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Article 6: Development Standards <br /> Section 6.12: Signs <br /> <br /> <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-78 <br /> <br />(I) Hazardous chemical identification/notification signs on residential and non-residential <br />structures;15 <br />(J) Signs on newspaper boxes; <br />(K) 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; <br />(L) Security and warning signs posted on private property warning the public against <br />trespassing, or similar messages, provided that any such sign does not exceed two <br />square feet in area; and <br />(M) Political Signs, in accordance with the following standards:16 <br />(1) Political Signs are allowed in all zoning districts. <br />(2) A Zoning Compliance Permit shall not be required to allow for the placement of a <br />political sign on private property. <br />(3) There shall be no limit to the number of political signs that can be placed on <br />private property so long as the placement of these signs complies with the <br />provisions of this Ordinance and the signs do not create a public safety hazard. <br />(4) Within residential zoning districts, political signs shall not exceed nine square feet <br />in area or four feet in height. <br />(5) Within non-residential zoning districts, political signs shall not exceed the <br />maximum allowable sign area permitted for freestanding signs. <br />(6) Political signs shall only be erected 90 days prior to the established date of a <br />general election, school board election, referendum, special election, primary, or <br />other similar political activity. <br />(7) Political signs shall be removed within 21 days after an election. <br />(8) Political signs shall be allowed within rights-of-way of the State highway system <br />only in accordance with State law. <br />(9) Political signs shall not be allowed on telephone poles, utility poles, trees, other <br />similar natural objects, and other signs or sign structures. <br />6.12.6 Prohibited Signs <br />The following signs are prohibited in all zoning districtsor lights are prohibited which: <br />(A) Advertising signs resemblingResemble traffic signals, traffic signs, emergency vehicles’ <br />flashing lights, non-governmental sanctioned signs utilizing the words ‘stop’, ‘slow’, <br />‘caution’, ‘danger’, or any sign that is likely to be misconstrued by the traveling public as <br />being official governmental signs or emergency warnings or which by their distracting <br />nature create a hazard to motorists; <br />(B) Signs, except for off-premises signs allowed under this Section, advertising an activity, <br />business, product or service no longer conducted on the premises upon which the sign is <br />located. Such signage shall be removed within 90 days from the date of termination of <br />such activity. Upon failure of the owner to remove such signs within the prescribed time, <br />the Planning Director shall take appropriate legal action to have such sign removed;17 <br />(C)(B) FlashingHave flashing, blinking, pulsating, fluttering lights, illuminating devices or exhibit <br />movement or animation other than electronic moveable copy, scrolling messages or <br />other similar electronic displays designed to change display no more than once an <br />15StaffhasaddedlanguagetoSection6.12.5(B)toaddressthisissue. <br />16Toaddresstheneedforcontentneutralregulation,politicalsignsarenowconsideredtemporarysignsregulated <br />inaccordancewithsubsection(E)above. <br />17Thisconstitutesacontentbasedregulationandcannolongerbeenforced. <br /> 9