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Article 6: Development Standards <br /> Section 6.12: Signs <br /> <br /> <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-77 <br /> <br />(E) Real estate signs, not exceeding four square feet in area; <br />(F) Property number signs not exceeding two square foot in area and bearing only address <br />numbers of premises or other identification of premises not having commercial <br />connotations;12 <br />(D) Holiday decorations in season that do not contain or display a commercial message; <br />(G)(E) Temporary signs allowed at any time: <br />(1) A property owner may place one sign with a sign face no larger than 6 square <br />feet on the property at any time. <br />(2) A maximum of 3 temporary signs may be located on the owner’s property for a <br />period of 45 days prior to an election involving candidates for a local, State, or <br />Federal office or involves an issue on the ballot of an election within the district <br />where the property is located. <br />(3) One temporary sign may be located on a property when: <br />(a) The owner consents and that property is being offered for sale through a <br />licensed real estate agent; <br />(b) If not offered for sale through a real estate agent, when the sign is owned <br />by the property owner and that property is offered for sale; and <br />(c) For a period of 30 days following the date on which a contract of sale has <br />been executed by a person purchasing the property. <br />(4) One temporary sign may be located on a day when the property owner is <br />opening the property to the public subject to the following: <br />(a) Within a residential zoning district a property owner may not use this type <br />of sign on more than XXX consecutive days in a year; <br />(b) Within a non-residential zoning district a property owner may not use this <br />type of sign on more than XXX consecutive days in a year. <br />For purposes of this Section a year is XXXX. <br />(5) During the 40 day period between December 1 and January 10, a property owner <br />may place a maximum of 5 temporary signs on the property. These signs may <br />use lights that do not exceed 0.5 foot-candles at all property lines.13 <br />(6) A property owner may place and maintain a maximum of 2 temporary signs on <br />the property on Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Veterans Day.14 <br />(7) For the purposes of this subsection the lessor of a property is considered the <br />property owner. <br />(H) Signs on trash receptacles, indicating the owner or party responsible for maintenance; <br />11Toaddresscontentneutralrequirements,staffisrevisingtheOrdinancetoestablishsignsizeandnumberlimit(s) <br />withinthevariouszoningdistricts.Whatapropertyownerchoosestodowiththatallowancewillbetheir <br />prerogative. <br />12TheOrdinancecannotestablishanallowanceforaspecific‘type’ofsignbasedonwhatsameadvertises.Staff <br />believesthisrequirementisnowcapturedinSection6.12.5(B)astheCountyAddressOrdinancerequiresthe <br />erectionofanaddresssignforallpropertytoensurepublicsafetyaccessandidentification. <br />13Thisisintendedtoaddressholidaydecorations.StaffisstillreviewinghowtoaddresssamewiththeCounty’s <br />Attorney. <br />14Theprovisionsofsubsection(E)numbers1through6allowspropertyownerstoplacetemporarysignsontheir <br />propertyduringcertaintimeperiodsandallowsthepropertyownertoselectwhatevermessagetheowner <br />choosesduringthoseperiods.StaffbelievesthisprovisionisconsistentwiththeallowanceswithinReedvTownof <br />Gilbertaswearenotregulatingthe‘message’ofthesign. <br /> 8