Orange County NC Website
Article 6: Development Standards <br /> Section 6.12: Signs <br /> <br /> <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-74 <br /> <br />(C) Signs placed on land or a building for the purpose of identification, protection or directing <br />persons to a use conducted therein must be deemed to be an integral but accessory and <br />subordinate part of the principal use of land or building. Therefore, the intent of this article <br />is to establish limitations on signs in order to ensure they are appropriate to the land, <br />building or use to which they are appurtenant and are adequate for their intended <br />purpose while balancing the individual and community interests identified herein.4 <br />(D) Regulations are intended to promote signs that are compatible with the use of the <br />property to which they are appurtenant, landscape and architecture of surrounding <br />buildings, are legible and appropriate to the activity to which they pertain, are not <br />distracting to motorists, and are constructed and maintained in a structurally sound <br />condition. <br />(E) These regulations do not regulate every form and instance of visual communication that <br />may be displayed anywhere within the jurisdictional limits of Orange County. Rather, they <br />are intended to regulate those forms and instances that are most likely to meaningfully <br />affect one or more of the purposes set forth herein. <br />(F) These regulations do not entirely eliminate all harms that may be created by the <br />installation and display of signs. Rather, they strike an appropriate balance that preserves <br />ample channels of communication by means of visual display while reducing and <br />mitigating the extent of the harms caused by signs. <br />(G) Signs not expressly permitted as being allowed by right or otherwise expressly allowed <br />by the Board of County Commissioners or Board of Adjustment consistent with the <br />provisions of this Ordinance are deemed prohibited.5 <br />(H) These regulations are not intended, and do not apply, to signs erected, maintained or <br />otherwise posted, owned or leased by the local State, or Federal governments. <br />(I) It is the intent of this section Section to regulate signs on a per lot basis in conjunction <br />with the zoning designation of the lot as described on the official Zoning Atlas whether a <br />sign is directly visible from a street right-of-way or not. <br />6.12.2 Outdoor Advertising6 <br />The provisions of this Article Section establish standards and review criteria relating to the <br />location, erection, maintenance, lighting, setbacks, and use of signs. This includes regulations <br />pertaining to outdoor advertising (i.e. Billboards). <br />The regulation and permitting of outdoor advertising is also subject to State requirements, <br />including the State Outdoor Advertising Control Act, and Federal requirements. In cases where <br />there is a conflict between County regulations and State or Federal regulations, relating to the <br />location, erection, maintenance, lighting, setbacks and use of outdoor advertising signage, the <br />corresponding State or Federal law shall take precedent. <br />In cases where there is no applicable State/Federal standard, then existing County regulations <br />shall be enforced. <br />4Subsection(s)(C),(D),(E),and(F)weretakendirectlyfromthemodelIMLAordinance.Staffbelievesthatare <br />essentialisestablishinglegalsufficiencyofourOrdinancewithapplicablecourtproceedings. <br />5Thislanguageisbeingrecommendedtoaddresshowspecialusepermits,variances,conditionalzoningprocesses <br />areappliedtosigns.Youmayhaveaninstanceswhereasignmaybecomearequirementaspartofaspecialuse <br />permitorvarianceapproval.Staffisaddinglanguagetorecognizethispotentialcircumstanceandavoid <br />unnecessaryconflict. <br />6StaffiscontinuingtoreviewthissectionwiththeUDO.ThereissomeconcernwearepreͲemptedfrom <br />regulatingsamebasedonStateandFederallaw. <br /> 5