(A)   The regulations herein shall apply and govern all zoning districts. No sign shall be erected or maintained unless it is in compliance with the regulations of this subchapter, except a nonconforming sign which shall comply with the provisions set forth in §§ 151.120 through 151.145.

   (B)   A general definition of what constitutes a “sign” is included in § 151.004. Within this definition, the following specific terms and standards shall apply.

      BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign that contains the name of the business enterprise located on the same premises as the sign and the nature of the business conducted there. These signs shall be attached to a pole or permanent structure and should not exceed 20 feet in height and 65 feet in area. Only one sign per establishment shall be allowed, which must be set back ten feet from any property line.

      GROUND SIGN. A sign erected low to the ground which is supported by uprights or braces in or upon the ground and often used to identify large buildings or institutions. The maximum height of the signs are eight feet above normal ground level and the maximum area is 80 square feet. One sign per establishment shall be allowed and must be set back 15 feet from any property line.

      HOME OCCUPATION IDENTIFICATION SIGN. A sign used to identify a home occupation to be attached to the wall of a structure. The sign shall not exceed two square feet and shall be non-illuminated. One such sign per lot is allowed.

      MARQUEE SIGN. A projecting sign attached to or hung from a marquee and the marquee shall be known to mean a canopy or covered structure projection from and supported by a building, when the canopy or covered structure extends beyond the building, building line or property line. The sign shall not cover more than 15% of the area of the marquee to which it is affixed. One sign per wall of establishment is allowable.

      OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING. A structure which advertises or attracts attention to, or directs persons to a business activity located on other than the premises where the structure is erected. Nationally advertised products or services shall not be deemed to be located on or carried on at the premises of local retail outlets or branch offices. This definition shall not include real estate directional signs. OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING shall be an expressly prohibited use within the town. All previously existing off-premise advertisements shall be considered nonconforming uses as of the time of the passage of this chapter.

      PROJECTION SIGN. A sign which is affixed to any building wall or structure and extends beyond the building wall, structure, building line or property line more than 12 inches. It shall not exceed 15% of the wall to which it is affixed and in no case shall the total sign area exceed 150 feet, unless the setback for the sign is greater than 50 feet, allowing one square foot of sign for each square foot of setback up to 450 feet.

      ROOF SIGNS. A sign which is erected, constructed or maintained above the point of highest elevation of the roof of any building. The signs are not permitted in any zoning district.

      SHINGLE SIGN. A projection or wall sign not over six square feet in area, constructed of metal or other non-combustible material attached securely to a building and not projecting more than 24 inches over public property.

      SPECTACULAR SIGN. Any sign on which the advertising copy is usually animated, constructed of metal, wired for lights or luminous tubing or both, with copy action controlled by flashing circuit breakers or matographs and attached on an open face steel structure built especially for the purpose. SPECTACULAR SIGNS may be built upon the ground, attached to a wall, above a roof or projecting from a wall; provided that, the SPECTACULAR SIGN meets all the requirements governing ground, roof, wall, projection or marquee signs, depending upon where the sign is built.

      WALL SIGN. Any sign on the wall of a building (including signs attached flat against the wall), painted on the wall or any projection sign which does not qualify hereunder. WALL SIGNS must conform to the requirements hereof and other provisions of this section.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   (A)   External or indirect illumination. A light source which is placed outside of or away from the sign in a manner to illuminate the sign.

   (B)   Internal or direct illumination. A light source which is enclosed within the sign and viewed through a translucent panel.

   (C)   Luminous tubing. Light source formed by glass tubes filled with gas.

   (D)   Light bulb. Light source consisting of incandescent light bulbs.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   All signs and outdoor displays shall conform to the requirements of the most recent edition of the Southern Standard Building Code regarding signs.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   No sign shall hereafter be erected, attached to, suspended from or supported on a building or structures; nor shall any existing sign be enlarged or relocated until a building permit for same has been issued by the Building Official unless the sign is a noted exception.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following signs are exempt from the sign regulations contained in this chapter: signs of duly constituted governmental bodies, including traffic regulatory devices, legal notices and warnings at railroad crossings; name or address signs or mailboxes; street numbers.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   Signs must be constructed of durable materials, maintained by the owner and remain in good condition.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following signs are prohibited in all zones:

   (A)   Commercial signs which imitate an official traffic sign or signal or which contain the words “stop”, “go slow”, “caution”, “danger”, “warning” or similar words;

   (B)   Signs with flashing lights imitating emergency vehicles, warning or cautioning lights;

   (C)   Signs which are of a size, location, movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination which may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or which hide from view any traffic or street sign or signal or which obstruct the view in any direction at a street or road intersection;

   (D)   All parts of signs which advertise an activity, business, product or service no longer produced or conducted on the premises upon which the sign is located; except where a succeeding owner or lessee agrees to maintain the signs as provided in this chapter;

   (E)   Signs which contain or consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers or spinners. These devices when not part of any signs are similarly prohibited;

   (F)   Signs which are pasted or attached to utility poles, trees, fences, rocks or other signs;

   (G)   Signs which swing or otherwise noticeably move as a result of wind pressure because of the manner of suspension or attachment;

   (H)   Signs which are painted directly on the wall or any other structural part of a building;

   (I)   Signs or sign assembly that obstruct ingress and/or egress to any window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress for any room or building;

   (J)   Signs that violate the corner visibility restrictions of this chapter; and

   (K)   Off-premise advertising signs.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following signs are permitted as temporary signs for a period not to exceed 60 days and must be removed within one week after their reason for being has ceased to exist:

   (A)   Notices of public events, such as:

      (1)   Auctions;

      (2)   Carnivals;

      (3)   Charity benefits;

      (4)   Election campaigns;

      (5)   Fairs;

      (6)   Fund drives;

      (7)   Horse shows;

      (8)   Livestock exhibits;

      (9)   Races;

      (10)   Revivals; and

      (11)   Rodeos.

   (B)   Special events occurring occasionally;

   (C)   Contractor’s sign;

   (D)   Real estate signs; and

   (E)   Subdivision identification sign.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The area of a sign including the entire area within a regular geometric shape or combination of regular geometric shapes enclosing all of the elements of informational or representational matter displayed, including blank masking or any surface shape intended to convey ideas, information or meaning. Frames or structural members not bearing informational or representation matter shall not be included in computation of display surface area. Only one side of a double-faced sign shall be included in calculating the display surface area.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The height of any sign shall be measured from ground level, except in the case of roof signs where measurement shall be from the roof on which the sign is erected.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   All ground signs shall maintain a minimum side yard of 12 feet from any interior side lot line. Any ground sign located on a corner shall meet the front yard requirement for signs on both street frontages.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   Projection and marquee signs may extend on the public right-of-way only where there is no required front yard and may extend no closer than one and one-half feet to the curb of the vehicular traveled portion of the street. Projection and marquee signs shall have a minimum clearance of ten feet above the sidewalk.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following type of signs are permitted in CP Districts:

   (A)   Signs for which permits are not required, as specified in § 151.094;

   (B)   Directional or historical signs approved by the Planning Commission and the Town Council; and

   (C)   Home occupation signs in accordance with this subchapter.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following types of signs are permitted in FA Districts:

   (A)   Signs for which permits are not required, as specified in § 151.094;

   (B)   One non-illuminated home occupation identification sign in area mounted flat against the wall of a building in which there is conducted a permitted home occupation;

   (C)   For uses other or non-illuminated than dwellings, a single illuminated business identification sign; and

   (D)   Temporary subdivision signs and private directional signs, under the provisions set forth in § 151.097.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following types of signs are permitted in R-8, GR, PMD and RD Districts:

   (A)   Signs for which permits are not required, as specified in § 151.094;

   (B)   One non-illuminated home occupation identification sign mounted flat against the wall of a building in which there is conducted a permitted home occupation;

   (C)   For multiple-family dwellings, hotels, group dwellings and for buildings other than dwellings when permitted in Residential Districts, a single ground sign in accordance herewith; and

   (D)   Signs on work under construction, temporary subdivision signs and private directional signs, under the provisions set forth in § 151.097.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The following types of signs are permitted in GC, CC, LI and BI Districts:

   (A)   All signs permitted in residential districts are permitted in commercial and industrial districts;

   (B)   The following signs shall be permitted in commercial and residential districts subject to the provisions of this subchapter:

      (1)   Business identification signs;

      (2)   Marquee signs; and

      (3)   Wall signs.

   (C)   All signs shall be placed so as not to infringe on the front yard setback required for the district in which the particular signs are located, unless they are roof signs or wall signs attached to a building which, at the time of passage of this chapter, infringes into the required front yard.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996; Ord. 05-03, passed - -2005)

   The following types of signs are permitted in MH Districts:

   (A)   One non-illuminated home occupation identification sign not exceeding two square feet in area mounted flat against the wall of a building in which there is conducted a permitted home occupation; and

   (B)   One business identification sign per mobile home park.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)

   The types of signs allowed in SHPD and HLD Districts is controlled by the underlying requirements of the district.

(Ord. 97-04, passed 12-19-1996)