9-14.1.

INTENT.

Outdoor advertising signs are herein regulated in the interest of promoting traffic safety, safeguarding public health and preventing adverse community appearance and the overcrowding of land, and protecting the character of the area in which they are located. The regulations are designed to permit maximum legibility and effectiveness of signs and to prevent their over-concentration, improper placement, and excessive height, bulk, and area. it is recognized that, unlike on-premise signs which are in actuality a part of a business, outdoor advertising is a separate and distinct business. With a view to this distinction, outdoor advertising signs are regulated differently from on-premises signs. In general, it is intended that outdoor advertising signs be located away from residential areas, that such signs be regulated to permit industry standard size signs, to protect the character of the area wherein outdoor advertising signs are located and to conserve property values in these areas, and that outdoor advertising signs be located away from adjoining properties and nearby buildings to prevent damage from wind toppled signs.

9-14.2.

Design Regulations: All outdoor advertising signs shall be consistent with all definitions and shall comply with all standards and regulations of this code. Except for ordinary maintenance, poster panel replacements, copy changes or repair not involving structural, material or electrical changes, no outdoor advertising signs, or part thereof, shall be erected, altered, constructed, changed, converted, enlarged or moved unless in conformity with this code.

a.

Area of Outdoor Advertising Signs: No outdoor advertising sign, including any cut-out areas, may exceed six hundred and seventy-five (675) square feet area, with a maximum length of sixty (60) feet. The sign area is measured by finding the area of the minimum imaginary rectangle or square of vertical and horizontal lines which fully enclose all extremities of the sign, excluding supports, the base or apron unless such copy, message, announcement, or, decoration appears on the base or apron. The allowable sign area of signs with equal size and shape for both double faced (back-to-back and V-type signs is measured by computing the area of only one (1) side of the sign.

b.

Height: No outdoor advertising sign, including cut-outs; base or apron; supports, supporting buildings or structures; and trim may exceed the established building height limitation, as provided in this chapter, for the zoning district wherein the sign is located.

c.

Construction Standards:

(i)

Compliance with Building Codes: All signs shall comply with the appropriate detailed provisions of the South Carolina and city building codes, the National Electric Code and other provisions of the Code of the Town of Batesburg-Leesville.

(ii)

Clearance from High Voltage Power Lines: Outdoor advertising signs shall be located in such a way that they maintain horizontal and vertical clearance of all overhead electrical conductors in accordance with the National Electric Code provided that in no case shall an outdoor advertising sign be erected closer than 10 feet horizontally or vertically from any conductor or public utility guy wire.

(iii)

Corner Lots: To prevent obstructions to motorists, on any corner lot, no part of an outdoor advertising sign may be located within a triangular area formed by the street rights-of-way lines and a line connecting them at points fifty (50) feet from the rights-of-way intersection.

(iv)

Setback Requirements: All outdoor advertising signs with an area greater than two hundred (200) square feet must be set back from any building or property line a distance, measured from the front and back faces of the sign, equal to the height of the outdoor advertising sign, unless the sign is a wall sign or is constructed to withstand minimum wind velocity pressures of thirty (30) pounds per square foot (PSF). Compliance with all other setback and yard requirements contained in this Section [is] applicable to outdoor advertising signs.

(v)

Spacing of Signs: Along major access corridors, outdoor advertising signs shall be located five hundred (500) feet apart. Along all other streets, outdoor advertising signs shall be located three hundred (300) feet apart. Off-premises signs, where permitted along Interstate highways, shall be at least two thousand (2,000) feet apart on the same side of the Interstate. Governmental signs and outdoor advertising signs no more than seventy-four (74) square feet in area which provide directional information about religious sites shall not be counted nor shall measurements be made from them for purposes of determining compliance with spacing requirements. The minimum distance between outdoor advertising signs shall be measured linearly along the nearest edge of the pavement between points directly opposite the sign. Spacing requirements shall apply only on outdoor advertising signs located on the same side of the street, highway, or expressway.

9-14.3.

SPECIFIC OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGN REGULATIONS: Outdoor advertising signs which comply with the provisions of this code and which contain no more than two (2) surfaces facing one (1) direction are permitted in [the] I-1 District within five-hundred (500) feet of Interstate highway right-of-ways.

9-14.4.

PROHIBITED SIGNS: See Section 12-9.