Dorchester County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
Signs
§ 155-59 Purpose.
The purpose of this article is to permit signs that will not, by reason of their size, location, construction or manner of display, endanger the public safety of individuals, confuse, mislead or obstruct the vision necessary for traffic safety or otherwise endanger public health, safety, morals and general welfare; to permit and regulate signs in such a way as to support and complement the purpose of this chapter; to prevent the proliferation of signs which detract from the appreciation of the landscape; and to preserve and enhance the attractiveness of Dorchester County.
§ 155-60 General regulations.
A.
No sign shall be erected until a sign permit and/or building permit has been issued, except for those signs specifically exempted in this article.
B.
No sign shall, by reason of its intensity, color, location or movement, interfere with traffic lights, signals or other controls, obscure the view of a road or in any other manner impair public safety. Flashing or animated signs are prohibited, except those elements of a sign displaying time or temperature.
C.
No sign, other than an official traffic sign, shall be located within the right-of-way of any road.
D.
No sign shall be attached to a utility pole or any other unapproved supporting structure. No sign which requires a sign permit shall be attached to a tree.
E.
These regulations do not apply to a sign on a truck, bus or other vehicle which identifies the product, service or activity for which the vehicle is used and which is incidental to the primary business use of the vehicle for transportation.
F.
No part of a freestanding sign shall be located closer than 10 feet to any lot line.
G.
Wall signs may be located on any wall of a building at any height up to the roof line but may not extend above the roof line.
H.
Signs located inside a building window are not included when determining maximum number or sign area allowed.
J.
Each off-premises sign requiring a sign permit and/or building permit shall be clearly marked with the permit number and the name, address and phone number of the person or firm placing the sign on the premises.
§ 155-61 Application; required information.
Every application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by plans drawn to scale and shall include the following:
A.
The dimensions of the sign and its supporting structure. When the sign is to be attached to a building the application shall include dimensions of and location on the building wall surface.
B.
The proposed location of the sign in relation to the boundaries of the lot on which it is to be situated.
C.
The wording or design to be carried on the sign.
D.
The manner of illuminating and securing the sign to a building, structure or the ground.
E.
Materials to be used in the construction of the sign.
F.
For all off-premises signs, written permission from the owner(s) of the property where the sign is to be erected.
§ 155-62 Removal of signs.
A.
Any sign associated with an activity on a vacated premises shall be removed from the premises, altered or resurfaced by the owner or lessee within six months from the time such activity ceases so that the sign will not display letters, numerals, symbols, figures, designs or any other device for visual communication pertaining to the former activity.
B.
All signs shall be maintained in good condition and appearance. The Director of Planning shall remove or cause to be removed any sign which shows gross neglect, becomes dilapidated or where the area around such sign is not well maintained.
C.
The Director of Planning shall remove or cause to be removed any sign erected or maintained in conflict with this chapter if the owner or lessee of either the site or the sign fails to correct the violation within 30 days after receiving written notice of violation. Removal of a sign by the Director of Planning shall not affect any proceedings instituted prior to removal of such sign.
§ 155-63 Permitted signs.
§ 155-63.1 Master sign plans for automobile dealerships selling multiple brands of vehicles.
[Added 6-1-2021 by Bill No. 2021-10]
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide flexibility in the application of sign regulations for automobile dealerships on large sites that sell multiple brands of vehicles. Through the review and approval of a master sign plan, the Planning Commission may allow deviations from the strict application of the sign regulations to permit the integration of signage that adequately identifies all brands of vehicles that are sold to the public from a particular site. A master sign plan is intended to encourage creativity and excellence in the design of signage in order to ensure architectural compatibility and effective communication to the public.
B.
Requirements. The approval of a master sign plan may only be permitted when all of the following conditions exist:
C.
Approval authority. A master sign plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission in accordance with this section.
D.
Modification of regulations. Subject to the provisions of this section, an approved master sign plan may authorize signs that are not in strict accordance with other provisions of this chapter. Permitted modifications may relate to sign area, dimensions, number of signs, height and location. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a master sign plan shall comply with the following:
(1)
Primary facade (facing the primary right-of-way):
(a)
The total amount of building-mounted signage on the primary facade shall not exceed two square feet of sign area per linear foot of facade.
(2)
Secondary facades:
(a)
On all other facades, an additional one square foot of wall-mounted signage per total combined linear feet of secondary facades is allowed, not to exceed two square feet per linear foot of any given elevation.
(b)
Additional building-mounted signage on secondary facades may be permitted, provided that the total area of all building-mounted signage on secondary facades does not exceed one square foot of sign area per linear foot of secondary facade, and further provided that the amount of signage on any secondary facades does not exceed two square feet of that particular facade.
(3)
Freestanding signs:
(a)
Shall: i) be set back at least 10 feet from all property lines; ii) not exceed 20 feet in height above finished grade; iii) not exceed 80 square feet in area; and iv) shall be located no less than 100 feet away from any other freestanding sign.
(b)
Freestanding signs may only be permitted in the area defined by the perpendicular projection of the primary building facades onto the main right-of-way.
(c)
No more than one freestanding sign per vehicle brand sold on the site may be permitted.
E.
Application requirements. A master sign plan shall include all information and materials reasonably required by the Planning Commission to review a request.
F.
Findings. Before approving a master sign plan, or any amendment thereto, the Planning Commission shall make the following findings:
(3)
All proposed signs are compatible with the scale and design of the overall development of the site, and are in harmony with all other signs already located on the site; and
(4)
The proposed signs comply with the standards of this chapter, except that flexibility is allowed with regard to sign area, dimensions, number, location and/or height to the extent that the proposed signs will enhance the overall development of the site and will provide more effective and identifiable recognition by the public of the vehicle brands that are offered for sale.
G.
Revisions to master sign plans. Following the approval of a master sign plan, the Planning Commission may approve revisions from time to time in accordance with the requirements of this section.