltage power <br />lines and signs shall be located in such a way that they will maintain horizontal <br />and vertical clearance of all overhead electrical conductors in accordance with <br />the National Electric Code specifications, provided that no sign shall be installed <br />closer than ten feet horizontally or vertically from any conductor or public utility <br />guy wire. <br />(2) On-premise commercial signs shall be permitted within the following zoning <br />districts: LC-1, NC-2, CC-3, GC-4, EC-5, O/RM, EI, I-1, I-2, I-3, AS, MPD-CZ, <br />MHP-CZ, ASE-CZ, REDA-CZ-1 and all of the Economic Development zoning <br />districts. <br />(3) All on-premise commercial signs shall be setback ten feet from the front, side, <br />and rear property lines or the edge of any existing or projected street right-of-way <br />line whichever is greater. In cases where a property abuts a residential zoned <br />parcel of property, the side or rear yard setback requirement shall be doubled. <br />(4) Number of Signs Permitted <br />(a) One on-premise commercial sign shall be permitted per parcel. <br />However, one additional on-premise commercial sign may be permitted <br />for parcels with frontage on more than one right-of-way in accordance <br />with the provisions of this Section. <br />(b) Under no circumstances shall more than one three-dimensional sign be <br />permitted on-site. <br />(c) For multi-tenant buildings and/or sites permitted as a conditional use or <br />conditional zoning district, additional on-premise commercial signs or <br />sign area may be permitted by the Board of County Commissioners. <br />(5) Height of Signs <br />(a) Pole signs shall be limited to a height of 24 feet with a mandatory ground <br />clearance of eight feet from the normal or finished grade elevation of the <br />property at the base of the sign <br />(b) Ground signs shall not exceed six feet in height from the normal or <br />finished grade elevation of the property at the base of the sign <br />(6) The allowable area for on-premise commercial signs shall be determined as <br />follows: <br />(a) Single or double-faced signs shall not exceed 32 square feet in area, per <br />sign face. For parcels zoned CC-3, GC-4, O/RM, I-1, I-3, AS, EDB-2, <br />EDE-2, EDH-4, EDH-5, and MPD-CZ signage shall not exceed 72 <br />square feet in area for parcels that: <br />(i) Are larger than 60,000 square feet in area, and <br />(ii) Have more than 300 linear frontage along a NC Department of <br />Transportation (NC DOT) maintained roadway. <br />(b) Three-dimensional signs shall not exceed a maximum volume of 54 <br />cubic feet with no dimension exceeding six feet. <br />33